Natural daily makeup and hair in Hongdae, Seoul: Moi Hair Makeup

Daily makeup in Hongdae before an important dinner

A record of a daily makeup visit to Moi Hair Makeup, a hair and makeup salon in Hongdae, from consultation to finished look.

There wasn't a special shoot that day, but I had an important dinner and wanted to look a little more polished than usual. Not full-on event makeup or a dressed-up look though — more like a daily makeup look, just a bit prettier and tidier than usual, if that makes sense?! This time I visited Moi Hair Makeup, a makeup salon in Hongdae.

Where is Moi Hair Makeup? Hyosung Hongik Ingan basement, Hongik University Station

Moi Hair Makeup is located on the basement floor of the Hyosung Hongik Ingan building near Hongik University Station. B10, basement 1, Hyosung Hongik Ingan, 183 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

Since it's underground, I had a little trouble finding it at first, but once I went inside the building it wasn't hard to figure out. It's a convenient spot to get hair and makeup done in Hongdae before heading to an important appointment or dinner.

What happens when you bring a reference photo

I have a style I usually like, so before the visit I found and brought both makeup and hair reference photos.

But once we actually got into the consultation, they told me it'd be better to adjust the reference to suit my face rather than copy it exactly. They first asked what kind of mood I wanted and checked which parts of the photos I liked. Then, looking at my face shape and features, they explained things like "this part would look more natural done this way" or "this style might work a little differently on you" — and I really loved that kind of attention to detail.

Inside the salon: wood tones and ivory

Inside, Moi Hair Makeup has a warm, calm atmosphere with wood tones mixed with ivory. These days you might picture a hair and makeup salon as all-white and glamorous, but this place felt more relaxed. There was a lot of wood right from the entrance, and one side had plants and a sofa, making the waiting area feel neat and comfortable too.

The makeup area had mirrors and various cosmetics all neatly arranged, and it was impressive to see the artist grab exactly the products needed as she worked.

The finished daily makeup and hair

After finishing both makeup and hair, looking in the mirror, I definitely looked different from my usual self!!! But it wasn't like I'd been transformed into a completely different, super glamorous person — more like my usual vibe was kept while looking clean and put-together for an important day. Since this was for a dinner, I didn't want to look overdone, and it ended up being exactly the level I wanted.

I took a few photos afterward, and even in selfies the skin and hair looked clean and put-together overall hahaha. Normally when I get ready by myself, it's not easy to get my hair perfectly done too, so I thought getting hair and makeup done together like this on days with important plans is really worth it.

I love it~~~~🤍👊🏻🤍👊🏻

Which occasions suit this look?

I brought makeup and hair reference photos, and what I liked was that instead of copying them exactly, they first figured out the mood I wanted and adjusted it to my face shape and overall impression. I was especially satisfied that they worked with me to find a style that suited both the reference and my face.

Not just for special days like shoots or a wedding ceremony, but also good for days like mine, when you have an important dinner, event, or gathering and want to look a bit more polished than usual. Thanks to this, I was able to get ready with more time to spare and head to dinner feeling relaxed!!