Hongdae nail salon for star-part gel nails with free color swap

I wanted gel nails again after a while, so I went hunting for an affordable nail salon in Hongdae! That's how I landed on Byuazeu Hongdae Nail, Lashes & Skincare — here's my visit review~! I booked ahead with the director directly!

Byuazeu has been running for 9 years since opening in March 2018, a nail and lashes specialty shop offering not just nail art but also nail extensions, pedicure planning, lash extensions, lash lifts, and LED lashes! I was especially excited since I heard a nail expert with 17 years of experience does the work carefully. :)

Getting to Byuazeu from Hongik University Station

It's about a 5-minute walk from Exit 9 (Line 2, Airport Railroad, Gyeongui-Jungang Line), so it was easy to access! You head toward the main Hongdae street and then turn into an alley to find it, which made it convenient for those coming by public transport. I personally prefer public transport over driving, so this accessibility was a plus! You just walk up the building stairs!

I arrived a bit early, so I got to have a drink while waiting at the seating area haha. That kind of service is really nice!

A wall full of gel nail colors

The first thing that caught my eye upon entering was the wall full of various nail colors! 💅🏻 With a white base and wood shelving, the overall vibe was clean and warm. One wall had gel nail products neatly organized by color, which made picking a color kind of fun~! There was such a wide variety that it was easy to find the exact shade I wanted for my Hongdae gel nails. From daily colors like pink and nude tones to bold statement colors and glitter, the range of choices was huge!

Can you see all the awards and credentials on display~? Byuazeu is truly a trustworthy spot! Beyond nails, they specialize in LED lash extensions and lash lifts too, so it's a plus being able to get various beauty treatments in one place~!

Check out the event details! The prices were quite reasonable too, so it was truly an affordable nail experience!

Choosing September's monthly nail art: the star part design

I was debating which design to get this time, and looked into September's monthly nail art! Byuazeu prepares a variety of monthly art designs every month, which is helpful when you're having trouble deciding what to get. The design I chose had a clear base with star parts as the point feature. It looked pretty in photos, but it looked even better once I actually put it on my hands!

What I especially liked was that, instead of feeling overly flashy overall, I changed the color to a soft pink! Plus the sparkling glitter and silver star accents came together for a feminine, cute feel. ✨ Each nail had a slightly different design, which made it fun to look at, and the glitter sparkled beautifully whenever it caught the light — great for photos too~

Free color change on monthly nail art

And here's the part I especially loved! You can change the color of the monthly nail art for free! Even with the same design, the vibe changes completely depending on which color you choose. I used the base design as a reference and picked a color from among the options to suit my taste!

The process: magnetic gel and star parts

She trimmed and cleaned up my nails with incredibly quick hands! Even just the cleanup looked so neat and satisfying haha!

She brought the design to life with magnetic gel, and used parts for the star shapes for the rest! It was already so, so pretty, and I was full of anticipation ㅜㅜ!

The finished nails looked great even with short nails

Here's the finished look — isn't it so pretty~? My nails aren't super long, but the design still came out beautifully, which I really appreciated!ㅠㅠ Byuazeu also does extensions for short nails and specializes in nail extensions, so if you've held back from a design because of your nail length, it's worth consulting with them! I also liked that they consider the customer's nail condition first for a 1:1 customized service~! It felt like a Hongdae nail salon that doesn't just aim for a pretty design but tailors the treatment to your nail condition!

It looks so pretty in natural light too ㅜㅜ! The soft pink with sparkling glitter catches the light whenever I move my hands ✨ With the star parts added on top, it has a cute feel that makes me happy every time I look at my nails these days. Being able to change the color to match my taste was the most satisfying part~! If you like a monthly art design but weren't quite sold on the color, I'd definitely recommend trying the color swap!

There are so many other designs too! It might be worth picking from among these as well haha!

Who this is for

✔️ Anyone looking for a nail salon near Hongik University Station ✔️ Anyone who wants trendy gel nails in Hongdae ✔️ Anyone who wants to choose from a variety of monthly nail art ✔️ Anyone who wants to change the monthly nail art color to their preference ✔️ Anyone who wants short nails to look pretty too ✔️ Anyone looking for a place that also offers nail extensions ✔️ Anyone who prefers thorough, tidy treatments

Highly recommend it!!!