I have ben getting my hair cut at an Aveda Institute since college since the idea of paying more than $20 dollars for a haircut is too much for me. This is not the kind of place you go to and tell the stylist to do whatever they think is best for your hair. You have to give the student a very clear idea of what type of cut you are looking for. Nonetheless, since I have thick, curly and frizzy hair rarely does a professional stylist do anything wonderful with my hair and I end up paying nearly $100 dollars so this is a no-brainer for me.
I like that they use Aveda products on you, they smell sooo yummy! They give you a mini scalp and hand massage that pretty much puts you to sleep. It's awesome!
Occasionally I will get the Elemental Nature facial, which costs $40 dollars for 60 minutes. These are probably the best $40 dollars you will spend. The esthetician will ask you what type of experience you are looking for that day, be it stress relief, sun damage, etc. While the primary purpose of the facial is to get healthier skin, I kind of go just to be pampered. The facial includes a mini foot massage as well as a hand and shoulder massage. Plus they use like 50 products on you!
At the end of the day I leave the salon refreshed and with a ton of their products in hand!