An Honest Review of My Color Analysis in Seoul with ONLEE Color

In recent years one of the most popular things to do in Seoul is a personalized Color Analysis. Seen all over social media, this new trend has new Color Analysis shops popping up all over Seoul, and honestly it can be a little overwhelming when looking for a place to choose. Some places even sell out months in advance. In this post I share how to prep for your analysis, what to expect, and my completely honest review of my experience at ONLEE Color.

My Essential Korea Travel Resources :
​There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. After traveling to South Korea over a dozen times, these are my favorite websites and resources to help plan an incredible trip.

For flights, I recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to South Korea.

Car rentals, although not common in Korea, are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to have a copy of your international driver's permit with you!

I always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform and tend to focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

To keep cell phone service, I always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, Klook specializes on tours in Asia, otherwise Viator also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use when visiting a new country.

Lastly, my essential packing list when traveling.

Prepping & Planning for a Color Analysis

Choosing where to do your Color Analysis when visiting Seoul is one of the hardest parts of this experience. There are so many shops in Seoul, that it can be hard to tell which locations are legitimate and which are scammy - this is why I always recommend reading reviews on Google or Naver. There are also typically 2 variations of the "Color Analysis" - a basic package that includes the color swatches you see in videos, and a premium package that includes a makeup, jewelry, and hair analysis in addition to the color swatches.

According to Google, the top Color Analysis locations in Seoul are Dustmoth Stography, Cocory Personal Color, Meime Colour and Beauty, Color Signal Seoul, and Color Society in Hongdae - however, because these are considered the most popular they are also the most expensive and typically sell out months in advance.

Luckily, with quite a bit of research I was able to find some smaller Color Analysis locations that were nearly half the price of those in Gangnam & Hongdae, and got an appointment for later in the week at ONLEE Color! Because they're located near the ever famous HYBE (BTS' Record Label & Management), you'll also see plenty of BTS inspired cafes nearby!

Before my appointment they informed me that there were a few things I could do to make the most of my personal color analysis. The first was to arrive with a bare face - minimal makeup (none if possible) and no tinted contacts. The second was that if you've just had any cosmetic surgery procedures, then your analysis will be a bit more difficult and they don't recommend. The third is that you can bring your make-up pouch with you (the 5 main items you use every day) as a portion of your analysis - however I accidentally forgot this step.

Lastly, although there are plenty of places that offer services completely in English - you'll often be charged close to double than locals. At ONLEE you can bring your own interpreter with you (only one other person allowed), however they have English sessions available as well if you're more comfortable having your consultation done this way.
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It's important to note that most Color Analysis businesses will require a payment or deposit upfront, and if you are late they will take the amount of minutes you're late out of your appointment. If you end up not showing up for your appointment, you'll often be charged the full amount of your booking.

My Favorite Beauty Tours in Seoul :
- Myeongdong Korean Spa Experience
- K Beauty Lipstick Making Experience

My Honest Experience with ONLEE Color

For my color analysis experience at ONLEE I chose to go with the Premium Package experience because it was only about $45 more than the Basic Package. Finding the building was very easy, and the closest subway station is Sinyongsan Station on the Blue Line - about a two block walk. You'll find ONLEE on the 4th floor of the building with a "Nice to CU" convenience store on the first floor.

As soon as I walked in I knew I had made the best choice. Everything was so clean and organized, and the minute I got inside I was given slippers to wear and the Color Analysis began. The first step was using a tool to analyze the color of my facial skin - the exact number of how much pink and yellow tones I had were put into my file and my analyst explained exactly what everything meant. We also analyzed my eye, skin, and hair color  to see how much contrast I had on my face.

From there we continued into the next room for the remainder of my analysis. We started with the color swatches, and my analyst was so thorough I was honestly a bit taken aback - I learned that as a "Summer Mute" my best colors were mid tones and pastels. Then we moved onto makeup - where I learned my foundation was actually about 5 shades lighter than I had thought. We went through eyeshadow, blush, lip and hair color before we finished with a complete makeover. 

The last step was analyzing which kind of jewelry best fit my skin tone (apparently silver) and even which kind of perfume I should be using! The entire experience was so holistic and thorough I truly was blown away - and ONLEE will be the only Color Analysis I ever recommend. For my premium package, I paid 140,000 won and it lasted 80 minutes. Afterwards, they sent me an entire personalized PDF with all my best recommendations - colors, makeup, jewelry and perfume, I'm still a bit in shock at how much was included. To book, DM them on Instagram at @onlee_color!

Watch my Color Analysis at ONLEE here!

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