Ash black tone-down for summer cool tones at Maple Hair, Gwangmyeong

It feels like autumn is arriving as the breeze turns cooler. To match the 2026 fall dyeing trend, I went in for a tone-down myself. I got my long hair dyed at Maple Hair near Gwangmyeong Sageori Station with no length surcharge — a sophisticated color at a reasonable price gave me the perfect mood reset. If you're curious, stick around till the end!

Maple Hair, a salon near Gwangmyeong Sageori Station for over 10 years

Maple Hair Gwangmyeong Sageori Station Branch has been established near the station for over 10 years, and the reviews are so good that I was excited even before visiting.

The salon's atmosphere and waiting area

The interior was clean and comfortable overall — it felt fresh and relaxing, almost like being at a café. The waiting area is also well set up, so if you arrive earlier than your reservation, you can rest comfortably here while you wait.

Long hair but no length surcharge?

One of Maple Hair's unique advantages is that there's no length surcharge whether your hair is long or a short bob. My hair is pretty long and quite thick, so at other salons I usually paid an extra ₩30,000–40,000 for dyeing — but here there was no such fee, which took some of the financial pressure off. That said, the lower price didn't mean harsher dye chemicals.

An autumn tone-down color chosen by a summer cool tone

In summer I dyed my hair a slightly bright color, but with autumn approaching I decided to tone it down for a change of mood. My personal color type is summer cool, so reddish tones don't suit me well — I wanted a color with lower saturation that wouldn't turn too red as it faded.

The designer found exactly the color I wanted. I didn't want anything too deep black, so she recommended a black with a slight ash tint. Wanting to try a new mood, I decided to go with the tone-down in her recommended color.

My previous color had just started brightening and turning reddish, so the timing for a tone-down felt perfect. And for reference, this dye job was done by Maple Hair's head designer.

One hour of dyeing, quiet thanks to the reservation system

The dye was applied carefully, and during the roughly 1-hour wait, they served me delicious coffee and snacks. Since the salon runs on a reservation-only basis, it was quiet and calm — as an introvert, I really loved this relaxed atmosphere.

And the head designer personally took care of everything from start to finish. At most other salons, an assistant helps with parts of the process, but here she carefully handled my hair the whole way through. Thanks to that, I felt like my hair was managed more meticulously, and the finished color turned out even prettier.

So, how's the finished ash black?

What do you think? Toning it down definitely gave it a calmer look with a strong autumn feel. Just by changing my hair color, I felt overall more put-together. I think I'll spend this fall looking pretty in this color.

A nail clover and a 100-won donation

They also gave me a nail clover, and I felt like this was a salon that pays attention to even the small details to make customers happy. After paying at the end, they also gave me the chance to donate 100 won myself. I tend to switch salons often, but Maple Hair Gwangmyeong Sageori Station Branch was good enough that I want to come back.

Now that my hair looks great, I'm off to go enjoy autumn. If you're looking for a mood reset this fall, skip the search for a Gwangmyeong hair salon and just go tone down beautifully at Maple Hair.