Paul Mitchell The School Santa Barbara

I come here to get all my hair services I always get what I want and every one there is always very friendly and helpful! I love this place!!!

I got a haircut with the barber Travis and was super happy with the job he did. I got a haircut with 2 on the side, scissors on top. On top of that, I requested a kind of zig-​zag design on the left side. I could tell Travis had a really great attitude as a student, and it was a fun experience to see what type of advice his teachers and classmates gave him.
Everybody I talked to was very professional and kind, and the vibe between the students and their instructors was relaxed and positive. I would definitely go back and recommend Travis!

Never come here to do serious color work. they are horrible at it, they’ll tell you they can give you exactly what you want but they have no idea how to execute good ombré or balayage. Only come here for color of you want solid color or highlights. I wanted to lighten up my hair and do ash blonde/​brown balayage and they gave me dark brown roots and solid white/​blonde hair– definitely not what I wanted and not even an ombré. The prices are good and I’m sure they do an okay job with cuts but they also are horrible with blow outs. it’s not even a blow out, they just blow dry. I do love Paul Mitchell products, I really think they make a difference and it’s nice that students get 20% off. Overall I understood they were students but I asked if what I wanted was actually do-​able and they kept reassuring it was totally do-​able so I believed in them. but they should have told me they couldn’t guarantee it and it might be hard on my hair type/​color.
I’ve been twice now and both times the students didn’t seem to care about me as a person, instead I felt like a mannequin to them. Which sucked because I was there for a total of 7 hours the last visit and most the time I didn’t know what was going on and I always had to ask and still she only gave me one word answers. I didn’t feel confident or comfortable. I know I was asking a lot but they made it sound like they do it all the time and it would be totally easy.

I knew I was going to go for a pretty big cut. My hair was past my mid-​back and i was over it — I wanted it to be above my shoulders.
So how did I decide to go here — (1) I normally drive down to LA to get my haircut but really just didn’t have the time to do it and I’m way overdue. (2) searched through Unilocal and read a ton of reviews of local salons. Ultimate deciding factor — thought it would be a fun experience for a student to do this.
Alli was AWESOME! She was going through my hair with Esme and telling her the things NOT to do with Asian hair — no razors, do not use texture sheers, create your own texture and cut at this angle… I fell in love! Most seasoned hairstylists I’ve gone to are MORE than happy to whip out their razors and go to town so to hear a student relay this message to another student — WOW! So. Happy. They were also able to put bright pink strips of color (which normally I’ve never been able to do, my hair does not lighten without a fight and some tears).
4 hours later — Cut ($ 10), Full color and Strips of Color ($ 56), Awapuhi Conditioning mask ($ 25)
I wish I had taken before/​after photos. SO. HAPPY — and all these services had I gone to LA — would have cost me $ 300+
Alli is graduating in a few weeks — I’m sure she’l do great things.

So I just got my tips dyed tonight by a student named Jamie. She was kind of timid and not as assertive as I wish she’d be. I came in wanting pink tips but I knew that was ambitious so I settled for a dark magenta-​ish color. Bri, her instructor, did a really good job giving me advice on how to go about my hair since it’s a choppy bob with hella layers and different shades of brown. I was quoted $ 48 for the service but it ended up only being $ 40!
It was a really tedious process having my hair lightened and colored. My appointment was at 5:30 and I wasn’t out of there until 9. Jamie was a little too gentle with my hair and the hair rinsing and dying took forever. It was a bummer that she didn’t know the answers to any of my questions, including whether parking was validated, how much the services were, what color would be best, and how much their shampoos were going for.
I did most of the talking and felt like she wasn’t as sociable as I wished. Overall though, she did her job and I’m not disappointed with the outcome. She definitely needs improvement in handling hair because the difference between her instructors doing my hair and her doing it was significant. I also felt uncomfortable when she was blow drying because it got way too hot at times. Then again she’s been there since October so I’ll cut her some slack!
Anyways, super affordable place with awesome service. I’ll probably be back!

These are student prices at $ 65 a pop, plus we gave a $ 10 tip! Are they trying to learn on brave volunteers, or make a bunch of money like a professional shop? My little daughter was trying to get the tips of her hair died and it simply didn’t work. Then they wouldn’t make it right after everybody had to get involved. Apparently you have to listen very carefully from the beginning when they tell you that your minimal desire will require multiple, 4 hour $ 75 visits to the shop. I gave them so many outs, including permission to go ahead and damage the hair. I walked out acting like I had some understanding and her mother may have been a part of the miscommunication, but what 9^th grader has access to 16 hours and almost $ 300 to get the tips colored? OMG wtf.
Anyway, she is off to Sally’s now to buy her own product and try it herself.
OKAY, TO BE FAIR, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS AND WHILE IT DIDNT’ CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THE NECESITY OF BEING CLEAR FORM THE BEGGINNING WHAT YOUR EXPECTIONS SHOULD AND CAN BE, THAT FACT THAT HE CARED AND MAY HAVE BEEN WILLING TO MAKE A CONCESSION IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD BE REASONABLY DONE COULD BE. I mean I’ve seen enough pictures where it has been done, but either a lot of money and time has been invested, or it simply takes a pro shop to do. Thanks for calling.

I called in today and automatically got an appointment for a pink ombré! I was super excited and greeted nicely once I got there. Evelyn came over and introduced herself and sat me down, we had a quick consultation and off we went! She spent 5 hours with me making sure everything was perfect (yes FIVE), and wasn’t afraid to check in with her superiors for any help/​questions she had, which I admired. Overall my hair turned out GORGEOUS, better than I expected! I will definitely be going back and recommending Evelyn because she was so amazing!

Save your hair & go somewhere else. DO NOT HAVE COLOR DONE HERE.
This has to be the worst salon/​salon school I’ve ever encountered.

I went back to get the next step of my hair bleaching/​coloring process, and a team leader (is that the right term?) had told me they could bleach it platinum in one day, and I’d come back another time for the color process. I get there for the platinum job, and even though I was a bit late (buses, am I right?) I had called ahead and the person on the phone assured me it would be fine. When I got there, I was told I couldn’t do my full head, and that they’d just do more highlights. That’s not what I signed up for.

Stephanie cut my hair recently and I love it so much! She is such a sweet girl, totally professional, and I felt confident trusting her with my hair! I usually get the same blunt cut every time but she did a few «face framing» layers and it looks better than ever! She also knew a lot about products and helped my damaged hair feel like hair again. I will definitely be returning.

I was a little skeptical to try out this place, but I left feeling so happy & satisfied with my new hair!
I went to a few salons asking for an ashy grey color ombré to my hair. They were all either REALLY expensive ($ 150+) or said it would take at least 2 days to get the final result… OR both. Jocelyn was able to do the impossible! And the great thing is– my hair wasn’t damaged AT ALL. If anything, it felt a lot healthier! Jackie was the learning leader who oversaw all the hair coloring and assisted Jocelyn throughout the whole process. It only cost me $ 69 (+blonde shampoo & the 10% check in offer– USE IT!!). They were nice to my college-​budget wallet :)
Everyone here is so friendly & conversational! The environment is also really upbeat so you’re never bored.
DO plan on staying here a while. My hair took around 4 hours, more or less. But it’s so worth it.
I advise that ombré, balayage and fun colors should be done by a phase 2 student– they’re more experienced and close to graduating! It’s just a few bucks more for a happy you :)

Spent 7hrs with Rachel cutting, color correcting, and dyeing my hair and it was great! My hair came out very close to how I wanted it and I know with another visit I can lighten it up to the color I want (I came in with very mistreated hair with large, dark brown roots and nastily bleached hair done by a pervious hair dresser who turned it green). Rachel kept my hair healthy and didn’t rush the process so my hair came out beautifully ash brown. The 7 hrs flew by since Rachel and the other students were friendly and offered me water and food every so often. I really plan on making Rachel my regular hair dresser since she’s the only one who listened to and gave me what I paid for. Overall great experience.

I was skeptical, but I’m glad I just went for it. The prices are legit and Sunny makes my hair look amazing. The supervisors are sweet and kind. Aaaaand I usually get in and out in a reasonable amount of time, considering it’s a school. Also, parking is close and cheap, $ 3 for a few hours.

I came in to get highlights, cut, color, conditioning… everything! Charlie was my level two student-​hair dresser and she did an amazing job! We had a bit of a miscommunication about me wanting color so I went back last night and had Nicole do it. She also did an amazing job! This is the best my hair has looked since 2006 when I paid big $$ to see someone in Beverly Hills. I have a few suggestions if you come here for your services:
Be clear on what you want and bring pictures. It really helps in communicating and you will get what you’re looking for.
Let the students do their job. They’re there to learn, consult with the supervisor and make you happy. Trust them!
Give yourself more than enough time. They might work a bit slower, but they want the best outcome just like you do.
Bring cash to tip your stylist. They’re students, but why not reward them for a job well done and help them with their tuition fees? :-)

Went in today for a basic color and highlights. The student who did my hair, Nikki Rodriguez, did an excellent job. And the supporting instructors did an equally good job of assisting without intruding.
I picked a color that ended up being a little more red than I had anticipated, but I love it even more.
I would totally recommend coming here to my friends and family. And will be coming back.
THANK YOU I absolutely love my new hair!!!

I went in to get a full highlight and they did a terrible job. The first thing the student said to me when I walked was «are you scared?» I then proceeded to have two different students work on my head. One of which did not follow the instructors directions and did not place the foil up to my root even when I asked her if she could make sure she went up the the root. She then did a sloppy job and was talking to the other student about how she didn’t do them right. The instructors were very unhelpful to the students. When the student asked for help from one of the instructors, the instructor told her she was going on her 15 and she needs to find someone else. The other instructor barely gave any advice and hardly looked at my hair. He then let me leave the building with horrifying hair. I will never go there again. Very unprofessional and the students were not given the advice or help they needed.

A good place for simple, cheap cuts. I had hair a few inches below my shoulder and I wanted to cut it to a chin length bob. This was done by a phase 2 student graduating this year. It cost me $ 18 without tip for wash, cut, and dry (bring cash for tips, since they wouldn’t let me add it when paying with credit card).
I was informed weekends were only walk-​in, and only phase 1 students were there to make up for missed days. To have a phase 2 student, an appointment for the weekday is required.
I arrived during the farmers market (happening right next door) which I will be sure to avoid from now on since it severely limits parking availability in the adjacent lot. Parking is not free and they do not validate.
The cut itself was not great: I noticed it was a little uneven in the back after I got home. The student didn’t show the final cut to the instructor, and it looked fine at the time. I would recommend watching the students closely. I would also ask for the instructor to come check your cut before you leave so they can fix any problems they notice that you (and the student) may overlook.
I also inquired if they offered digital perms, but the student had no idea what that was. I’m kind of disappointed at the school’s lack of education in international hair.
Otherwise, this place is not bad for the price.

Came here to get beachy waves done and that’s exactly what I got! Kelsey Moore is the one to go to! She gave me exactly what I wanted. Also very easy to get an appointment and at the time I wanted! Major plus not expensive! Will definitely be coming back to get my hair done by Kelsey she listens to what you want and gives you the perfect hair!

Seriously love coming here for deep conditioning treatments, blow outs, and cheap cuts! Very easy to get an appointment. They’re super accommodating, it’s a clean environment, and they are very professional.
Kelsey Moore is one of the best there so you should definitely ask for her! Great with cuts, color, and styling!

My rating reflects my experience here! My roomie from last year had her hair cut here and said good things about this place, so I decided to give it a try.
I scheduled an appointment to have my hair cut and colored at the same time, but the times that I wanted were either unavailable or conflicted with my schedule; apparently they set aside certain time slots to have cut and color done at the same time. If you want to do both at the same time like I did, call and asks for times they have available. It’s best to schedule an appointment anyway rather than walking in.
Plan to spend a few hours here, keeping in mind that students are working on your hair. My appointment was at 1:15 and I didn’t leave until 4, I think. I don’t exactly remember, but I didn’t mind. I planned on spending around $ 60 for both of the services and extra if I needed to. I spent less than that, even with tip.
My hair was originally in an a-​line bob haircut (more on the long side though), so my hair grew out like that. I also had reddish-​brown/​golden highlights on black hair.
I asked to trim my hair in the same short-​in-​the-​back-​but-​a-​little-​longer-​in-​the-​front style and I wanted to dye my hair blue all over. The supervisor and other students (I think?) asked me thoroughly for what I wanted and made sure that I knew what I wanted to have done to my hair. I kept switching between dying my hair back to black vs. blue, and they strongly encouraged that I try blue.
So glad I did! Major shoutout to Kayla for being my stylist :) I got the trim that I wanted, and I was surprised and satisfied with the color. Given that my hair is originally black and that my highlights were brown-​ish, the color didn’t come out to be a total blue that stands out. Rather, the highlighted areas came out to be a blue-​ish green. Everything else is more of a darker shade of that blue green. It’s noticable indoors that’s for sure, but you can see it a lot better in the sun. I like the mix of the colors– some is subtle, some stand out. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but I’ll definitely come here for the next time I plan on coloring my hair or if I need a cut.