If you are considering Avalon as a potential school, keep looking. Seriously. The recruiters do a great job at selling this school however there are many inconsistencies on what they tell you and what you are actually going to be taught, and that's if you're "taught" anything at all. They state Avalon focuses on ALL aspects of cosmetology. However that's not true, we never learned to do any services they did not provide and when I asked why, my educator would simply say that "it wasn't a service the school provided, so they didn't teach it". Essentially, you are going to be expected to pay for an education where you are supposed to be deep diving into ALL aspects of cosmetology but you're really only going to be "learning" the services that this school provides to the public. My experience at Avalon was not a good one. I understand that due to Covid-19 the transition was difficult, but that is no excuse for the lack of motivation the teachers had to educate students. I left because I did not appreciate the educators belittling myself and other students. I started phase one with an educator who was a little bit better at pretending to care about our education. However her passive aggressive comments and rude remarks made it really hard to enjoy the class. I have never been around educators that felt like it was okay to speak to students or have outbursts of anger towards students the way some of the staff at Avalon did, especially not when we are literally paying them to teach us. I left 6 months into my course feeling very discouraged and questioning if cosmetology was a career I wanted to keep pursuing and a lot of my classmates left Avalon feeling the same way and within the same time span. I hope that shows that the problem is not the students, it is in fact the educators and staff. I DO NOT recommend Avalon to anyone, interested in cosmetology, esthetics and whatever other courses they offer. Not only was this school a waste of time, it was a waste of money and a terrible school to be in debt with. Due to the pandemic, I was online three days out of the week which would've been fine if my educator actually took the time to teach us but that wasn't the case. I really enjoyed her as a person but she wasn't a great teacher and anyone in my group can agree as she is the reason a lot of us left. While online she did everything but teach. Again I understand that the pandemic was a hard transition for everyone but the fact that she blatantly did not care to teach us is not justifiable. Those sessions are recorded so I never understood why she was getting away with not doing the bare minimum but I have come to the realization that to the staff at Avalon, students are nothing more than a number. When I was on campus, there wasn't much of a difference, I can't remember a single thing she actually taught me. It felt pointless to be online staring at an empty chair but it felt even worse to be on campus taking clients, feeling unprepared and unable to rely on my educator. I left Avalon because my education wasn't being taken seriously and I refused to pay all this money and graduate feeling clueless. I hope that this helps many potential students. Be aware of the inconsistencies, the false promises, and the inaccurate information provided before enrolling. Most importantly be aware about the negligence, laziness and discouraging behavior in these educators. I wish I would have taken the time to inform myself better about the kind of school Avalon is. Please do not make the mistake I did by attending Avalon. Explore your options, trust me there is better. read more

Siera gave me a great haircut tonight! I was impressed with the salon and instructor.

I was there on Saturday January 11,2014 and I had streaks and face framing done by Lauren I believe is her name. She was very kind and listened to exactly what I wanted. Its the first time I can honestly say that my hair was done the way I have always wanted it. I love coming to your school because of the atmosphere and I get to take part in their training. I had a very AWESOME experience and I will come back and I will refer my friends. Tonya DeWitt Phoenix, AZ read more

Services are performed by the students with instructor direction. Of course it takes longer than a typical salon, but I would rather wait longer and have it done right than have someone rush. Yvonne cut my hair and I have natural curly hair. That is always going to be tricky and Yvonne did great! I recommend Yvonne because she knows what she's doing and really listened to the instructor. Just remember that the stylist is learning and to be considerate! read more

This place is super rude when you call to make an appointment, so rude that I refuse to schedule here. Do yourself a favor and drive 10 minutes out of your way and go to Penrose Academy instead. read more

Bad service! Don't go there. Students are not trained. They don't know anything. You think they are trained to do make up. Most of the students are not trained to do makeup. You might as well ask anyone to do your makeup. Don't go there!! read more

Jamie did a great job! I love my new look. She's very sweet and professional. Would recommend to anyone

My first visit was excellent . I had a facial by a young woman who was so sweet and gentle. The instructor was also very nice. I walked out of there with a clean, dewy revived face . I loved it. The staff were courteous and very helpful with the skin products. I will be back soon. read more

Don't go here for hair color service!!!!! I went in two days ago with natural ash blonde hair color and wanted to put a few medium ash blonde low lights in. It took the girl 5 hours (10a-3p) and I was left with dark brown streaks! I came back and they seamed happy to fix the problem and I was told it would have to be bleached put. The girl I was assigned to first had an attitude and said she didnt want to work with my hair issue. I had another student start the color correction under the watchful eye of the floor supervisor. We rinsed out the color to reveal light orange streaks and they said if I want it tighter, they would have to bleach it again. My hair is fried beyond repair so I couldnt do 3 treatments in two days. I walked out very upset and will never come back. How can you be a school that can't fix a color problem? read more

I have been going to get my hair cut here for the last 4 months and always got the same hair dresser (Daisy). She is professional, relatable, and very talented! Everytime I go I enjoy my talk and walk out looking better then I did walking In! I recommend Daisy to everyone and anyone who wants to look good and have a great time along the way! read more

Typed haircut and a zip by my work into Yelp, and this place popped up. I don't go to highend salons due to cost, but certainly want a great look! Thought I may be able to find a gem here. Jessica was the student who worked on me. First thing was her teacher came over to discuss what treatments I wanted (relaxer, scalp treatment, haircut and brow wax). She determined I couldn't do the relaxer because I had self-dyed my hair a few months back (damn!). Ill have to wait until it grows out. So she looked @ my hair and asked what I wanted. Moisture, I want moisture! So instead of the relaxer and scalp treatment, we started with a shampoo followed by a yummy smelling deep conditioning treatment. While that sank in, Jessica waxed my brows- slow getting started but minimally painful. She did a good job. Next was thehaircut. All I said was 'no bangs, I have to wear my hair up at work, and get rid of the split ends'. Is it the greatest haircut I've ever seen? No. But its cute, super soft now, and I like the job she did with a flatiron. Worth the $25.50 + tip? Hell yes. I'm going to schedule an appointment to get some color done and a facial next week. Try this place out, the deals you can get w/ the quality stuff they use makes it completely worth it read more

I know, you think school, and maybe think that these are just beginners when it comes to beauty and hair and nails, but that is not the case! I went in and got a pedicure. I thought what the heck it is close to my house why not try it out? and I was so pleased I did! Jamie, the technician who did my pedicure was amazing. She did a great job on my feet and made me feel so relaxed and welcomed. Then, my favorite part, nail designs! I swear she knew more nail designs than any other place I had been and so much cheaper of a cost to get it done! I got something new and creative and have had a ton of compliments! I highly recommend this school, and ask for Jamie, she is the best! read more

So, I'm usually VERY weary on letting ANYONE other then my hair stylist that I've been going to for 10 years touch my hair. He has been the only person to touch my hair and cut it, since I can remember. My dad had taken me to him since I was a kid. So naturally I didn't want to go anywhere else. but alas, he moved. So that brought me to Avalon. I was scared! being a first time client there and also at any kind of cosmetology school I didn't know what to expect! I was actually very very pleased with the work here. I brought in a picture of the cut i wanted, although it may not be exactly what it is in the picture, it is so damn close, and actually better the way she did it for my face and head. I also got partial highlights done, this is what I was scared about mostly. cause highlights can be tricky little bastards. But they came out BEAUTIFUL! The student, wish i could remember her name right now, was AWESOME. she wasn't chatty cathy but she also didn't ignore me either. My type of hairdresser. LOL. I know her Instructor was miss. carrie, who is wonderful by the way, and made sure she was doing everything right and checked on her a bazillion times while she was doing my hair each and every step, highlighting it, rinsing it, toning it and cutting it. I was Very pleased and will return there again. I hate when people complain about their hair cuts/dye. When you walk in and sign that receipt, you are pretty much their guinea pig. You go in there KNOWING damn well these are students and know that there can be mistakes. Seriously you want to complain about it, go spend money and go to a REAL salon. I love Avalon and will be returning there again. read more

Please bring on insturctors who have knowledge about natural hair for African Americans, students are not always able to gage time for certain hair styles and with no one on staff to guide them... i.e. a young girl came in to have her hair staightened and was sent home b/c she was disruptive. There was not enough time to finish hair, it was late, and seemed like no support was given to the mother or student about setting realistic expectations. Please post photos/image of African Americans in shop/salon, in the evening most of he students and customers are African American- would be great to see models that look like us. Also, please permit us to leave a tip on credit card when paying for services. read more

I walked into Avalon with the blonde in my bangs growing out and wanted them dyed back to their natural brunette state. I figured, why go to a high end salon when it's such a small portion of hair? The girl who I sat down with began with a sour face, but after some idle chit-chat, she perked up considerably. She listened to what I wanted from my coloring (natural, please!) and she grabbed her teacher to verify the plan she should be taking to get there. After agreeing on my coloring fate, the teacher went off to oversee other students while my girl mixed and brushed on the color. After sitting and chatting with her, she washed my hair and the dye out and agreed to do a quick bang trim for me. She blow dried my hair and the color looked absolutely perfect. Her teacher came back again to check the color and to add some texturing to the trim and it looked amazing! After using my coupon from the Savvy Shopper booklet I got in the mail, I was charged all of $4.50! (keep in mind I only did a small section of hair) Now after all of that good stuff, the next day, I did wash and blow out my hair to find that there are some places where I can see some of the blonde leaking through. I'm going to go back in and see if they can fix that. Otherwise, great deal. read more

My friend and I went there this weekend and were both very pleased with our haircuts and manicures. The staff in general was friendly although some need a little customer service and professionalism training (having your friend pull up a chair next to you to chat while you re cutting my hair isn't acceptable) and the price was definitely right for what we got. I'd definitely consider going back. read more

I've been here SEVERAL times before and I will continue to come here. HOWEVER when I told the student she didn't have to blow dry my hair (I have SUPER THICK hair and after being here for 3 hours I just was OVER it) that DID NOT MEAN NOT TO BRUSH MY HAIR OUT!! Seriously!!! Ummmmmm ok!!!! Anyway! Super cheap to keep up on root touch-ups and trims!!! read more

Dear CJ, I am a Student at Avalon and just so that there is no confusion my name is Samantha Thompson. I have been going to Avalon since October 2012 and have had Miss Melanie since the beginning. I want to point out a few "facts", as you have stated them in your answer. First, 40 vol. and bleach is not "common" or used AT ALL IN THE SCHOOL. As students we HAVE to use 20 vol. because 40 vol. on the scalp will burn the skin and is incredibly dangerous and reckless to use on a client. Which is something Miss Melanie is aware of because as a teacher she taught this to me. She has been teaching for 8 Years and is more than aware that 40 vol. and bleach are never an option in a school with students who are just learning. I am also going to point out that since CJ did not say her hair fell out that she obviously did not use 40 Vol. because if she had her entire comment would have been OMG MY HAIR FELL OUT! Then I would have agreed with you and moved on since this is not what you stated you are a LIAR! 40 VOl. and bleach was never on your hair at the scalp! Second, I want to point out that we have 30 students on the floor usually at a time ( depending on the day). The instructors are given zones that is correct however, they are spread very thin at Avalon. There are not enough student to instructor ratio. Miss Melanie is not the problem she has usually ten students to 1 zone and is in charge of keeping track of those students, taking care of each individual clients needs, and also helping with other rows when the school is packed. Same as the other teachers. Since you were there in July they have rectified this situation by hiring new instructors, fixing the sinks, and I can assure you all the mirrors are on the walls. We had just moved in obviously there are going to be a few bugs to work out when moving to a completely new location. And again Miss Melanie is an instructor NOT a contractor the sinks and mirrors are not her fault. Third, YOU WERE IN A SCHOOL! You came to a school, you knew it was going to take forever because your mom warned you! We are not PROFESSIONALS! We are not fast, we are learning techniques then speed comes later. I am so offended by your one sided judgment of Miss Melanie, who by the way is an amazing, sweet, 4ft nothing woman, who honestly comes to school everyday, positive and ready to teach. If you felt talked down to you are obviously just not used to kindness because she is genuine, kind person. Miss Melanie is an amazing instructor and goes above and beyond to make sure that her clients and students are comfortable, happy, and prepared. Finally, I find your opinion of Miss Melanie as a person to be wrong. I feel that you publicly embarrassing her based on the fact that you lied (40 Vol and bleach did not happen) and placing a completely false and incorrect version of her character and teaching skills is WRONG. You should be ashamed of your behavior. I understand you were unhappy with your experience and I apologize for that, however, your review was nasty, incorrect, and just down right not a very human thing to do. I sincerely want the internet and anyone thinking about coming to Avalon to know that this woman's opinion of Miss Melanie to be incorrect, she does not talk down to clients, 40 vol. and bleach will never be used on the scalp, and she is no longer spread thin in her zone. You will be well taken care of by the instructor and students. We all make mistakes and I promise that this in not a correct review of Miss Melanie! Sincerely, Samantha read more

I WOULD NOT consider attending this school. Teachers are never around to provide direction, clock students out of class just because they think they can, students bully other students and teachers as I said are never around to provide direction. What the teachers do not realize is the students pay their salaries and yet they have no respect for the students. . My daughter attended this school and lost all her regular clients due to the teachers taking an hour and a 1/2 to come and review her cut. She did not get the proper education for the money we paid. All her training came from the salon. Pretty sad when you pay thousands of dollars for an education. Again, let me just say do your research and find a better school. read more

I have been to so many hair salons....top of the line ones... Saks fifth Ave in Manhattan, Rolfs in Phoenix and so many more but I have never had a cut and color as good as the one with Lilly H. at Avalon!! She's amazing! She is going to go places and I will definitely be following her after she graduates!!! read more

Get my hair done (cut and colored) at the beauty school. It takes longer than at a regular salon, as the stylists are students, but they are supervised by instructors and I have always been satisfied. I also got a dermalogica facial and it was awesome (I fell asleep!). Prices can't be beat and service is great. You may have to wait a while if it's busy, but the price is worth the wait. read more

I had a cut and color with Celina and I knew going in that it was a school so I was prepared for anything. She did an AMAZING job for being a new student and I was pleasantly surprised. Just be prepared for the wait. It is a school. If you want in and out, go to a regular salon. It is going take awhile. read more

Took my wife there to get her hair done. She absolutely loved it. She had an idea of what she wanted and the stylist made her happy.....I'm happy. read more

If you're looking for EXACTLY what you want, then look no further than this cosmetology school! The greatest part about coming to a school is that you get at least two people double checking every step of the process. I've come here a couple times for a haircut, style, and all over highlights, and every time they never cease to disappoint. My hair has never been damaged or dried out, and I require a LOT of chemicals to lighten my color. My most recent experience was with hair guru Karyn S. She is the life coach of hair! She is professional and personable, kind and hilarious. She discussed every detail of my cut and color, and made sure I was comfortable with every single snip. She had her instructor approve every move, and asked for guidance when she needed it. I never had any doubt my hair would turn out fabulous! If you want a perfect cut, color, or style, Avalon is the place to go. Ask for Karyn and you will walk out with confidence, amazing hair, and sore cheeks from smiling so much! read more

Ok, first of all, I think I went into this appointment with too much confidence in getting what I wanted. Yet, when it's your hair and money, isn't that ok? Also, I am well aware that this is a school. With that being said, I scheduled an appointment for a color consult -- they scheduled me for a color. I figured no harm, if they couldn't do it in that appointment I'd reschedule the actual color. I wanted a silvery ombré-ish on my dark hair. The only reason I'm being harsh in this is because I went full blonde (from black hair) in one appointment and came out with healthy, great-looking hair -- so I knew it could be done! I showed the stylist student the photo and she brings her instructor over to consult. The first words out of the instructor's mouth were: "Oh Lord no! We can't do that." She continued to explain that because I have dark, Asian hair and they're a school, they couldn't do it. She didn't want to "risk it coming out wrong or the wrong color." And by the end of that long rant, she not only told me to go to a "real salon and pay the money to get it done right," but then says, "but if you need a haircut, we can do that." What an effing joke. First, you're a school! Don't you think students are there and paying you to learn how to do this stuff?! What happens when they become certified and get a job at a "real salon" and tell a customer that?! I was a willing participant! I knew the risk! Second, while I appreciated the honesty, it's incredibly insulting the way the instructor treated the student and was so unhelpful in providing a solution that benefited everyone there. Instead of offering a different color or perhaps steps to get me to the color I want, she offers a "real salon" or a haircut. Instead, she ended up with a student who gained no experience (other than perhaps how not to provide customer service) and a customer who will never return. And to note, yes, I read the reviews on here regarding all the color mishaps. But honestly, the way they treat their students and customers, it's amazing that they even get customers and experience! read more

I had my hair cut and colored here for the first time today, and was blown away by the customer service of my stylist, Monica Williamson. She was very knowledgeable about what would work best with my very fine, limp hair. She was gentle and really listened to what I wanted, and executed the style perfectly. read more

I have had services at Avalon twice in the past week. The facility is very fresh and inviting. One thing that immediately was apparent to me, was how friendly the students were to each other and the clients. The students were constantly cleaning and very aware of keeping their stations, sink and pedicure bath clean. My first visit was for a cut, style and pedicure. The student, Brianna, was very personable and went out of her way to see to it that all of my wishes were met. My second visit was for a color and glossing treatment. Brianna and her supervisor, Shelley, provided me with personalized attention. Since I work in business, it was important to me that my color was natural and shiny. With my input, Shelley took extra time to determine to exact right haircolor as well as gloss color. I have already scheduled my next appointment for color and gloss and look forward to my visit. In reading some of the reviews prior to my visit. I feel that some clients fail to realize they are visiting a school and paying prices accordingly. We have all learned at some point in our lives and patience and understanding will certainly make this a most enjoyable visit. From a very satisfied customer! read more

This review is student made. Ive graduated and no longer go here. They won't teach you shit. I honestly styled one hair style with curls, did maybe 3 men's cuts and 0 perms/relaxers. I'm graduated not knowing how to do men's hair at all. Can't do perms or relaxers. I'm not Prepared at all. Teachers are completely unprofessional, Mr. Dale straight up said racial slurs such as beaner & wetback and they let him continue working. When notified off this the director even played dumb and said she didn't know what a "beaner" was. Vikki constantly cussed and treateded students unfairly and talked about her personal life. I've had clients beg me to get other instructors because she was so unpleasant to deal with. Claudine and (young, brunette) Mel are the only decent teachers from that school and Claudine left. Also all your stuff will get stolen and the school won't help you at all. Money, supplies, food. Everything. They will deduct 30 mins a day from your hours for "lunch" then book you for a full day and no breaks. read more

Went here for facial, body treatment, eyelash tint, and pedi. Awesome job on facial, body treatment, and lashes. I was super happy with Audrey and Helina. They were better than a graduated and fully licensed pro. These two students took there time and did their job well. My pedi was just ok. The girl admitted it was not her strong suit and that is fine but what was sad is the teacher had little care in guiding her, advising her, or checking in with her. There in lied the problem so anytime she was stuck, had a question or could have used some help there was no one there. I give the students A ++++ for doing the best and the instructor in the hair and nail area a blah. The instructor in the facial area was game on and attentive to everyone. read more

A coworker recommended that I try this place out when I was new in town and wanted to get my hair done. That was a year and a half ago. Since, I have gone back several times and each time I pay very little but come out looking like I dropped my entire paycheck on my hair! I have never had a bad experience there! I had one student, Brittany D., do my hair for my wedding back in October and it looked fantastic! I could not have been more pleased, I recommend the wonder staff at Avalon to all of my friends. read more

I had an appointment today with Morgan, She was fabulous! She gave me a great perm. I recommend her. There was a problem at check-in with the cashier. I was signing in and she raised her voice at me when I didn't answer who I was in time. Her impatience is unacceptable. Theresa read more

Daisy did an amazing job on my hair. I was there for a little longer than planned but knowing I was going to a beauty school it wasn't a big deal. After all we are there to help the students learn and in exchange get much cheaper rates. Which I did... $45 for color and cut. The end result was that I had the color I wanted, no grays and the exact cut I wanted. Daisy kept me informed of what she was doing and always made sure I was comfortable. I will be back. read more

save yourself the time & money!!! i am completely aware i went to school mid-pandemic but avalon took 1000% advantage of covid and used it as an excuse for everything. we had been exposed to a student who tested positive and after being told we were taking a 2 week quarantine strictly on zoom for 14 days, 3 days later we were being told to come back into school (mind you the school was still running as normal with every other esti student.) we were made so many empty promises to get something as simple as textbooks, state boards study guides, and more knowledge. we were given a few demonstrations but had to beg to get the rest. within the first 2 weeks my attendance was messed up and was not fixed for months. save yourself the mental exhaustion and pay for better!!! read more

Good school, very fun having lots of laughter

Every single time I am in Phoenix, I always visit Avalon on Bell Street. They are professional, courteous, and efficient. Today I am making another visit there, and I'm also taking my granddaughter. read more

I've been seeing Chaya Smith for several months and she Is fabulous. She listens to You about what You want and makes it happen. She's done highlights, cuts, deep conditioning and I loved my hair each time she finished. Please ask for Chaya next time You go. read more

Glen is a ROCKSTAR and I will be going there again! Super happy with my full head of highlights. I went to a salon in Glendale and for $170 they couldn't even get it right. I got a full head of a ton of highlights, a haircut, detangler, and paid tip for $70. A++++++++++ read more

I waited over three hours for my sister to get a simple haircut and some bangs. I do not suggest you go here if you have other things to do in your day. The students are not encouraged to act or present themselves in a professional way. I will probably never come here again. read more

Love the students & teachers at this school! Great up to date technical and communication skills. Would recommend highly!

I have had my hair color done here for years. Always turns out great. You cannot beat the price. The instructor's are always available to help and very knowledged. The only negitive thing I have found is Monday nights are a little busy so plan on being there for a while. Any other night isn't as bad. I would reccommend the school for any one's hair needs. read more