2-level natural brown dye, Ara Station salon: Lee Kyung Min Foret

The weather was getting hot and it was time for a change of mood, so I looked for a hair salon near Ara Station and visited Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch.

Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch: how to book and where to find it

You can message the salon on Naver Talk Talk for an instant chat consultation and booking. It's on the 3rd floor of a building on Ieum 1-ro, close to Ara Station. It's open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and closed every Monday.

It's such a well-known place that I chose it without hesitating. The hardest thing about going to a salon while raising a kid is time, so note that Naver Talk Talk lets you chat and get a booking quickly.

My biggest reasons for recommending this Ara Station hair salon: it's very easy to get to, and the parking is so good that visiting is a breeze.

• Address: 377 Ieum 1-ro, 3rd floor, Seo-gu, Incheon
• Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Closed: Every Monday

What are the interior and waiting area like?

The interior has a café-like look and is bigger than I expected. It's so clean and spacious that I was honestly surprised.

There's a cool, tidy waiting area, so even the wait was really pleasant.

I liked the floor-to-ceiling windows because the view feels open. You usually sit in a salon for a few hours or more, right? I think it matters that those hours don't feel stuffy.

With its café-like interior, Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch is a really nice Ara Station hair salon for a change of mood.

My hair before dyeing and the color I wanted

My hair was so black it could be mistaken for black dye, and I decided to go about 2 levels lighter, to a natural brown. The goal was an overall tone-up without the burden of root touch-ups.

This is my hair before dyeing. Honestly, I hadn't dyed it for quite a while because I hate the pressure of root touch-ups. But with summer coming, black hair felt stuffy and hot-looking, and above all I hated how dark it made my face look. So, after ages, I decided to dye it!

Even so, I wanted it to look as natural as possible. And raising a child, it's hard to keep up with root touch-ups. My hair is so black people suspect it's dyed black, so I chose a natural brown about 2 levels lighter than my current color.

I had both the consultation and the service with designer "Gawon," who matched my style and requests as closely as she could.

Drinks, snacks and how long did it take?

While you're being treated, the salon serves light drinks and snacks so you don't get bored. I had dye and a cut together, but the designer was fast, so I finished before my child's pickup time.

Not only the café-like interior, but also the light drinks and snacks to keep you from getting bored during the service.

It was right after lunch, the sleepy hour, and a sweet dessert with cold coffee was the best! I really enjoyed it.

I had to go straight to pick up my child afterward, so time was tight, but she was so quick that I finished comfortably in time. Dye plus a cut takes a while, and she was really fast!!

She applied the dye carefully and kept checking whether anything was uncomfortable, which put me at ease. My scalp and eyes didn't sting at all.

Natural brown dye result: indoors vs. in sunlight

Indoors, the result is a natural brown that barely shows; in sunlight it's clearly a toned-up brown with a slight reddish tint. My request for little root-dye burden but an overall tone-up came out exactly as asked.

It's exactly the color I wanted. It was a picky request: no root-touch-up pressure, but still an overall tone-up. And it was reflected properly.

Indoors it's such a natural brown that you wonder, "Did I even dye it?" But in sunlight it's clearly toned up. On bright, sunny days like these, I always get "Did you get your hair done?"

Frizzy ends: what changed after dyeing

About a year after my last hair treatment, my ends had gotten really frizzy and dry. After dyeing, the frizz is gone and my hair definitely feels silky. Even now, after shampooing, it's super soft and easy to style.

The sun is really intense these days, isn't it? Indoors the color didn't show much, but outside it looks like a natural brown, even a brown with a slightly reddish feel, a stylish tone-up.

The bangs cut I asked for on the spot: worth it?

After the dye was done, during my cut, I loved the designer's bangs and asked for the same ones on the spot. That bangs cut was the biggest highlight of this visit.

I put myself in designer "Gawon"'s hands, and the key is that she matches what you want precisely, without pushing too far. After the dye she did my cut, and her own bangs were so pretty that I suddenly asked for the same. Honestly, that was the killer point, and I'm so happy with it.

Since it's a natural brown, you don't feel a dramatic change, but with the cut on top, my satisfaction doubled. I highly recommend this Ara Station hair salon, Lee Kyung Min Foret Geomdan New Town Branch!