Vanitylab Salon & Artisan Project

Update 2: My hair is incredibly damaged and I’ve had several people who frequently color their hair tell me that they’ve never see even sensitive hair get damaged this badly after two sessions. Back down to 1 star… and if I could, I’d give 0 because this mess is going to be a nightmare to undo, all because the stylist didn’t listen and didn’t bother to tell me she wasn’t capable of doing what I wanted.

I work far west side and live in Avon Lake… and drive to Vanity Lab every 3.5 weeks because of Nicole. Sure it’s a «salon», but guys looking for a good cut and a good time frequent Vanity Lab because they know what they’re doing. 3 years later and it’s my only choice. Ask for Nicole and you won’t be disappointed. Oh yeah — they don’t make commission on shampoo and stuff so there’s no pressure like most places. If they just offered cocktails it’d be over the top.

I have very curly and temperamental hair. I moved to the Westside 4 years ago and decided to give up my Eastside stylist of 6 years to find someone closer to home. I have been coming here ever since. Ashley is phenomenal and never disappoints. The entire staff is friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is relaxed and hip. They sell amazing jewelry in the front and even allow you to paint your own nails while you wait for your hair to be done.

After living in Cleveland for over two years, I still had trouble finding a salon/​stylist that I was fully happy with. I gave Vanity Lab a shot since it was close to my job in Westlake. I am very, very pleased with both the salon and the stylists there. My stylist, Jackie, is not only extremely talented but also very informative. She is patient with me in understanding exactly what I want and will explain what products and/​or techniques she is using as she goes along. I would definitely recommend this salon to anyone.
4.5 stars :)

Diana is fabulous! She does great color and makes the experience relaxing and fun. She does great cuts as well, am always in and out with no trouble.

This is a really nice salon and I love my hair! I got color and a highlight… It looks great and exactly what I wanted. The reason I chose to give 3 stars instead of 5 is because my final cost at the end. I picked this salon because when I called they said they did a complementary blowdry after color or you could upgrade for $ 10 to get style too. I picked the complementary because for me paying money to get a blowdry is ridiculous (some other salons charge $ 26) when I made my appointment the girl on the phone said my services will cost $ 140 and a complementary dry. When I checked out my total was $ 165, I didn’t say anything because I was happy with my hair and didn’t want to complain. Well when I left I looked at my receipt and I was charged $ 140 for the color and highlight (like they said) but then there was a $ 10 blowdry charge and a $ 15 toner charge… I did not ask for toner and was nit informed it would cost $ 15. I was not happy I would have rather walked out with wet hair then pay $ 10 for a blowdry. The stylist should have known prior that I chose the complementary blow dry. I don’t like getting up charged for services, I except to pay what I’m told in the beginning and not have that change unless I add something myself. I really liked it here and was going to go back but I’m thinking another visit will not happen anymore. I know it’s only $ 25 extra dollars but I don’t like surprise charges even if it was $ 5.

I am an ex hairdresser. And I would totally recommend going to Ashley here. For starters the salon itself is incredible, the staff is The highest trained salon staff I know of. The owner takes pride in her business, salon and employees. The shop there is adorable, I stop in for gifts frequently. I have never worked here, I just know after working at other high end salons in the area, that this is the real deal!

Katie Miles is a phenomenal aesthetician. Professional, friendly, and talented. It doesn’t get any better! Ladies and gents if you are looking to prep your beach body get your waxing done by Katie! Need a rejuvenating facial? Go to Katie! =) She’s simply the best in the CLE

I could write a 3 page report on my experience here and why you should avoid it, but I don’t have time since Vanitylab consumed one entire day trying to fix my hair color and eyebrows.
I was a first time client there so they did their style mapping with me and the stylist completely ignored everything I said I wanted and did everything I did not want. So 6 hours later (no exaggeration), 3 attempts at fixing my eyebrow color (and I told her I didn’t want them colored to begin with), I still have bright red eyebrows, terrible bright red punk-​rock hair color, a chunk of hair on my forehead instead of wispy sideswept bangs and pin straight hair (I wear mine wavy everyday).
The manager was very apologetic and they did bring in a senior stylist to help fix it. However, none of them could even fix my eyebrows, so why would I let them continue to color my hair??? They did refund my money but the manager kept telling me to consider the feelings of the stylist and she was also upset that I was not happy. Really? She never seemed upset. She never even apologized. And she isn’t the one walking around with pumpkin eyebrows and fire truck red hair. Now I have to find another salon to fix this ASAP!

When I moved here, I called three nearby salons before the receptionist understood that I was looking for someone who knows curly hair (which is a fairly difficult task and Diana was worth waiting for). VanityLab is close to my house so I gave it a whirl. I almost didn’t go back after my first appointment because it was SO COLD in the salon. Like, I had on jeans and a sweater and my jacket under the cape and I was shivering cold… but I did (just with extra clothes most of the time), and I’m glad I did. Everyone is always friendly. Because I have curly hair, and I’m lazy, I can’t do anything too trendy, but my standard cut always looks good.
I’m surprised that others have said they felt pressured to buy products, because I never have. And I thought the stylists weren’t on commission so it seems weird that one of them would push products on a customer. I did start buying the «$ 24 a bottle shampoo,» and I can’t imagine buying another shampoo. The bottles are small, but last me almost three months, and my thick, long, curly hair has never felt better. The cost isn’t that much either, because you get a discount for pre-​booking appointments, and a discount for refilling your shampoo bottles. Either way, if you’re spending $ 8 on crappy drug-​store shampoo, you’re paying the same amount for a lesser product.

Although I got an ok haircut here, it wasn’t anything special. They also did the move I hate more than anything else in a salon. They passed me off to some trainee to blow-​dry my hair. I don’t know when salons decided this was a hip thing to do, but all it does is tell me that my stylist doesn’t have time for me or care to see what my hair looks like when it’s dry. The blow dry girl wasn’t there for the consult or cut, so how am I suppose to have confidence that she is doing it right? Especially when she pulls out the dreaded round brush that I have already told my stylist I can’t use and don’t want used.

the lady that cut my hair was talented, good haircut, she burnt my ear with the hairdryer, ouch that hurt.
I felt the push to buy product, shampoo @ $ 24 a bottle, I think not.

Love Vanity Lab! We went for my sister’s wedding a few weeks ago. The whole experience was awesome. We booked our appointments on pretty short notice for a whole bridal party, but Ernie at the front desk was so accommodating to get us all in and out on time! Our stylists were Alie, Ashley, and Melissa. Everyone was so pleased with their updo’s! Ashley had the bride and I highly recommend her! They let us bring in our champagne and breakfast and even came in early for us. Thanks Vanity Lab :) !

I had the pleasure of visiting this establishment for my FIRST highlight in over 5 years. That’s right, ladies, I’m virtually a hair color virgin. Upon entering the spa, I was pleased to see all the local vendors they support. They carry so many unique cute finds in their showcase.
I met with their stylist Rachael R, AMAZING! After I told her my ideas, she recited them back to me several times to make sure we were on the same page. This may go unnoticed, but I really appreciated it. So many times, stylists hear «their version» of our desires. She clarified my commitment, upkeep, and time management to ensure I was doing what was best for ME! Again, I appreciate this. So many women want the «celebrity do» but how many of us are willing to put in that sort of time? Not only was she understanding, she was KNOWLEDGABLE! I cannot even explain how she described the color process to me, I could tell, she KNEW what she was doing. In the end, I left completely satisfied with my end result! I am so happy that someone FINALLY listened to MY wants.
Ps. The scents of their all natural hair products will leave you wanting more!

I took my boyfriend for a haircut at Vanity Lab the last time I was in town (I’m from Miami). Whoever was setting appointments was great– she recommended the right person for us (Nicole is known for giving great guy haircuts) and squeezed us in on short notice.
My boyfriend has very fine hair and it was crazy grown out. I’m not the best at communicating what I want in a haircut and neither is he. Nicole magically understood what we wanted and did something even better, giving him a professional, yet edgy, ‘do. We love how he looks, and to top that off, she’s a sweetheart and a pro.
I had my eyebrows waxed with a very lovely lady (I think her name was Ashley and she had great eyebrows herself– always a good sign). You know how one eyebrow is always slightly different from another one? She fixed that.
There’s a lot of shopping to be done there, too, including very beautiful and moderately-​priced jewelry. The jewelry on display is made by local artists and there’s an offering for every style. They have wonderful organic shampoos and conditioners, lotions, and other home products, too.
I cannot recommend this place enough. It’s quiet, out of the way, and the atmosphere is very welcoming yet hip. You’ll be taken care of well there!

Ashley P. is amazing at color. She has an amazing vision when she plans out what to do. She always listens to what I want… Purple… and makes it happen. She gives me what I want but also makes it work appropriate. A true artist. I always look forward to going to Vanity Lab as the atmosphere is inviting.
Thank You Ashley and Vanity Lab!
Danielle P.

I love this place. I have had the following services: hair cut, hair color, waxing, and massage. All were top notch.
Celina does great cut and color. She is truly talented. I love, love, love my hair every time I walk out of there, and i always get compliments.
They sell great hair products (some brands you can’t find anywhere else), and also have a nice selection of jewelry and art made locally.
The ambience is great. The people are super friendly. This is just a really nice place to go, relax, get great services, and get great products, and the prices are reasonable.

Got our hair done here for my sisters weddding. Ashley did my sisters and it was BEAUTIFUL! She did a soft, finger waved up style and Nicole (who cuts my mom’s hair regularly) did my moms blow out. She looked beautiful as well! I dont’ remember who did my hair, but she rocked it as well!
I think they are all pretty good here and you can’t go wrong on the updo’s!
I am impressed and if I ever have an event in Cleveland, I will DEF hit them up for it!

Vanity Lab is totally a hidden gem in Westlake. While you’d assume most Westlake salons are snooty and frilly, this place has an urban chic vibe, good music, talented stylists, and great service to boot!
I usually get a cut, color, and eyebrow waxing from Roxanne. While other upscale salons I’ve visited err on the side of caution, she is an amazingly talented hair stylist and is always willing to give me a hip and edgy cut. They have a lot of products with organic and natural ingredients, and I always leave smelling and feeling awesome!
Vanity Lab stocks the most versatile and cutting edge products as well. They don’t jack up prices or try to sell you bullshit products that you don’t need. They also have a really cute adjoining shop called Sparkle that carries handmade and unique jewelry and gifts.
They are are great value for what they deliver and if you refer people, they’ll give you $ 10 off for each person that gets services. Speaking of which, if you go see Roxanne, say that Rachel Kacenjar referred you, and you’ll get a $ 20 savings on your first service over $ 40!
I’m not at all paid to shill for them– just a loyal and grateful customer who has tried several trendy salons in the area and happen to think that this one is the best one in Greater Cleveland!
*A note on credit cards: they don’t take them for tips, so bring cash or a check as well!

I made an appointment to have a facial (never had one before) and a massage (have had about 3 my whole life) (V-​Day gift from the hubby) and did not know what to expect from Vanity Lab. First off the facility itself is wicked cool! It’s modern, clean, has a fun boutique, and the staff is very friendly. First I had my facial with Bianca. She was very sweet and made my first ever facial experience memorable. My skin never felt so smooth and looked so radiant! Next I went next door to receive my massage. Tonia has the hands of an angel and totally de-​stressed me! It was relaxing and also made my winter aches and pains go away.
They also have hair, yoga, and a variety of other services available.
I received a phone call from the owner a few days later see how my experience was and to thank me for my patronage.
This place is the real deal. I strongly recommend treating yourself to any of their services! You deserve it! Thank you Vanity Lab!