No-bleach light brown color at a Daejeon hair salon: Project Lure

📍 Project Lure ⏰ Hours: Mon–Sat 10:30–20:00 / Sun 10:30–19:00 🚗 Parking: Free, underground parking next to Daiso 💇 Designer: Director Dain

Why get a light color at Project Lure in Sangdae-dong, Daejeon?

I've been feeling kind of down lately for no real reason, so I really wanted to shake things up with my hair for once! Honestly, I think black suits my face the best, but I figured if not now, when would I ever try going bright again — so this time I went for it.

My mom happened to need a root touch-up too, so we looked for a hair salon in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon together and ended up at Project Lure in Sangdae-dong! Long story short, the color turned out way brighter than I expected and I really loved it. Let me show you the before and after first since that's probably what you're most curious about!

[Before]

[After]

1. Where Project Lure is and where to park

Project Lure is located at Sangdae-dong 455-3 in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. There's a free underground parking lot next to Daiso, but when I got there in person, the space wasn't all that generous! When I went, there seemed to be quite a few spots up the uphill road, so it might be worth checking the nearby alleys too, haha.

Something I liked right at the entrance was being able to check the service price list before even walking in! At hair salons, sometimes it's a bit awkward to ask about prices one by one, right?! Being able to check outside first made it feel a lot less stressful.

2. Inside the salon

Walking in, my first impression was how clean and put-together the space was. Compared to a lot of hair salons I've been to lately, this one had a really strong trendy feel — it felt more stylishly designed than a typical salon. Project Lure describes itself as a hair atelier, and after actually seeing the space, I got why they use that phrase.

3. The color consult: how light can you go without bleach?

Before starting the actual dye job, I looked through a color chart and consulted with director Dain first. What I wanted was a bright brown without any red tones, but she explained that to get exactly that shade from my current hair, I'd need either bleach or two or more rounds of dyeing.

That sounded like it would damage my hair a lot, so instead of forcing the exact color I'd brought in, we agreed she'd take it as bright as possible while matching a tone that suited me!

4. How the light brown color turned out

Before starting the dye, the director sprayed on a scalp protectant first!

Instead of just going ahead with the color I originally wanted, she told me upfront how far it could realistically go from my current hair, so I didn't have any regrets about the choice!

What I especially liked was that she looked after me one-on-one from start to finish. At other salons, sometimes two different stylists apply dye on each side of your head at the same time, and I'd always worry the color might come out slightly different on each side?! Here, director Dain handled everything carefully herself, so I could relax without that worry.

While the dye was sitting and I waited, the director told me the color seemed to be turning out really well! She also brought me drinks and snacks, which I happily ate, haha.

And then finally, as she blow-dried my hair, the color turned out way brighter than I'd imagined!! At first I worried whether bright colors would even suit me since I always thought black looked best on me, but once I saw the finished look, I was so glad I decided to dye it after all this time ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

At the end, she styled my hair beautifully with a curling iron, and I loved how the color looked slightly different depending on the light. Afterward I went to a café thinking I had to take a selfie, but I was kind of sad the color didn't come through the same in photos, ㅠㅠ

5. The massage shampoo bed

There was one more thing I didn't expect at Project Lure: the massage shampoo chair!! I couldn't take photos while getting the service, but this was my first time at a salon with a chair like this! Getting a massage while getting shampooed felt amazing on its own, and while she was washing my hair I couldn't help but say out loud how good it felt, haha.

6. Final verdict on Project Lure

It's genuinely been a long time since I went this bright — the last time was back in my twenties — and it's funny how changing just your hair can shift your whole overall impression, which somehow refreshed my mood too, haha. What I especially liked was being able to get a consultation that didn't push things too far, finding a middle ground between the color I wanted and what my current hair could actually handle.

If you're like me and want to change up your look with a dye job after a long break, try visiting Project Lure in Sangdae-dong and showing them both your current hair condition and the color you want during the consultation. I walked away with a proper mood reset after a long time.