Hongdae makeup salon for a middle ponytail and lashes: Today Makeup

For an important day, I wanted my face professionally reborn, so I went to Today Makeup, a makeup studio in Hongdae.

Where is Today Makeup, and where can you park?

Today Makeup sits between Hongik University Station and Hapjeong, closer to Hongdae. Come out of Exit 1 and just keep walking down — here's cute little Today Makeup.

As you can see, there's a parking area on the 1st floor of the building, but you'd want to confirm whether it's usable. If not, there's a public parking lot on the street.

Let's head up to the 2nd floor.

I hadn't seen interior photos beforehand, so I was surprised at how spacious it was.

And it has mood, too.

Today Makeup's set price list: 120,000 won for natural hair and makeup

Today Makeup runs on a fixed price system. You can check the prices on Naver, or right at Today Makeup's front door.

• Natural, clean hair and makeup ₩120,000
• Eye-correcting idol hair and makeup ₩130,000
• Men's natural hair and makeup ₩70,000
• Wedding day hair and makeup, bride & groom ₩300,000
• Wedding photoshoot hair and makeup, bride & groom ₩240,000
• Parent-of-the-couple hair and makeup ₩170,000

The father of the couple would probably go for the men's natural hair and makeup option. The prices above are base rates, and extra charges can apply for early start times, hairstyling, and so on.

Private rooms at Today Makeup: no one sees your bare face

I checked in my belongings, waited a little, then was brought into the makeup room.

It was a cozy room, and I loved that it was private. At Today Makeup you can keep your bare face to yourself, no chance of bumping into other customers. It's not one open hall where you sit lined up with strangers like at a regular hair salon — that always feels awkward when you're both reflected in the same mirror ⭐️ And there seemed to be a lot of rooms, so the turnover is fast.

Which makeup products do the Today Makeup artists use?

Something I always wonder walking into a shop: what products do the professionals use? And I could actually see mine here! That national-favorite Estée Lauder foundation never worked for me. I thought it might be a shade issue so I bought another one, and that didn't work either, so it ended up on my mom's vanity. So if the shade the artist here put on me turns out to be Estée Lauder, that's basically legendary.

What I personally use is ampoule and more ampoule. The brand's name is literally built around ampoules, so everything from them is good, but the most famous one — and my favorite — is the ceramide ampoule. It's a thick texture, highly recommended for dry skin. In winter I can't live without that and a galvanic device. Put the two together and you get moisture chaos all the way till evening. I also use Chanel blush, but I don't have enough data on that one yet, so I'll skip it.

I came in through the heatwave and my face had gone bright red. They start by cooling everything down. I'm about to become that funny-looking person who always shows up at places meant to make you prettier — hair salons, makeup shops, you name it.

Took this because I want lighting like this in my own house.

The finished look: lashes one by one and a middle ponytail

And suddenly — done. I'm pretty happy with the dewy skin finish and the defined eyes. I especially loved that the lashes were individually placed, exactly the kind I like.

For hair, I got a middle ponytail. The director has golden hands — I showed one reference photo and she recreated it exactly. I wanted to film this unfamiliar, pretty version of me, but I was too shy, so I brought my dog along instead. Can eyes really look this soulful?

They also generously gave me a touch-up lip to take home.

Is Today Makeup in Hongdae worth booking?

A place where you can walk in with nothing and walk out looking great — that's Today Makeup. The artists' skills are well known, and their hands move fast, so it was over before I knew it. I even saw couples who looked like they were there for wedding photoshoots. Seems like a place people visit for all kinds of occasions. Go check out Today Makeup!