The Spa School

If you love a great price have the time and patience this place is for you. If you don’t have one or either then it is not for you.
I got my make-​up (with eyelashes) and hair (style for a wedding) done and it took over three hours. However, it only cost me for all three of them $ 33.00. Where good false eyelashes alone at the make-​up counter or salon can run up to $ 5−20+ a pair and if you want to get your make-​up done it can be around $ 50 and hair styling can be $ 40+. So obviously the savings are HUGE. However patience is key — if you don’t have much then this place will drive you crazy.
Very clean and everything is done by the book. To me a lot of it seems unnecessary but that’s protocol. I learned that any salon appointments (make-​up, massage, nails, waxing, etc…) can be booked ahead of time where hair appointments are walk-​in only. I was there late morning on a Friday and didn’t have a wait period between my make-​up and hair. In fact there seemed to be lots of students waiting around doing a whole lot of gabbing (not learning or working on an clients). They did say weekends tend to be very busy and people usually have to wait.
Bottom line, they did a great job, I would give 5 stars for that alone. My make-​up and hair both looked wonderful. You would never know students did it. If I was on a time constraint I would have to go elsewhere. If I wasn’t I would return again.

I don’t think their prices are low enough to justify the lesser quality and WAY longer time it takes for them to do the job. For example, I went in for an eyelash tint, I think it was around $ 15. My normal aesthetician is a good ½ hour away, so I was hoping to find someone competent that was close to me (spa school is 3 mins). Over 90 minutes! later I left, and my lashes were only marginally darker. The girl was nice, but not worth it. I’ve also looked into their prices for mani/​pedi and they aren’t low enough either. So I continue to drive out to Pickerington for a good lash tint, and she takes about 15 mins.

The Spa School is run by Ohio State School of Cosmetology (not associated with Ohio State University.) It is a combination of classroom work and practical application for the students. It is a real, working Day Spa. You can get your hair done, get a massage/​facial, a mani/​pedi, and even makeup and eyelash extensions. There are cosmetology students (that primarily focus on hair), aesthics students (who do the facials, waxing, and massages) and the nail students (who do the manicures and pedicures.)
In exchange for a student working on you (maybe for the 1^st time ever!) you get a price about ½ that for a regular salon. Of course the students are supervised by licensed instructors.
The good part is that health and hygiene standards are followed meticulously. They do not cut corners. The downside is … your appt may take a whole lot longer than expected (a basic pedi is a good 1.5 hours) because the students can be fairly new.
Overall, if you’re looking for a clean, budget experience, it is recommended.