Hongdae hair and makeup salon for profile photos: Moi Hair Makeup

Seasonal profile photos! I like capturing what I look like at each point in time, so I take a profile photo whenever the season changes.

Each year / date / hour only happens once, and who I am right now can only be captured in this exact moment. Looking back at old photos and thinking 'oh, that's what I was like then' is part of what makes taking profile photos fun.

This time too, I went to get my hair and makeup done ahead of a profile shoot. I'd been to this place once before and remembered being happy with the result, so it was the first place that came to mind while getting ready for this shoot. Somewhere I liked once and trusted enough to return to! For my profile shoot, I went to Moi Hair Makeup, a Hongdae makeup studio.

Moi Hair Makeup location, hours and parking

Moi Hair Makeup, a Hongdae makeup studio, is just a 1-minute walk from Exit 3 of Hongik University Station, so it's super easy to reach on foot or by transit. The address is B1 b10, Hyoseong Hongikinkan, 183 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, and it's open 05:00–18:00.

• 🅿️ Parking: 1 hour free in the building's parking lot (₩1,000 per 20 minutes after that / ₩3,000 max)
• Location: B1 b10, Hyoseong Hongikinkan, 183 Yanghwa-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul
• Hours: 05:00–18:00

Heading toward Exit 3 of Hongik University Station, the escalator connects directly into Hongikinkan Shopping Center, so you can get there without stepping outside — no worries about rain or heat. Good!

Why I booked Moi Hair Makeup a second time

The reason I returned to Moi Hair Makeup is simple: the personalized makeup.

Everyone has different skin texture, vibe, and desired style and needs — and with such a wide range of color cosmetics on hand, they tailor the makeup carefully to each person's skin tone and mood. Instead of just following a set style, they worked with what I wanted and what actually suited my face, which made the result even more satisfying. It's this careful, personalized makeup approach that brought me back to Moi Hair Makeup.

What is Moi Hair Makeup in Hongdae like?

Moi Hair Makeup, a Hongdae makeup studio, offers 1:1 styling tailored to each person's face shape and vibe. Rather than heavy makeup, it's a hair and makeup studio that enhances your natural strengths to suit your desired image and purpose, bringing out each person's individual charm.

Inside, it's a clean white-toned interior with the waiting area, changing area, and makeup area all separated for easy flow — making the whole space feel more comfortable and upscale!

🪑 The waiting room

A waiting area where you can sit comfortably. It's nice that there's a dedicated waiting space, so if you come with a partner or friend, they can sit and wait comfortably too.

👕 The changing room

A changing area where you can switch outfits before your hair and makeup. For important appointments like interviews or profile shoots, having a separate changing space meant I could put on my outfit ahead of time without worrying about messing up my hair or makeup afterward — such a nice touch!

💄 The makeup stations

There are 4 separate makeup stations rather than just one, so it seems like a great spot to visit with a friend for makeup together, or for groups getting ready for a snap shoot, wedding, ceremony, or as parents of the bride/groom :)

The space is divided into a 3-chair area and a 1-chair area — since the makeup stations are separated, it feels private and comfortable. Worth keeping in mind!

Makeup services and prices at Moi Hair Makeup

• Women: Daily hair makeup / Basic hair makeup / Detail hair makeup / Performance / Hanbok / Parents of the bride or groom / Couple/family snap / Wedding shoot / Ceremony / Makeup only / Touch-up makeup / Eye makeup / Blow-dry, etc.
• Men: Basic hair makeup / Shading hair makeup / Makeup only / Add-on detail eye makeup, etc.
• Add-ons: Semi-smoky look / Face gems / Cubic crystals / Under-lash extensions / Cornrows / Braided special styles, etc.

✔️ ₩5,000 off with a Naver photo review

🔓 Lockers available — for storing belongings and coats

☕️ Coffee machine available

Daily Hair Makeup (143,000 won): the consultation

The service I got this time was Moi Hair Makeup's Daily Hair Makeup (₩143,000). 💬 Before starting, there's a consultation to understand your outfit, vibe, and needs — they asked about the purpose of the makeup and my outfit, and since this was for a profile shoot, I asked for a bright look that wouldn't fade under studio lighting!

Last time it was hair first, then makeup, but this time it was makeup first, then hair. Apparently the order can change depending on the day's situation.

Since multiple people share the cosmetics, hygiene really matters to me — and seeing how neatly organized the vanity was gave me even more confidence, haha.

How the makeup was done

An assistant handles the base, starting carefully with skincare basics — toner, sunscreen, tone-up cream, and more.

My skin is sensitive and prone to breaking down base makeup if the prep isn't thorough, but because they were so meticulous with the skincare steps, nothing lifted and the base applied much more smoothly than usual.

The lip product was super moisturizing, applied so my lips wouldn't dry out..!

Rather than just spreading the base on, they built it up thin layer by layer using a puff and brush, keeping the skin looking natural while still covering dark circles and blemishes cleanly.

I had a small bruise on my face that day, and they covered even that seamlessly, giving me an even cleaner finish. They even matched the tone down to my neck — such attention to detail :)

They shaped my eyebrows to suit my face shape and applied the lashes one by one — watching myself transform step by step was so satisfying :)

Whether it's daily, idol-style, or interview makeup, it's not a one-size-fits-all process — they carefully consider each person's vibe, face shape, skin tone, and more to create a personalized look that naturally brings out individual character and strengths. Really satisfying, haha.

Throughout the process they kept checking in — was the color okay, did I want anything different — so it felt comfortable, and any requests were reflected right away (whether I actually had any touch-up requests... that's a secret, lol).

One shot after makeup, before hair! Feeling confident, lol.

Hair styling: root volume and waves

My hair is fairly damaged from frequent perms, and it's been lacking root volume, sitting flat.

I asked for natural root volume plus a not-too-strong wave that could help balance out my round face shape.

You can even see it in the photo — broom-like hair strands, right??

Curling each strand carefully, one by one...

The waves came out so well, haha.

They lifted the root volume naturally to match what I asked for, and even shaped side volume carefully to make my round face look slimmer. If I'd tried this myself it would've taken over an hour, but they finished in under 30 minutes — really, professionals are just different.

My hair is quite damaged, so any perm or style usually doesn't hold long, but with a setting spray, the curls stayed intact all the way through that evening — the hold was great too (I almost didn't want to wash it off that night, but did it for my skin, lol).

Lip color usually fades so fast after drinking water or even just after a bit of time, right?? But no need to worry here :> They packed a bit of the lip product I used into a small container for me, so I could easily touch up whenever I needed, haha.

Before and after the profile-shoot look

The before and after difference is huge, haha.

Since it was makeup for a photo shoot, it was slightly bolder than my everyday look, but not overdone or overwhelming! My skin looked radiant with a subtle pink tone that matched what I asked for, and the hair naturally balanced out my round face shape — overall I was really happy with it :>

Thanks to such a perfect match of makeup, I ended up with what might be my best profile photo ever 👍 And the more surprising part — this is the unretouched original photo, lol (the makeup quality, wow).

Who Moi Hair Makeup suits best

• Got an important appointment coming up?
• Looking for a makeup studio in Seoul?
• Looking for a makeup studio in Hongdae?
• Want a natural-looking makeup style?
• Want makeup tailored to your specific needs?
• Looking for a makeup studio in Hongdae that opens early?
• Want a place where you can get hair and makeup done together?

If even one of these applies to you, I'd recommend Moi Hair Makeup, a Hongdae makeup studio.