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. :)

I had Cosmetic tattoo of my Lips and brows done by Lisa in September 2012 and just one free Touch…read moreup a couple of months later! It was done skilfully and Lisa is a true professional! The colour faded by now to some extent and I will be heading for my 10 plus years touch up very soon! I highly recommend Lisa to those who want to be assured that they are in safe hands! PS. It seems that the above business is out of the listed location and is permanently closed!

I took the 6-Day Comprehensive course last month and the experience was satisfactory. Although the…read morespace was clean and bright, I found it too small of a workspace for 6 students; I think they should only accept a maximum of 4 students at a time so that it doesn't feel as cramped of a learning environment and so that more attention can be given to the students individually, especially since this particular course involves PMU for eyebrows, eyeliner, lips, camouflage techniques, and colour corrections. If it were just the 3-Day Microblading course for example, having up to 6 students at a time might be fine since it just focuses on eyebrows. Lisa, the Head of the company I believe, is extremely nice but she wasn't the main instructor and was there maybe 30% of the time, and having two instructors at different times throughout the course didn't help in terms of consistency. Teaching styles and opinions varied from one instructor to the other. I just found it difficult when one would give me feedback about what I was doing, then a few minutes later another comes along and says something different. Having said that, this course is satisfactory as a foundation and basic introduction into PMU. If I could do it all again, however, I would've just signed up for the basic 3-Day Microblading course; it would've saved me time and money, and I think 3 days in a cramped learning environment rather than 6 would've been tolerable. ps: The instruction I received is of a particular teaching style; I would recommend this course only to those who are ok with blunt honesty and constructive-verging-on-destructive criticism. I can admit that I myself am definitely not the most sensitive person, and I particularly dislike when people sugar-coat words, but as teaching methods go, I believe there needs to be a balance to suit the needs of the general public.

guys please be careful the machines and devices are not health Canada approved when I went to…read moreschool I became more aware how IMPORTANT it is to use health Canada approved microneedling pens which are not used on this course PLEASE BE AWARE !

This course was a beginner friendly introduction course into Esthetics but its unregulated and the…read moremachines/devices are not regulated. For example, there is no MDALL certified pen or real Hydrafacial machines you pay for, it's just practice for at home, therefore, you can not be certified esthetician with this course, the certificates are honestly handed out to a lot of people who paid $6k-10k to take the course learn microneedling, hydrafacial, dermaplaning, etc and become certified in 3 days. This is not realistic, any course takes a year or longer and you are better off going to a certified Cosmetology school. If you already are a Cosmetologist, and want to take a hydrafacial course or learn a new technique or skill, please learn it from the machine provider directly or a expert that specializes in a technique. I think the money spent to take a 3 day course does equate to becoming a fully licensed esthetician. You are at the end of the day working on someone's face, you need to be licensed from a regulated school. It is very one and done. I hope anyone looking into the course will read and fully understand the course isn't that horrible but the hours needed to be an esthetician are not 72 and giving out a license without any hours of practical or examination is a bit odd.

Simply amazing. You must see Suzie and her assistant Maryam for color. Sandra for blow outs!…read more I came here literally right after having an unfortunate experience at another location. I spoke with two receptionists over the phone when I was booking - they were both so kind and accommodating. It was literally so last minute! Same day and went in about 2 hours after I called. The master colourist Suzie was so informative, patient, knowledgeable, understanding, I mean I can go on for too long lol. Me being the type of person who sucks at explaining, she took her time to understand what I wanted and shared what she recommended based on what I was looking for. She made me feel very comfortable to ask questions so I can feel confident about the appointment. I honestly didn't even care how my hair turned out. I was just so grateful for their service that made me feel so calm and at ease. Suzie's assistant Maryam was very attentive and kind. She did a very thorough shampoo and I felt so clean! She also did this light back of the neck massage and I was like ommaaaagadd this feels so nice LOL. She followed Suzie's instructions and toned my hair so beautifully! They both checked up on how I felt about the outcome when I was getting a blow out. It felt very genuine - not just a courtesy check up. Omg and my blowout with Sandra was also amazing. I only ever trusted Chris @ the Burrard Location and never thought I could find anyone else to do a gorgeous blow out but wow I did today! She was so easy to talk and connect with. She kindly kept me in check when I was being impulsive and wanted to do something I know I would regret right now lol (get bangs). All in all my hair came out AMAZING! Everyone here is so genuine! I'm going to a black tie wedding tmrw and took a huge risk colouring my hair before the event. So glad I did though. I'm forever a customer at this location. Thank you for making me feel and look beautiful

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 dont recommend your child to attend this school. there…read moreare kids who vape (smoke in the bathrooms) marijuana and get high. teachers are also eh not that great

First class all the way! A beautiful Catholic school with…read moretop notch staff and teachers that help form the great minds of the future. Excellent athletics program

Highly recommend Atlas driving school for anyone wanting driving lessons. I used their services for…read moreboth my N and Class 5 tests and the instructors I got paired up with were amazing. Full of patience, experience and care in your driving abilities. The instructors helped me move away from bad habits and practice certain maneuvers to perfection. Thank you Michelle and Tony! When booking lessons/packages, letting the adminstrative staff know what kind of driver you are (nervous, anxious, etc) will help the team find you an instructor who suits your needs.

took one lesson with them, and the instructor was incredibly rude and condescending. She barely…read morelooked up from her phone the entire lesson and had her vape sitting in the cup holder. very unprofessional