The staff, student, and the supervising instructor were all friendly and welcoming. I was happy…read morewith my haircut. Thank you! #ContestEntry

I have come here for 4 haircuts to date including hair colour. This is a great place for…read moreaffordable cuts and colour but be warned, there is a great possibility to sit for 3+hrs since the hair dressers are students. I get a medium length cut each time (lob style) and each one was a bit different but I still liked the cut. I cant really speak about short haircuts for women although my friend who has short hair had a bad experience/cut here (hair cut looked too boyish. I think maybe it's because of a communication error and the skill of the student.) The students ranged in skill level. I feel that most of the students really care and want to do a good job. I found that the beginners can do straight cuts but it will take about 40mins. One time a student didn't cut my hair short enough and had to spend another 40 mins to cut it again (at least she didn't cut it too short). I think its helpful if you bring a few photos of the haircut/style you are looking for and know how to communicate what you want (i.e layers, length of layers, blended layers, taking bulk off). There is a supervisor who guides and helps the students along so you most likely wont end up with a ugly haircut. I got brown highlights for the first time with my virgin black asian hair. Total time was almost 6 hours because the student had to foil my hair twice (first time there wasn't enough colour). I was really happy with the results even though it took a long time. I wasn't too sure about the shade of brown but after reviewing with the student and supervisor, I got 2 shades of brown highlights. She was fast with the hair cut and I appreciate her confidence in hair dressing. It really makes a difference when the student feels confident. Tipping is optional but must be in cash. Facilities are clean and hip looking. Will definitely come back!

I was a hair model for a lovely gentlemen who was getting his "floor" approval so he could work on…read moreclients. He had great technique and was so kind. Initially the hair was just a bit too bright, and Paul gladly re-toned it a bit darker, which I was happy with. My appointment ended after the sun had set, so it wasn't until the next day that I saw my hair in natural light. When I finally did, it came across to me as pretty brassy. I lived with it for a few days to see if I could grow to like it, but ultimately I decided to call the salon and see if they would bring me in to tone it again. I even asked about cost, I was not expecting to get it done for free. They never followed up after I called the first time (Inthey needed to check with a manager who would be working the next day). I finally called again to follow up, had to reexplain to the receptionist, and they told me they would message their manager and get back to me. It has now been about a week and I still haven't heard back. I ended up buying some Natural Instincts from Shoppers and toning it down myself, so I am happy now. I just wish it had been handled a bit better by the salon. Still, would recommend Paul (I believe he works at the Surrey location, but I saw him at the W 1st location!)

I booked my appointment with stylist Kathleen 2 weeks ago. I called the receptionist informing her…read morethat I'am running late today, she said there shouldn't be an issue if you're 15 minutes late. Then I receive a call from suki's within 15 minutes after my conversation with her , informing me that Kathleen has a client who is having her colour done and that if i can make it to the salon right now . I was shocked because I just talked to her stating that I'm running late. And also it would take me about 20- 30 minutes to drive to the salon from home. I had an event to attend and was looking forward to having my hair done. This would have been my second visit to Suki's . Today I was really disappointed that the staff at Suki's didn't respect client's time. If your client booked an appointment 2 weeks in advance how do you justify your actions. I will be taking my business elsewhere and hope your staff learn to schedule accordingly in the future and learn to manage their time better. Even though your staff wanted me to come in and see a senior stylist , I would have preferred that my appointment be with the person I booked with 2 weeks ago.

My daughter had a terrible experience at Blanche Macdonald. She was dealing with mental health…read morechallenges and received NO real support from the school. When she reached out for help and understanding the response from Pamela was consistently dismissive, lacking both empathy and any practical solutions. After being rushed through the admission process without properly being informed about the timing and processing of student loans all during a period of disrupted mail service my daughter was left financially unprepared and this added unnecessary pressure. She made several attempts to connect with financial department however went weeks before any sort of reply. Despite being very upfront about commuting from Vancouver Island we were reassured that this wouldn't be an issue, Blanche claimed other students had done it before. However when ferries were shut down or delays occurred- things entirely out of her control there was zero understanding or flexibility. No accommodations were made and attendance policies were rigid to the point of being punitive. This school and program operates as if students don't have lives or challenges outside of the classroom. The serious lack of compassion, poor communication, and inflexible structure make it a deeply flawed and poorly managed institution. I would NEVER recommend Blanche Macdonald to anyone - especially students who may need even the slightest amount of support.

My review is purely for the Facial service here by the students that I had last month in January…read more It's going to have both good and bad highlights, but overall I was very happy and I would return. Just a quick note: if you are very shy about being in groups of people, or want a private room to yourself with an esthetician, then this environment may not be for you. PS, I am in no way affiliated with Blanche, nor do I study at Blanche. I don't even work in beauty. My best beauty routine is putting on lipstick and running out the door with uncombed hair. Anyway, I was searching on the internet for "cheap facials" because I like to be very frugral, and when I asked around on Facebook where I could find cheap facials, people told me to search up beauty schools for student facials. Since these are students, you're going to have realize they do make mistakes and are learning. For example, while I was getting my facial done, other estheticians (and maybe mine too) were dropping stuff. It kind of breaks the peaceful atmosphere, but I'm not going to fault anyone for it. They're training on the job and maybe they're a little nervous. We were all once students too. The Good: * $30 for a 90 minute facial, total comes to $31.50 after tax. I left a $5 tip for the student, although I don't know if other clients tipped. * professional receptionists at the front, left me phone reminders for the appointment * had a polite and friendly esthetician student The Not-So-Good: * you are led into a shared room full of other women (not your own room) for your facial. These other women are getting facials and massages. Anyway it was a bit of a surprise to see this, but not a big deal for me * no real changing room, you change in the washroom and they give you a shallow small basket to put your clothes into. Summary: Overall, don't be so picky here when you're paying $30 for a facial. Professional spas out there are charging $70 - $120 for 90 minutes. So you're getting an excellent deal and you're aware that these are students in training. The esthetician student was excellent and very nice, so I would say I would definitely return. As for body massages, maybe when I feel more confident about my body before I enter the group room for that. :)

This was an absolutely one of my best experiences - the passion, patience, coaching, guiding of…read moreStewart and Alex was exceptional - I really loved each session. Each week I would look forward to getting in the water and learning more - and practice more! I have come from place of feeling so uncomfortable in the water - to now wanting to get in at every opportunity - if you are sitting on the fence about taking lessons - do it - and take these classes you will not regret it.

I took the beginner open water course while training for my first triathlon. Having mostly swam in…read morea pool/recreationally in the ocean, this course was super helpful in ensuring I had the knowledge of what to look for and how I should expect my body/breathing to behave while swimming bigger distances in open water. Coach Stewart and Coach Joe were super knowledgeable and helpful. They took the time to make sure you were comfortable and gave great feedback for improvement. 10/10 would recommend taking a Swim Smart course for anyone looking to broaden their open water skills!

Vancouver coach Thadene is awesome! She is so experience who can pick out all my kids bad habits…read moreinstantly and with her tricks she can get then corrected right away! Definitely worth the money!

Very informative, well instructed, fun and kept me engaged!…read more Pheby is a great teacher. I'm very happy with my first lesson and excited for my future lessons. Already I feel I have gained more confidence swimming. She made the session fun and communicated each of the steps very well. Cheers

I have recently graduated from the Body Spa program at John Casablancas Institute. My experience…read morethere was nothing less than incredible. I looked forward to going to school everyday, which is saying a lot considering I had to commute about two hours there and back every day. I loved how hands on the learning was. From day one we were starting to practice on each other and then about two weeks in we started working on clients! Starting to do services on clients that early in the school year really gave me confidence for the rest of the year. However, I learned more than just the practical part of esthetics. I was taught everything from the history of esthetics and the full human anatomy to chemistry and electricity. The theory part of the schooling was simplified, even when learning chemistry and anatomy (not my strong suits), the content was taught to us in a way the whole class could all understand. The teachers in the program are some of the kindest, most genuine people I know. Sabrina and Heather were so nice and I always felt supported. The whole class was treated equally and with respect. Any issues within the classroom between students were resolved fairly and with discretion. They are truly some of the best people I know. The same can be said about the entire staff at JCI. The school itself is beautiful, very clean, and modern. The owners are very friendly and hands on. Everyone from the school including administration, admissions and financial aid make you feel welcome and like part of the family from day one. I had such a great experience at JCI and I would not only recommend, but push people towards taking any program at this school!

The person in charge of enrollment into the program coerced me into the program. She knew I wasn't…read moresure. Very dishonest, sly, tricky and manipulative. Once i had signed the agreement, it was too late to withdraw. They told me i owed them thousands of dollars. I believe all the bad reviews. The responses from the school are not accurate.Also , one guy in my program totally regretted enrolling. Said it was false advertisement. I would stay far away from this place.

Diogo is a very personable swimming teacher. He knows a lot about swimming mechanics and how to…read moremake it more efficient. He explains very clearly and is very patient. He works very hard and is a very good listener and very approachable. Highly recommended.

I highly recommend Diogo for swimming lessons! I'm an adult and I never swam before. I panicked…read morejust thinking about getting into a pool. But this year I decided that I would overcome this fear and that's when I met Diogo!! He is very patient and made me feel comfortable and safe since my first lesson. It is very easy to understand the instructions and when I don't get something, he demonstrates even if it is a simple movement. In classes we always train different movements so it is not monotonous or tiring. By the second lesson I could already float and move in the pool. And the progress I've seen in 3 weeks is unbelievable. Now I can say that I really enjoy when I'm into the water!! Thank you so much, Diogo!!

"Marina's Swim School" is a great swim school for kids and adults…read more Small classes, and fantastic school instructors. The office staff is very friendly. Any time parents can talk to Supervisor or Director.school My kids were progressing very fast. In the other swim schools, it was much longer. After trying swim lessons in other places we decided to stop in Marina. Aaron Gross

The coach for my daughter is the best she loves the lesson she knows how to swim in a adult poolread more