Bellissima Day Spa

I got a Groupon for a Brazilian wax from Bellissima, and I was able to book an appointment rather early in the morning without any issues. When I came in, Thanh was was ready to take me into the waxing room in the back. I was slightly amused at the doctor’s office style «long-​roll-​of-​white-​paper-​pulled-​over-​the length-​of-​the-​table» for easy disposal between clients. We did underarms first and throughout this time she was very sweet and talkative. The actual waxing though…=[ I have been to a European Wax Center before in the past and I definitely do not remember them doing this many small pulls (as opposed to a few large pulls). I consider myself fairly pain tolerant, but damn. this was pushing it even for me.
I wouldn’t have minded if my target (read: hard-​to-​reach-​myself) areas were eventually completely taken care of, but multiples pulls over the same area AND extra tweezing still left me with numerous hairs still in place. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed.
If I go back, it’d would probably be for massage or a mani/​pedi instead, lol.

Today I got myself a Brazilian wax at Bellissima Day Spa and I’m happy to say it was overall a really great experience!
I purchased a Groupon for the wax (since the holidays have me a little too strapped to want to pay full price at the other salon I like here in the bay area) and made my appointment via email. I did have to call in to provide a credit or debit card (to prevent no-​shows) but it was all super easy and quick. The email response was the day after I’d sent mine, and I’d emailed in the evening too. It was easy to get an appointment within a few days and it was exactly the timeframe during the day I was looking for.
The spa itself is really cute and cozy. It’s in a great location for someone like me who takes the bus everywhere but it also looked like there would be decent street parking for those who drive.
I was a few minutes early but they were ready for me. I had my wax done by Thanh. She was really nice and made great conversation — since it’s the holiday season we talked about Christmas plans and then her daughter who’s studying in college a subject I worked with. Conversation during a wax is pretty important in my opinion and it flowed really easily with Thanh!
I must say I wasn’t in love with her technique for a few reasons, but the final product is every bit as well done as I’ve ever had before. This wax took about 25 minutes compared to the 15 I’m used to, and instead of doing large sweeping rips, she would do many smaller, quicker ones. Some places were more painful than I’m used to because of multiple pulls, but some were surprisingly painless. She was very thorough and did tweeze at the end and I really appreciate that. Nothing worse than paying for a wax and then having to tweeze yourself for 20 minutes at home!
Note: It had been since September since I’d been waxed last. I did some trimming on my own in that time but she trimmed me before starting so I wouldn’t have excessive pain.
My only other note is that unlike a lot of other places I’ve been to, she didn’t grab a brand new stick each time. Some people might be uncomfortable with the sanitation of that, so it’s something to keep in mind.
It was definitely a different experience than the waxes I’ve had in the past, like my usual spot in San Diego I’d gone to for… 5 – 6 years, but it was well worth trying out.

I’ve frequented this spa about five times and have never had a bad experience. Today I decided to ask for Thahn, since Unilocal reviewers seem to live her, and I was not disappointed. I got a 90 minute massage and Thahn made use of the full time. The pressure she applied was perfect: firm, therapeutic, but still relaxing at the same time. Thahn is a petite woman and at times, I felt compelled to peek and make sure she was the one still giving me the massage, since her hands are pretty strong. I’ll be back again.

I love Bellissima. I’ve been coming here for years and years. A couple years back I moved to LA and couldn’t find anyone down there that could do my eyebrows they way they do here and I honestly factored that into my decision to move back to the Bay Area! I do not trust anyone else to do my eyebrows and come every 2 weeks religiously. I also love their pedicures!

I have been getting facials for two decades now. This was the worst experience of my life. I had a groupon for a hydrating facial. Called and made an appointment. Reached before time. They were free, took me immediately. From there, everything went downhill.
She started with the facial, which was way different than what I had gotten earlier, but I thought new place… She applied cream which would with difficulty moisturizer my little finger on my face and then left it and concentrated for some bizarre reason on my hair! Hair! More hair! It was supposed to be a hydrating facial.
I am lying there half naked and a woman walks in demanding my phone to pull up groupon and do the billing! In middle of the so called facial! Before I can think, she takes it. God knows what else she did with my phone.
I am hoping that now the facial would start and she announces thank you! Not even an hour!
When I ask her what was that she says no one told her it was hydrating facial!
She said facial to me in the beginning, then I go the counter and ask them about the joke of a facial and they say that they don’t do all the steps for groupon customers!!!
I was almost crying with anger to my car. I feel cheated and taken advantage of!
I still tipped her, but she didn’t deserve it.
It’s horribly and deliberately disorganized. I felt that she knew what she was doing as the lady who took my phone signaled something to the facial woman and said something in their native language. It was all on purpose.
Very disappointed and sad.

My boyfriend treated me with a spa package which consisted of an hour massage, 30 minute facial and a mani/​pedi.
It seemed a little questionable from the outside since the spa is in the basement of an old Victorian. The inside looked a little better and exuded a rustic, natural ambiance. I was ushered by a nice Asian lady into the massage room. Then I quickly submitted to her magic fingers for the next hour. Her hands were firm yet gentle at same time, and were precise in their moves. She did my facial as well which was also lovely. Although it was a basic facial with no extractions, her magic fingers were also at work.
Surprisingly enough, she also did my nails. Unfortunately, the magic stopped there. I chose white nail polish for my hands and the paint job was done very poorly. My toes were a bit better but it was still a mediocre job. I’m assuming her hands must be tired from the massage and facial, which is why they should consider having a separate nail technician.
I would come back again for a massage.

I love this place. I go here for all of my pampering needs. The staff is wonderful and very accommodating. My husband recently experience severe neck stiffness do to his job and they did an amazing job to relieve the pain in his neck.
The spa also smells wonderful. This is one of the precious gems you can find through Unilocal

I came here for a quick pamper. Although the hours on Unilocal say one thing, the reality is that this salon is actually closes about an hour to an hour and a half earlier. Having said that, I’m extremely appreciative that a manicurist stayed later to accommodate me. The environment is very relaxing and zen (exactly what I needed) and I felt very comfortable immediately.
My manicurist (I don’t quite remember the name) did a mediocre job, overall. I asked for a trim and colour and she trimmed a LOT off and the colour was done with very old nail polish. I feel the specialty here is not nails but massages and spa treatment.
My rating is geared more towards the manicure and not the other services here.

Love the friendly service and getting cupped. Only small minor complaint is it’s cold in there. Otherwise I absolutely love the place.

Finally got around to using a gift certificate I received. I had the Celestial Path package, which includes a one hour massage, 30 min facial, and 30 mins bath. I think the massage and facial combo finished about 15 minutes early… but that’s okay because Thanh did a pretty good job. It’s a lovely little place and not too busy. If you’re looking for a nice little place to get pampered in Berkeley I’d recommend Bellissima!

Went here for my boyfriends birthday. I was expecting a commercial building but was surprised to see that it was a house turned into a spa. We each got an hour massage and an hour facial with a hot bath in between both sessions. The lady checking us in seemed a little rushed, especially when she did my free underarm waxing for first time visitors. She missed a few spots and then took me to the massage room. The massage was nice, not too rough, which I like. The facial was interesting. I’m not experienced with facials but she just rubbed cold stuff on my face. No steam or extraction, which I was expecting so I was a little disappointed. The lady doing my facial kept clearing her throat, seemed like she had a serious itch going on. I get that people get sick and that it’s normal but it was disrupting the soothing ambiance. I even think she made me sick. The bath in between the session was so hot it gave me an instant headache and made me feel lightheaded, but I liked that it had lemon slices floating in it. I definitely felt relaxed afterwards, before I got sick that is.
Oh, and they have a really pretty clean bathroom.

Affordable, Relaxing, Quiet, Attentive Service. Great place to get pampered and escape worries or stress. I’ve been coming for years. Owner Monique is gracious and lovely. Thanh gives a great massage with a deluxe pedicure and also does a full body massage. Get a 15% discount if you come on your birthday. I’ve often fallen asleep at the end of my pedicure. Clean, pleasing environment without the fumes found at most nail salons. No kids running wild or people talking on their cell phones. Treat yourself without busting your wallet.

The site said open at 9:00 am. I got there at 9:25 am and the doors were locked. I called and the recording said 9:30 am. I waited. Waited another 15 mins then left. I got a call back at 10:00 am and the lady told me that they open at 7:00 am…

Spent several hours searching for a local spa for my first massage and my birthday treat to my friend — I wasn’t sure what to make of this place after reading other reviews but ultimately decided it was my best bet.
Best decision ever! I had some difficulty communicating over the phone with the staff due to their heavy accents (I’m Asian as well, but there were definitely a lot of «what?“s coming from my end), but booked a full body massage and pedicure for two. The store is located in a quaint, suburban part of Berkeley with a wooden sign on the gate. It’s wonderfully furnished inside and the scent of incense is very soothing. We were greeted promptly and served fruit water while they prepared our room. They were very patient with us first-​timers and I was grateful that it wasn’t very busy when we went.
I won’t claim to be a massage connoisseur so I can’t really attest to how good the massage was, but I will say that both my friend and I felt lighter than air and ten times more relaxed after the massage. Our massage therapists were firm and listened to our requests, and bore through my little bursts of ticklish-​ness.
The pedicure was interesting for me as that was my first one ever too, but I felt like a queen while getting it done. It’s been about 3 weeks since our appointment and my nail polish still looks pristine. The women who gave us our pedicures were kind and cute in that Asian mom kind of way — they talked with us about their families and history. My friend said they were a lot more personable than people at the pedi places she usually went to.
Should I ever be in need of a massage/​pedicure/​facial/​anything treatment, I’m definitely coming back here. Prices are reasonable for their amazing services and I felt at home.

Bellissima Day Spa is a pretty cool spot for facials! It was very relaxing and my skin feels so soft! I took my daughter there today for her 16^th Birthday! We will be back! Thank you for much needed facial/​neck message! It’s definitely worth the money!

Bellissima Day Spa is amazing. I’ve been here 15 – 20 times as I’m incredibly loyal. Their massage therapists always have new techniques and are never repeating the same old massage. The vibe is very relaxing and they give you water after your treatment. I love it here and will keep coming back.

After reading other reviews on this place I went for it and was delighted by their service– and their prices! This spa looks more expensive than it is.
Thanh performed two as-​painless-​as-​can-​be wax services and she’s got me hooked on a monthly basis from now on. FYI, her days off are Sundays.
Also, she informed me about the massage discounts Monday through Thursday and introduced me to some packages that are amazing, and for some reason not yet on their website.

Reaching the half century mark deserved a great day of pampering, just what they provided at Bellissima! I chose the «Experiencing Paradise» package and added on an additional 30 minutes to the massage. Since it was my birthday and they offer a birthday discount, the cost was an amazing deal.
As others have said, ask for Thanh for the massage — her fingers found every knot in my back & shoulders, and worked out most of them. Her technique is relaxing, then stimulating. A great massage.
The mani/​pedicure was wonderful. The parrafin wax was just right and left my hands feeling «oh-​so-​soft». I don’t recommend the natural nail polish, it was still gouge-​able today.
Wonderful décor & atmosphere, I can’t wait for my next appt!

I can’t believe I can afford this place! Their quality is amazing– complete dedication in your comfort.
I just moved to Berkeley and really wanted to go to a day spa to celebrate my birthday. I found this place on Unilocal and went to their website. They have a 20% off deal if you go on your birthday! That added to the already discounted Celestial Path combo, and I was set. I called two days ahead of time and was able to pick whatever time I wanted to come in. I got there fifteen minutes early and there was no wait.
Thanh started me off with an hr massage. Her hands are pure bliss. I started coughing part way through and she was very kind about it. I was given water and she patiently continued through the coughing.
The massage transitioned into a 30 min facial in the same room. Wonderful smelling fruity lotions were used and my face looks great now. Thanh really took the time to relax and nurture my face.
After that was a 30 min hydrotherapy bath. I was iffy about this and really only got it as part of the combo, but I would highly recommend it for others. You can add it to anything for $ 15. They led me to the room and carried all of my belongings for me. A hot bath with limes (awesome addition to a bath!) and leaves was waiting for me. The room was clean, dimly lit to set the mood, and I was able to relax more than I have in any bath at home.
Before this I had never gotten more than a massage at a spa, but with these prices I will hopefully be able to treat myself again and again. Thanh and everyone I met were kind and professional and the whole spa had a wonderful ambiance. I can’t wait to return and bring friends.

I absolutely adore this place. Whenever I’m back in the Bay, I make sure I book an appointment at Bellissima Day Spa.
The ambiance here is so relaxing and serene. I got a 60-​minute Swedish massage with Thanh. Once Thanh’s hands touched my back, I fell into a deep coma. You know it’s a good massage when you wake yourself up because you were on the verge of drooling on the floor. Don’t act like you’ve never done that. Wait, just me? Awesome.
They also have a great hot tub you can relax in after you get your massage. Double relaxation. What more can you ask for?
I also love the Asian-​influenced music. I tried to Shazam it but nothing came up. Shazam’s racist. I get tired of listening to hardcore, gangster rap sometimes. Gangsters need some R&R time too and this is the perfect place to get it.