Bellus Academy’s mission is to create a culture of excellence for post-secondary education where students are inspired to achieve their career dreams. Our award-winning beauty and wellness institution is dedicated to graduating career-ready professionals. We specialize in advanced training and have built a reputation for innovative education, consistently nabbing top honors in Modern Salon’s national Excellence in Education program.
Lynelle Lynch is the proud owner and CEO of Bellus Academy, which is renowned as the leading beauty academy in North America. Additionally, she is the visionary behind the Beauty Changes Lives Foundation, a non-profit organization that has successfully raised over $5 million to support and empower aspiring professionals in the beauty and wellness industry. Lynelle is passionate about bridging the gap between career education and the broader community, and her efforts have earned Bellus Academy the prestigious “Gold” Award for Excellence in Community Service from the California Association of Private Post-Secondary Schools in both 2017 and 2018.
Bellus Academy is a recognized and awarded beauty and wellness institution in the country. Our relationships with salons and spas enable us to assist our graduates in finding employment after graduation.
Our career services department is dedicated to assisting you in finding the job you’ve always wanted. From resume assistance to interview prep, we’ll help steer you in the right direction. Our student mobile app allows you to view job openings and apply directly on the app! We also host career fairs throughout the year and give students the opportunity to attend professional industry events to network. Our field trips consist of visits to top spas and salons and our California campuses offer externships in select programs.
Our state of the art student mobile app gives 24/7 access to academics, attendance and job postings. Our cosmetology program student kit comes with an iPad and other program students can take advantage of our school-discounted rate (which is cheaper than Apple sells it for!). We embrace technology and encourage our students to take advantage of social media platforms. Our Cosmetology and Barbering program offers Pivot Point’s LAB—a new way of learning which includes social integration and tablet tutorials.
Our curriculum includes Best in Business, Financial Literacy and Strategies for Success to prepare you for post-graduation as you enter the entrepreneurial world of business. From budgeting to marketing, our students will be able to exceed their technical skills with a well-rounded education, which will look impressive on your resume.
Our students have a history of succeeding at national and international student competitions including Wella’s TrendVision, Sassoon Connection and America’s Beauty Show. Bellus Academy is honored to have award-winning educators that coach our students to success and inspire them to take advantage of these opportunities.
Our relationships with high-end salons in Southern California allow students to network with top stylists and owners. This is why our students extern with the finest salons including DK Hair, Salon Radius and Headlines4Hair (just to name a few!). Externships are available for our advanced cosmetology and esthetic programs.
Bellus Academy is proud to offer combined courses that allow you to enroll in one program and graduate with multiple credentials. This will significantly improve your resume and career opportunities. Take advantage of our expertise all under one roof!
Our schools are honored to give back to the community while utilizing our technical skills. We have a Student Design Team, composed of standout students who participate in exclusive events and outreach projects. We’ve had the privilege of volunteering with the homeless community, military outreach projects Fashion Week San Diego and Habitat for Humanity. We also offer training for the Cut It Out program, which teaches salon professionals how to recognize signs of domestic abuse and safely refer those clients to people and resources that can help them.
All of our alumni receive: priority mailings for events and workshop opportunities, career assistance, scholarship information and philanthropy opportunities.
We also love for our alumni to come back to our schools to share their story and inspire a new generation of future professionals.
TrendVision Beauty Envision Awards (Student Category) – Winner
Elnaz Arman, Student, Future Star Artist
TrendVisionBeauty Envision Awards – Finalist
Rachel Alvord, Educator, Trend Vision Color Artist
TrendVisionBeauty Envision Awards – Finalist
Sam Sanchez, Student, Total Transformation
TrendVisionBeauty Envision Awards (Professional Category) – Winner
Adrian De La Parra, Educator, Men’s Artist
Excellence in Community Service – Silver
Awarded by CAPPS (California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools)
Excellence in Community Service – Gold
Awarded by CAPPS (California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools)
Marketing – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Advanced Education – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Marketing Innovations – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Job Placement – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Wella’s Regional Instructor of the Year – Winner
Matt Hom, Educator
Best Continental Academy – North America Region
Awarded by Intercoiffure Mondial
Wella’s Regional Instructor of the Year – Winner
Bryden Mugleston, Educator
TrendVision Awards (Student category) – Silver Winner
Elizaveta Solovyeva, Student
ABS Wella Student Competition (Sebastian category) – Gold Winner
Samantha Peters, Student
ABS Wella Student Competition (Wella category) – Silver Winner
Elizaveta Solovyeva, Student
Sebastian’s What’s Next Awards – Gold Winner
Samantha Peters, student
Beauty Changes Lives Leadership – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Community Involvement – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Marketing Innovations – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Job Placement – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Facilities – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Excellence in Education
Awarded by Massage Envy Spa
TrendVision Awards (Professional category) – Silver Winner
Todd DaSilva, Educator
TrendVision Awards (Student category) – Silver Winner
Haley Marshal, Student
TrendVision Awards (Student category) – Bronze Winner
Autum Macias, Student
“Women Who Move the City” by San Diego Magazine – Finalist
Lynelle Lynch, Bellus President
ABS Student Competition – Gold Winner
Ashley Thom, Student
TrendVision Awards (Student category) – Bronze Winner
Courtney Michaelis, Student
TrendVision Awards (Professional category) – Finalist
Carrera Bailey, Academy Director and Color Director
Beauty Changes Lives Leadership – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Technology – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
AACS Director of the Year
Lynelle Lynch, Bellus President
One Concept – Humanitarian of the Year
Lynelle Lynch, President
Top Academy in the World – Finalist; Nominated by P&G
Intercoiffure Mondial Awards
TrendVision Awards (Professional category) – Gold Winner
Matt Hom, Cosmetology Manager
TrendVision Awards (Professional category) – Bronze Winner
Carrera Bailey, Academy & Color Director
P&G Mentor of the Year
Diego Raviglione, Artistic Director
Technology – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Beauty Changes Lives Leadership – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Community Involvement – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Advanced Education – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
RAW Competition Winner
Diego Raviglione, Artistic Director
Named one of the “Top 3 Academies in the World”
Awarded by Intercoiffure Mondial
Job Placement – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Marketing Innovations – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Facilities – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Beauty Changes Lives Leadership – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Technology – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Best School in The Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon (2008 & 2009)
AACS Director of the Year
Lynelle Lynch, Bellus President
Sassoon Academy Connection Cut and Color Contest – First Place
(2009 & 2010)
Beauty Changes Lives Leadership – Top Honor in the Nation
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Technology – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Facilities – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Advanced Education – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
Community Involvement – Honoree
Awarded by Modern Salon for Excellence in Education program
TrendVision Awards (Student category) – First Place
“I enrolled in Spa Nails because I was interested in trying a different path in life. I am a mom to 3 and I wanted to show them a future doing something that you love. Making people feel relaxed, building friendships and leaving them happy with their nails!”
