Terrible place to get your eyebrows done. They don't ask you anything before they start threading and when you tell them what you want and show them pictures they dot even listen or look. Made my eyebrows super thin and they never grew back. Also I have done threading for years now in different places and it never has been so painful. The products they use too are expired. read more

It's dirty, the staff are rude, threading hurts but they make it so excruciatingly painful, they took off so much hair that my eyebrows looked like stick figures, my eyebrows were ridiculous uneven after she was done with them. Don't come here!!! read more

I have been coming to this parlor since it opened 10 years ago, and have always received exceptionally good service. I come for threading of eyebrows and upper lip. Although all the women who thread do a good job, the owner, Kanchan, is exceptional. Her, and the other women who work at the parlor, actually listen to, and follow, your directions: if you ask them to simply clean up your eyebrows, that's all they'll do. If you ask them to shape them a particular way, then they'll do that. Also, when you ask them to thread your upper lip, that's all they'll thread (not ALL AROUND your upper lip as well!) In the past, before I discovered this parlor, this was my biggest complaint with other places: the women would not listen to my request. At other places, when I'd ask to have my upper lip threaded, the women would thread all around my upper lip also. Similarly, at other places when I asked to simply have my eyebrows cleaned up, the women would totally reshape them. This will not happen at Riya. They will actually listen to how you want your eyebrows done, and then do them as you requested. Also, the women at this parlor do not try to 'up sale' you, aggressively suggesting other services you 'need' or 'should try'. Another great thing about this place is how flexible and accommodating they are about scheduling appointments. They will really work around your availability and try their best to get you in at a time that's convenient for you. Walk-ins are always welcome too. Lastly, they're pricing is more than reasonable, and they validate parking. I'm a 32 year old Indian woman and have been threading since I was a teenager, in LA, where I grew up, and on my various trips to India. However, once I met Kanchan, and starting coming to Riya Beauty Parlor, I won't get threading done anywhere else because no one else does it as well as she does! read more

This place has never let me down. I used to come here quite frequently when I was a UCB student. Now that I don't live in the area, I can only come here when I'm home during holidays, but I still keep on coming back because I am always happy with the results! My usual is getting my eyebrows and upper lip threaded. Of course, each technician is a little different, but overall, I've been very happy with the results and the process is relatively gentle on the skin! And to make things even more awesome, the price is amazing! I can't wait to return next time I'm in the area! read more

this little parlor is tucked away within the sather gate walkway, so it may be easy to miss. there's nothing too special about this place, but if you need a quick threading, they will gladly provide you the service. the ladies are a little rough and heavy with their hands. i'll admit that a couple of times i left with a few cuts on my eye lids because they were pulling a little too hard with the thread :( in spite of the few cuts, the ladies are fast and efficient. their prices did go up as it costs $9 for eyebrow threading. this establishment is cash only so be prepared!!! read more

bomb ass place to get threaded!!! always ask for Happy. she does an awesome job and you never leave feeling ugly. if you think you already have nice eye brows, go here and they'll make you look even BETTER! and it's cheap AND they validate! read more

Phenomenal eyebrow threading. The shaping is excellent. I drive out from SF for this place.

I've had my eyebrows threaded countless times, never have I had part of my eyebrow bleed until I came here. Don't waste your money. Lazy eyebrow job, I could have done better myself. Never coming back here again. read more

Bhavna and Happy are the best -- and they do a good job threading too! If you are looking to be pampered -- this is not the place to come. But if you want to get the job done well, efficiently and cheaply -- I recommend! read more

The first time I got my eyebrows done was in June 2000 and we are almost in 2008 now, and I have always had my eyebrows done from only one person...Kanchan (the owner of Riya Beauty Parlor), I've been going to her before the parlor opened. I never really had to tell her how I wanted my eyebrows, she's a master artist ;-). Recently, she was unavailabe and I had no option but to trust another person with my eyebrows (which I have not done in all these years) and I trusted Happy. I've had my eyebrows done from Happy for the last 4-5 times and she does a great job consistently, but still there is something about Kanchan's magic...I am only completely satisfied by her threading. I haven't had experience with the waxing or other threading services they offer, but they are my number one choice for eyebrow threading and they are inexpensive. Goodluck with your beauty needs yelpers! read more

So the woman that waxed my arms today didn't say a word to me the entire time. No small talk, no asking if the wax was too hot, nothing... but she waxed well, there were no major spots she missed. a little bit of friendliness could have easily made this a 4-5 star visit. read more

When I tell them to clean up my eyebrows they will sometimes arch! I didn't ask for an arch, only for it to be cleaned. The results can be a hit or miss depending on who you get. However, the prices are cheap and they do a pretty decent job (When they don't arch my brows) read more

This was my first experience with threading and although I like to think I have a high pain threshold, somehow the sensation always makes me cry uncontrollably. However my eyebrows look great! Cheap,quick, and no need for appointments. read more

I don't come here often, but when I do, I leave happy and my brows are neat and symmetrical. Don't come here for glitz, socializing, or service. Get in get out (no appointment necessary) and get threaded! Ive also gotten my arms waxed a few times here, but they aren't super thorough, and the room they do it in is lackluster. Prices are fair, you get what you pay for. If you still see hair, just ask them to do it again, don't be shy. I haven't found a better place for threading that's close to campus, so until then, this is my go to spot! read more

I have had waxing done at two other places, and had bad experiences. It was much more painful than it needed to be, I had immediate stubble, entire patches missed. I went to the Riya beauty parlor and she did an awesome ..I will definitely go back again... read more

Good for upper lip, terrible for eyebrows. She basically reshaped my eyebrows when I told her not to, I wanted it to just be cleaned up but to stay the same shape. Next thing I know, I walk outt of there with like barely any eyebrow left, plus she made me bleed. Ive had quicker service as well. Now I just go for my upper lip and do my own eyebrows- -- or wait to until I go back to LA read more

why wax when you can thread?! ultimately, its better than waxing as it doesnt irritate skin, more precise and much less painful, and its a lot cheaper at riyas beauty parlor! along with threading they'll also trim your brows if needed. i always leave happy with my newly shaped brows! read more

Indian Girls (especially those from Southern California) - listen up (all others may find this information absolutely not useful): if you are looking for a replacement Ziba, meaning a place where you can go in and get your entire face threaded for under $20, this is it. Run by Indians for Indians (FUBU at work!) it's the kind of place your entrepreneurial aunty would run out of her garage. No appointment necessary but be careful of the Cal students who line up in droves... read more

I'm very particular with my eyebrows, and this place never disappoints! I've tried a bunch of eyebrow threading places in Berkeley but this one is by far my favorite. The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is because the service itself isn't as friendly as I've experienced at other places. That being said, they do a fantastic job if you don't mind that. read more

I used to really like this place--went there every few week for a threading. I'm not sure if they changed owners, or it's just the people working there, but I drive 15 minutes out of my way to go to another threading place. My experience over the past few months with this place is that I have to spend time plucking at home afterwards, and one of the employees is very nasty, and threads so hard. Very disappointed to not have this as a place to use anymore. read more

Ok. So I was around berkeley today and I've noticed that my brows were growing out and so I thought, why not get my brows threaded, and so I headed back to Riya. I really should of tried a different place. After I got home, I noticed that I had a tiny scratch on my right brow. This has never happened before. Also, she did a really bad job this time. I don't think I'll be returning. read more

thanks yelp! i used to pay $20+ to get my eyebrows waxed @ benefit--they always looked good but i hate the makeup sales push, so i tried riya & am even happier with the results at less than half the cost! read more

I've been meaning to write this review for quite awhile as I've been coming to them for years. I am always so pleased with the results!! They've done threading for me in various places on my face- eyebrows, lip, chin. They are friendly, professional and their rates are very reasonable. I wouldn't trust any other threading salon to take care of me the way the ladies do at Riya. I'm so grateful for them!!! read more

hands down, the best place to get your eyebrows threaded in the bay area! i'm always pleased with their work - nicely shaped brows that are never too thin. prices are fairly cheap too. read more

They did an excellent job threading my brows. It was very fast/efficient and the price was really reasonable. They are not very gentle (compared to other threaders I've been to) and their priority does seem to be to get people in and out as fast as possible. I barely sat down when they started threading my brows, but I was still really happy with how they turned out. The threaders seem to already know what is flattering and I liked what they did for me, but if you have something specific in mind who you get might affect how receptive they are. There's a stamp card rewards system too. read more

Came here for the first time and showed a picture of how my eyebrows should look. Somehow they ended up looking nothing close to that despite the fact they already had their shape and just needed to be cleaned up. Will never be coming back here. read more

Review Update. I have been a Kanchan faihful before she even opened Riya. I use to go to her home to get my brows threaded but lately I have been so dissapointed. Every time I go in a) she isn't there and b) THE PRICES KEEP GOING UP!!! I am sort of sad that I don't have the guarantee of getting cheap eyebrow threading done anymore. I use to pay 5-10 bucks with tip for brows and lip and now its like 15+ and then tip. I guess I am going to "brow shop" for awhile. They need to appreciate their clientele a little more instead of constantly raising prices. That is the 3-5 th price increase in less than 1 year. That is NOT COOL!!!! read more

What's going on at Riya? I've been going here for years and have been very pleased with my eyebrows. They have hired a couple new ladies to do eyebrow threading who are clearly beginners. The last 4 times I've had the new women do my eyebrows. It is always very painful now and doesn't look very symmetrical. Time to find a new spot! Moving on....... read more

This place is okay. Definitely tell them how you would like your eyebrows threaded or else they may not thread them according to your preferences. Every time I've been, I've never been asked how I'd like my eyebrows threaded, so I used to be disappointed, but if you tell them they tend to do a good job. Great location and proximity to campus though! read more

Haven't had any issues with eyebrow threading yet, and the threaders are usually very perceptive to what you ask for in terms of style/thickness. Will keep going back here for sake of convenience! read more

Bhavina is great - she is the one who usually does my eyebrows. Prices here are good, also. For those of you who are expecting a super-nice, sleek spa-like atmosphere, (a) you will be disappointed; (b) threading may not be a good fit for you. This isn't about getting pampered and chatted to - it's about getting your eyebrows done well and getting it done quickly (like between classes or on your lunch break). Threading is great b/c it is super fast, clean (only thread - no wax or anything else), and lasts longer than waxing (from my experience). Plus- there is always great bollywood music playing, if you are a bollywood afficionado like me. I'm really happy to live in a city with plenty of places that cater to South Asian brows. :) read more

I've been going to this place since it opened - yeah, I've been around Berkeley that long!! I think they opened in late 2003 or early 2004. Their threading prices have gone up about $1-2 since that time and they are still incredibly cheap. I am in and out in 5 minutes (at most 15 if there is a line). and I pay $9 for perfect brows (w/ a few extra for tip of course). My eyes still water like a baby during the threading but the service is cheap and incredibly accurate. True, it's not a zen spa with new age music playing (e.g. not a great spot for a facial or other relaxation-based service). It's a get in, get a great service and go out type of place and worthy of lots of love. I've been served by pretty much everyone there and have never had any complaints about the service. Happy does her thing quickly and well! read more

Their threading is good. The owner does the best job, there is another lady but she can miss some spots. I definitely would come here for threading, this is my go-to spot right now in Berkeley. read more

Just had a great threading and wax here. Rena was quick, gentle and professional. My eyebrows look excellent--will be a returning customer for sure. read more

Great eyebrow place in the area. I've been getting my eyebrows done here for 10 years now and never have a complaint. Never left this place with uneven eyebrows and cuts. It's a great place, I highly recommend it! :) read more

the oldest lady (and i think owner) is really good at eyebrows. happy, the other experienced woman there is pretty good if you tell her exactly what you want. the newer women they hired have no idea what they are doing and end up using tweezers sometimes, painful! i've never got anything else done here - but i heard their wax isn't the cleanest so be careful and watch them as they wax you. i give them an average rating because when the owner is there all the ladies are attentive and do their best. go when the owner is there and you won't be disappointed for a quick thread. however, if you're looking to shape your eyebrows I recommend you go somewhere else. Ziba Beauty in soCal is one of the best. read more

Terrible customer service. One of the worst eyebrow places I have been to. The staff are rude, condescending and extremely inconsistent with their prices and coupon policy. Not to mention they always make the process extremely painful. Whenever I ask them to be gentler they get offended and do not do so. Never going here again, no matter how good their prices are. 100% would not recommend. read more

Very good at eyebrow threading. I was very pleased with the way they did my eyebrows. Though i do recommend growing out your eyebrows before you go there. I mean, if you don't give them something to work with, its going to be hard for them to make anything out of it. read more

I went in the other day for threading, the tall girl was doing threading on me and she did it for like 2 minutes and then she told me to wait, because she had an appointment with someone. Then the short girl came to finish me. You know thats not right because I came in first, even though she had an appointment, she started threading me, and the girl came in after me got service first. I am disappointed in her for doing that to me, this is rude. You know that this is not good customer service. If she started with me, she should have finished with me. No doubt, everybody does an outstanding threading here, but there is no good customer service. There was two girls one was tall and other one is short, the tall girl did this to me, dont know her name. read more

I love this place!! I've tried so many other places and this is the only one that had great service and actually knew how to shape my eyebrows. It only took 5 minutes to do my eyebrows and they came out perfect! I've been going here for a few years now and even after I moved to fairfield, I still come here because of the excellent service. It's worth the drive and the toll. Based on my experience, I would say that they are true professionals. read more