I had wandered into the Propaganda Hair Group Salon last year and after reading the reviews here I made an appointment and am so glad that I did. As soon as I saw Emily I knew she was the stylist for me. I had a lot of photos to show her and she understood what it was that I wanted from the start. As Emily was carefully cutting my hair I had time to look at the other stylists, clients, and the place itself. It feels like a calm, and caring place where everyone was relaxed and sipping on an offered beverage. When I found out that this is a family run salon I liked it even more. Other stylists helped to weigh in on which products would be best for my hair and then Emily found a cheaper version so that I had a choice. There is even a free bang trim between cuts which is appreciated. Somehow by the end of my cut my hair looked like my favorite part of each photo I had shown Emily. I will definitely be back ! Thank you Emily and staff and all the best to you in the New Year ! read more

I have been a client of Emily C for a few years now. She never disappoints. I get a great haircut, foils and service. I highly recommend Emily. read more

I've been here two times now for a cut and a color. It's a nicely Decorated and bright salon. all their products is Aveda which is important to me because Aveda does not test on animals. Both times I was not that happy with the colour but the stylist was happy to make another appointment for free to correct it. Prices are competitive and the staff is always friendly. They also give nice hand and scalp massages :) read more

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Emily just gave me the best colour! Exactly what I asked for. Very reasonable and that head massage....! Highly recommend read more

I've gone to Propaganda Salon a couple of times now, and I love it! The inside decor is really funky and modern. It's got hardwood floors, colourful walls, and neat art hanging all over the place. I come here to see Sherri, and she does an amazing job! The thing I like most about her is she sits down with me and talks to me about what I've been doing with my hair and what exactly I am looking for. Finally, a stylist that actually listens! I've come here just for hair cuts and before or after (I can't remember) the girl washes my hair, she massages my scalp with a pleasant-smelling oil. This is so incredibly relaxing--just amazing. After my last cut, my stylist applied some lipstick, so that was pretty cool. I've seen all types of people come here and get all types of styles from very conservative to very edgy. I usually pay about $46, which is very comparable to other salons. Oh, and Propaganda does give student discounts! read more

I would never in my life recommend this place to anyone. As an Aveda trained cosmetologist, I *used to* feel comfortable going to any Aveda salon. I was new to the area, saw that this was an Aveda salon, and was like "Okay, awesome". I went in with a mohawk that was a little too wide, but not being able to make straight lines on the back of my head, I wanted someone else to make it a little narrower for me. I honestly can't remember this girls name, but she said she understood and would only charge me for a perimeter trim, which makes sense. What happened next was the worst salon experience I've ever had. She began chopping at my hair, texturizing, and doing everything BUT narrowing my mohawk. The front of my hair ranged between 2 inches and 1/2 inch in length for absolutely no reason. She also chose to argue with me about what I wanted my hair to look like. I was upset and I left. After crying in the car to my husband, we went back inside. I asked to speak to the salon manager, but she was busy with a client. Then I was told that instead of speaking to the manager (who was in the back of the salon rolling her eyes at me), the girl who had just messed up my hair could fix it for me, but they would have to charge me $50 extra because at that point it would be a full haircut. I went to another salon (Hair Garage), where they fixed it as much as possible, but even then it was still very uneven. It took about 3 haircuts (spaced out) to get it to look right. This was a few months ago and just writing this review is angering me. It was just the worst experience. read more

I got my hair done at Propoganda by a junior stylist. This is the first time I ever walked into a salon and they did an in depth consultation where I was demanded to look through magazines for examples of cuts, where we had a two-way conversation about what I wanted and what she understood that to be. I know this is probably because she is a new stylist, but Kudos to her for taking time to listen to what I wanted! The haircut without colour took two hours! But it was worth it. Perhaps we got talking a little too much and I slowed her down or perhaps she was being cautious because she was a junior. I would go here all the time if it weren't so expensive. But, you do get what you pay for. - skilled stylists and Aveda products. read more

GREAT salon with wonderful people and amazing talent. This was my first visit to Propaganda (after some horrendous experiences at other Edmonton salons), and I won't be trying anywhere else from now on! My stylist - Blanca - was on time, friendly, happy, chatty, and really creative. She knew just what I wanted even though I couldn't explain it very well. For my colour, I said I wanted something unique and creative and rather than just go to the default of black with red or black with blonde, she took easily over 15 minutes to visualize, to look at different coloured swatches, to talk to me about what she was thinking, and she actually DESIGNED my colour for my head and for the cut she was planning. It ended up completely amazing and has so much dimension to it that I can't stop looking at it - every time I do my hair, it looks a little bit different, but it ALWAYS looks great! My cut was the same - she listened to what I wanted, asked good questions, thought about the cut, and then started at it. When she was done, I didn't look like the same person. She took her time, gave it the care it deserved, and even though she had to stay late to finish, she didn't rush it. Even though the whole process took over 4 hours (four or five different colours, in foils and solid colour, etc), I wasn't bored for a second. Blanca timed everything so that I was never left just sitting. I was continuously offered tea or coffee (yummy cherry tea!) just as I finished it, there was lots happening around the salon (including a photo shoot!), and best of all, I got an amazing hand massage and a DELICIOUS scalp massage. Words cannot describe how happy I am with my cut and colour and the best part is how comfortable and happy the salon seemed to be - laughter and talking and people making everyone feel like family the second they walked in the door. Both the owners were there and they constantly circulated making sure that everyone - stylists and customers alike - were happy and had what they needed. Amazing experience! read more

Any place but here! I made an appointment here because it was an aveda salon! Unfortunately it was not a good experience. I asked to be a senior stylist and I really don't think she was! It was clear that I had ruined some sort of her plans by making my appointment! Regardless, we had agreed on doing partial highlights (which in my experience is front to nape and is the centre section of hair). Which is what the girl did! I paid for my bill which came to $250 without tip! By the time I got home I saw she had charged me for a full head of hair! Ripped off! I will NEVER go back! I advise the same to you! Nothing worse then getting home and realizing that! To bad because it looked like a nice place! Gives aveda a bad name! The blond was decent but it doesn't matter anyway! read more

Old-fashioned, honest service and quality haircuts. Propaganda was probably one of the most up-to-date salons in the city in the '90s. It's still a fresh-looking place, without all the pretension of some of the fancy, gimmicky salons that have popped up in the last few years. The services are reasonably priced and don't seem to include a premium for frivolous decor. My stylist listens to what I want and delivers a stylish cut with a smooth hand. Grade A service from every single member of the staff! They totally make you feel at ease. read more

I just got a cut and colour from Paula and love my new look. I have been seeing her for over two years at her former Aveda salon and always come away happy. As for the salon itself, I find the location very convenient, clean and an overall warm atmosphere with friendly staff. I highly recommend Paula and the salon. read more

I've been going to Propaganda off and on for about 7 years. The off times were when I was foolish and tried a place a friend would recommend if I was impatient to get a haircut. I would always come back after straying and wonder why I did it in the first place. I've never been disatisfied with a cut or colour I've gotten, even the big drastic changes! Currently I see Blanca and I love her. Part of me wants to recommend her (which I do) but the other part wants to keep her a secret too. She understands the level of effort I put in (not much) and gives me a cut that still looks great even though I am lazy. She takes time to listen to what you say you want and won't let you get an unflattering hairstyle. The salon is great, it's friendly, bright and most of all welcoming. No one is snobby or judgmental if you come in with some questionable hair. If you decided that drinking and cutting your own bangs was a good idea, or that your dark hair can totally go blonde with some discount box dye... well, they'll fix it for you and not make you feel like an idiot :) I highly recommend Propaganda for their quality service and great products. read more

I love it here, and I especially love Maggie (even though she moved away for a while and I had to see someone else). They receive you so warmly when you walk in and give you tea to sip on while you wait. You change into a full smock so you don't get your shirt wet or covered in hair, which is nice. Prior to washing your hair they usually give you a scalp massage - sooo lovely and relaxing. Maggie's really receptive to what I want and she's easy to talk to and a great person in general. After she styles my hair, she usually picks out a pretty lipstick or blush and gives me a little touch up before I leave, plus she tells me to come in for a few weeks to get a free trim. The Aveda products are really nice but I've never felt pressured to buy anything. Propaganda is nowhere near where I live but I will definitely go out of my way for a visit! read more

I was a regular client of Propaganda for three years. I would go for a cut and colour every 8-10 weeks and was overall happy with their services. I was a client of Natasha's for some time and then saw another stylist when she left for another salon. The salon has a contemporary vibe and they always had unique local art decorating their space. Propaganda offered the standard Aveda experience with hand and scalp massages and complimentary Aveda Comfort tea during your services, all of which were nice additions to your appointment and added to the relaxation of the experience. I never felt pressured to buy Aveda products and wasn't shamed by my stylist when I admitted to using non-Aveda products at home. The reason why I only gave Propaganda only 3 stars is that I found my experiences there went steadily downhill in my last 3-4 services I had there. First, when I came in for a cut and colour, they started having an apprentice stylist complete my colour application instead of my regular stylist. The apprentice didn't have the greatest colour application technique and ended up staining my skin on my face on multiple occasions. I was never asked if I was okay with the apprentice completing a major part of my service and this change really took away from my experience at the salon. At my last appointment I had tried to book in with my regular stylist, but had to book on short notice and was given the option of booking with another stylist in order to accommodate my schedule. This was totally reasonable on the salon's part and I appreciated their efforts to get me in on short notice. The service itself was great, but when I got home there was a message waiting on my voicemail from the salon stating I had been undercharged by $10 for my service that day (this stylist was a more senior stylist than my usual stylist I guess...) and the salon wanted me to contact them and pay this amount. I was never advise of the higher cost and would have been happy to pay it, had I been advised previously when I booked or even when I was at the salon. To call me after the service and demand this amount be paid seemed really tacky, especially when I had been a regular client for several years. This really left a bad impression and I decided to move on to find another salon in the city at this point. Too bad, as Propaganda was a reasonably priced Aveda salon with talented stylists. read more

I've been to Peopaganda a couple times now. The first time I went, I went because I saw online that it was a pretty good salon, and I liked the area. When I called, the receptionist was fantastic and explained how the salon worked, and that I could have a jr, intermediate or senior stylist. I asked for an intermediate, and when I showed up for my appointment, again, the receptionist was very kind. My stylist sat my down and talked to me about my hair, and the product I used. She asked whether or not I was happy with my shampoo, which I was/am, and she left it at that. I loved that she didn't try to sell me any of the product they were selling, and that she understood that I was happy with what I had. I am always a little nervous going for haircuts, because I have long hair and find that no matter what I tell the stylist, they always cut my hair way too short, and it takes me a long time, sometimes a year, to grow it back to the length I like. When I told her this, the stylist understood, and got to work. It was my favourite haircut I have ever had. She left it long, and every now and then, she double checked with me to make sure she didn't cut it too short. I have since been back once, and booked an appointment with the same stylist, but when I got there, they told me that she was unexpectedly ill, but they would have a senior stylist work on my hair, but they would still only charge me for the intermediate. While I preferred the original stylist, my second one was still courteous and cut my hair as I wanted, and definitely not too short. I'll be going back soon! read more

I needed a hair cut really bad and my stylist was out of the country. I came across this review on YELP and took the previous reviewer's advice and went to see Sheri at Propaganda. I called and got in the same day (lucky for me) and was immediately greated at the counter by a friendly lady (the owner, I think) who offered me camomile tea and asked if she could take my coat. Nice touch! Sheri, then introduced herself and spoke with me in the waiting area about what type of cut/highlights I had in mind. She had great tips and quickly set to work mixing my color. Sheri is really easy going and makes conversation effortlessly. While I was under the dryer a young lady offered me a very nice hand massage (complimentary). Next it was off to the sink, where the same lady gave a relaxing scalp, neck and upper shoulder massage (very nice!). Through out the whole time I was there, the staff is constantly asking if you'd like something more to drink. Sheri cut my hair, styled it and then shaped it when it was dry so it sat just right. My highlights turned out fabulous and Sheri placed them well so they would be really versitile. She did a great job and I was really impressed with the level of service. She asked if I'd like to touch-up my lipstick and offered me a brush cloth to remove all the extra hair from my face. It was a nice experience and I would definitely go back. Thanks Sheri. read more

I've been to Propaganda several times and seen three different stylists. Each time, I've had a great cut and a fun, relaxing visit. I have really curly hair and never flat iron, so I appreciate that all of stylists know how to cut curly hair - I've never once had someone try to flat iron my hair and then cut it. Kudos to the ladies at Propaganda, you do a great job. read more

I just went back to Propaganda this past week for my second cut and colour (my roots were really grown out since I haven't been in since November!) This time Gwen was away on holidays so based on Yelp reviews I asked for Blanca. And I chatted with the receptionist over the phone about cost - she was very understanding and explained to me the cost for various options and encouraged me to talk to my stylist at the start of my appointment about my budget. She was really warm and helpful when we were sorting out an appointment time. At some salons, staff respond to you as though you are unworthy of their services, but not here - the staff is amazing! When I arrived I was warmly welcomed - you are offered tea or coffee and they take your coat and basically treat you like a guest which is nice. Blanca came out right away - she's a very nice woman who also has thick, curly hair, so I knew that she would have some first-hand understanding of my hair's needs. She took the time to look through magazines with me to figure out what I wanted for colour and for cut, and she opted to cut my hair first because it is so thick and has gotten quite grown out - this was great because I didn't have to pay for a bunch of extra colour product that would have just been cut off in the end anyway. She suggested a colour that I would not have chosen myself, but I was up for something new and it turned out really nice and looks great. For the cut, once she got an idea of what I was thinking, you could see the wheels turning in her mind as she calibrated that with my face shape and features etc., then she set to work. She cuts confidently and clearly knows what she is doing. I love how the hair cut turned out! I am overweight and I have a round face anyway, so many previous stylists at other salons over the years have discouraged me from going short with my hair suggesting the length would be more slimming. Well, no amount of hair is going to disguise my double chins so I figure what the hell - I just want a really cute hair cut! I liked that Blanca was aggressive in going shorter than other stylists have dared, but also ensuring the the lines of the cut around the face were flattering and that the "tone" of the cut was fun, modern, but age-appropriate for me. I wish we'd taken a before and after pic because I think the transformation was pretty significant. I will definitely go back to see Blanca again - I think she's the type of stylist with whom I could actually have fun trying out new looks with my hair. And since we just did a full colour, no foils, the cost was much more manageable than my last visit when I did full foils. (Now I know the difference between all these things thanks to the receptionist!) Oh, and the apprentice gal gave a wonderful complimentary hand massage and a wonderful post-wash scalp rub! read more

I have been seeing Paula for 3 years now and absolutely love her colours and cuts. I drive 5 hours to see her. Wouldn't go anywhere else!! The staff at the salon are very friendly and accommodating. Thank you! read more

After having a hair nightmare somewhere else, I got my hair fixed here by the partial owner. She did an amazing job, exactly what I asked for, was professional and warm and over all the experience was fantastic! I would recommend this salon to everyone. read more

Wow...what a great experience. I saw Blanca for cut and colour...probably the best cut and colour I have had. And I loved the hand massage while my colour was processing. It was worth every penny. read more