12/21/08

No Fluff, just GREAT hair.

by seals

Oh my god, I had the best experience here. I have short hair that I want to grow out and have been daunted by the idea of months of awkward in-between-lengths and fluffy/puffy hair. ugh. I had a terrible experience at another salon in Ballard, and was tempted to give up and keep my hair short. After calling to make an appointment at Vain, however, I reconsidered. First off, the receptionist asked me about my hair and long term hair goals before she even suggested a stylist - she then suggested several options and settled on Rachel. Consequently, I went in for my appointment with the utmost confidence that I was getting the right stylist for the job. And I was! Rachel spent time talking to me about what was going on with my hair, what I wanted it to look like in the future etc. Then she explained her idea of the best "plan of attack" and long term stages of cutting to get to my goal length. She went about de-fluffing my disaster of a hairstyle with precision and attention to detail.

I was so relieved after she had finished with my cut - I looked like a normal person (a normal person with really chic, cool hair!) instead of a walking tree. The price tag was higher than what I have paid for haircuts in the past, but was totally worth it for the experience of the stylist. The actual salon was very comfortable, hip and fun. I love the location, the building, the boutique stuff and the atmosphere overall. I have the highest confidence in the Vain staff, and will be a loyal customer from now on!

• Pros: Professional service, knowledgeable and friendly staff, location

03/26/08

Alexis is amazing

by ew329

I should start this by saying I have had many haircuts all over the country ranging in price from $20-$180 if not more. I have seen stylists everywhere from NYC to LA and had cuts from waist length to a boy cut with my thick curly hair. I also lived with a hairdresser for a few years and she gave me some great cuts, but I have to admit Alexis wins. I had my hair cut a bit over a month ago by her, (I didn?t write a review right away b/c the real test of a cut is how it grows out) and I love it just as much now as the day she cut and styled it. Even though she gave me bangs (something I have wanted for a while) I can spent 2 mins on it and it looks great or do some great funky things for going out at night. I think this haircut represents me better than any cut I?ve had. I think I tipped her the price of the cut b/c I couldn?t believe how cheap it was to get a style I was so happy with and I don?t regret it yet.

03/06/08

Melissa is great!

by SquirrelyDawg

I had a great experience at Vain in Ballard. The location is really cute on the corner and not hard to find. My wait was less than 5 minutes and I didn't mind at all because I was looking at all the items they had for sale (jewelry, scarves etc). I was greeted by Melissa with a handshake and a friendly hello, and asked if I needed anything to drink - always a nice touch. I felt Melissa was really honest about the potential of my hair and cut I wanted and I really appreciated it. She was so meticulous and methodical while doing it. She didn't spend all her time being chatty which I love - she was focused on my hair! She kept up nice conversation but actually allowed me to relax too. In the end I came out with the best cut I have had in years (I don't remember having a better one)! Cheap too! I was actually kind of shocked by how cheap because she is great. I will definitely be going back to her for my next cut. Thanks Melissa!

• Pros: Cheap, easy parking, graet hours, cute no-frills salon focused on your cut and color
• Cons: Um...nothing I can think of.