Very sweet lady at the counter, at this place threading feels less painful compared to at other nearby shops and downtown spots that I have tried (as someone with low pain tolerance). I paid in cash read more

I don't usually leave reviews but I've been coming here for years and only get my eyebrows threaded every couple of months. I fully trust this place to take into account how I'd like my brows done, especially keeping them thick. They are super efficient, I never have to wait (i always walk-in) and their price is reasonable. read more

This is the best eyebrow place in Berkeley by FAR. My mother has been going for 20+ years and I started going as soon as I could. I love Kanchan, she does my brows perfectly. I will never go to anyone else!!!! read more

I have been going to Riya Beauty Parlor for as long as I can remember except when I was out of state & trust me, NEVER found hands that worked the same magic as the ladies here. They always shape my eyebrows in the most perfect way - never too thin, not too much space between to make them unnatural (I had a disaster of a wax once) & always open to feedback & going the extra step for a very very reasonable price (no way I can justify some of the prices I've seen lakeside as an Oakland resident). & yes, I now travel from Oakland to see the ladies here & in the past drove from Hayward because it was absolutely worth it. read more

Riya Beauty Parlor - Cropped photo of brows courtesy of Riya Beauty Parlor & no eye brow make up was used. - Waxing Near Me - Berkeley, California

The best in town.... Hands down. Customer for more than 15 years . Almost every time I get compliment after my eyebrows done. Perfect arch on both the brows as mostly places I tried give two different shapes on each side. If u go once here you will not go to any place thereafter because you will definitely regret it . Fast and perfect each and every time. read more

I don't trust anyone else with my brows! Thank you for such a lovely experience. I can always count on my signature arch to come out the same way. That is truly what you hope for in a threading place. The wait is never too long and the service is skillful and precise. My eye brows can be sort of thin and sparse so I can't afford to have someone carelessly hack away at what little I'm working with. Since coming to Riya's I always get stopped and asked who did my brows, I rarely ever need to fill them in anymore. Thanks Riya! read more

Riya Beauty Parlor - Brows on fleek - Waxing Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've been here a couple times because of the convenient location. I didn't have the best experience the first time, but I was hoping it was an unlucky day so I thought it was worth trying again. I ended up having the same issues both times. The employees weren't particularly friendly. They only stopped their conversation with each other when it was time to ring me up. My biggest issue was how painful it was to have my eyebrows threaded. I've been to at least 5 different brow places, and this one was definitely the most painful. I'll give it two stars because the shape of my brows were decent, but there are definitely places within the same area that are cheaper, friendlier, and not excruciatingly painful. read more

I love supporting a family-owned, Bay Area, business that's been around for 15+ years. It's been 15+ years of incredible shaped brows for the few times I do need them done for special occasions. I haven't had henna done here yet but it's on my to do! read more

Good service, quick and easy. I get my eyebrows threaded here regularly and have always left happy. They also have a frequent customer card with your eyebrows free on the 10th stamp. They also wax. read more

I hate having my eyebrows waxed, and plucking by an 'eyebrow artist' is totally out of my budget, so what's my next option? Threading! Having had my first couple of experiences in SoCal, I've been searching (not very hard) for a place to get my eyebrows threaded by Indian women in the Bay Area. (I'm not too keen on going to just any old salon that 'suddenly' offers threading.) I obviously have been living under a rock because Berkeley has become the new Indian it scene. I was referred to University Avenue in search of a saree for an upcoming wedding. I saw an ad for threading, and figured I'd take advantage of being in the East Bay. One of the employees at Roopam Sarees referred me to Riya's and in I went. For $8, I had my eyebrows threaded and trimmed. It wasn't too bad and the BF was entertained and amused by the whole process. I was in and out of there in about 5-10 minutes. (The next day I did notice a bit unevenness, but nothing too dramatic.) They also offer manicures, pedicures, hair cutting, hair coloring (with henna), bridal make-up, herbal facials, waxing, and henna. read more

Nope. Avoid. Unfriendly. Bad quality work. I usually get lunch at the Poke Bar next door and needed my eyebrows done for a photoshoot so Riya's was super convenient being right across the way. I went in and the two ladies sitting in the chair were scrolling on their phones and didn't look up at me until until I told them I wanted my eyebrows threaded. One lady just grunted and pointed at the chair. I should have peeled out of there right then. First mistake. I usually take threading like a champ, but this session was particularly painful for some reason. When she finished, she held the mirror up and I asked her if should make them sharper. Translation: "Can you not make them as god awfully thick as they were when I came in which is why I came here in the first place?" She spends, literally, two more strokes on them and held the mirror up again. My eyebrows not only looked no better, but were incredibly uneven. I told her it was fine because 1) I was over it at this point and 2) she seemed annoyed at my very presence and I just wanted to get out of there. The cherry on top was the fact that when I got up I could feel my removed hair falling all over my face and she didn't finish my brows with witch hazel (even though I could see a bottle on the vanity), so they stung after we finished. I ended up going to the place on Center St to get them fixed. Bright side is I learned a $10 lesson. read more

To remove hair, it's common to hear of shaving, plucking, nairing, waxing.......and then there's threading!? I recall 2 yrs. ago my friend talking about getting her brows and forehead threaded. It sounded like an inconceivable idea. I decided that I should try it myself and heard that Riya Beauty Parlor provides these services. The experience of threading was a little more painful than I expected. It was more unpleasant than the feeling of a razor against my face. The sharpness of the pain brought tears to my eyes which I had to quickly dab away with tissues. The salon itself was quaint and cozy with friendly beauticians. I appreciated the fact that the threading was inexpensive. I had both my upperlip and chin done for $10. The woman who performs the threading is very competant with the skill of threading. The only complaint that I can make was that I felt they were rushing me to leave because she would perform the task so quickly and I felt that it wasn't done with more care. I noticed that for my chin job that there was still some fuzz left on the bottom so I had her do it again. However, I appreciate the service nonetheless and if you request to have your eyebrows trimmed on top of another service, they will do it for you complimentary. read more

My go to spot! I know I can always come in knowing my brows will be taken care of and maintained just the way I like them. They always know the way to thread my eyebrows to frame my face! read more

I was in and out in 5 mins! Thread it, snip it and quit it! read more

Walked in today after I found that the place I usually go to was closed, in addition to that, the yelp reviews did discourage me to even give them a try! Because of their convenient location, I went in, they did a pretty good job of cleaning up and on leaving my natural eyebrow shape, but I had to mention my specific preference beforehand. I hate when my eyebrows are done thin, and luckily I have thick natural eyebrows to start with so I just asked her to clean up. One thing to keep in mind is that, I've been doing threading for years, but this place has a particularly painful process of doing it. My tolerance of pain is pretty high but I left the place with a lot of redness and I sensed a slight burn or pain sensation whilst cleansing my face, hours after the threading. read more

Riya Beauty Parlor has been threading my eyebrows since 2006 (almost 16 years)! If that doesn't tell you enough as to why I am dedicated to this salon, I will go into detail. Kunchun has been threading my eyebrows since the beginning and she is always precise and listens to what you need. Whether it is just a cleanup or really saving/fixing your eyebrows, she is always there to help. Recently I've also started using the waxing services that Riya Beauty Parlor offers and I am more than pleased. Prices for all these services are more than reasonable and I can guarantee that you will be happy with your results! I highly recommend Riya Beauty Parlor! Please check them out as you will not be disappointed! read more

One of the cheaper places to get your brows and upper lip threaded in the area. They use the stamp card system. The threaders are all fast and efficient. read more

The lady did my eyebrows well, which is why I'm giving 3 stars, but oh my god it was so painful and expensive. $12???? I usually get mine done for $6! That's an outrageous price, especially for college students. The lady that did my brows was doing it super rough; I've been getting my brows threaded since I was 15 (I'm 20 now) and it has legit never been this painful before. It literally feels like shes cutting into my eyelid or something. She pulled on the thread so hard that she broke the thread 4-5 times! Don't come here unless you absolutely have to. There's better places in the Bay Area that do brows for way cheaper. read more

I am livid. I came in with nice thick eyebrows that needed to be cleaned up, and now I have early 2000s eyebrows. She literally took off like half of my eyebrow, one is higher than the other now, and they are so uneven. DO NOT GO HERE! I usually go to the threading place on Center St, but came to Riya's bc I was in a rush and didn't have time to walk to Shattuck. It doesn't matter that it's cheap or conveniently located right next to campus. Walk the extra 10 mins to go somewhere that won't destroy your eyebrows. UGH read more

It's nice, the parking in the area is a pain, but they validate for the garage across the street. i had my eyebrows threaded and I specifically asked her not to make them too thin, but she thinned them out any way. I didn't go back after this. I've been going to one near university avenue and san pablo now, which charges $8 and is a much nicer experience. read more

I've spent tens of dollars here throughout my semesters at Cal. Convenient location. Nice owners. Overpriced for the poor quality, however. It's really hit or miss. 1/3 times I might get a nice result. 2/3 times I regret coming here. Overtime, they have thinned out my eyebrows and ruined the shape. Multiple times I have walked out with patches between my brows or on my upper lip that were missed. read more

I have been a client for many years now. Love Kanchan and her team. They do a great job and I have never been disappointed. All the ladies are very friendly and always make me feel at home. I am super impressed with all the Covid precautions. I feel completely safe going to Riya Beauty Parlor. read more

If it is an emergency situation, this place will do the job. Otherwise, I would avoid it. It is unhygienic. The floors and equipment looked like they had not been cleaned in months. There was a pile of used thread just sitting near the chair. Poor customer service, the lady was very rude, I greeted her and asked her what I wanted. She did not respond and just started working. Left patches of hair on my upper lip, my eyebrows were done well though. I really did not feel like tipping, given her rudeness. However, the male manager and other lady were nice. While the location and price are good, I am going to try and find another feasible place! read more

I am happy with the threading they do at Riya. I was previously going to a threading place on MLK and University but my eyebrows never looked right. Now I only go to Riya. I normally ask for the younger woman as she does a better job in my opinion. Don't expect friendly service or a cushy salon...it's just a place to have good quality threading done for a reasonable price! read more

Jyothi was great! Ask for her - she threaded my eyebrows, lip & chinnu with a cut on her finger and still did an amazing job! I'm pretty picky about my threading so was pleasantly surprised after all the bad reviews on how good a job she did. Ambiance/quality are like most other Indian eyebrow threading places. read more

I've been to Riya's many times before due to convenience, and usually I have to tell them how I like my eyebrows since they never ask, but this last time I went was particularly bad. I only said I wanted my eyebrows done and they not only came out thinner than my natural eyebrow thickness, but one came out a bit crooked and the other thicker than the other eyebrow. I have a work presentation tomorrow so this is quite disappointing. They also charge $12 for eyebrow threading (used to be $10), which is officially twice as much as I would pay in SoCal, which would give a higher quality threading job. This place is really a hit or miss, but I will not be going back after this time. It seems they just keep getting worse with time. Not worth the money or time it'll take to grow my eyebrows back out either. read more

Just like others here, I have been going to Riya's for many years, since before I was pregnant with my 17 year-old son and was a graduate student at UC. I like Kanchan's and Harpreet's work so much that now I travel from Marin County to Berkeley to have my waxing done by them. Kanchan is one of the kindest most gentle people I have ever met and an appointment with her feels like a spa visit with an old friend. This is a family business you can feel good about supporting. Excellent service. read more

The only place in Berkeley I trust with my eyebrows. A girl's eyebrows can change the way her face looks and this place does a great job! I have been going to them since freshman year. It is conveniently located and offers the best price. Would definitely recommend this place. Tip: If you are going to be a regular buy their 3 eyebrows for $25 package. You save 5 dollars in the long run. read more

I loved my eyebrows. Thick but soft, wispy but defining. Full of expression and always a table-conversation starter. "I love your eyebrows! Perfect on you!" they said. After Riya, I now have two little shapeless lines on my face. They are lifeless, prickly, and messy. She couldn't manage to grab a lot of the strays. I asked her to do them over again and she just made them thinner. After I showed disappointment and frustration on my face, the lady (older with stern features...I didn't even bother to ask for her name) gave me attitude, scoffed at me while rolling her eyes, and said my eyebrows were already like that when I came in. That means she did nothing herself. Puhleease. I am a sad sad girl with some sad sad eyebrows. Don't come here if you want beautiful eyebrows for your beautiful face. read more

I have been coming to Riyas for about 10+ years now. Before them, I tried MANY other salons, none were able to do what Riyas can do. The owners are great people who really accommodate to your time, sometimes I will show up 5 minutes before closing and they still stay late to provide services. No one in the bay area can do eyebrows like Kanchan and Happy- hands down the best brow shapers I have ever met. They have waxing, threading, facials, mehndi/henna and a load of other services, all of which I have tried. No complaints. I travel 40 min to get my brows done from them- thats how good they are! I HIGHLY recommend this place! I am a customer for life! read more

HORRIBLE! I'd give it no stars but yelp won't let me. I went there and my eyebrows completely did not match. When she kept looking and going back, I had a feeling it was going bad, but she said nothing. She kept threading and threading. If you mess up, you think you'd stop so you wouldn't make it worse. I had one look and my heart literally dropped. I have never been to a place that has butchered my eyebrows so much to the point where my mom noticed when she visited me and refused to tell me b/c she knew how bad it was and how mad/sad I would feel if she mentioned it. Never coming back here ever again. read more

After moving to CA, I needed to find a new place to do EVERYTHING ... including one to get my eyebrows threaded. I found Riya on Yelp. With mixed reviews, I decided to give the salon the benefit of the doubt and try it out. My first time in, I was the only customer there. I was impressed with the speed of the process and with the results. Now, they weren't overly friendly, but I still enjoyed the experience. My second session did not go as well. I was one of two customers, and I felt like this session was even more rushed than the first one. I thought it might be because there was another customer waiting. When I got back in my car, I noticed that a few hairs were left when they should have been removed -- but again, I attributed this oversight to the fast pace of the woman doing the threading. I decided to give Riya one last shot. On my third visit, I got the worst service yet. There was only one other customer again, but I felt even more rushed through the process. The aesthetician was unfriendly and unprofessional -- she BELCHED in my face while threading me!! And on top of that, she ripped the skin under my left eyebrow in four places, leaving four red scabs for me to enjoy. Needless to say, I will not be returning to Riya. Anyone have a better suggestion? read more

$5 + 30 seconds = no more mustache. Come here to get your face business taken care of via threading. 4 stars for the threading. I would not suggest getting waxed here. The waxing "room" is pretty (for lack of a better word) ghetto. It's kinda nasty...I hope no one has gotten a bikini there. I got my lower arms waxed here once. The lady was very nice, but didn't speak english. She took her time on my left arm, doing small sections at a time. I guess she realized I didn't have that much hair and was pretty sloppy on my right arm. It wasn't too bad. I had a few areas with hairs left, and came out looking like a wet seal. 2 stars for the waxing read more

I'm lazy, am a recovering workaholic, and am learning to have fun with my life. Which is why I use and abuse yelp. Luckily, no one cares that for every 100 or 1000 or so yelp reviews I look up, I MAY write one. Yelp is especially handy when I'm trying to find a place on my cheap version of a crackberry, the T-Mobile Dash. The Riya Beauty Parlor reviews are an example of yelp reviews that I use and abuse. I never remember the name, address, location, hours, or phone number of this place. So I just go onto yelp and search for eyebrow threading and voila! I find Riya's and remember how to get there and not to go there on Sundays cuz they're closed. Well, I when I was looking up Riya's again for the umpteenth time on Nov 8, I saw all the negative reviews and I thought, god, I'm going to have to write a review so that other people desperate to get their eyebrows threaded don't get scared off. I've been coming to Riya's for about a year now, ever since I took a pay cut to work in the city (and "the city" = SF - duh!) for a 25 min walking commute to replace the 4 to 5 hours of daily public transit hell I went through. Before, when I was working in Silicon Valley, I was going to Deepa's for threading. I was so happy when I discovered Riya's and it only costs $9 + tip. Whoever I get in Riya has always done a great job on my eyebrows. And it's only $9! It's worth the Bart trip to Berkeley every couple of weeks. If you've never had eyebrow threading done, you are missing out on sexy eyebrows. Waxing is not as exact and rips at your skin. Also, if you're getting your eyebrows threaded by a non-Indian woman, you're not getting them done right. These Indian women have thousands of years of experience shaping the eyebrows of an extremely hairy race. To borrow my friend, Michelle's, phrase, they hella good. Thank you Riya for giving me the sexy eyebrows that deceive drunken men/boys into buying me a drink on Saturday nights, Nov 8 being a case in point. And thank you to the powers that be that keep my mom ignorant of yelp so that she has no clue what I do with my free time. BTW, to the women who work at Riya, if you ever mess up my eyebrows, I'm taking back my good review. Hell hath no fury like a woman with messed up eyebrows. Being a member of a hirsute race, luckily they will grow back quickly, but not quickly enough for me to forgive you. Keep up the hella good work! And see you in a couple of weeks, just in time for the Christmas party circuit. read more

Ok, I know this place isn't loved by a lot of people, but I like it. I switched from eyebrow waxing to threading a year ago when my usual girl burned me!!!! My poor eye looked like Rocky...I vowed to never wax it again!! Soooo threading. I got threaded at this expensive place in Walnut Creek, $30 for eyebrow and lip. It didn't hurt at all...but at Riya, it hurts a lot, but they do a great job for half the price. (1) TELL THEM how you want your eyebrows. Every girl is different. Some like thick, others thin, others shaped like a worm, who knows. Just tell them exactly how you want it, and they'll do it. I like the unibrow area totally clear, yet she likes to leave little hairs there. Once I told her to clear it, she did. (2) It hurts, but I could just be a sissy. I have no tolerance for pain, plus the hairs tickle my nose and make me sneezy (thus eyes watering!) so it could be a mix between watery eyes and actual tears. (3) They are super quick and efficient, always fit me in immediately. I don't think I've ever waited. $15 for eyebrows and lip, plus this little frequent threader card means I'm 2 threads away from getting one free! Yay! read more

I have been here on two occasions and both times, I have had a mediocre experience. They really do rush the process for pretty much every customer that comes in. From the point that I stepped into that chair, the lady did not talk to me once. She didn't ask how i wanted my eyebrows done, she didn't ask how I liked them, and she threaded very fast! I guess for some people this can be a good thing so you don't have to wait as long, but in terms of quality, it isn't the best. I noticed after my first visit that there were a couple tiny hairs she missed, so I had to pluck them myself at home. The second time the lady was so quick and rough that like other Yelp reviewers, I too had a couple tiny red scabs that had bled a little. Nothing that can't heal in a day or two, but still--bad quality. The thing that bothered me is that there weren't even too many individuals in the establishment while she did my eyebrows. They just work fast for the hell of it instead of slowing it down to really produce quality results. However, this place is conveniently located and when I can't go back home to my regular beauty salon, Riya's does the job for my special occasions in Berkeley. Also, only $9, so it's cheaper than some other places as well. read more

If you want eyebrows, please do yourself a favor and stay at home. I have naturally thick eyebrows, and I used to get them threaded back at home in Texas every three to four weeks. For a flawless, painless eyebrow job done in no more than three minutes, I would pay $4. Riya, on the other hand... I go in, and the lady doesn't ask me how I want my eyebrows to be done. This isn't a language barrier issue either - I speak in Hindi to her, and she still doesn't even ask. I told her to leave my eyebrows thick, and just to clean up around the edges. She nods. ...I came out with one short, thick eyebrow, and one long, extremely thin (I'm talkin chola people) eyebrow. The process hurt really badly as well. This happened about a year and a half ago, and I haven't been back to Riya since. I'm hoping to find a better salon in Berkeley for threading. read more

My family and I have been going to Riya Beauty Parlor since 2006 for eyebrow threading. Kanchan and her team all do an amazing job at cleaning up my eyebrows to my desired thickness while maintaining the shape. They are all also skilled at designing a new arch/shape over time. I have also done waxing with Kanchan on a few times- she gives me by far the most efficient, detailed, and painless wax I've ever had. They have the best prices for the most amazing quality of work you get. I highly, highly recommend! read more

I Love you guys!! I've been coming here for at least 15 years.. AMAZING service if you wanna come get glammed up you gotta come here.

Walked-in for eyebrow threading. It only costed me $10 + $2 tip. I was in and out within 15 minutes. The threading was fast as expected. I have gotten eyebrow threading before but I still cried. Lol... However, comparing waxing to threading, threading is cleaner and lasts longer. The person who did my eyebrows doesn't speak English (i think) so she didn't give me some barber gossip or anything like that. I believe her name is "Derpie" or "Herpie"? I would say the experience was a rush for me but I do not mind. I have things to do too. As a heads up, minimum of $15 to use debit/credit card. I was NOT asked how I want my eyebrows done. But for me, it worked since I was told by a Pakistani friend before that each person have a natural shape eyebrows that threaders just tend to follow. I like my threaded eyebrows since even the tiniest hairs are gone. I have gotten threaded before at Maxi but it was not as clean as I wanted it to be and costed a few dollars more. At the end of the day, Maxi gave me a punch card wherein after a few visits you get something free. Looking at the words "free", I am sold. read more