Hongdae Beauty Street Complete Guide: K-Beauty Paradise from Olive Young to Chicor

Finally Visited the Holy Land of Beauty in Hongdae!

I've seen so many videos on Instagram of foreigners shopping for beauty products in Hongdae that I was curious about the place! My friend kept saying Hongdae is truly the mecca of K-beauty, so I finally went over the weekend. Honestly, I've only been to Myeongdong, so it was my first time in Hongdae, and I was half excited, half worried... but it was really amazingㅠㅠ

Especially the area around Exit 9 of Hongik University Station is a complete beauty paradise! It was great to be able to browse Olive Young, Chicor, and even Musinsa Standard all at once.

From Hongdae Station to Beauty Street

As soon as I came out of Exit 9 of Hongik University Station, I saw the Olive Young Hongdae Town branch! It was really easy to find. And Chicor Hongdae and Musinsa Standard Hongdae were just a 5-minute walk away, so the route was perfect.

I went around 2 PM on a weekend, and it was packed with people. There were especially many foreign tourists. I heard English, Chinese, Japanese... truly a variety of languages. That's when I realized why Hongdae is the holy land of K-beauty.

Olive Young Hongdae Town Branch - A 3-Story Beauty Playground

The first place I went into was the Olive Young Hongdae Town branch. Wow... the scale was no joke! It has three floors, each with a different theme.

The first floor mainly displayed trendy color makeup and new products, the second floor had skincare and a separate men's section, and the third floor was mostly basic cosmetics. The aisles were wide, making it easy to shop.

What impressed me the most was the exterior design. There was a large media screen connecting from the first to the fourth floor, and the graffiti-style design reflecting Hongdae street culture was really cool. You could tell it was Olive Young from afar.

While shopping, I felt that there was a lot of consideration for foreign tourists here. There were many English signs, and the staff explained things in English...

Chicor Hongdae Branch - A World of Luxury Beauty

After leaving Olive Young, I also visited Chicor Hongdae. It had a completely different vibe from Olive Young! It was much more luxurious and sophisticated.

It was filled with luxury brands you'd only see in department stores, and the K-beauty brands were mainly premium lines compared to Olive Young. It was nice to see the entire lines of brands like TIRTIR, Amuse, Rom&nd, and Hince all at once.

The perfume section was particularly impressive. I heard that the Hongdae branch has the largest perfume display among all Chicor stores. They had domestic niche perfume brands, and you could test foreign brands too, so it seemed like a paradise for perfume enthusiasts.

The prices were definitely higher than Olive Young, but the product quality and brand selection were different. It seemed better for special gifts or as an investment for oneself.

Beauty Finds at Musinsa Standard Hongdae Branch

I thought it was just a fashion brand, but Musinsa Standard also had beauty products! There was a Musinsa Standard beauty line next to the checkout on the first floor.

They mainly had simple skincare products that could be used by both men and women, and the package design was really neat and sophisticated. The prices were reasonable too!

Hidden Gems on Hongdae Beauty Street

Besides the large stores, there were so many small beauty shops in the alleys. There were many personal beauty shops and specialized shops for eyelash extensions and nail art.

Especially around Exit 9 of Hongik University Station, there were several places offering personal color analysis. Next time, I want to come with a friend and get a personal color analysis.

Price Range and Shopping Review

Honestly, the biggest advantage of beauty shopping in Hongdae was being able to compare products of various price ranges at once.

Olive Young: From cost-effective K-beauty to mid-range, frequent sales for budget-friendly shopping
Chicor: Mainly premium lines, similar to department store prices but with well-organized experience spaces
Musinsa Standard: Simple and reasonably priced unisex beauty products

In the end, I refilled my usual basic cosmetics at Olive Young, bought a special lipstick at Chicor, and out of curiosity, tried a cleansing foam from Musinsa, which turned out to be quite nice!

Recommended for These People!

Highly Recommended:

• Those interested in K-beauty (especially with foreign friends)
• Those who want to experience various brands at once
• Those who want to enjoy both Hongdae culture and shopping
• Those who love taking Instagram-worthy photos

May Not Be Suitable For:

• Those who prefer quiet and peaceful shopping
• Those who absolutely need parking (only paid parking available)
• Those looking for specific brands (specialized brand stores might be better)

Reasons to Visit Again!

Hongdae Beauty Street was truly a place you can't fully explore in just one visit. There are so many stores, and new products keep coming in... Especially Olive Young Hongdae Town branch regularly holds pop-up events.

When I went this time, there was a Sanrio Characters pop-up, and the Hello Kitty goods were so cute! I think I'll visit often just for these special events.

And after beauty shopping, it was really nice to explore Hongdae streets and relax in a nice cafe. Being able to do beauty shopping in Hongdae's free and trendy atmosphere made it even more special.

Next time, I want to come with friends to get a personal color analysis and try nail art. I highly recommend Hongdae Beauty Street!