VAIN Blog

My challenge for myself while in Spain was to take pictures of PEOPLE and STYLE, little glimpses of what we create at VAIN - but found around the globe.

[Hair + Beauty Salon]

Once there, however, I wasn’t sure how my appreciation would translate. My Spanish is rusty enough that I felt like I’d just come across as a creepy American with odd intentions. There was one girl with bright red panels underneath her long dark hair who I nearly chased after, Canon in hand, through an open air market. I couldn’t make it to her in time, however, nor would I have known what to say. But that little lady was one of only TWO vibrant colors I saw during my two week stay there.

It should be noted that we were primarily traveling in slightly smaller towns along the south of Spain; maybe the conservative tones were shaped by geography. Indeed, the only other time I saw color was not in Sevilla or Granada but as we traveled through the airport in Madrid - a Burgandy Wine bob that stood out from across the waiting area.

It seemed that the bold color statements were left to attire, and displayed there with flair. Bright green t-shirts with matching neon sneakers. Red socks, red shirt, red accents on eyewear, all at once. Floral sundresses on women of all ages, and every color in the rainbow pouring out of stores with local wares.

One of my favorite sights was a Sunday drive past a group of women on their way to church. Even in the almost 100 degrees weather they looked crisp, cool, put together. Small purses in hand, and a helmet of curls helped by uncertain amounts of hairspray. They evoked an era that is, for me + my life here in Seattle, foreign but picturesque.

The idea of those conservative ladies vs. neon green Nikes seems like a reflection of what I saw in the country itself - a lot of history but with bold statements of modern life, the old and the new balancing in a way that shouldn’t be congruent but nonetheless was. Special Effects colors can’t be far behind.

[Like the VAIN wall, a world away]

xo,

Sarah Jo

We’re overdue for introducing our next group in the collaborative series. If you missed our previous posts, VAIN hairstylists got together to envision six different photo shoots - all in one day.

Group IV was over the top - color, extensions, hairpieces, and a snake.

Megyn, Sarah B, and Kelly were the talent behind this seductive + colorful explosion. Kelly even pulled double duty, appearing as a model as well as a stylist.

The beautiful butterfly hairpieces were courtesy of Sweet Revenge + are available for purchase in the VAIN boutique!

Such a visually stunning shoot ended in style, tearing the twins apart in faux fighting fashion.

Do you need color? Extensions? Some over the top accents? Call our front desk to visit Megyn, Sarah B, Kelly, or any of our VAIN stylists. Give us a head’s up, though, if you plan on bringing your pet snake.

VAIN

My suitcase was the punchline of almost every joke I heard on my trip to Spain. It’s true, I took my flat iron, a train case of makeup, 5 pairs of shoes; it’s true that every cab driver hated me. But in terms of beautification, this is what I would’ve had to work with had I not lugged around that giant bag:

What is that, you ask? That, dear VAIN friends, is the blow dryer in my 5 star hotel. It functioned on a level even below what the aesthetics suggest. For the $10 spent on an adapter at the airport, it was worth that + more to use my own trust dryer - purchased at VAIN Ballard, of course.

It is worth mentioning that by the end of the trip, in Granada, I abandoned all appliances in favor of Kevin Murphy’s Fresh Hair every other day, and letting my hair air dry after mid-day swims in the creek. But that’s at the opposite end of the spectrum - if I did want or need to look polished while we were in the larger cities, I would’ve been lost.

My best advice after 10 days lugging an 80 pound bag? Choose one pair of shoes, ditch the train case in favor of just mascara + lip gloss, remember you’ll probably only wear one pair of jeans and one dress anyhow; but don’t scrimp on the blow dryer + adapter.

xo,

Sarah Jo, VAIN’s on-the-go beauty correspondent

…said it’s time to clean up for summer, VAIN wax style. Just relaying the message.

xo,
VAIN

VAIN offers customized waxing services for body + facial hair in a private waxing studio above our downtown salon. Call us at 206.441.3441 to find out more.

You know VAIN loves us some Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home hairstyling, and this Hot Hair shows you why. Vivid red perfectly self-applied over jet black on one of the most stylish baristas in town. And guess where she gets her DIY supplies? Yep, that would be VAIN.

Name: Brynn
Stylist: Herself
DIY product of choice: Special Effects hair dye in “Devilish”

You know the old saying: The only thing better than doing your hair at home is doing your hair at home well. Way to prove it, Brynn. And thanks for the coffee.

VAIN offers a full range of home hair dyes and DIY supplies. We’ll also give you expert tips on how to use them. Just ask the next time you come in.

Client: Nathaniel
Styled by: eli blü

Last Friday just before I stepped out to enjoy my weekend, a glimmer of something truly special caught my eye. VAIN frontman eli blü was blowing out a ‘fro for Nathaniel -  the host of a Funk-themed party in Pioneer Square that night. (If only I had snapped the rest of his ensemble - a full leisure suit flecked with shiny, deep cerulean tears; loafers!). When the classics are foolproof, there’s no need to mess.

Right on, right on.
-Sylvia

If you’ve visited the VAIN Gallery, you’ve most likely seen the work of VAIN art studio tenant Michael Lane. His super cool stencils of Rock ‘n’ Roll icons such as David Bowie, Deborah Harry, and Joe Strummer have all been favorites here. Luckily, for everyone, he’s now offering each and every one of his stencils for only $10!!! That’s right, 10 smackers won’t even buy you a CD, but it will let you get your hands on a sweet tribute to one of Rock’s Legends (with a capital L). Get them before they’re gone!

The VAIN gallery hosts art, jewelry, vintage treasures, and hot vinyl records at thrift-friendly prices. Visit our Downtown location @2018 1st Ave, Seattle.

VAIN blogger, talented photographer, front desk superstar and runner-of-all-things-VAIN-Ballard Sarah Jurado’s last day as a VAIN full-timer is today (CUE WEEP TRACK). Tomorrow morning she’ll wake up with a fresh new focus on her photography career. Luckily for VAIN, we’ll still be hearing from Sarah here on our blog from time to time: look for more of her great pictures, VAIN True Life posts, and an upcoming hair + street style report from Spain while she’s out on tour with her husband. So while we’ll miss Sarah’s face and careful attention to our clients (if you’re reading this then she’s undoubtedly helped you schedule or reschedule a hair appointment at some point!), we’ll all be seeing her words and images here for a while still.

Here’s to the horizons ahead for Sarah.

-Rebecca Pellman
on behalf of VAIN

Follow Sarah Jurado’s photography + life adventures on her Web site, sarahjurado.com

Each month at VAIN Ballard we unveil new works of art by featured jewelers. This month we have the eco-friendly recycled glass creations of Sabrina Baissas of Fox and Clover Jewelry, with an opening reception June 13th from 6-8:30 as part of the Ballard second Saturday art walk.

Her work is a wonderful pairing of old techniques and designs matched with a modern aesthetic. I love the use of windowpane glass in jewelry. When worn the white images appear to be drawn on the skin.

Sabrina studied the medieval art of kiln-fired glass enameling in Paris. A process where enamels are painted onto glass then fired in a kiln at 1300 degrees. Sabrina uses these techniques as a basis for her modern jewelry.

From her artist statement:

“(Sabrina) has a strong interest in sustainable design. Her dishware and jewelry is made of 100% reclaimed sheet glass. Her dishware is made of discarded windows, and her jewelry is made of discarded picture frame glass. Unlike glass bottles, both these forms of sheet glass are not recycled by most municipal recycling programs, and otherwise end up in landfills.”

“Her interest in nature comes from her childhood in Minnesota’s beautiful St. Croix river valley, where fireflies, beavers, oaks and owls were the backdrop of her daily life. Now she lives in Seattle, a city with stunning natural surroundings. At her studio she invents new ways to present nature through modern enameled glass.”

-Aran

VAIN Ballard
5401 Ballard Ave NW

You know VAIN loves a creative use of hair, and Peaches delivers (and literally wears it) in the “Talk to Me” video off her new album. Hair everywhere!

For those of us lucky enough to see the lady herself perform live at the Showbox last week, the mega-haired, platinum Cousin Its from the video made a special appearance live onstage, AND Peaches wore a set of long, glam-chewbacca sleeves that could only be described as a hair bolero. Awesome. People kept saying, “Is that HAIR?” Yes, yes it is hair, and we like it.

What’s YOUR creative hair expression look like? We can make it happen. Call VAIN at 206.441.3441 downtown or 206.706.2707 in Ballard to book an appointment.

An exciting new treatment from VAIN stylist Emmett. In his own words he describes what Keratin Smoothing is, and why we love it.

About a year ago I attended advanced training workshops and obtained certification in a break-through technique called: Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy. Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy is a new revolutionary patent pending treatment that literally infuses keratin deep into the hair to create smoother, shinier, healthier and more manageable hair for up to five months.

Of course I was a little skeptical when I first heard of it. There are other services on the market which claim the same results, like the “Brazilian Straightener.” I checked them out at the ABS show this spring. I was very disappointed, can’t say I loved the results. The hair looked very heavy and smelled of formaldehyde. First, I don’t want formaldehyde on my clients or myself. What are the long term health risks of that? It also gives off an unpleasant aroma, a smell you’d only be comfortable with if you were raised in a funeral home. Last summer a colleague was telling me of a new hair relaxer system, and of course I thought she was speaking of Brazilian Straightener. Once she convinced me it wasn’t, I signed up for a workshop and flew out the next week. I was amazed by Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy; it is chemical-free, has a pleasant floral aroma, brings movement, swing, shine, and the health of the hair is extraordinary.

Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy can be used on all hair types, over any type of straightener; lye, no-lye, Japanese, permed, color treated, bleached or highlighted. It will actually make hair look & feel healthier. It can also complement your relaxer service by adding strength, increasing shine, and simplifying styling. This is the product I’ve been waiting for my whole career.

Keratin Complex will:
* Loose to Medium Curls: it will straighten the hair for 3 to 5 months
* Tighter Spiral and Frizzy Hair: it will drop curl, loosen curl pattern reduce frizz and make individual curl more uniform.
* Relaxed Hair: makes hair stronger, shinier, and bouncy. Will also allow you to work out without sweating your style out.
* Excellent for Children: it’s temporary, chemical free and will make hair more manageable.

Emmett is available at both the Ballard and Downtown locations. If Keratin Complex sounds like it’s just what you’ve been waiting for, please contact our front desk to schedule a free consultation.

Ok, so maybe it’s not quite as dramatic as the MTV series. But before I met VAIN, the thought of backcombing terrified me. And backcombing the FRONT of my bangs? Not even something that occurred to me.

Last weekend I went to Vegas with a group of uber stylish ladies - we’re talking Dior shoes, Bebe dresses, Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, the whole nine. They have great taste + amazing style. I can’t match their budget, but I gotta say that thanks to a trusty pink VAIN comb I held my own. I failed to schedule a bang trim before I left town, but rather than accepting my sideswept disaster, I loaded up on hairspray and went for a faux pompadour that made me feel like a million bucks.

Naturally my favorite photo from the day cuts off the top of my head.

You’ll just have to trust me on how awesome the bangs were. You can see my other budget-saving VAIN accents here though, with a pair of $8 sunglasses that have all the glamour of ones that run for 10x that amount. The dress was just a simple Old Navy thing that cost all of $20, but combined with an investment piece by Mayapple [the gorgeous feather/gold necklace seen above, similar pieces available at VAIN Ballard] it was a capital-O-Outfit.

Proof you can look and feel good on a budget. It is worth overcoming the anxiety about ratting one’s own hair to have a sophisticated look this summer.

xo,

Sarah Jo

Are you afraid of hairspray? Many of our stylists offer amazing updos + style appointments. Call our front desk to schedule with someone who can walk you through the fear and into fashion.