I've been going to VAIN for a few years now, and have seen a couple different stylists at both the Downtown and Ballard locations. Specifically, though, Giulia is a freaking WIZARD. The first time I saw her last December she gave me the perfect pixie cut, that was a drastic break out of my old rut. I get compliments from strangers ALL THE TIME. Today, after months of her trying to talk me into it, we took my hair from dark brown to platinum, and it is AMAZING. The color could not be more perfect, and she was so right about the platinum working for me. My appointment ran WAY longer than we expected, so we got help from a couple other stylists, and everyone was great. I can't say enough good things about VAIN. :) read more

I'll be really honest- I've never tried any of the services here. BUT they carry Special Effects hair dye here, which I'm absolutely addicted to. The guy who helped me was very knowledgeable. He told be that they'd been having difficultly getting blue/green colors in lately, but assured me they they would continue trying and would gladly give me any info available. Based on the overwhelming positive reviews and the super helpful staff, I will likely be back to get my hair cut. read more

I will start at the beginning of this story back in December I colored my hair black from a box from the store...bad idea :/ just not me...anyways, about a month later I decided to go to a nearby beauty school to get highlights and lighten up the black. I ended up going back there again and having another partial foil. The highlights still had a brassy tone in some areas, but was "ok". Now it's mid June and there have been many ups and downs in my life :/...so I decide it's time to go get my hair did and attempt at feeling better ;) I decide to go to Vain. I call them around noon and was surprised to get an afternoon appointment with David due to a cancellation :) At this point I have a little bit of grow out, but still looks ok and I can do the ombre thing ;) we ended up doing another partial foil (and my hair is still black underneath) he lifts the highlights to medium blonde and uses a neutral toner.....and the brassiness is gone! yay :) and my hair is lighter but not too much...I love it :) I feel very lucky since he has been there a really long time and absolutely knows what he's doing, very professional and very friendly and easy to talk to :) Thank you! read more

I was hot and hadn't been able to find a hairdresser in San Diego since my last long term hairdresser moved on, my hair looked awful! . So when I walked past Vain something told me to try it out. I was able to either have the apprentice in 30 minutes or an appointment with a regular hairdresser in another 1-2 hours. I was just hanging around but went with the apprentice (god help me I remember her boy's name, where her mom lives and her age but her name currently escapes me..) Her hair was long and not the typical hairdresser presentation. She took what I liked into consideration then studied my head, hair and face. I got the best cut I have had in the last 2 years. I personally think she should move to San Diego....what am I going to do???!?! read more

I would have given it zero stars if possible. Extremely unprofessional front staff. My appointment was cancelled 15 minutes before and no apologies. I was asked to come back at a later time and when I went back, they told me I didn't have an appointment. Very disappointed. read more

The salon called me back for a redo. I came back today and Melissa did my hair. She's great. She listened to what I wanted, gave me grear advice and did a very nice job. I'm definitely coming back to see Melissa read more

I've been searching around for a good stylist for a while, since I moved to Seattle two years ago and I feel like I've finally found my place. My stylist is amazing and always works with me to attain my perfect look. They're so amazing that I've referred several people to both my stylist and the salon as a whole. They always try to make you feel comfortable and check in with you throughout your styling process. read more

Dana was amazing!! I had no idea what I wanted to do with my hair and this girl just knew what to do!! I loved her and will definitely be going back. read more

I just discovered this Hair Salon in Seattle and am sooooooo impressed! I strongly reccommend Carinn Boe. She's GREAT, as she listens to exactly what your needs are and produces an end result that is fabulous! The salon is very upbeat and relaxing and the staff is extremely nice. read more

Had my wedding trial makeup & hair at Vain. Carinn was really patient and listened to my ideas and tried giving me a similar look to the pictures I showed her. Although it didnt turn out the way I wanted it to be, but it looked great! I didnt quite like my makeup though. Christinn was great. Just that I dont think the colour suits me very well. read more

Vain doesn't need my help, but I've GOT to say that AIKO ROCKS. I've got Asian hair and I've never had a better stylist. She has my undying gratitude for saving me from a hair tragedy after I had a horrible cut from a stylist who did not understand Asian hair issues. It looks great and and she was able to salvage it without sacrificing any length! I strayed and boy, did I ever regret it. I'm never going anywhere else! read more

Megyn is a baller. I came in with super boring hair and a severe lack of creativity. With a few questions and an abundance of patience for my helplessness, Megyn designed a haircut that was something new and different for me while keeping my length and general sense of style. Plus she was friendly and while the vibe of the whole place was a little hipster everyone was welcoming at the same time. And for $35 with a free 4 week bang touch-up, what a fabulous little deal. I will be back. read more

I have never found a better stylist than I found in Kelly at Vain. She is thoughtful and thorough. She saw my needs and addressed them in a friendly and professional manner. She took my butchered short bob and gave me beautiful and vibrant long hair. Her extension skills are the best I have seen in Seattle. Everyday I am complimented on my hair, without people every knowing its all extensions. Everybody, GO SEE KELLY! read more

I have been a loyal client at Vain for 7 years, going to the same hair stylist the whole time. I recently tried out a partial foil for the first time with a new stylist and was pretty disappointed in the final look. It wasn't what I wanted so I called the salon back and talked to Eli. Eli is amazing. He offered me a free redo and told me that Vain wants me to "love my hair" and it's just no good if I don't. Even though I was really pressed for time and didn't want to come back in, I am so glad he convinced me to! I got in within three days and got my hair redone. I have worked in customer service for 9 years and I was blown away by how good Eli is at his job. I was treated exactly the way I would have treated someone in a similar situation at my work. Kind, matter-of-fact and positive. This experience has only made me love Vain more! read more

I have never gotten a haircut/color at Vain that was anything short of wonderful. Jordan is amazing! So much so that I signed up for yelp just to tell you. He is worth every penny and more, plus he's a delight. I just returned from an appointment with him and I don't mind telling you that I'm looking great! read more

Vain is awesome! I needed a haircut, and I wanted to make a major style change. I loved that when I called to make my appointment, the receptionist took the time to ask what I was looking for so that she could pair me with the best stylist to suit my needs. Sarah is fabulous! She cut off about 12 inches total, and with such a big change, she gave me multiple stops along the way to call it quits if I wanted to. My hair looks incredible, and now I'm ready for New Year's. Their prices are super reasonable, and you get a free touch-up within 4 weeks to make sure you still love your style. It was so nice to find a salon downtown that provided such top-notch service without all the pretentious attitude. Like I said- Vain is awesome! read more

I have been getting cut and colours from Kelly at Vain for a year and a half, and it would have to take me (or her) moving out of state to ever go to anyone else. I love making my hair bright crazy colours and Kelly always knows what to do. I trust her enough that I no longer show up with any plan for my hair, I just tell Kelly to do her thing, and she does. Usually it's 4 colours at once with great placement, vibrant combinations... I get stopped by strangers regularly, asking me where I got my hair done. :) I highly recommend Vain, Kelly in particular, to anyone who has a love of hair dye the way I do! read more

You'd better hope you're in love with your haircut. Their response to upset customer is a generous amount of f#$% off. The cuts I've had there have ranged from pretty good to things so bad I had to take scissors to it myself before getting it fixed someplace else. Everytime I've tried to complain however, they've told me to push off. Absolutley no concept of customer service. Guess they're popular enough to not need aay. read more

I've been going to Carinn for 5 years. She came highly recommended to me because of her knowledge and love of curly hair. I now recommend her to everyone, especially those with curls. She is meticulous in her cuts and color and moreover truly cares about her clients. I heart Carinn! read more

This is my first yelp review. I called in explaining a little bit about the cut I wanted, and they suggested a stylist, Bash. I showed up and we discussed the style I wanted and how it would work with my hair. I was cutting my hair from shoulder length to an asymmetrical pixie- a haircut that had plenty of potential to go horribly wrong. My hair turned out AMAZING. Bash was meticulous and checked in throughout to make sure I liked the length/style/ etc. You know you have a good cut when the stylist wants to take a photo when he is done. I will definitely be back, and recommend Vain (and specifically Bash) to anyone who wants a well-done and creative haircut. read more

Janae has been cutting my hair for about three and a half years and she is fabulous. We've done a lot of different things with my hair during that time, and she is a versatile enough stylist to make them all work really well. This is particularly amazing because I have thick, curly, uncooperative hair with lots of cowlicks, frizz, and a mind of its own. When I started seeing Janae, I was young and punk and had short, spiky hair. She gives really good short cuts, the kind that accentuate the shape of your head and face, while maintaining the style you're going for. After about a year and a half of short hair, I decided to grow my hair out. Growing your hair out is a long process, and Janae has managed to make it look damn good throughout. The highest compliment I can give her is that after 15 years of flatironing my hair every single day, she made my hair look so good curly today that I am thinking about wearing it like this regularly. Wow, I never thought I would say that (some of my friends don't even know I have curly hair), but she is that good. Seriously, I wish Janae would move into my house and do my hair for me every day. She is amazing! read more

Megyn is the best hair stylist I have ever had. If you want a short haircut, she's your girl. You can go conservative or if you are up for it - she can add some unique flair and style to those boring haircuts The best part is you don't have to show up with a plan. She'll figure it out as she goes and it always turns out fabulous! read more

William is awesome! You need a fabulous do? He's your man! I had decided to go to VAIN after my wedding hair plans with Swink fell through. I told them what I wanted (vintage-themed wedding), and William came through! The day of was typical rain, so he put some extra love into it. My hair stayed the whole day! It was wonderful! read more

I've been going to Vain to see Bash now for over three years. The three best hair years of my life. I also love that they offer a complimentary touch up trim withing 4 weeks of your hair cut! It is a great way to keep up your style. read more

Vain is a wonderful salon. I have been going there quite a bit lately and can't say enough about how great the employees are there. They are all super nice and friendly. The front desk folks are top-notch. TT is the very best stylist there. She gives a great wash and is pretty handy with the scissors as well. I like that they have that toasty-warm pellet stove and a great selection of magazines to read while you wait. If anyone is looking for a great haircut, make your way down to Vain, warm-up next to the woodstove, drink some hot tea, and get yourself one great cut from some awesome pros (TT is my favorite). read more

It is difficult to translate the atmosphere of a VAIN experience. My stylist FOR LIFE now is Emily. I have NEVER had a hair stylist who is so warm, kind, positive and caring as she is. She specializes in curly hair and brought mine back to life and into the limelight. I definitely recommend VAIN, but especially Emily, who feels like a friend after two visits! She is an excellent colorist. Also I recommend Belinda for waxing. She did a phenomenal job on my brows with little pain. And talk about friendly! I think VAIN is fabulous and fun. The atmosphere is so relaxed with stylists who totally embrace who they are. I feel totally free, welcome and happy there. Wish more places were like it. A definite Seattle must!!!!!!! Love it! read more

I moved from DC 4 months ago to Seattle and as all hair snobs tend to be, took a very long time to find a place that would fit me. I have a more alternative punky style to me and while any stylist should be able to recreate it, it's simply far better to go to someone who just knows what it means. It's much like chefs and the food they create. I walk by vain and immediately love the name. I thought it was some sort of boutique, actually. Almost wanted to work there by name alone. I go in and a little further in turns out to be a hair salon. Awesome! They were really busy with people at the front and phone calls constantly going on. Someone from the back walked up and helped me immediately. There was little in ways of verbal exchange other than my relevant info but I saw myself being looked over and fitted to a stylist. I got Sam! Immediately nervous I go home and start googling Vain and then start looking at their blog. I got to see some of her dos and was happy, even excited. Yeah, I'm that sort of snob. My next 3 appointments were beyond brilliant. She kinda read me after a bit of talk and I just said do "whatever you want" after feeling comfortable. The first was for colour. I had some rad and vivid red, yellow, with an orange base and it lasted. Usually colour doesn't stay in my hair because I river raft half the week. LOVED IT. So did everyone else. Second appointment was for a cut. I was DIY for a year but it's difficult to do the back and I decided that Sam impressed me so much I'd let her cut my hair. I love the cut, the asymmetry, and just the way she let it flow with my natural waves. It could be completely organic and bedhead messy and look great or I could dress it up for formal and it would look great. People started staring at me then later complimenting. I realised they were looking at my hair and not me and started feeling insecure. My hair was prettier than me. Ha! The third appointment came when I started as a server and the owner wasn't a fan of my bright colours and wanted me to go back to natural tones. Regrettably, I compromised. I kept the cut, but changed the colour. By magic she somehow turned bright orange and yellows into a very natural mid blonde and browns. There was still a bit of contrast to keep me from being bored and the cut still was amazing on it. I was impressed. Sam is pretty much my favouritest(not a real word) stylist ever, even better than myself because I get to talk to someone. It's also always nice to see someone else's interpretation of you and when it works, it rocks. Sam rocks! I found my new stylist in Seattle. read more

I've been thinking about going to Vain for a while since it's been recommended to me but it is about 30 miles from home so I put it off. In the meantime I visited other salons like Gene Juarez. The cuts there weren't bad but not the best either. The cut I received from Bash at Vain is one of the best I've had done in my life! I have fine hair which makes it difficult to hold a style without extensive blow drying or styling. I literally used the hair dryer for about two minutes, rubbed in some hair wax, brushed a bit and was good to go. I am extremely satisfied with the cut and service! read more

I had been going to Alexis at Vain for four years when a move took me out of the country. I was sad to leave her, but figured it wouldn't be too hard to find a new salon in my new home. I could not have been more wrong: after receiving a disastrous haircut, I immediately booked an appointment with Alexis for the day after my scheduled arrival in Seattle to visit family. My move has only made me appreciate Alexis and Vain more! The salon looks up-market, but there's never an attitude and the prices are extremely reasonable. I love this salon and my only complaint is that they won't move with me! read more

Ok so the hype is true on this place! I've been seeing Janae since I was in high school and she only charged $15 per haircut. Girl gets it right every time and the conversations are always delightful! Time's gone by, prices have gone up but Vain is still my staple salon for an epic haircut. read more

I used Vain for my wedding - hair and makeup for me and my ladies. Pretty much a disaster. Sarah did my hair. At the trial run, she did a nice job - i wanted a kind of retro S-curl thing and she hooked it up. But, when it came to the day of the wedding, she was MIA for about 45 minutes. I was about the most relaxed bride ever, but, dude, fucking 45 minutes late for my hair appointment, this caused some consternation for me. And the worst part was that no one at Vain gave me any communication about where the hell she was or when she might be there. No one offered me a coffee or apologized or anything. When she finally got there, it seemed that she had overslept and she still smelled like a bar. And i would've forgiven that, except that she totally jacked up my hair. She gave me like spiral curls, which was so not what i had in mind. It looked like i got a dumb perm, kinda. She seemed like a nice person, but jesus fucking christ, all i needed you to do was to make my hair look nice on my wedding day and to get up in the morning in time to make it to my 10:30 AM hair appointment. So, no Vain for me, ever again. On the plus side, Belinda did a nice job with my make up and Courtney at the front desk was great with working with me to schedule all the bazillion gals' hair. read more

Carissa, you're amazing. I have always dyed my hair dark and finally decided to go a bit lighter, so I had a lot of build up on the ends of my hair, not an easy job. I brought in pictures and tried to explain what I had in mind (ombre similar to Kate Beckinsale). She took the time to listen to exactly what I wanted and repeat it back to me, asking important questions that I wouldn't have thought of. All I can say is it feels good to be listened to and have your hairdresser DELIVER! I have never loved my hair so much! I was referred by someone with gorgeous hair, and I have no doubt that all of her clients love her. She is the kind of obviously-experienced hairdresser that I had no problem turning over complete control to. If you're looking for great, natural (or otherwise, I'm sure) color, I would highly recommend Vain and Carissa! read more

SEE BELINDA FOR WAXING!! SHE IS THE MASTER OF BROWS! I come all the way from Graham just to get my eye brows done by Belinda, and its because no one can do it better! She's super friendly, funny and pays great attention when shaping and waxing my brows. read more

I just moved to Seattle from San Francisco, and finding a new colorist and stylist is one of the hardest things for me to do. I, being the most loyal client, was struggling to find the perfect person to enhance and fix my red/copper ombre. (did I mention I have thick, Asian hair? Asian hair + bleach = ehhhhhhhhhh ) So i needed to find an EXPERT, someone who is passionate about coloring and uses the process of coloring as an art form. I browsed around Yelp..considered Seven but I thought the DJ thing was a little too much for me. I'm looking for a down-to-earth, hole in the wall, awesome gritty artsy hair salon who will go far lengths to achieve my crazy hair desires. So then I found Carinn (spelled right?). Not only is she an awesome red head, but she specializes in ombre!! She is the real deal when it comes to ombre. I walked in, shy as always, and was nicely greeted by Carinn after checking in. She sat me down, I showed her the picture I wanted and she advised that my hair may not lift to that exact color. Thank you! Honesty! I hate when stylists pretend they can achieve whatever they want and then end up failing miserably and disappointing their clients (Ive heard a few horror stories). Anyways, Carinn sat me down and got started. As she was painting away, we talked and talked and talked. I dont know about you guys but I love chatting when getting my hair done. and Carinn is someone you can talk to about anything! For us, the subject of the matter was feminism and men. haha, you go girl! Moving on. She spent about an hour and a half coloring my hair as I waited 30 minutes or so for it to process. Gave me a buttoad of magazines to keep me entertained as she had to move on to her next client. An assistant rinsed and dryed me off (and gave me the best scalp massage evaaa). Moving on again. I went to Mia right after the blow-dry to get my hair cut. Now, I've had the same blunt bang rough choppy layers look for a while now and I am stubborn to change it otherwise. I was nervous that no other stylist would understand the look I'm going for...but Mia did a great job in achieving what I wanted. We talked about my goals for my haircut and she made a lot of precautions to make sure I got exactly what I was looking for. And that I did :) Overall, the service was fantastic. No one in the salon was snooty or pretentious (hate that shit). There was one chick who was hilarious..think her name is Jenny or Jen but she kept me giggling in my seat for a while, while i waited for my color to process. My hair looks fantastic. I friggin love it to death. Thank you VAIN, I will surely be back again and again and again :) Also, the prices are very reasonable here especially for the quality of work that was done. My color was $120 and my cut was $35. $155 for an amazing cut and color? fck yeah. read more

I had an interesting experience. I called in asking for a all over color with some fun funky highlights and a cut. I got booked for a cut, all over color and partial foil. When I showed up for my fun funky highlghts, my colorist said she didn't have one for the veggie dye needed. Good things My all over color is beautiful My cut is gorgeous Bad things My partial highlight time was for a bit of pink mid shaft down, basically not paying attention to what I wanted. Be super clear about what you want so they will Give you enough time read more

Vai at Vain is so great that I just have to write a review (my first yelp ever!). The salon is really chill and the staff are professional and friendly. I really dig the vibe in the downtown location. Vai helped me turn a sort of disaster of a haircut into a funky pixie sort of thing. People are checking me out now, which sort of rules. Vai took a lot of extra time talking to me about styling techniques and product, and gave me samples to try. read more

I gotta a men hair cut with Bash backed in December 2012 in this location. Overall, the quality and service was great. Bash is very rich in experiences and knowledge so he could easily understand most of my description about the hairstyle that I would like to have. He also spent extra time and patience to work on my hair until I satisfied with it. Combined with the 1 months free trimming, I believe this is probably the best customer services that you could get in Seattle area. The reason I vote for 4 star was the cost of getting a basic hair cut with Bash was north of $60, which is quite expensive for a man hair. read more

Love, love, LOVE this salon. Very edgy and always able to take your ideas and turn then into reality. If you're looking for a new stylist, I highly suggest Rebecka. read more

While a little on the pricey side I'm always pleased with my cut and color. I just wish the front desk staff were a little more helpful- they aren't always the friendliest bunch. read more

I had been wanting to get my hair cut pretty drastically for a while and so on a whim i decieded to do it. I Found this place using Yelp and it had some pretty decent/good reviews so i thought for such a drastic change i would go to a reputable place that everyone loved. Unlike my fellow Yelp-ers i was not so satisfied. First my stylist was late to my appointment then even after showing him MULTIPLE pictures he didnt seem like he knew what he wanted but he took it upon himself to begin anyway. The gentelman was not very talkative which is fine but it just made it awkward. When i got to the counter i was astonished at the $60 price tag for just a simple thing. I WILL NOT BE GOING BACK! read more