Vain A Salon

I’ve been going to Bobby and Sara for about 4 years now. My aunt was the one who recommended them (very different hairstyle from me). They have a great location in the midst of Campbell behind Casa Lupe. They really listen to what you’re wanting and will give their honest opinion on what will look good. Sometimes if you don’t have anything in mind Bobby will just work his magic! He also loves trying out new products or techniques if you’re up for it. The atmosphere is always fun and inviting; they change up the look it seems like every time I’m in. They are very responsive via text and phone when you need to squeeze in an appointment.
Prices are competitive for the level of expertise and full service you receive. Sara gives great blow outs! Call ahead to make an appointment; they are parents to 3 kids and need to plan their lives accordingly.

Still LOVE Vain A Salon!!! Bobby is the best, he understands me and my hair. I love getting a haircut because I get to visit him. Thank you again Bobbly for being overall awesome!

Bobby is a hair whisperer! He can just look at you and know what would look amazing on you. He is the best hair dresser in the bay area. Go see Bobby.

New to area — relied on Unilocal reviews to find a new stylist — I found two! Wife/​husband team at Vain A both worked on my hair color & hi-​lights and I LOVE it — will be back for a cut soon

Love it! Thank u bobby & Sarah!

I followed Janet here from Limon Salon (and now she’s at Crèche in Willow Glen). She’s always amazing and works hard to make sure you’re happy with your hair, as she once said «I’ll stay until midnight to make sure you’re happy.» She also does a great job of following up to make sure you’re still loving it. So yeah, go there.

I, like most people, have always had a love hate relationship with my stylists. That’s until I started coming to VAIN. I’ve heard Bobby called the «Hair Whisperer» for good reason! He’s been doing my hair for four years now and I’ve never looked better. I’ve cut it short, kept it long, colored it on and off, woven feathers in it, styled it crazy for special events (like my wedding) and he’s never disappointed. In fact, my expectations are usually blown out of the water. Bobby always takes the time with me to make sure I can replicate my look before I leave. There’s nothing worse than looking amazing after a cut and then not so hot after the first wash at home.
Sara always makes me laugh. I consider myself lucky when she has time to do my shampoos. She’s really good about «getting in there» and I’m always so relaxed after. It amazes me how great she is about remembering to ask me about how «X» went, even if I just mention it in passing during an appointment. She is also a fabulous stylist!
The staff at Vain is always friendly, witty, and welcoming. I personally respond really well to, and appreciate, the «family’ atmosphere they have created. The décor is hysterical and inviting. My favorite is the old 80’s «Aqua Net» t-​shirt framed on the wall. Classic!
I was super excited when Vain launched their product line. Putting it simply, I am in love! The product scents are so light and romantic; they never overpower the senses or linger like the commercial stuff. The products never make me feel weighed down or greasy. The shampoo, detangler, and hairspray, are now all firmly part of my daily routine.
My Husband also gets his hair styled by Bobby and always looks sharp! I think Bobby trims and shapes his beard just for me.
DO: Take home an awesome VAIN product.
DO NOT: Come here with an attitude problem.

oh my god. bobby is the guy I have been looking for all my life!
I will never go anywhere else ever. I know a good hair stylist would make the difference but I did not know the difference would be astronomical!!!
Love Love Love my cut! Bobby listens to what you want but the best thing to do is trust him! He’s a miracle worker
No stranger has ever complimented me on my hair EVER in my life. But since I’ve been back from Vain’s on Friday, 4 people told me hair was fabulous and wanted to know where I got it done.
.Cant wait to go back!

Update, 7÷8÷11.
Bobby is still awesome and I love my hair because of him. That is all.

–cuz no one else can handle a razor to my head like bobby can
=AMEN.

And this is the man I have had the longest relationship with… Yes my hair stylist! Then again I only see him every 4 months and he always tells me what I want to hear… so how can we not have a good relationship!
For the past 6 years I have been a client of Bobby’s. It has been a long journey for my hair. From fried, ugly uneven hair… to now manageable somewhat long hair, Bobby has been through it all!
The salon is a bit hidden and yes, the décor is a bit random but that’s the style Bobby and the girls have. For the past six years I have never encountered any kind of rude/​bad customer service from the lady’s that assist Bobby and much less from Bobby.
And most important of it all he never lets you walk out looking bad… he is a pro at what he does.
Oh and my other favorite thing about him is… he is not pushy at all. He lets you reschedule your appointments as you wish.
All in all, need a good hair stylist visit Bobby you will be happy you did!

So after waiting a long long time, I finally got an app’t with Bobby. I guess my expectations were really high because of the RAVE reviews for this place. Sadly. I was disappointed, so I will still be on my quest for a great hairdresser. I asked for a cut to even out some old layers and was told I should ««wait» till it grows out. So for a tiny trim and color I was charged a boatload of money and was not impressed.
Then I was passed off on his assistant for the blowdry which was not that great either. I thought the salon was really tacky looking too.
Not what I expected at all.

Personally, I did not like the décor. Most importantly my experience was less than pleasurable. I found that the receptionist (wife, I think?) was rude and unattentive to the customers. She won’t look you in the eye, doesn’t greet you, and is rather curt. They don’t always answer the phone, so sometimes difficult to get a person on the line. There isn’t much parking, either. It’s a small lot.
The worst part was I was not happy with the service. The color was pretty bad and it was very expensive for a mediocre job. I won’t be going back.

Following a catastrophic hair calamity at age 18, I was introduced to a young hair aficionado at a small salon on the East side. This guy completely transformed my mane from shameful to seriously fucking amazing.
Nearly six years later, I’m not at all surprised that Bobby is a popular and successful owner and stylist of this exceptional salon. So often people discuss decent hairdressers that may be good at giving you one particular look, but they’re bound by their limitations in imagination, skill, and overall style. Bobby is what every person dreams about in a hair stylist: an artist. Seriously, people! listen to me! – an ARTIST. Aside from being absolutely talented, he’s current. No matter how awful, lame, great, o-​k, fabulous, ugly, beautiful, whatever your hair is, he knows how to give you the look that is right for YOU and that will make you look and feel like a bajilion dollars. And not in a pushy way. He listens to what his clients want and offers them suggestions based around their deepest inner hair desires.
I have only had my hair cut– strike that, DESTROYED,– twice by other «stylists» (aka fools) in the last six years, and I cannot imagine ever letting anyone else touch my hair except for Bobby. I know I’m just one amongst a thousand who feel this way, and take note… there’s a reason for that.
In a very selfish way, I feel so proud and grateful to have had the chance to experience Bobby’s magic. Thank you to Vain, Bobby, and his amazing team of Sara and Tina for existing! The world would be an ugly place without you.

Update: Usually us females spend the first quarter of our lives fighting against our hair (i.e., straight perming, curling, flat ironing… etc.). Before there was Bobby there were an endless string of one night stands with random salons whose names I’ve long forgotten; rarely did I ever go to the same place twice. It was an aimless and lonely existence, I just wanted a hair stylist that could connect to my misunderstood but lovable hair!
Bobby gets my hair, he takes it as it is, he brings out the best in it…*sniffle*…he’s the HAIR WHISPERER! The cuts I get from Bobby are low maintenance without compromising style. I have thick wavy horse hair; I’m just saying, it’s thick. His cuts are modern, easy to dress, and I have fallen in LOVE WITH MY HAIR. Gone are the days of traipsing from one salon to another, leaving them wondering if I’ll ever call them again. Oh my god I think I’m committed.
By the way, this place runs sans an ego despite its popularity. There’s no pretense, no BS, the entire staff is welcoming and genuine. Another side note: the cuts in my pictures are not the work of Bobby. I’ll try to dig up a more recent picture to post.

Still loving Vain! I have gotten so many compliments on my new cut and highlights! Bobby continues to make me look fabulous! Now my whole family looks fabulous because of Vain! Because of Bobby– my man no longer looks like a cholo! Bobby gave his hair some stylo!
Sara U. gave my daughter a funky side swept bang and threw in some highlights, then toned it out to a cool red shade. My daughter is the envy of all her classmates! Sara even managed to get my three year old to sit in her chair without crying! Now he’s the heartthrob of all the daycare honeys! Gotta give props to Danielle and Tina for giving killer blow outs and putting up with the hair monster familia. I love Vain!

I *heart* my new Vain hair! But that’s nothing new. Coming here feeds my soul and I get the perfect hairstyle every time. It’s one Bobby creates for me and my hair. It’s not a copy of someone else’s style; especially the overdone and out of style Posh Spice bob, thank god!!!
And now, I have Rock Star status as well it seems. Got my appointments booked out for the entire rest of the year! Take that, bitches! Yes, VAIN rules and their clients know it and love it! The best service, people, styles, atmosphere, prices and stylists are VAIN! I’ll be back…

I am so thrilled that I got an appointment to see Bobby and can now call Vain my new salon. Bobby is amazing and he did a fabulous job on my color and cut. I couldn’t be happier with my hair! My family and friends loved it and even better, my sweetie loves it, so what more could a girl ask for?!? The salon is a fun place to be, it is cozy and artfully decorated. They carry Redken hair products which are available for purchase.
Bobby is very thorough in his consultation, he listens well, makes great suggestions and takes time to carefully assess your hair and design a cut that works well with your face shape, type of hair and lifestyle. He also gave me a clear outline of the steps we would need to take over the next couple appointments to get my hair to the desired shape/​color and I appreciate the care he has taken to not over process my hair. The consultation was great and hard to find with many stylists.
It can be nerve racking going to a new stylist, but Bobby put me at ease and gave me confidence that he could make my hair awesome! I have a short asymmetrical bob that was way too thick and bushy and Bobby tailored it to a sleek and sexy do that is unique and not copied from a magazine! The color is vibrant, shiny and bright blonde!
Sara and Tina are great assistants. Sara dried and styled my hair and did a wonderful job. She also went over products and how I should be styling my hair at home. I was given a couple samples to take home and try which was a nice touch. It was very easy to recreate how she styled my hair at home and I spent less time styling than I have ever spent, which I love!
Thank you Bobby for the awesome hair! I am so thrilled that I have a space with you and look forward to seeing you again soon!

I haven’t made it here yet. but very excited to go this Saturday!!! I’m looking for a new hairdresser so this was recommended by a friend and all yee Unilocalers out there seem to love it as well. I have Long hair. hoping to go to short if Bobby agrees.
So I was finally able to meet Bobby for my haircut. His personality is really friendly open and honest. I had long hair (see pic) and he had free range to cut my hair short. I think that’s every hairstylists wish. to have free range. I showed him pictures of pixie haircuts and bobs. With his professional advice, he said don’t go for pixie, go more for a bob length. No problem, I’m not attached to my hair, it’ll grow out (as long as the cut makes me look good and worth the $$)
So I came out with a pixie cut in back and bob in front. Do I like it? Yes from the front I love it. From the back not so much. It’s way shorter than a bob should be, it’ s more of a pixie cut. one-​two inches long. So it seems to be two different cuts put together. To me, it’s very disconnected. (picture attached) Bobby says this is a graduated bob, but I have friends that have graduated bob and it blended smoothly and looks like a graduated bob.
Remember I came in with HEALTHY LONG HAIR. Never been processed so beautfiul virgin hair to work with.
I had to go get it fixed today as the front wisps that framed my face were thicker on one side than the other. I also had to ask for my bangs to be more blended instead of just a blunt cut.
Bobby was more than willing to fix it. I’m disappointed because my hair was long enough to have a very nice graduated bob. And this will take me MONTHS to grow out into a bob that we talked about.
Though there was a girl next to me who loved her long locks and he just finished coloring it and it looked great and she was really happy.
He would have received 4 stars but the fact that the back was way shorter than a graduated bob should be and that I had to go get it fixed made me give him a two star. Maybe if you like your hair long? You can go to him?
I’m gonna go to my old hairdresser, even though he’s double the price. I won’t review him because. well he has enough clients and I don’t want to have to wait more than three months for an appointment!

Bobby and his crew are absolutely FABULOUS in every way. Bobby is a great person, and so skilled. And he and his delightful crew [Tina, Danielle, Sara] are all very helpful and fun to talk to. I always enjoy my visits to Vain Salon.
When you talk to Bobby you get a real sense of how truly knowledgeable and experienced he is. He’ll listen and give you what you ask for, but if and when needed will advise you whether it’s truly doable and complimentary to your look and hair’s condition. Regardless, in the end he beautifies your hair with his expertise — the results speak loudly for themselves.
His cuts always look great out the door, and to my pleasant surprise even during the grow out stage. His eye for color is right on. In September he picked an allover color for my hair, in which I asked him to match my roots as closely as possible. After having a decade of different shades of brown, red, purple, and blond colored hair, I decided I wanted to grow out my natural color. It’s been 3 months and I seriously still can’t tell where my natural color ends, and my dyed hair begins. He did a flawless job picking the color, and his assistant Tina did a thorough application. I’m very impressed.
I feel happily spoiled to be one of Bobby’s clients and hope that he never moves too far. :) To me, the journey in finding a great hair stylist is like finding a great boyfriend — with each passing one you may go through trial and error, learn lessons, make mistakes, and shed tears. And when you finally stumble upon the right one. you feel like you’ve found gold.