Shobha
Categories: Skin Care, Hair Removal [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Theater District1775 Broadway
Ste 730
(between 57th St & 58th St)
New York, NY 10019 (212) 977-7771
- Nearest Transit:
57th St-7th Ave (N, Q, R, W)
59th St-Columbus Circle (1, A, C, B, D)
7th Ave-53rd St (B, D, E)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- By Appointment Only: No
17 Reviews for Shobha
3 stars for a facial which wasn't terribly deep cleaning, but made my skin softer than kittens. I also had a bikini line wax... this is the only place I've been that notes a difference between a bikini wax and a bikini line wax. Know the difference. And definitely read up on their prep section of the website. Seriously.
No place has ever asked me to remove my underwear before, and no place has, um, held up a magnifying mirror to me afterwards. Damn, they're more thorough than a gynecologist fer real. Call me overly bashful if you must, but it was a little embarrassing and i can't say I woud want to do it again. Although points for being very quick and not too painful (relatively).
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I have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly of bikini waxing. (If we're ever sitting around, bs-ing over drinks ask about the ugly, it involves popsicle sticks and baby oil.)
Shobha is a pretty waxing/threading/sugaring salon with three locations. I have gone to this one and also Shobha Madison and have had good experiences at both but I prefer this location because you're in actual rooms as opposed to Madison where you're in a cubicle sort of thing with temporary walls.
The technician I used switched me to sugaring which is so much less painful and left way less irritation, which is key. They thread the strays at the end which I appreciate. Also, they sell this exfoliating cloth that I'm crazy about, so even if for some reason I decided to go somewhere else for waxing, I'd still go back whenever I needed to replace the cloth.
So why four stars even though I'm raving about Shobha?
1. Threading F'ING hurts. It's like someone sticking little needles into your skin. Ouch. Ouch. Some warning please.
2. Did you really want to know what your *ahem* looks like 5 times it's normal size? (Ladies. Guys, I know you do.) At the end of each waxing session they hold up a magnifying mirror to your newly waxed *ahem* and though I am definitely not a prude or body conscious at all, I'm just never really prepared for this. And no warning the first time!? Slightly traumatizing. SOME WARNING PLEASE.
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OMG - LOVE this place and didn't even know it existed until my friend Candace brought me here and wow, I'm never going anywhere else.
I had my brows threaded, which didn't hurt as much as previously but still hurt more than down below. I have to say that the pain was worth it bc my brows have never looked better!
As for down below, they have a special sugar wax that pretty much feels like kittens - seriously, I fell asleep while she was down there, it was that painless.
I had Jazwinder (I think that's how you spell it?) and she's thorough and nice and at this point I'm not trusting my brows or bikini line to anyone else!
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Amazing! I have been going to Shobha (Westside location) for quite some time now... I think Jamuna (who is out on maternity leave) does the best job, but all the women there are great. If you've never gotten a bikini wax, go here. They are patient... and super thorough! They never re-use the wax stick; their wax is very delicate on your skin; and they thread afterwards to get the lose hairs! Yes, even there! It is amazing!
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I have experienced many waxings before (some even on my kitchen table...true story). My experience at Shobha was one of the best. I hadn't been waxed in awhile because my trusted esthetician changed careers, but I was going on vacation so a Brazilian was a must. After reading reviews here and the fact that they had been voted best bikini wax of 2006 by NY Mag I was sold.
I didn't get any hair bumps (which is usually a big problem for me). The no double dipping is great (which you take for granted). I found the idea of threading the loose hairs exciting, but after having experienced it found the threading a little painful and I'm indifferent to it as opposed to tweezing. The reason I'm knocking a star off is the price. Would I go back: yes, but only when I can splurge.
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Today is my first day in New York.
Do I unpack my stuff? Go grocery shopping? Nope! I go get a Brazilian! Isn't that what everyone does??
Shobha was a very relaxing environment. I had an appointment with Jamuna and she was great! She made me feel very comfortable (well...as comfortable as you can be when you are getting the hair in your nether regions ripped off) and was super friendly.
I just moved from California ... the motherland of bikini waxes...so the prices were a bit high compared to out west. But..they do a great job here and make sure every single hair is taken care of.
First day in NYC and I already found my waxing place...SCORE!!!
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Shobha has officially converted me to threading. I have an unsual shape to my eyebrows which has resulted in me being the victim of several botched waxing jobs. After a couple of attempts to find a salon in Manhattan, I had given up hope and resorted to just taking care of my eyebrows myself. I tried Shobha after hearing a couple of friends talk about how much they liked the salon and the rest is eyebrow history! I found the threading to be comparable to waxing (in terms of pain) but the results aesthetically far exceeded my expectations. Promila shaped my eyebrows into the exact shape that they should be with exceptional precision. I'm definitely building every other week trips to Shobha into my schedule!
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Amaaazing! I never thought I would be one of those "I love to wax" people, but I am converted. The waxers are polite and clean and take their time to make sure every single hair is gone. (N.B. Stray hairs left after waxing are threaded.) The prices are probably a little bit higher than other places, but I absolutely love going to my waxer here. She's friendly and makes sure that I am comfortable at all times.
Edit: I second the "not-great" threading experience. While I've only gotten my upper lip threaded here, I think it's totally painful and not worth it (money-wise). While they do take off all noticeable hair, they don't wear any gloves which is bad if you are a super germo-phobe like myself.
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I've had my fair share of brazilians and this was by far the best. Jamuna was great, very nice and made me feel comfortable. It's worth the price, I'm definitely coming back!
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I LOVE SHOBHA. I especially like this location, which seems to run a bit more smoothly (get it... smoothly. ha) than the others. I'm always taken promptly and I always feel well taken care of.
I have had particularly great experiences with Kavita (who is FAST) and Jamuna, and would highly recommend either of them. Honestly though, I've never had a bad experience at either location that I've visited regardless of who my waxer was. Promilla does a good job, but she can be a little, errr, rough as I had bruises the last time I had an appt with her. Yeeeeah.
Trust me, I never thought when I began waxing all those years ago that I would actually claim to "love" anyone who committed such vicious acts against my most private of parts. However they do it as painlessly and as well as they poooossibly can. Worth the price.
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Jamuna was my waxer, and she was really great. Shobha is expensive, but they're very nice, and also way sanitary. I plan on going back, once I save up.
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I'm not a fan of always having to annouce to the guard in the lobby that I am going to Shobha and then show him my ID (a-w-k-w-a-r-d)...
and the Shobha experiences I've had at the Madison or SoHo locations were much better, just in terms of the quality of the service itself (but this is completely a function of who you get; if and when I find someone here who is truly outstanding, I'll update with that info).
But overall, Shobha is a clean, professional, waxing-only salon--not as sketchy as a place that costs less, and not as, well, expensive as a place that costs more. ($50-something for a brazilian; if you get the waxing package, it works out to about $3 off/visit, but hey, it is inevitable you'll use that package up, right?) And honestly, once you're already getting plucked, trimmed, and rubbed down with hydrocortisone cream, what more services can a pricier place offer (!?)...aside from coming to your house, which is just creepy.
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Nice space, friendly staff, good service. Had eyebrow threading with Jamuna and she was very sweet and did a nice, conservative job just like I asked. She also gave me tips on how to avoid messing up my brows in the future with tweezing. It is fairly pricey ($20) though, and there are places nearby which charge less...
Incredible, as always.
And, for the record, saying that goes a long way considering what *actually* occurs here.
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not that impressed. didn't try the waxing so maybe that's a good deal, but the threading while it was clean and speedy there were a few things that made the scenario mediocre. you sit under lights that are mad bright so its uncomfortable. also, it's clear that they want your money asking about how you heard about it, the robotic: see you next time, two weeks time, make an appointment, etc. also while there is precautionary disclaimers, it's just kind of a cheesy atmosphere. i'd opt for the cheapy spots near 34th st instead you get the same eyebrow shape there and it's not as pretentious. also, be wary of waxing because if you don't like the thin-teardrop-eyebrow thing, it'll take a hot second to grow it out. good luck pretty ladies. and gents.
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Shobha is it. Yes, it is very pricey compared to other threading/waxing salons. I think that when it comes to skin and hair care, though, it is better to go with quality. I have gone to $5 eyebrow threading salons in the city only to come out with too thin, uneven eyebrows. No matter how beautiful you are, ugly eyebrows will ruin you. And when it comes to waxing sensitive areas - do you really want infected ingrown hairs?
I highly recomment Shobha for quality work, attentiveness, and cleanliness. The zen atmosphere and perks (tea and water while waiting, wet cloths, rose water, numbing and hydrocortisone creams) make an otherwise uncomfortable experience comfortable.
For eyebrows, I highly recommend Kavita. I have gotten stopped on the street by random people complimenting my eyebrows. For bikini waxing, I highly recommend Jamuna. She is a sweetie.
Overall, the technicians at Shobha really take the time to examine your "situation" (uneven arches, too coarse bikini hair). I am highly pleased...
this third location is opening july 24th!
check out the other locations if you need to come in sooner!
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