06/15/09

Nightmare! be warned!

by nyc4image

i will start by saying i have visited Shobha many. many times. it i s the only place i have ever gone to have a bikini wax. not to mention the dozens of friends i have sent because i trusted them so much.

This past friday i go in for a bikini waxing, it was a "specialist" who i had never seen before, but since i have always had amazing experiences with whomever i saw no problem. She was extremely rough and at one point i told her this never hurt, and this time it does. she responded with "you are not bleeding".

After the wax i can home to realize i had tons of red bumps and very short hairs. i called shobha and they told me to come back in the next day for a touch up. well as the night progressed the bumps got worse and then the redness started to appear. i had been burnt. all over. the creases of the legs were the worst part.

the next morning i call shobha., they tell me to see my derm. i explain to them my health insurance does not cover this. so they tell me to come in and have a specialist look at it.

i get there go into the room, as i am laying on the table the specialist is saying "well what do you want me to do, you are burned" then she proceeds to tell me i have sensitive skin (i do not even get ingrown hairs from a wax, ever!) so i tell her no my skin is not sensitive then she tells me it was the humidity that caused this..the last thing you want is excuses when your lower region is burned! i started to cry. she said she was very sorry someone did this to me that the wax was too hot and she pulled the strips the wrong way causeing the bumps and short hair to be left but there was nothing that could be done.

As i proceed to the receptionist (still in tears) she tells me she is sorry but she is not authorized to give me a refund and there is nothing she can do. i will have to wait for a woman named lindsey barton to call me. so i leave and spend my whole weekend putting cold compressed, aloe, and hydrocortisone. i call back later that afternoon to say i have not heard from this Lindsey and i was told she must be too busy to call me.

Today is 3 days later, i am still burned and the bumps are worse than ever. i finally heard from Lindsey today she was apologetic, but not to the extent it should have been. She offered me a refund and wants to to give them a second change. She also said they should have offered me products to help heal and given me my refund right there, none of which was done.

how could you give a place a second change that burned you?!

so after spending $57 on a wax, $16 on aloe and hydrocortisone, $22 on tend skin. i am left with a burnt lower region and spending my days with cold compresses and ointments praying i do not get scared from this nightmare.

on a side note i am not a complainer, this is the first negative review i have ever written, i just wanted to warn everyone of what happened when something goes wrong at Shobha, and the lack of customer service even if you are a loyal customer.

• Pros: none.
• Cons: they burned me, awful customer service

05/08/09

Had a Great Wax Here

by Evalime

Went Here for a bikini wax with Datta, was the quickest wax I have ever had, in and out in 10 minutes. Some people complained on here about the "Raw" look of the ceiling. I was in and out of there so fast I didn't have time to think about it. Price was reasonable for Manhattan. Friendly reception staff. Some people also complained about the fact that the waxer is in the room with you when you disrobe. If you are going for a bikini wax what is the point in being modest? I would definitely recommend especially Datta, she was great.

08/15/08

What a find!

by newyorkspagal

I have been going to Eliza's Eyes at Exhale on 59th Street but, after my last trip there--for almost $100!!--I decided to look somewhere else. It is always a bit nerve-wracking to have a new person mess with such a prominent part of your face so I was in some ways expecting the worst. What a pleasant surprise! The Madison location, on 57th and Madison, is lovely--in a professional building, light, airy, clean, and comfortable. They only do threading for brows and Datta did mine. She was extremely warm, efficient, and GOOD. Threading isn't comfortable--but then again, neither is waxing--and she moved quickly. I am extremely happy with the results...and only $20!!!

07/23/08

A+

by draxel415

best brazilian wax i've ever gotten! great place, great prices, great everything! i won't go anywhere else!

06/29/08

Professional environment that is conveniently close to 57th Street Yellow subway lines stop

by MadM

I went for an eyebrow threading. I had gone to the Topper's spa in Philadelphia (where I visit family on the weekends) and had a disasterous eyebrow wax in which the 'specialist' had did it incorrectly and it was obviously uneven! I went to Shoba after hearing numerous positive reviews esp. as it was recommended as a place where one should go if they need dire help of repairing their eyebrows. I went to the Madison location as Shashi works there and heard great reviews about her. The strange thing is that this place charges a higher fee for 'initial eyebrow threading consultation' which after taxes comes out to $36; and then every visit afterwards it is $20 (before tax). I felt Shashi did a pretty good job but I would say that next time I would like my brows to be a bit thicker and I will make sure to re-emphasize this next time. It seems as if many eyebrow places think that every woman wants to have thin eyebrows but on my face it doesn't look right. Overall I was satisfied with my service b/c Shashi was prompt, the people there were friendly/professional/dependable. I would definitely return and recommend this place for others. Eyebrows are very important to one's face and for only $20 this is something worth spending for a dependable service... they do a good job here at 'shaping' eyebrows whereas those places that charge $5-10 usually are only good for 'cleaning up' eyebrows.

• Pros: Professional, Good policy on lateness (so that you don't have to wait), skilled
• Cons: Pricer than typical eyebrow threading salons

05/29/08

Best brazilian ever but Jasmine, PLEASE, relax!!

by edonis85

I've been a regular client for about 2 years now, and I really love getting my brazilian done at Shobha. Jasmine is very quick, and does a fabulous job by combining waxing and threading. However, I've noticed a change in her attitude recently. She seems to get a little bit too comfortable with her clients. For example, during my last visit, she was visibly upset because I took 2 months to come back to get ma brazilian instead of the usual 1 month. So of course, my hair grew a bit long. Can you believe what she tells me?! "I don't like that...". I felt offended because first of all, it's her job to remove my hair no matter of how long they are and second of all, I always give her generous tips. As if her comment wasn't enough, she added at the end of the appointment: "don't be surprised if you find some hair left. You had a lot of them. I can't garantee you I removed them all." IS SHE JOKING????????????????? Of course she said that with a very broken english. But I was sitting there and wondering if I should say something or be embarassed!! I'm paying $57 for my brazilian + tips and I don't think it's ok for her to make me feel incomfortable. I really hope the owner of Shobha gets a chance to read this post because some of her employees do need to improve their customer service. Anyway, I think I'll eventually go back to Shobha. I haven't decided yet if I will ask for Jasmine, because after all, she does the best brazilian. I guess next time, I'll just tell her how I feel if she complains again.

• Pros: Great brazilian
• Cons: Poor customer service

05/25/08

Trouble following directions

by Carina305

I got two services: a Brazilian (sugar) and an eyebrow threading. The Brazilian went well, although it's not quite as painless as they advertise.

My big issue is with the eyebrow threading - apparently Avenika cannot follow directions. I told her that I really like the shape of my eyebrows and I like their thickness, so please, just clean them up and do NOT thin them. She ignored me and inflicted her own personal tastes on me, giving me skinny little eyebrows. The more I look at them, the more irritated I become - they do not suit me at all.

• Pros: friendly and efficient as they ignore your preferences
• Cons: cannot follow directions

03/20/08

Love this place!!

by 77ruby77

I've become a regular at Shoba Madison and I love it. Though they are really overpriced (eyebrow threading is $20), they really do a great job. They are very thorough and they take appointments. I recommend Ritu or Jasmine for eyebrows. Ritu makes sure to get every little hair and you don't have to go home and tweeze anything. If you're willing to pay more, its definitely worth every dollar. They offer you tea or coffee too. Love it!!!

• Pros: they take appointments, Ritu, Jasmine
• Cons: VERY EXPENSIVE

12/31/07

Jasmine is amazing

by eucalyptia

I have been to several of the "popular" salons in town for bikini wax. By far, Shobha is the most professional, serene, and sanitary places. Jasmine is beyond sweet and professional. She gives the least painful, fastest wax I have ever had. I will never go anywhere else.

• Pros: Jasmine
• Cons: trying to get a late night appointment after work.

11/15/07

They hooked me after my first time but now the quality of service and skill is disappointing.

by artsandsciences

After my excellent first time experience with getting a Brazilian, I went back 3 more times to the same specialist, Jasmine. I've been disappointed to find that each time, the service seemed to be more and more lacking. If anything she seemed to get a little too confident I'd keep returning to her, because each time I went back I noticed poorer waxing/sugaring jobs. The last time, she missed whole spots and didn't really take the time to thread after the waxing. The first time I went, I got the best treatment and had no complaints. My last appointment, she seemed in a big hurry and waxed very large areas at a time which was horribly painful. Usually I think they give you a soothing cloth afterwards but the last time I got nothing! It might explain why it took longer for me to heal than usual. I've decided to try another Shobha location this time around just to see if I get better service again...

• Pros: Relaxed atmosphere, clean.
• Cons: Specialists seem to get lazy after you become a returning customer. Rooms are not very private. Pricey.