not really good education, and had to clean the toilets...eeh also the school teaches basics

They are students so they are still learning. They also have their supervisors check afterwards. I always make sure I tell them that they are doing an excellent job. I come here to get my eyebrows done and I tip them well too because they need it and it helps them a lot! read more

HDC - Hair & Esthetics - Cosmetology Schools Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

usually they are really good but lately since june they haven't been returning messages. i been trying to get an appointment with them, ive called 3 times since Saturday left messages and don't get any call back. they don't say anything about being closed for any reason on their machine. Very frustrated and annoye. read more

This is a teaching salon. Students work hands on, and are supervised by their superiors. The price is great (about $11, for shampoo, cut and finishing) , and my cut turned OK. There is a sign at the front when you walk in stating that it may take a while for your services to be completed. This is true, it took me 1 hour and 45 minutes for a wash and trim. I skipped out on the blow dry and flat ironing as I needed to go. I'll never go back. read more

went to hdc to get a brow wax by my friend who goes to school there to help her out but she ended up going home early and they put me with someone else without telling me when I got there, they said my friend wasn't there after I waited 10 minutes, so I was hesitant because I was only there to support my friend and she said you can book another time with her and I said ya I wanted to do that, so while we were waiting to book I apologized to her for this because I didn't let her do my brows. I was very nice and it was my first and it will be my last time there because after I left someone texted my friend saying how I was "bitchy" and freaked out at the other girl. I thought this was a professional place and not a place filled with gossip and talking about clients. definitely don't recommend. read more

I'm very happy to post a new review of HDC. After having a horrible cut and balayage that looked like a rocket popsicle I returned to have them attempt to fix it. Primed with a new student London and a new instructor Deb they performed a super challenging colour correction and nailed it. It was the equivalent of a hair resurrection it shouldn't have been possible and yet some how my hair came back from the dead and was gorgeous. The colours all of a sudden blended and I had amazing cascading layers, I couldn't believe this hair was actually mine. I will say the stylist London was great to work with and that I will be returning to her as a client. read more

This was a good place to go to get my mani and pedi done. It takes forever to check in. The girls doing the work were one of the nicest girls I have seen! They were so friendly. I would go here again. The price is also very going. Just keep in mind that this is a school. It didn't feel like a school. They did the work very well. read more

My mother and I have received one of the worst customer service experiences of our lives at the Hair Design Center. I brought my mother there for part of her Christmas present for manicures and pedicures. I had gel nails put on for my manicure. This was right before New Year's Eve. During New Year's Even my gel nails popped off completely and I had to get nail glue to keep them on my fingers. I was on a trip and unable to call in and ask them to be fixed right away. I called a day after my trip to ask if anything could be done to get my nails fixed since they popped off so soon after they were applied. The person I spoke with said yes, please come in for an appointment, and they would do something for me. I thought everything was fine until I showed up this morning for my nail appointment. I thought I would get the nails fixed, get a normal manicure, or receive a refund. I never thought it was a major issue. I was open to any of their ideas and not picky. I just wanted something since the nails popped off a day after they were applied. When we were at my appointment today, a young woman spoke to my mother and I about my nails. I had the popped off gel nail pieces in my purse to show her what had happened to them. I also explained they popped off very quickly after I had them done. I also explained that my mother and I are long time customers of the hair school and also good tippers. The young woman said she would speak with the manager, Judy, to see what could be done for me. After the young woman spoke with Judy, Judy walked towards my mother and I in an aggressive stance. My mom and I were seated in the reception area. Judy proceeds to state that she has decided that if I want the nails to be fixed that I had to pay for them all over again. I was shocked. I was told on the phone something would be done for me. I explained to Judy that I was upset because we came a half an hour from another community and wondered why an appointment was made for me with nothing that could be done. I also explained to Judy that I was unable to call in right away because I was on a trip but called in as soon as I could. Judy then proceeded to interrogate me and ask intrusive personal questions about where I was for my trip. That had nothing to do with the situation. The work on my gel nails was very poor and we received horrible customer service from the manager, Judy. She was very rude and proceeded to ask us to leave when we expressed displeasure at being treated so appallingly by the manager. If words were needed to be expressed in a more negative manner, my mother and I would have appreciated being taken aside instead of having this entire conversation out in the public in the reception area. I realize this is a school and the students do the very best they can. However, I was a satisfied customer before because if I ever had an issue it was dealt with correctly. I am shocked and horrified that my mother and I were treated so poorly in front of the staff, students, and other customers by the manager, Judy. It was very unprofessional. The entire situation was incredibly uncomfortable, degrading, and humiliating to be talked to in such a condescending way by the manager. I will not be going back for any more services and neither will my mother. I will also speak to my family and friends about never going to this place for risk of being treated so horribly by management. I implore any students who may want to go to this school for hair services or aesthetics to please look elsewhere. I fear you will receive a second rate education and your hard earned tuition money is going to fund a greedy corporation. read more

I'm very happy with the service here! The students do a great job! They are watched by instructors constantly! The staff are great, very helpful and knowledgeable. They are also easy on the pocket book also. The skills they have before hitting the salon floor is great, they are always practicing on mannequin heads and always have the things they are learning fresh in their heads. read more

I took my two sons to get a haircut here. I was really pleased with the service. It took longer than anywhere else but the hairdressers are all students and there is a sign stating that at the counter. Due to the fact that they are students it's much cheaper. It was about $5 each for the haircuts. I love being able to support this place and their students. read more

This is an affordable spa and salon however when you walk in none of the students look truly happy, they look drained and exhausted. After talking to the student doing my services I came to realize that they are drained and exhausted from being in school for SO many hours a week, 12 hour days more than 3 days a week for most and they're just students. I understand it is a school but it makes me so sad to see a school try to push students that hard almost like slave drivers to the point it drains their passion, I understand also it's an hours based program but I find it sad that a place that is supposed to help students flourish is noticeably hurting the students with their lack of empathy and understanding. Also I overheard students saying they do not always get the breaks they are entitled and sometimes end up working through lunch/supper, this is terrible as they spend 12 hours a day working for free, they at least deserve breaks! I love the work the students do, from all I've seen they're all amazing, bright students, however I will no longer be supporting this school as I feel it doesn't even give the students the chance to see their true potential in a positive setting. read more

I will only give this place 2 stars because of how nice the students are however the prices listed for nails and wax are really pricey for students to be trained on people. Manicure and pedicure are same prices to places around the school and same with waxing, I don't know why they charge students for learning at school and poor clients to be trained on with the posit of getting bruises on your skin like what happened to me last time I was in. Again nothing against the students or the instructors they're all doing amazing job it's the school itself who thinks more of money more than anything. read more

I went there to get acrylic nails. They ended up very lumpy and uneven. When I went to get them off a few weeks later, it was extremely painful. They filed one of my nails even after the acrylic was off for so long that there was no nail left. They were not paying attention and I had to tell them to stop filing it. After the acrylic was removed, they did not even file or buff my nails. I was in so much pain and it was a disaster. I realize that they are students at HDC but this was unacceptable. I will never return. read more

Had a terrible experience at the HDC today. I was there for 2 hours today and left with a terrible looking manicure and a slightly less terrible pedicure. And I had to pay a slightly reduced amount of $54 for service badly rendered. The manicure was so bad I had to remove the polish when I got home; my hands did not look presentable. The pedicure was done better but was still not 'wear worthy'. I spoke with the manager. I showed her the manicure and asked her if she agreed it was a poor job; she did agree. I told her that the manicure had not been checked by an instructor. She offered to have a 'more experienced' student redo the manicure, but I had been there 2 hours and had another appointment (I wondered what 'more experienced' meant, because the student was leaving the school in a week to begin on the job training in a salon). To be honest, I don't blame the student; I feel bad that she has spent a lot of money for the program that seems to have poorly prepared her for the workplace. Although the manager agreed my nails did not look good (she offered to have someone remove the polish) I felt extremely cheated when the manager insisted I had to pay almost full price for terrible service. She did offer that I could come back when I had time to have 'a do over'. But with the apparent lack of attention to student work, why would I? My time has some value. I realize that this is a learning centre. However, without appropriate monitoring of students'work, there is a risk of poor quality service. And evidently, at HDC you have to pay for very poor quality. read more

Patient and great with hair. They spent a good 3-4 hours dying my hair and giving me tips. It looked great and the colour lasted forever. Going in this Saturday to dye my hair a different colour, I'm sure I'll be satisfied! read more

I am giving 3 stars based on past experiences and my lack of stars has nothing to do with the students or the instructors...they are all great! The website is VERY misleading as it relates to price. I have hair just below my shoulders that I take care of so it wasn't a "mess" going in. I had an all over color - no cut, nothing else. The bill was $73 before tip! That's $20 more than I pay a stylist with 20 years experience in Hubbards. I wouldn't even mind the bill if the price advertised wasn't so misleading. The website clearly says $30.95-$36.95 for a color and $7.95 for an extra ounce of color (which I had). The highest color price with the extra ounce and tax comes to just over $50. I called to explain ...they said I had a color AND a refresh (all I asked for was an all over color)....the end result was the bill is the bill - not impressed and likely won't return after having gone there sporadically for years read more

I understand that this is a school, and students are learning.. I was prepared to be patient and expected a few things not to go as planned, I didn't expect to be told they do one service when booking.. and find out halfway through that they did not offer what was stressed that I wanted in the middle of a terrible hack job to my nails, even cutting so close to my skin which is left pretty sore now. Very disappointing in deed considering I went in expecting a fill and touch up and ended up having to pay 3x as much elsewhere to repair what was left of my nails (which couldn't really be fixed much unfortunately). The instructor was nowhere to be found during this hack job and did not offer any form of personal contact when I expressed to the poor student that perhaps I shouldn't continue once learning of the miscommunication of the booking. read more

Went in today for a simple cut and colour. I've had it done before at other salons and the stylist knew exactly what I was looking for. The problem however started when she went to discuss it with her instructor. The instructor refused to allow the stylist to do what I had asked and said that if I wanted my hair coloured, they would have to charge me first for colour correction and bleaching, which I have never needed done before. Just the colour correction was going to run me another $70. I had a group of students and the instructor prodding at my head and discussing how what I wanted was wrong. I was in the chair for approx 45 minutes without anyone asking my opinion other than the original stylist when I first arrived. Will never return read more

Well, I'd recommend to think twice when booking an appointment with HDC. I've booked a make up application and hair do 2 weeks ago for today , and first they called and cancelled my makeup application and now on the day that I'm going to a wedding they have called and CANCELLED my hairdo appointment! So I can't even find another hairsalon at this moment, basically I'm screwed!! They didn't even try to make any arrangements for me to come in earlier or later, it was just like "yeah we are sorry but nothing we can do".This was supposed to be my first time there ,well NEVER booking again!! read more