As far as I can tell, this is the ONLY place to get your hair done in Seattle. Every time I meet someone with good hair, and ask where they get it done, their answer is invariably "Vain." And now I have joined their ranks! I have curly hair, which not everyone knows how to cut. Due to my hair type, I thought I was doomed to an eternity of out of control frizz ball and I never thought that I could have a cute, edgy cut...But thanks to Carinn I now rock a kinda inverted bob style that gets compliments on a regular basis. The only down side of Vain that I can think of is that the waits can be a bit long sometimes, so don't schedule an appt. if you know you're going to be in a big hurry. Even so, I feel like the haircuts are definitely worth the wait. read more

I had to up the stars on this review as I got a call this morning from Melissa at Vain to discuss my review. To make things write, they have given me a considerable credit to my account for the haircut I paid for but did not get, as well as another credit for the next time I come in. I am very grateful that she called to help make things right as well as wanted me to be happy and to give Vain another chance, which I am willing to do. My issue was never about the customer service here, although there was a bit of miscommunication in this instance, but with the cut and style that I asked for and the stylist that just doesn't seem to know what it is. To be continued... ------ I'm not sure if the stars accurately describe my experience with Vain. My first visit was great. Every step from my first call to make an appointment to the day I got my cut and color was great. My only dissatisfaction was I felt like my stylist, Kathleen, didn't really listen to what I wanted, but I am not too picky about my hair cuts. I went in a second time and had Sarah give me the same cut and color as Kathleen did and she was FANTASTIC. My only regret: she wasn't available when I set up my thrid appointment. This is where it gets complicated. I went in to see Kathleen again for a cut and color, same as the first time she did it, same as what I asked Sarah to do, only I asked that she keep the length, just clean up the inverted bob so I didnt have feathers on the ends. ...I ended up with a bob and not a clean cut bob, but one with the back short, the sides a little long, only for the front to be two fangs hanging by my chin. I told her it was shorter than I asked and her response was "oh, it's because I straight ironed it" (wrong answer) I left and when I got home, I was so upset (I have only been upset one other time in my 30 years of hair cuts) that I called and said I wanted it fixed but not by Kathleen because she cut it so short, and did not give me an inverted bob, there is no way in hell she will know how to fix it. The receptionist was calm and after speaking with who I can only imagine is a manager, she set me up with another stylist for the next day and said she would also give me a credit for my next cut. I thanked her and went in the next day. Vash was the stylist and he fixed the bob to be inverted, had to take in the back a little more but gave me the intended shape i wanted, just had to be shorter due to Kathleen's mistake and he agreed, the cut she gave me was not an inverted bob. My only despair, i was charged for the new haircut. I understand that it was a different stylist, but that was because I had NO FAITH that Kanthleen coutd fix the fiasco of a cut she started. I did get $20 taken off of the correction cut, but after spending over $100 for a haircut and color I didn't want and then another $43 after$20 off for a correction to the cut and paying $15 adn $20 for tips, i spent WAY too much at this salon. And though I like Sarah, my experience from this weekend dictates I won't be back to vain. read more

I think Janae is magic....I'm a notorious stylist/salon hopper because I cant ever find anyone I want to stick with. I think my experience at Vain has changed that! Before we started anything Janae actually sat down and listened to what I was looking for! No rushy rushy, which I love since speaking for me is not a skill. I have barely shoulder grazing hair and am working on growing it out. It was a big old blob of ew and she made it LOVELY and FUN too!! People kept telling me today my hair looked BIGGER! And longer?? How is this possible! Janae is magic... I can't wait to go back!! read more

When you have other hair stylists compliment you on a haircut someone ELSE did, you know you got a good cut. I've never gotten a bad haircut here. Janae is awesome. She also cuts my friends hair. He's a super picky pretentious dude, so him trusting her with his hair is a BIG deal. ;) This place is cute and hip. They have great products as well as cool little accessories too. Yeah, it's filled with young, hip, pretty people. But, that's a GOOD thing. You can say things like "Yeah, I like shaggy hair, but not hipster shaggy, and I want my bangs like Karen O, but more piecey" and they'll understand. They are open pretty late, which is awesome for people like me who don't function until 6 PM. Also, if you go later you don't have to pay for parking downtown. They wash AND style your hair without charging extra like I've seen other salons do. PLUS, you get a free touch-up trim within 4 weeks of getting your hair cut. Yeah, you'll pay over $25 or 30 bucks for a haircut. But, I think it's well worth it. read more

I had such a great experience here. You can probably tell that I already loved VAIN Ballard from my other review, but my gal there moved away and I haven't yet found the perfect replacement. However, I wanted to get a cut and blowout at the downtown location to coordinate with a nearby holiday party, and I'm so glad I did. The receptionists here are super knowledgeable and helpful, and they hooked me up with Rebecca to tame my long, coarse, wavy tresses. It was a great match! Rebecca went in really deep and short for my layers, which most stylists are annoyingly timid about because it doesn't work with just any hair texture. But she "got" what my needs were right away, and I am getting so many compliments now. Her cut did exactly what it was supposed to (added volume on top/in the middle, took out volume on the bottom, and made it so I didn't have any obvious shelf-like layers in the process.) She's DevaCurl certified and it shows, but she was gentle about how much she pushed product on me. (I do NOT respond well to super pushiness about that, and some stylists don't pick up on that vibe.) I really appreciated support and advice and GREAT layers, without the unwelcome sales pitch. It actually makes me want to try the stuff she recommended much, much more. Doesn't hurt that she was a blast to chat with the whole time, too! I was dead set on finding a VAIN stylist who works out of the Ballard location, but now I might make a point of hitting VAIN downtown every time because Rebecca was just so great. Plus, they have even more awesome merch at the larger downtown salon, so even though the parking is trickier it feels worth it. I seriously feel so well cared for every time I get a VAIN cut--if you're searching for a new salon and are afraid to commit, have a chat about your hair with the folks who answer the phones here and give whoever they recommend a try. I'm a picky pain in the ass about this stuff and I've been seriously impressed every time! read more

I love, love, love this salon. My hair has been bright red for a long time. As usual I wanted a drastic change but when I went to my hairdresser (I am new in town and had been going to another salon downtown) she told me that in order to go blonde from the color red I had I would have to cut my hair short, no compromises. I didn't want to do that so I kept it red and kept my eye out for a new salon. I went to Vain's website and looked at the stylist bios. There were so many great stylists but I settled on Scarlett and made an appointment. Scarlett was honest and told me she would get me as close to platinum blonde as she could. If your not familiar with hair coloring procedures, going from red to blonde is one of the hardest things to do correctly, it usually turns out orange! So Scarlett expertly bleached my hair and when she rinsed it out it was a sherbert color. I was freaked out for a second but then she put the toners on and put me under the heater. After a while she rinsed and...it was a beautiful shade of blonde. Since I have left the salon it has gotten even better and I couldn't be happier with my new color. Scarlett did a PHENOMENAL job on my hair. Not only am I close to being platinum, my hair is not damaged. I have curly hair and it has kept it's curl and moisture. I would send anyone I love to this salon. All of the stylists are great and Scarlett is kick-ass! read more

I can't rave enough about VAIN! I had been a loyal customer to another salon and all of a sudden they just closed! It is always alarming trying to find another stylist you mesh with. I turned to Yelp to guide my search and I am so happy that I did. The customer service is fantastic at VAIN! I called up to get an appointment and the first thing they did was ask a lot of useful questions no front desk has ever bothered to ask me before such as "how do you like to style your hair", "what kind of hair do you have", etc! They suggested a couple of stylists who specialized in what I wanted and I ended up selecting Yuki, who is amazing! If you prefer lots of layers then you need to go see her. I haven't had this many compliments on my hair before! It is exactly what I always wanted but couldn't verbalize to anyone else previously in the right way to get what I wanted. The prices are affordable as well and I always end up buying a cute piece of jewelry or some other accessory because they have the best taste in buying those pieces. Shopping and hair services in the same place? Call me hooked! read more

I love Vain. So long as I live in Seattle, I will never get my hair cut anywhere else. Why? Cause Vain has a stylist for every hair style/specialty imaginable. Each time I'm there for a checkup or haircut, I'm always struck by the diversity of the clients in age and cultural background (from suburban moms to uber trendy youngsters). They provide a great selection of products to maintain and protect your new haircut/styling. AND I really appreciate that they're open late weeknights and weekends for those of us who work long hours and can't always make it home before 6pm on a weeknight or get up before 1pm on a weekend. Let me just preface this review by stating that I've had bobs, shoulder length, and super long hairstyles... every hair style except for a pixie boy cut. This fall, I decided to chop off and donate 12 inches and go for the boyish pixie cut that's been popping up on all those fashion blogs. That's when I went to Vain and had a consult with Bash. First we sat down for a 20 minute discussion about what I wanted and what would work best for my hair (thickness, maintence, how fast my hair grows etc). I was really struck by how attentive he was to detail and how well he listened to what I was asking for. A week later, he helped me prep with the prep work for donating hair. He gave great pointers on how to maintain my short hair and really utilized the 3 week check up appointment to make my new do look even better. I've had my hair cut by Bash twice now. This most recent round, I've gone even shorter and he did an amazing job. Thanks Bash! read more

So I've had maybe, like. Three good haircuts in my life. It was either those three or I was buzzed down, OR I came out looking like a pair of scissors tapdanced on my skull. My last visit to a stylist was... okay. Unfortunately my cut was uneven, my hairline on the back of my neck was not layered, and it was growing out in bizarre patches. It was by no means a 'terrible' cut but it just wasn't what I needed. So I bit the bullet and went to the salon everyone had always raved about, Vain. I have several coworkers who come in with phenomenal cuts and kaleidoscope color and excellent styles, and they all said "Vain." So in I went, and came out with exactly what I wanted. A huge thank you to Liz for giving my hair the exact perfect shape for my oddly shaped noggin, and being polite and friendly. If you're someone with very fine, very straight hair who's looking for a cut that will grow out beautifully, ask for Liz. She'll hook you up. read more

You got what you pay for.... I just randomly chose a junior, turned out to be a disaster. I didn't like it that much after I left, but after that all my friends said it was really bad. I am feeling really disappointed with my hair now. 1 cut my hair too short....and after blow dry I looked like a lion....with fury hair, so short! I didn't even realize. 2 the end of my hair is not trimmed. Layer is not natural....you can see direct two different at one glance. The end is a mess! 3Band is too short and not natural. I feel like I will have a better one if I do it myself... Im still feeling really angry. I'm not going there anymore. But if you do, find a senior one. Don't find someone who's still learning how to cut hair.... read more

The very first impression I got from this salon was over the phone. When I called to make an appointment for a haircut, the receptionist started asking me questions about my hair (texture, length, how I like it styled etc.) so she could pair me up with the right stylist. FANTASTIC NEWS. I have never experienced that before, and it took away many of my pre-appt jitters. Stylists at VAIN have SPECIALTIES! Can you believe it? They focus on certain things, so you get matched with someone specializing in your goal. Got a cut here with Janae a couple weeks ago. She is fantastic, with fantastically pink hair. So laid back and easy to talk to - cracks a lot of jokes so the time flies by. I am not a hair dresser, I just know what I like so it's really important for me to have someone who listens to my "vision" and runs with it. Always a gamble when trying somewhere new, but after going to 4+ different salons between Belltown & Capitol Hill in the last few months I finally found one I plan to stick with. You can even go back within 4 weeks for a FREE complimentary touch up to your cut, to help your cut last longer - making your haircut go farther. This alone makes up for the slightly more expensive cost of the salon's services. I'm actually looking forward to catching up with her in January! I can't wait to talk about the colors I want to add at an appointment later in the month. Did I mention the sell a bunch of funky accessories you can browse through before your appointment, including a ton of reasonably priced wigs. Who doesn't love wigs? read more

I think I've used almost every curly product on the market and have spent hours researching and reading about hair. Perhaps this makes me vain, but I've found my place! I have curly frizzy hair that refuses to be tamed. I've been looking for my "person" for years. You know; a fun, chatty, person who cuts my hair like a god and can tame it into submission. I found her last night in the form of Liza. Yesterday was a completely traumatic day at Vain. Perhaps you saw on the news - but the building caught on fire! I know, right! Apparently someone from a condo building next door threw their cigarette and it fell into a crevice between the two buildings. It smoldered for a while in leaves, dust, and dirt and then fire. The salon and staff were vacated for about an hour but choose to re-open shortly after the Seattle Fire Department gave the "all-clear". The staff were friendly and recovered quickly from all the chaos. They were beyond possessional in a very crazy unexpected drama! Anyway, back to my hair. I found Liza from her amazing reviews on www.naturallycurly.com - she is revered on the site and is rightfully a hero to those of us with curly hair! Anyway, I scheduled an appointment (plan for about a month out). Liza is young, fun, friendly, chatty, funny, and warm. She gave me a great cut and we talked a lot about styling how-to's and products. She gave me her card and wrote out all the products that she used and showed me where they were in the store for sale (but wasn't pushy). Vain offers free trims at 4-6 weeks (!) and they have lots of products (hair stuff, necklaces/bracelets, art, makeup, etc...) available. I can't more highly recommend this fun, funky place! Yea Vain!!! read more

Vain is hands down the best salon I've ever been to. The staff is amazingly helpful and knowledgeable. My partner and I are here every four weeks for her haircut with Liza (who I can't speak of highly enough) and I've never had a bad experience in 4 years. Anytime I have questions about the products on their shelves I can ask just about anyone on the floor for help and get more information than I though I'd ever need. :P Bottom line: I can't say enough about this place. They are awesome and deserve your business. *I also just found out the last time I was there that they're a dog-friendly salon. So, assuming you have a well-behaved pet, you can bring them inside with you.* read more

This place is hands down the best in Seattle! Megyn is my stylist and she has taken my hair from a brown blonde ombre to hot pink, dark red, then fire engine red! I cannot give her enough credit, I have switched colors on her so many times and she never ceases to amaze me. *bow down to the hair goddess* P.S. I have worked with the Junior Stylists here on styles and they too are just fantastic, I even have an updo with one of them scheduled next week for an event. If you're thinking about doing something crazy - or just keeping it square bear - this place is for you! Cheers. read more

VAIN - Megyn just killing the game on my hair! - Hair Salons Near Me - Seattle, Washington

OMFG...just moved back to Seattle and was incredibly anxious about finding a new stylist. Did my homework and everyone in my trusted circle kept mentioning Vain...as did my last stylist who went a bit wackadoo with my hair...but that's another story...moving on... My peeps also raved about THE Jenny Slay... Called Vain and scheduled my time with Jenny. Painless booking and the lovely ladies are a hoot and very helpful. Love that! Jenny's great...she listened, explained her technique, and was honest about the state of my hair. There's simply not enough to say about this fantabulously talented lady and a gem of a personality. Love you Jenny and my hair looks amazeballs! Have had more compliments about my hair in the last 24 hours than in the last few years! A few reviewers have poo-pooed the parking or lack there of... Get over it and if you haven't noticed, this is a problem everywhere. Bottom line...love this place and the incomparable Jenny Slay! read more

Happy to have found a salon I trust in Seattle. I moved from Chicago and as many women with curly hair know, a lot of research goes in to finding a new hairdresser. Sam was very knowledgable and there wasn't a dual moment in the conversation. Happy with the results. read more

Have been going to Vain for the last 3 haircuts and I am sold. the place is cool, no attitude. Bijou is awesome. First time she asked what I liked, we talked about a few options and then she proceeded to cut conservatively (usually when I have a new person i am always afraid I will have to wear a baseball cap for 3 weeks) and it was perfect., not too short yet it grew evenly and I could go for 6 weeks before going back in. I didn't need to use the 4 week free trim (that is a great option). Each time when I leave it looks perfect yet it doesn't look like it was just cut. Don't know how she does it. I can totally relax and just let her do what she thinks looks good (she knows a lot more about har than I do anyway) I think that $35 is very reasonable. With respect to parking, suggest you park down on Western on a meter north of Lenora ($1.50 per hour) and walk the 2 blocks if that's an issue for you. definite 5 stars UPDATE: So I'm sitting in a meeting and my cellphone rings and I look at the number and its the number for Vain - "that's odd, I don't have an appointment to be reminded of" - and its Melissa at Vain calling me to thank me for my review here, how cool is that ?" read more

This place is absolutely amazing! I'm actually from Los Angeles and my brother lives in Downtown Seattle. He told me that there were some great hair stylists In Seattle so I did some research and found Vain. I'll give a brief summary of my entire experience. I made my appointment while I was still in Los Angeles and the guy who set it up for me made sure I got what I wanted. We made a consultation appointment (free) and another date a few days after the consultation. If I liked my stylists then I would go to to the second day, and if not they would cancel it. The consultation was great. I waited for about 3 minutes then my hair stylist Dylan came (she's a girl not a guy!!). She was so sweet and I loved her! What I wanted done on my hair was a trim and the big thing was to ombre my hair. I was really scared because I had never done anything crazy with my hair so I was freaking out. She calmed me down and asked me what I wanted and we came to an agreement on what to do to my hair and I was pretty excited. The day I went to get my hair done I was given an appointment of about 3 hours for cut and color. FIrst of all, the hair products they use there smell SOO GOOD. Everybody in the review section is talking about how good the hair stuff smells and I agree it smells amazing. The best thing about Dylan was that she spent time on my hair. She was focused and you could tell that she knew what she was doing. My cut ended up being exactly what I wanted and I loved it. As for the ombre, it looked amazing! It wasn't too dramatic but very natural looking like I lived right by the beach. Overall this place is great, it's a 5 minute walk to Pike Place so it is super convenient. Also, the people there area extremely kind and make you feel really comfortable. Dylan is awesome so go see her! read more

Hedy did a fantastic job! She is a very skilled, detailed snipper, and a pro with tiny, natural looking highlights. I wanted a strongly assymetrical cut: bob on one side, wrapping around to quite long on the other side. I have super straight, fine, dark blonde hair that shows every single cut. This was a major change and I was a bit nervous! Hedy helped me plan and talk out what I wanted with my hair and really took her time. She did a ton of detail work on the cut so that it looked picture perfect. When I walked out the haircut looked exactly like what I had dreamed up - and even better! She is new to Vain but has been cutting hair for over ten years - very experienced. I am very happy and will be returning! read more

MIA - go see her! She is totally rad, does a great job, isnt awkward to talk to. I cut off 8 inches to donate and she talked me through the whole process calmly. Love her... Will definitely have to plan trips to Seattle just to get my hair cut. (bc LA sucks and is expensive) Love the Salon, Loved the front desk girls GREAT experience read more

Vain is the best place to get your haircut in Seattle. Granted I'm not a native but I have only heard good things, in addition to having the best haircuts of my life. There are special rates for their apprentice stylists (only $15) - they are fully licensed but it allows them to learn more with experience and not feel so much pressure with a full price haircut...plus you can get an amazing haircut for so little! This place is full of crazy hair color, styles and tattoos but totally unpretentious. Bijou is my favorite, she's adorable and has immaculate attention to detail. She's phasing out of the apprentice role so her prices are more on some days, but still well worth it. read more

I am in LOVE with Kellianne's cuts, and Belinda's bikini waxing. Kellianne always make me look amazing... and I have curly, boring brown hair that she whips into shape. I once went in telling her I just wanted to lob ALL of my hair off, but she talked me into midway, and showed me how to better style my hair and to use some different products to make my hair look different. I wish my hair always looked as good as it does when I leave her chair. They also play amazing music, are always fun, friendly, sassy and funny, and they have great art and goodies in the front of the shop to sift through. I've obtained some very cute scarves and some easy birthday presents from their accessories section. read more

I am originally from Seattle, WA but now live in Denver, CO. During college I lived in Spokane, WA and had a hair dresser that I fell IN LOVE WITH. I was back in Seattle visiting family and decided to transform from blonde to brunette (with a lil' ombre action)... My hair dresser from Spokane suggested Vain. HOLY SHIT. They did an awesome job... There was a scheduling miscommunication between what time my stylist was supposed to be there and my appointment time. BUT! No worries apparently! They gave me change for my meter and a discount on my service for waiting around. The staff was uber friendly and more than accommodating. Color is amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better experience for a drop-in service. Next time I'm in Seattle, that's where I am going....Regardless if I need anything done! read more

When I made my appointment at Vain they were extremely kind and gave me many suggestions about which stylist would be the best for me, since it was my first time there. I was a bit intimidated because everyone there - the clients and the stylist - were all so young! (And I am old with a cane). Vai was my stylist and I can't say enough about her kindness, her professionalism and for 'goodness sakes' - her TALENT! I requested a very short pixie cut (like Anne Hathaway) and rather than so so short she did the longer version of the cut.! I have Lupus and was thinking I was loosing my hair, but Vai assured me that was not the case. No one know what that means to me. I was so relieved by her words. I really am impressed with the entire staff and especially Vai! read more

I would give JORDAN 5 stars and the salon/front desk 3 stars so to compromise....ta da! 4 stars (math is fun!). Like most people trying a new stylist - my regular person was moved/unavailable/whatever. I asked a friend where she got her hair done and she said Vain. I was kind of nervous - I live down the street and (prior to going) my images of Vain were hot pink hair and mohawks....so not me! I thought I might need to head over to the Eastside for a nice "safe" stylist. I was discussing with another friend when a second person recommended Jordan..ok appointment set! It is important to note that the website does have a photo and bio of each stylist - most of them talk about what their specialty is, etc. Of course Jordan doesn't have one but that's ok...I had two totally different friends refer him so I'm fine. They also have select stylist that will do $15 haircuts on certain days - if you are on a budget it's worth checking out. What I didn't like about the salon itself (the 3 stars part) is you basically walk into a retail store. There is shit load of stuff going in the front so it's up to you to find the front desk and check in. After I checked in I was told there was water on the table but I'm used to more of a spa experience - take my coat and my umbrella, get me situated, make me feel comfortable. There is none of that a Vain, which I guess would be fine but since I was going for a $50 haircut I expect just a little bit of pampering. A LITTLE. I'm not asking to put on a robe and soak my feet (yes, I have been to a place like that before) but when I walk in on a cold windy rainy day - give me somewhere to store all the layers so I can start to feel comfortable. Not so much! Oh well......I'm here for Jordan anyway and he was GREAT! As I said, 5 stars for Jordan. He was very sweet and discussed everything before cutting. I love that he repeatedly said...it's a two way street. I initially said I wanted 2 inches off the back and we discussed it and he pointed out exactly why he didn't think that was a great idea. We compromised and in the end I love my cut. He dried my hair and it was very wavy....are you going to flat iron it, I asked. Oops, we must have had a miscommunication when i said I like big hair. Not a problem, he plugged in the flat iron and went right at it. I almost felt bad - like maybe I would make him late for his next appointment but he was great about it...making sure I was happy. Fabulous!! read more

Vain is great. I had to give it a second try, though. The first time, it was clear the stylist really knew what she was doing with my fine hair, and she talked me out of my normal bob. But it didn't grow out all that well, which usually means I don't go back. However, she was an awesome person and really seemed to get my hair, even if I wasn't sure what to do with this new cut once it was 5 weeks old. So I went back, and she took one look at my hair and said it was wrong. The new cut has the same idea as the old one, but with all the problems fixed, so it really works. The best thing -- on both cuts (at least for the first few weeks on the first), I could get my hair to do almost exactly what she did, even though I wasn't used to that look. I went back today for color with a different stylist. She nailed the "fun, funky, but not blue" aesthetic, which was what I wanted (for the record I love blue hair, but I've gotta go to work and it looks funny on someone over 30). About $70 for a partial foil with 3 different colors -- that's the best deal I've ever gotten on color. I highly recommend Vain. The stylists are grounded & down to earth. They'll tell you all about their hair disasters. They understand your hair and know what to do with it. Update, 1/1/08: My favorite Vain stylist, Ramie, is on a leave of absence, which makes me sad because I love Ramie (but I hope she's making the best of it). I've seen a few people since, and not all are as uniformly good as Ramie. But I randomly got assigned to Bijou and she was great. In general, sooner (rather than later) at Vain you'll find the person who gets your personal style - so much better than other Seattle salons. read more

The pain that I endured getting all four of my wisdom teeth out when I was 16 years old, just days before the Junior Prom, is nothing to the pain I feel when I usually walk out of a hair salon... because I usually walk out of the salon with a triangle on my head. And no, it isn't one of those "healing" triangles (cue Yanni). Yes, such is bain of the curly-haired existence and unfortunately there are many a stylist out there who have fooled themselves into thinking they have the talent, nay, THE BALLS, to cut curly hair. One such talented, ballsy gal is Liza at Vain. Vain is hip and cool, and surprisingly without all the attitude that goes with hip and cool hair salons. Honestly, had there been attitude I would have left (I can't handle attitude as I am a bleeding heart social worker!) and have never found a salon I have been more comfortable at. I chose Vain because of Liza's rave reviews on naturallycurly.com and also the reviews on Yelp. These did not disappoint as I absolutely love my hair for the first time in my life and don't feel that I need to pull it back into a matronly bun in order to keep it in order. Another good reason to go to Vain is the awesome scalp massages they give you when they shampoo your head. The woman who does it -- I think her name was Gretchen (?) -- is really nice, and just knows all the right pressure points to hit on a big, overgrown head such as mine. Another big plus in my book for Vain is their involvement in the community, such as opening up for the First Thursdays artwalks and helping out local nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood. I think I found a salon for life! Thanks Vain!!!! read more

Not gonna lie, I was kinda intimidated when i first walked in...there's like a mini shop selling jewelry and other items (i think) in the front, and all i encountered initially were females...the hipster/punk/trendy kind...so i kinda felt outta place...my haircuts are fairly simple, but i like to go to high end salons cuz its incredibly easy to fuck up asian hair BUT... everyone was very friendly...i had megan as my stylist...who informed me that there are actually several ppl here that "specialize" in asian hair (keep that in mind if you're asian like myself)...with that said though, megan (who is not one of those specialists) did a great job...quick and efficient...really cool space too...$35 a pop, which is pretty standard pricing to me...cheaper than my previous place. My only gripe - and this is gonna make me sound overly high maintenance but screw it - they don't shampoo your hair after its cut, only before. What's interesting is the free "touch up" cut they offer - basically come back within a month for a free touch up...whatever the hell that means...im thinkin, with my short and simple haircut, i'll be essentially receiving a free haircut in a few weeks. If that's the case, this place will get 10 stars. read more

I'm one of those girls who went for YEARS without a haircut because I was so terrified of it getting screwed up again. No matter where I went, nobody seemed to understand how I wanted my bangs (the most important part, am I right?) That is, Until I went to VAIN. For the past two years, I have ONLY gone to vain to get my hair cut. I have NEVER been disappointed. I am seen by Janae, who is amazing at rockstar layers, perfect swooped bangs, and she goes the extra mile to make sure its styled the way I would at home, and doesnt just send me on my way with a half assed job. Not only are the haircuts fantastic, the products they use/carry are the only ones I use. Top of the line everything. At a good price too. Love it. All in all Great Haircuts Great attitudes Great atmosphere. You will NOT be disappointed. read more

It's not as if they need another review, but I just can't continue without giving Jenny Slay the praise she deserves. I've held back because I'm afraid that another positive review will cause her schedule to completely fill up and I'll never be able to get an appointment again. But she deserves the praise anyway. I'm seriously, seriously picky but I never have to be with her. She knows what looks best and I only need to speak up if I want my hair different from last time. I better make my next appointment ASAP! read more

It's that time of year I constantly dread... haircut time. So being my second year in Seattle-land, I again asked around for recommendations and this time it was my cousin who found VAIN on yelp, so I'm paying it back with another positive review...! I called an asked for a recommendation for someone who could cut long and fine hair not exceeding the $40-50 range and she recommended William. Why not? It's probably better than if I just randomly picked someone from the list (though the stylists all have amusing profiles of the website so could be fun to pick it that way too). We evaluated my hair together and he made a recommendation. Then the haircut happened. I think there was a potentially awkward attempt on my side to make conversation... but in the end I believe I came out looking no worse than when I went in , so I consider it a success. (I actually think I might even have left looking better!) Some random homeless guy said I looked pretty as I was walking back... maybe they were hoping for some money, but could have been the hair too ;) read more

Walked in yesterday for a haircut. Amazingly helpful stall. Dana did my hair cut, she understood what I needed and did an amazing job. Good interior. read more

Oh. My. God. It's like a hair orgasm. Seriously. I have NEVER in my life walked out of a salon feeling good about my hair... until Liza finished with my locks. She rescued my curls. Revived them. Brought them back to life. She has been trained by Lorraine Massey of DevaChan salon in New York. She was chatty but not annoying and made me feel very comfortable. The salon itself was cute, they offer you water when you walk in the door, and even offer you a t-shirt to change into so you don't get your clothes icky (something I have never heard of before now). It IS a bit pricey. $128 later and I feel like a new woman (haircut was $60 and I bought 3 products that I was out of). As has been mentioned previously, they do a free "check up" trim or change 6weeks or so after your hair cut. That's pretty cool. All this adds up to a pretty great salon in my book. read more

I started going to VAIN three years ago when I moved to Seattle. I knew I wanted competent stylists, and stylists with a younger outlook on hair -- you know, the kind that are hip on what the current indie styles are and aren't afraid to be avant garde (but have the skill to make it look good). Vain is that plus more. Their stylists are incredible and I continue to have the best haircuts of my life each time I go. I get exactly what I want every time, with little explanation. The stylist profiles on their website help new customers find a stylist that specializes in exactly what you want. Everyone at Vain is incredibly friendly, and they go out of their way to make sure they give you what they want. For example, I went in today needing corrective color (scheduled with a stylist I hadn't previously had, Sharon), and she worked with me to find out exactly what I wanted. Then she worked with other stylists to make sure that my color was perfect -- and took the time and effort to troubleshoot and layer color just right to get the result we'd talked about. I had an hour long appointment and she worked with me much longer than that to get me what I needed. Far more than I would've ever asked for or expected. I was floored. My hair is, yet again, gorgeous, and I will keep giving Vain my business for years to come. (Plus, all the accessories they have for sale in the front of the store are so cute! I'm tempted to buy everything every time I go there!) read more

Janae! Janae Janae Janae! It's all about Janae! I love vain and I love Janae. I've been seeing her for a few years now. Back in the day when I turned up in Seattle every 6 months and said "hey, my hair's a hot mess, fix it!" Janae would laugh and say "yeah yeah, sit down." Now I turn up more regularly and it's always a blast. Gossip and great hair, that's what it's all about! She listens when I have an opinion about my hair, she takes over and does awesome things when I don't. When I confessed that I'm not very handy with product or styling tools she gave me a styling-for-dummies rundown and has always made sure that my cut is manageable. I always walk out feeling fabulous and I am so much cuter now than I was in the days before Vain and Janae! Everyone that works the desk is always really friendly and fun and, whatever, Vain is awesome and Janae's the girl to see! Oh, oh! And before I end this review, also, janae's hair is always pink BUT it changes all the time! It's so exciting! read more

I found Vain on yelp after reading tons and tons of reviews. Once I narrowed down on Vain, I read even more reviews and finally chose to book my first appointment with Cassie. All my effort paid off! Cassie is super sweet, and cares a lot about what her clients want. She is friendly but not overly chatty which is a nice change from my previous stylist who used to offer unsolicited relationship advice. Cassie's prices are also very reasonable. I usually get my hair layered and my side bangs trimmed, so I'm not sure how things work for highlights and such. Take note: Cassie only works at the downtown location on Thursdays. Parking is easier earlier in the day. read more

I just got my hair cut by Valentine. He's in the lower end of the price range-- it was $38 before tip for my cut-- and really awesome. I had no idea where to go for a cute cut in Seattle, since I just moved here from Boston. I wanted something a little funky, but still appropriate for a young professional. Valentine gave me an awesome angled/layered/shaped cut, which came out exactly the way I wanted. I'm usually really awkward at hair salons, just because of the whole small talk thing. What I liked about the place I used to go in Boston was that I never had to deal with stupid questions. Here, though, we just had a conversation about whatever came to mind, which definitely made the whole thing feel less business-y and weird. I'm definitely planning on going back, and I highly recommend it here. read more

I was a regular with Bash for about a year. I would still be coming in to Vain if I didn't move out of town. I miss it. If you ever worry that your hair might have more personality than you do, you should visit Vain. They can't help your personality but they can help you maintain your cool hair. If you're punk rock, emo, rocky horror, or just too post-modern for your own good, you can find someone at Vain to cut your hair. They're rock stars. And everybody knows: if you want rock star hair, you have to find a rock star to give it to you. There is just no other way. read more

I'm quite the impulsive traveler and on a whim, decided to get a haircut during my 4 day mini vacation to Seattle for a freinds wedding. I took advantage of my blackberry and yelp mobile and found out Vain was the place to go for short haircuts. I also found out it was only 3 blocks from my hotel. Convenient much? I made an appointment and got in next day no problem. I walked in and was greeted by the ladies at the front desk and a few minutes later by a lovely gentleman named Jake. He sat me down and listened, like actually listened, as i explained my hair concerns and requests, he was super nice and explained what he thought should be done to tame my weird mulleting hair, and i felt comfortable with him and could tell he knew what he was doing. I don't really know what the other reviewer is talking about, because Jake explained every detail of the cut, and made sure to communicate with me throughout the process, which again i was super impressed with and showed me he knows what he is doing. I love the final result and loved the fact that he didn't put too much goop in my hair so i could actually see and feel the cut. my impulsivity totally paid off and i absolutely recommend Jake to any of you out there looking for a good hairstylist. read more

I go to Aubrie to have my haircut and she's always done a fabulous job for me. I'm not usually doing anything fancy, usually cut/layer and bangs, but it's always done well and I feel amazing afterward. I love that they let you come back to get your bangs retouched, as that's always the part that seems to grow out the fastest for me and starts to get into my eyes. Aubrie's amazing and has helped me play around with my hair a bit and encourages me to embrace my slightly wavy hair. When I was little and had my Asian bowl cut, my wavy hair would flip in all sorts of directions and I HATED it. When I grew my hair long, it just grew straight, as the weight pulled it down. Now Aubrie cuts it in a way where it flips and curls in a cool way that looks like I meant to do it! I'm so cool now and it's all due to her mad cutting skills. read more