This school has been such a gift to our family. We bring our senior mom in regularly, and every visit feels thoughtful, patient, and genuinely caring. The "future professionals" take their time and are so attentive. It's reassuring to know they're being carefully guided and supervised by licensed stylists every step of the way. It is a training program so keep that in mind when you set your expectations. If something doesn't feel or look right at the end of your appointment, speak up rather than just writing a negative Yelp review. It helps on both sides. We've found that the students are all ready and willing to make adjustments if asked. Our mom always leaves feeling beautiful and confident, and the savings make her even happier. The 50% senior discount on hair services is so generous and says a lot about how the company values that demographic! Extra special thanks to Michelle at the front desk, who keeps everything running smoothly. She's organized, kind, and sets the tone for such a positive experience every time! read more

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Front desk check-in was quick but friendly, they did a great job to manage the longline and everyone was taken care of. Really paid attention of customers! Haircut & Style My teenage daughter had her haircut with Sydney, and she thought it was her best experience EVER! Sydney was so professional and did everything right, she asked her what she wanted and was very good at fulfilling her requests. Value of the service Sydney did such a great job and the fee for the service was incredible. We are definitely going back to her while she's there! read more

I come here on an occasional basis and usually have a great review. Unfortunately, writing this for a one off not great experience. Came here with partner and scheduled us both of the signature facelift. I had a good experience. My partner did not She had to wait an extra 30 min before her start. And then, at that time, she was informed her person wasn't trained in the signature, and substituted in "the treatment" service. Ordinarily, not a big deal, but she didn't not get the results she was looking for (did not feel hydrated), and we were still charged for the signature which is a little more expensive. A more typical facial experience would have been preferred. Hope this is a one off. Everyone who works there is great and pleasure to interact with. read more

I'm really not picky at all! And I still tipped $15 to support the Phase 2 student, but I didn't realize how choppy and uneven the cut was until I got into my car. One sideburn is non-existent TT__TT The overall cut is way too short compared to my reference photo. My hair is naturally wavy (Pic 4 is an older picture), but now it's too short to hold a wave. I came in with a short bob and just needed the sides and back trimmed 1-2 inches for shaping. I did ask about debulking my hair after the service, but the student seemed confused and only did some point cutting, then texturizing when I pressed this issue again. The instructor actually suggested coming over later to demonstrate debulking with a razor, but ended up not coming over? The student even remarked on this but didn't request help. At that point I just decided to leave since my hair seemed too short and top-heavy and there was no point in asking for a fix TT__TT It's fine! It's just hair and it'll grow back in 2-3 months and look semi-presentable. And I totally understand that students are learning. I just hope students can be more proactive in clarifying with the client and seeking help from their instructor. It also seems like the instructors are stretched thin helping students. read more

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HORRIBLE!!!! Anyone who comes here for a haircut, needs to clearly understand that you don't matter at all. It's your own fault for choosing a school... And any risks or injury done to you, it's your own fault. Avoid this place like the plague. They're not there to give you a good haircut, they're there to do whatever they feel like and if you don't like it, or if it's a hack job, it's your own fault. Doesn't matter if they take three or four hours... It's your own fault. Anything you don't like, it's your own fault. The so called manager, Michelle, is there to blame you, not to provide a quality service. read more

This is a school that has the best instructors for the art of hair cutting. There is a discounted price for cuts here and on top of that you get 1/2 off the school prices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's located in the SOCO shopping plaza where there is plenty of parking. You might get a different student every other year but the instructors over see everything so you always end up with a great haircut. They also sell their Paul Mitchell hair products here and sometimes you get a discount after your cut. This is my favorite place to get a cut and color. Happy Yelping! read more

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Sydney and Sydney (not sure if they both spelled their name the same way) were the student hairdressers and they were so sweet! They really took their time to make sure my hair came out the way I wanted. read more

I enjoy my visits to Paul Mitchel, the students have great enthusiastic smiles and working towards perfection in their SKAs of hair or esthetician professionalism. read more

My wife came back for her root touch up and she was happy about the outcome, I personally liked it too! Sam did a good, neat job and she was so patient enough to deal with my wife's thick hair. Despite the long hours, my wife was comfortable enough doing the whole process and the staff were accommodating too. I guess we now have our go-to salon. :) Thanks to Lucas too, for helping Sam! :) read more

Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Effectively an hour of my time wasted. I really don't like leaving negative reviews for businesses, but this situation felt completely avoidable with better communication from the front desk staff. I stopped by after work, thinking I could get a quick, affordable haircut since this is a beauty/hair school and they accept walk-ins. When I checked in at the front desk, the staff member asked for my full name and phone number to add me to the walk-in list, which was totally fine. She told me the estimated wait would be about 10-15 minutes. After about 15 minutes, I went back up to the desk just to confirm that my phone number had been written down correctly. She said it would be another 5-10 minutes. I gestured toward stepping outside for a bit while waiting, but she told me I had to stay inside. That confused me--if I can't step out briefly, I'm not sure what the purpose of taking my phone number was... About 10+ more minutes later, she came over and told me they were no longer taking anyone from the walk-in list because all of their 2:30 PM appointments had arrived. This was around 2:45 PM. Up until that point, no one had mentioned that they were already fully booked or that the walk-in list depended on whether someone canceled or didn't show up. If that had been communicated from the start, I would have completely understood and simply gone somewhere else instead of waiting. I work in front desk/customer service myself, so I know miscommunications happen. But in this case, a simple mention from the start that they were fully booked + how the walk-in system actually works would have saved everyone time. read more

Appointment was at 1 pm. Did not leave until 4:30 pm. We agreed on a layered cut and bangs at the beginning of appointment. It took 4.5 HOURS to do a wash and layered cut/style. After over 4 hours, the student's supervisor told me I could not get the bangs and I would have to make another appointment because they had to clean up and leave. I even showed the supervisor photos of my previous bangs that I wanted. She seemed like she tried to talk me out of it, saying the bangs would be too hard to manage. I was very clear that I wanted the bangs so I'm not sure why this seemed it was being debated. The cut itself was very choppy and I will have to go elsewhere to get it fixed. I do not blame the student -- They are learning! However, I question why the licensed professionals didn't step in after they saw me sit there for over 4 hours and most importantly, why they let me walk out the door with an uneven and choppy cut. Even if I spoke up and expressed this, they wouldn't be able to fix the cut as they had already told me they had to leave. The fact that the professional reviewed my hair at the culmination of the appointment and thought that it was satisfactory is concerning. read more

Scheduled a hair color appointment at 1pm. Lady on the phone offered a haircut as well which I said yes. When I arrived they put me with a barber and I alerted him I also needed hair coloring and it seemed like he was unaware. When his master barber came he said that was fine and to do the haircut first and color after. After receiving the haircut I was told there was no time for my color. I drove over 60 miles and lost my entire day and was offered $12 credit as compensation. Next time just spit in my face! $12 doesn't even cover gas! They also charged me for the haircut still which I couldn't believe. Coulda just drove 2 min down the street for a haircut. read more

WOW. I have been wanting to shine the light on student services for so long and now I finally had the chance! For those who are curious about booking with Paul Mitchell, don't hesitate! I booked my appointment online and had zero preference for a stylist regarding my haircut. I arrived about 7 minutes early for my appointment and the wait for my hair stylist wasn't too long, about 10 minutes. Other people who booked knew their stylist, so some people who came in after me were seated first. If you're new (like I was) you have to sign a form at check-in. My hair stylist Rozdyln is AMAZING! I put my full trust in her after I showed her what I wanted and let her get choppin. In the end, she chopped off 8 inches. The wash and shampoo is complimentary with the cut btw, which is $15 for women. Overall, I was pretty impressed with the facility and my stylist. I got lucky with the stylist who had three years of experience under her belt! Definitely request Rozdyln for your hair needs! I left her instagram down below! Below are my before and after pictures. I requested NOT to style my hair as I wanted to show the difference in length! Which I loooove. PS if you wanted to tip, they don't offer that here. So be sure to ask your stylist what their Venmo is before you check out!! @rozdyln_scissorhands read more

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Life is strange One person goes to work, loves their job Another person goes to work, dislikes their job Its the same job My experience as a student was very pleasant I enjoyed the teachers and the staff at PM. 97.75% of my time here was positive the other 3% was because I was a moron. See I cant even add correctly but they did help me learn about hair and cuticles and other hair stuff If your looking to study hair or beauty this school might be your place read more

I've had many good experiences at this location but unfortunately my last visit was a bad one. I wished I noticed how uneven my hair looked at the end of my haircut with a phase 1 student. Victoria seemed to rush through my haircut and she just wanted me out of her chair asap. I understand this is a beauty school and you get what you pay for. If you're willing to risk looking stupid at the end of your appointment, then come here. read more

Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I asked for a whole color dye. I didn't realized it was all over my forehead, neck and T-shirt. I had to go home and remove the color on my face and neck and throw away my t shirt because of the dye. Plus they wanted to charge 71 dollars for dye. I have a Bob hair cut which I don't have much hair. So I don't know why they need that much product. They started from bottom to top with two students working on my hair. 3 hours with two people?? Don't know why it took too long. I asked to wash it out and left with a hat on because I was late for appointment for something else. After my appointment I went home and spend another hour to wash my face and neck to get the dye out. Terrible. And I spent the entire time hearing their boyfriend issues. read more

As a current Phase Two Future Professional at Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa, I can confidently say this journey has been nothing short of transformative. From the very first day, I felt welcomed, supported, and inspired to grow -- not just as a hairstylist, but as a well-rounded professional. Phase Two has pushed me to step into a higher level of responsibility and creativity. The experience mirrors the pace and expectations of a real salon, and it's helped me build confidence behind the chair while still being in a learning environment. The guidance from Learning Leaders is hands-on and intentional -- they don't just teach you how to do hair; they teach you how to think like a true artist and professional. The culture here is unlike anything I've ever experienced -- it's positive, inclusive, and genuinely focused on growth. I've built friendships, found mentors, and been given opportunities to refine my craft every single day. Whether it's advanced cutting, color theory, guest handling, or mastering consultations, I know I'm building a strong foundation for a successful future in this industry. Paul Mitchell Costa Mesa has truly shaped me, and I'm so proud to be on this path. If you're passionate about hair, people, and becoming the best version of yourself, this school will meet you where you are and help you level up -- phase by phase. read more

Went to this place to have my hair cut, first time and was a little hesitant. Kiki was in phase one and she did my cut. She was very kind and professional and did a great job. The instructor there also was really kind and patient with her students. She seemed like she really enjoyed mentoring, it was cool to see! Definitely a great place to go& I will be back. read more

Would give zero stars if I could. Quality of program is mid at best. Poor products. Not enough focus on skills that were actually needed. However, the absolute worst part of this experience was working with the student loan process. The use Launch Services. They did not communicate with me about loan status and payments after graduation. Launch Services is admitting the error and lack of communication, but saying there's nothing they can do and accepting no responsibility. Will be reporting both the school and Launch Services to the BBB. read more

The service here is terrible. I was scalded by hot water while getting rinsed, and no one cared when I mentioned it. They simply told me that I signed a waiver waiving their responsibility for any injuries, including burns or hair loss. I wasn't planning to sue them, but I didn't want anyone else to experience the same thing. This was my second bad experience at this school, and I will never return. No one seems to care about the safety of the client . Do yourself a favor and avoid this place for any type of service. read more

Love the price and every time I go it is well organized and excellent service. The stylist are friendly.

I have gotten two haircuts here with two different phase two students! They are awesome and the instructor signs off on the haircut plan and also helps with the cut. The only caveat (to be expected with a teaching institution) is that the haircuts take longer. Both students were very careful with their cut, which I appreciated. It can be a bit noisy since there are a lot of people in one big room together, but it's a fun atmosphere and people are cherry read more

Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa - Haircut - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I had no expectations coming into a beauty school, and at the price they were offering haircuts, $15 is probably the lowest price you could find in the state! The shampoo and head massage was divine, no faults there. I really liked my stylist, but the problem is she worked extremely slowly and kept pulling my hair while drying it, where my head was literally being pulled in different directions. I recommend you get a Phase 2 student because mine was Phase 1 and I definitely would not want to repeat the experience! It somehow took 2.5 hours to get a wash and simple haircut. Normally this would take 30-45 minutes at my usual salon. read more

Great work by Molly. I really liked my hairstyle-- higher in the back at an angle coming forward. She's experienced & about to graduate in a few months. read more

Terrible services!! The people who cut your hairs and they don't know what they are doing!!

I recently got a cut and color here and let me tell you, it was amazing. The student and instructor were perfect, but if it wasn't for Sam at the front desk, I would've been lost. She was so kind on the phone and helpful. And I got to see and speak with her in person! Even while doing a million things she was so sweet to everyone and just lit the place up. Gave me wonderful product suggestions as well. Love this school and can't wait to come back! read more

Give student 5 Instructor ZERO. Know I been doing my hair at AVEDA SCHOOL for over a year now . Instructor never leave the floor. Always checking frequently on student and assisting with color or cutting. 3 hours here , my student was a bit nervous .. she was asking other students about how long to leave bleach / toner .. Instructor was for the most part MIA. When choosing toner student called for lady instructor,asking for what mix / color to put on my hair ( student mention colors and instructor said u should know ) As a result I went from champagne blond to strawberry blond .First instructor guy saw me and said u can't b blond in one process ... it looks good anyway..HELLO !! I alway finished my salon visit the way I come in BLONDE THE SECOND INSTRUCTOR SAID absolutely nothing. NO IAM SORRY LET US FIX IT .. COME BACK NEXT WEEK WE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT... she directed me to go pay for the service.. and that was it... SHAME ON PAUL MITCHELL FOR HIRING CARELESS PEOPLE TO TEACH .. FIRE THIS TWO UNPROFESSIONAL IDIOTS IF U WANT TO KEEP A GOOD REPUTATION LADIES DO NOT GO HERE IF U ARE BLOND .. read more

I love Esmeralda , she is a instructor and has been cutting my hair for more than a decade. I only trust her , I highly recommend her as a stylist for my hair . read more

I went here as a student and as a client love this place amazing services and amazing teachers. The vibe is great it's a great place to go to school and to get a service. Really clean place great vibe and people always friendly and helpful must try. read more

Love this place! Great student stylists. Highly recommend it! Students are talented and supervised. Book way in advance. read more

Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I made an appointment weeks beforehand (which I highly recommend as this place gets quickly booked). For some background, I got my hair bleached twice in the past 3 months at another Paul Mitchell location). But now I wanted to fix the blending while going purple, lavender, lilac. I started my session at 10am and stayed until I was the last person there at 4:30pm closing. It was a long day, but well worth it because they did an amazing job. My hair colorist was Sarah and if you get the chance, pick her cause she's so sweet and really listened to what I wanted. But the thing is that students are always changing here since it's a school afterall. At some points, it seems like the teachers would say it looked good, but it wasn't quite what I wanted. Eventually, they brought in more opinions and fully achieved the look I was going for. Definitely speak up since this is your hair afterall. I can't believe I almost went to a professional salon which would've costed me 3-4x as much. Sarah and the team were absolutely amazing and I've never been so happy leaving a hair salon. For basic color, it starts at $30 plus $10 for every bowl of dye they used. I spent under $100 for the most gorgeous hair color ever. I'm obsessed to say the least. read more

Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa - Purple, Lavender, Lilac Ombré. - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I have to say that I am a huge fan of Paul Mitchell products for a very long time and at one point I was considering the school for the esthetician program, I ended going to another school closer to my work. I am regular now supporting a very good friend to practice hair color and she has been doing amazing job. BUT tonight I overheard a student was graduating and she was so excited because finally after a year+ she is done, as the evening went she was almost in tears because the administrator Shelly, Shelby or whatever her name is LEFT without acknowledging her by giving her certificate of completion; she didn't even have the decency to give it to the front desk to give it to her. She told the student she was going to look for her before she was leaving, when Shelly, Shelby or whatever her name is didn't look for the student, the student went to look for her and she was GONE. The student was in tears because she wanted to take a picture to send it to her dad and now she has to go back again to the school and get her certificate, how someone can be so rude and do that. I know how students and school staff are because I was attending similar programs, but hey we the students are paying not just pennies for this programs and the money we pay pays every single paycheck of every employee working there, I am grad of massage therapy and esthetician programs; I know how the schools work. The cosmo program at Paul Mitchell is one of the most expensive ones in the market because it has the name to back it up, just because of that you should at least be there on the last day of every single student on their graduation day because it's going to represent not just the brand but the school read more

Unfortunately, I got suckered into coming back here to fix the messy streaks that the first student placed in my hair. When I had first called the school to ask about the process for fixing unsatisfactory service, they told me that they would still charge for each bowl used to fix my hair, so I planned to just suffer through the streaks and let them grow out. Why should I pay to have another student fix the first student's mistake? However, I spoke to the manager Ryan over the phone, who ended up convincing me to come back to get my hair fixed by ensuring that I would get the full haircut that I had previously paid for in addition to two complimentary bowls. Since there was only a small part on the top to fix, I thought the two complimentary bowls would provide enough buffer to not have to pay to get my hair fixed, so I agreed to come back. I came on a weekday in the evening. The wait was shorter this time around. The student Mary was kind and validated my concerns about my hair. She also made sure I was comfortable during the visit. She was able to get rid of the streaks and cut my hair in a mostly even manner. Time spent was a little over 2.5 hours. Upon check out, they said they used three bowls, although I only saw 1 bowl of bleach being used. This confused me since during the first appointment, they only charged for the number of bowls of bleach, but this time, they charged for toner and some other stuff. To top it off, they only comped me 1 bowl instead of 2 bowls that Ryan had previously offered to me. This time around, the service was better, and the end product was satisfactory. However, it is terrible that they make you waste more time and money to fix mistakes that their students make on your hair. If the service was free to fix, then it would be worth the wasted time to at least let the students here learn. The dishonesty on behalf of the manager is also appalling. To be promised two comped bowls, but only getting one comped bowl was upsetting. Before agreeing to the service, I should have verified the comped bowls with the front desk instead of asking the student. Overall, the service provided here is hit or miss. The unclear charges regarding the number of bowls used plus the poor policy of making clients waste time and money to fix any mistakes made on their hair plus the dishonesty of the staff has definitely made this one of the worst experiences at a hair salon that I've ever experienced. read more

Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa - Brightened up the colors with my phone - doesn't look as good in real life - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I booked my appointment weeks in advance before my wedding to have a bridal updo. I come in today to have it done only to find out my time slot was for a hair cut and not for a style after having confirmed my appointment multiple times. I'm very disappointed I didn't get to have the hair style I wanted but I did end up doing my hair cut. My hair turned out fine and my stylist was very sweet and did a good job, but still not pleased that I didn't get the service I was expecting. read more

If I could give a 0 I would. I called over the phone and asked for walk in time they let us know it would be at 2:30. I walk in @2:10 and they turned me down said they don't take any walk ins. Called again and asked for the walk in service they let me know they had open spots. Felt very disappointed that I was turned down because of the color of my skin. read more

First time getting my haircut at Paul Mitchell. I am aware it's a school and the students are still learning the process. I booked Phase 1 haircut and style with Jennifer. She did an okay job with the length of my hair but could had layered my hair and re-trim it better afterwards. I felt there were uneven long stands and short strands for my hair when it was supposed to be straight, not a Bob cut. Also... She took her time but I didn't expect her to spend an hour and 30 mins with my hair!!! Especially 30 mins trying to figure out how trim 3 inches off my bangs. I felt like it was too short and not parted the way my hair is supposed to fall. She kept waiting for her Supervisor to come help her which wasn't a bad idea because she didn't want to mess up my hair but I did wish she had more confident. She seemed way too nervous cutting my hair, which made me feel awkward a bit and nervous about the end result. Overall, I know she definitely needs more practice because it's only phase 1. Next time, I will book with someone else who is more experienced for perhaps a more advance cut and someone who knows how to cut bangs. $15 not bad but my whole head felt like an experiment. read more

Tried their facial & waxing service. Both services was performed by Loren Tan and was way better than expected. Even though she is still in training but was very professional. Will be back. read more

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I love getting Skin Services here! The students are well prepared and they use great products! I'm always impressed when I get facials here! read more

Paul Mitchell The School Costa Mesa - Cosmetology Services - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I love this place! I used to get my hair done here occasionally, about 20 years ago. Now, I come every 2-3 weeks. Robyn has the best customer service, and has been so helpful at the front desk, every time. Haylee Metz has been my stylist for almost a year. I'm going to be sad when she graduates in a few weeks. The price is right. The staff and teachers are amazing. I love this place! read more

I've been coming to this place for the last 6 haircuts and these students know what they are doing. My barber Jack is awesome and has gotten to expert level. Roswell is invaluable as an instructor to them as well. The unsung hero here is Robin at the front desk. This school wouldn't run the way it does without her. I wish I could multitask like that and be so successful, but I definitely can't hahaha. Thank you to all of the staff! read more