Young people with jobs in Victoria usually fall into one of the following categories: artists or musicians working in restaurants, web/print/new-media/whatever designers, house/drum-n-bass/electronica producers, and hairdressers. The hairdresser-to-client ratio is probably about 1/1. So we've made an effort to single out the ones worth visiting!
Hairdressing Schools
The cheapest way to get your hair done is at one of the many schools in town. The quality can be hit-and-miss though. You might get a masterpiece or an embarassment. But it's cheap!
Aveda Institute
The Aveda Institute is like the Mother of all hairdresssing schools and if you go into the Aveda Store/Salon on Douglas St and ask to have a student work on your hair, you could end up with an awesome do at a discounted rate.
1402 Douglas Street (map) 386-7993
International Hair Dressing School
Haircuts start at $8 without the shampoo, $15 with a shampoo and if you don’t mind being a guinea pig for beauty students, this is a freaking good deal.
705 Johnson Street (map) 386-7233
Independant Hairdressers
More and more hairdressers are working out of their houses or their own private studios, because their customers pay less, they make more, and you can both chill out and have a good time! Plus why go to a swanky salon when you could go to somebody's nice house and get a real Victoria experience?
The Butcher Shop: Dowe Verboom
Dowe (pronounced "Dahwa") was trained at Aveda, he can do cutting, dying etc. Dowe lives in a beautiful house in Oak Bay, they've got a fireplace, garden etc, and they'll chill you out with some tea and music while they sort out your hair. His rates are reasonable, and we know of like five different people whose hair they've graced with his talent!
930 Pemberton Road, Apt #2 (map) Cell # 858-4278
Hair Salons
If you're definitely into a nice salon with the magazines, the music, the cosmopolitain vibe etc, there's a million of 'em in Victoria. Here's the ones we've learned to trust:
Fish Hair Salon
Sip on some tea, chill out and chat with their hairdressers, check out some fashion magazines, and come out with a better 'do!
1227 Broad Street (map) 388-3474
Hive Hair Lounge
Hive stylists can do it all; cornrows, dreadlocks, dyes and highlights, mohawks, faux-hawks and they're hip and they gossip while they work and then your hair is more perfect than you ever could have imagined.
614 Johnson Street (map) 361- 4473
Rapunzel Hair and Body Care
The stylists are friendly, the music is good, the price is really reasonable and my hair turned out bee-yoo-tee-full!
1088 Fort Street (map) 360-0044
