Hongdae makeup studio for acne-prone skin and middle bun: Today Makeup

I've had shop makeup done four times already while prepping for my wedding...! This time, Today Makeup in Hongdae was my favorite by far.

This time I got makeup and hair together ahead of my dress fitting tour! The price was ₩150,000, and it took about 1 hour 40 minutes.

Is dress tour makeup worth booking?

At first I wondered if I even needed to get makeup done at a shop for this. But I'd strongly recommend trying dress tour makeup at least once!

Especially if you haven't decided on makeup and hair for the actual wedding, this lets you see what style actually suits your face. Forget makeup for a second — hair is the real problem. Parting direction, which way it flows, whether bangs are swept back, flyaways — there are way more variables than you'd think, and you only get a feel for it by actually trying it. Impossible to figure out on your own, haha🤣...!

Today Makeup in Hongdae: booking and location

I booked Today Makeup about a month before the dress tour, but my preferred 9am slot was already full, so I went with 8am on a Friday. If you have a specific time in mind, I'd recommend booking earlier.

It's about a 10-minute walk from Hongik University Station, so it was easy to get to by public transit.

The dress tour makeup price was ₩150,000, and including hair it took about 1 hour 40 minutes total. If you have a clear reference or vision, the consultation goes faster, so it might wrap up a bit quicker.

The consultation: matching the reference photo to my face

I've had makeup done many times while wedding prepping, but there was always something a little off.

Small things like eyebrow thickness, lash direction, lip color, degree of shading — but they end up feeling much bigger once you see them in photos.

The most recent wedding snap makeup I had was natural and light, so in photos it barely looked like I was wearing makeup at all — that was a letdown.

So this time I wanted something a bit more defined, and I brought a reference photo of Anna Miyao that I'd recently liked.

When I mentioned I usually go for under-eye-emphasis makeup, the artist said that stacking shading on top like the reference could look off, so she adjusted the balance to suit my style. What I especially loved was that instead of copying the reference exactly, she adapted it to my face.

Base makeup for acne-prone, oily skin

I have acne-prone, oily skin, so base makeup is what I care about most.

But my skin decided to freak out that day, leaving acne marks, inflammation, and bumpy texture.

Even though my skin was in pretty bad shape, the coverage was really clean.

Instead of piling the pot concealer on thick in one go, she layered it thin multiple times to build up coverage — enough coverage but never cakey or heavy-looking.

This is a photo 12 hours after the makeup! The base was still holding strong, and the nose sides and chin — where flaking usually shows first — were seriously clean!

With lasting power like this, I think it'd hold up fine for snap makeup too 😄

Brows and lashes done exactly as asked

For the eyebrows, she kept my existing shape while evening out the symmetry and shaping the thickness I wanted.

The lashes were also done just how I wanted — natural, not overdone.

Overall, my features looked sharp and defined but not overwhelming! Defined yet harmonious makeup — I really loved it.

Dress tour hair: the middle bun

For hair, I went with a middle bun.

I didn't decide on the bangs beforehand — we picked them together on the day by looking at references,

and she guided the direction based on my face shape and vibe, almost like a wedding consultant. I loved that so much!

Seriously, the hair stylist is the best 👍👍👍 If you have any hair concerns, you have to go 😍😍

Inside the makeup rooms at Today Makeup

The makeup rooms at Today Makeup are three separate private rooms, so I could relax comfortably while getting it done.

There's a sofa too, so if you visit with your husband for a snap shoot or something, your companion would have a comfortable spot to wait.

Why I settled on Today Makeup after four salons

Of all the makeup sessions I've had while wedding prepping, Today Makeup in Hongdae was my favorite by far. I especially liked how thoroughly they reflected exactly what I wanted — from skin coverage to eyebrows, lashes, and shading. And at ₩150,000, the price wasn't a big burden either.

If you're looking for a makeup studio in Hongdae like I was, or debating whether to get dress tour makeup, and you're someone who struggles to find the right reference — I'd recommend giving it a try.