What Colours To Wear With Grey Hair
Whether you’re going grey and wondering if you want the upkeep of dying it, or you’re ready to embrace the change - I’m here to help you find what colours look best with grey and why having grey hair doesn’t have to drain your appearance!
I get so many clients who book a Personal Colour Analysis to help them work out which colours flatter grey hair - but picking gorgeous colours to flatter your grey isn’t just about the hair - it’s about your skin too and that’s why thinking of grey as just one colour, without considering undertones is a mistake.
As hair turns grey, it's important to choose the right colours to complement the intensity and undertone of it.
What colours look good with white grey hair?
Rich jewel tones such as emerald green, ruby red, and sapphire blue are great options to bring out the silver tones in bright grey, white grey, or silver grey hair and if you have a cool undertone, you’ll look fabulous in these colours. Your skin will look vibrant, your eyes will stand out and most importantly your clothes won’t be wearing you. Let’s look at someone who often wears great colours for her greys, Jamie Lee Curtis:
Jamie Lee Curtis wearing cool undertone, clear colours that suit her cool complexion and silver grey hair.
What about if you have bright grey hair and you have a warm undertone? Let’s look at Cynthia Nixon with her hair grey in And Just Like That. Cynthia is a natural red-head, transitioning to grey, who, for this role, went fully-grey and bold, which matches her bright eyes and vibrant skin. If you have warm skin and bright grey hair or white grey hair, you’ll look best in vibrant oranges, teals, light warm-purples and rich corals.
“If you have vibrant grey hair, you’ll look best in bright colours that have the same undertone as your skin.”
Alarna Hope, Stylist & Image Consultant
Is your colouring like Jamie-Lee Curtis’s?
Get your colour guide!
Is your colouring like Cynthia Nixon’s?
Get your colour guide!
What colours look good with salt and pepper hair?
Salt and pepper hair, a unique blend of grey and white hair, or black hair transitioning to grey, or brown hair transitioning to grey, can look great with a variety of colours. If you have other naturally dark features, like dark eyebrows and dark eyes, dark and bold colours such as black, navy, and plum can enhance the contrast of the hair and create a striking look.
If your eyes are lighter, try soft pastel shades like lavender, light blue, and baby pink as these can also complement salt and pepper hair without competing with the natural grey tones. Earthy and neutral shades like beige, olive green, and camel don’t often pair as nicely if you have salt and pepper hair and a cooler undertone as they can really wash you out.
Let’s look at someone who is transitioning to grey well and embracing the salt and pepper hair look: Andie MacDowell.
Is your colouring like Andie MacDowell’s?
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What colours look good with grey blonde hair?
If you’re blonde and your greys aren’t bright and appear more ashy, soft colours will look best on you - provided you wear the right undertone. Where those with bright grey, shock white, or salt and pepper hair need bright tones to pick up the brightness in their hair, you need soft tones to compliment your softness. What do I mean my soft colours? These are colours that aren’t as bold, they have a touch of grey in them themselves and don’t look too saturated. The best colours to avoid in this case are neons, super bright, vibrant warm tones and super dark rich warm tones. Let’s look at an example of someone who is an ash blonde, blending into grey: Sarah-Jessica Parker!
Is your colouring like Sarah Jessica Parker’s?
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What colours to wear with brown grey hair?
If you were a natural brunette and your greys aren’t bright, trying some soft, warm colours that aren’t too dark could work on you. Think denim blues, soft teals, rosey pinks, olive, latte browns and desaturated autumn tones. The example I’m using is Diane Keaton, because I think she really nails her hair colour. She goes for a warm grey to match her complexion, in the photos below you can see where she’s transitioned into grey and where she’s gone for a lighter, warm grey as her hair has gotten lighter over time. If you have a warm undertone, and were a brunette, try some of the colours below!
Is your colouring like Diane Keaton’s?
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How do you find colours that suit your undertone, when you have grey hair?
Some people have it easy when trying to work out their undertone, because much of what they wear and know looks good on them leans either warm or cool. Some people very obviously look cool, with cool eyes, cool skin and cool hair, same for warm. If you’re finding yourself stuck - book a Colour Analysis with a trained consultant who has experience with grey hair. Grey comes in so many variations, and so does a persons natural colouring in their skin and eyes. A trained consultant will help you pick out colours to suit your individual needs and give you advice on how to transition into loving your greys.
“Don’t think of having grey hair as a bad thing for your style or complexion - you can now wear colours you weren’t able to before!”
Alarna Hope, Fashion Stylist & Image Consultant
