I just wanted to say how much I love your transition to ‘grey’. The colour and hairstyle suits your cool colouring so well. I note that in the photos, you always include touches of blue that tone in beautifully with your hair and skin. Did this change entail a huge wardrobe review and discard of items that no longer suit you? I am a warm colouring with the ever-present freckles like your friend but I wussed out of going ‘grey’ during 17 weeks lockdown. To me, grey is a cool, blue-based colour, so I’m concerned that I will require lots of new clothes if I eventually do. Is there such a thing as ‘warm’ grey hair colour? Margaret
Warm Grey vs Cool Grey
Going grey has been an interesting experience and I’m lucky enough to have had a warm undertoned friend who has embraced her grey at the same time. Alison Goodman (Spicy Gal Goes Grey posts here) has also embraced her grey and when you see our photos next to each other (below) you can see what a difference her warmer grey is compared to my cooler grey.
In fact, when Alison dropped by for me to redo her colour analysis with her new grey hair, I noticed how much more taupe (brown-grey) it was as compared to my silver-white grey. The base colour from where you’re greying from a warmer or cooler natural hair colour will change how your grey appears.
Should You Go Grey?
Only you can decide this! I’m lucky, according to my hairdresser I’ve got a nice even grey head of hair. The front is lighter than the back (front is around 90% grey, back is around 70% grey) but it is a fairly even change from front to back. I decided not to grey until I was mostly grey, rather than going grey from lots of dark hair.
You’ll never know unless you experience it for yourself. It’s got to be something you want to do. The way I approached it, was with the knowledge that if I didn’t like it, I could always dye it again. But I wanted to give myself enough time with grey hair (like a minimum of a year) to see how I felt about it. I know that it takes a long time to get used to major changes, it took at least a year to get used to seeing myself as a blonde rather than a brunette, so I have to give myself at least the same amount of time to get used to my silver before making any decisions.
Wardrobe Changes Going Grey
I absolutely didn’t throw out my old wardrobe! Going grey doesn’t necessarily mean getting rid of everything. There are ways of adapting your existing wardrobe as you go grey. Now I had a bigger change in my wardrobe when I went from dark hair to light hair, as my ideal value changed (Ideal value is the overall depth or lightness of your hair colour – which more of your outfit should replicate).
I have some clothes that are a bit brighter than what is my best intensity now that has softened down a little, so I will wear a brighter lipstick with them (like in the image above), and because my skin is shiny and the front of my hair is quite white and bright – this allows me to wear brighter colours still.
Instead, doing things like overdyeing brighter colours with a little grey is a great way of keeping your favourites but making them work better for you if your colouring has become smokier and softer with grey hair.
It’s the colour and value contrasts that change with hair colour changes that make adaptations in your wardrobe important – and this is where dye is such a great tool, to turn outfits from not-so-great – into fabulous again with your new colouring.
Given that grey is a softer, smokier colour – then the colours that flatter you will become a little softer and smokier. Though this may not be forever – it depends if you stay grey, or if you end up with bright white hair, which then is brighter again.
This is were getting a new colour analysis can help you transition between palettes (Jill Chivers and I chatted about this in the video here).
Changing Neutrals
What I did change was my neutrals. When I had very dark brown hair (it looked black to many) black and dark cool browns were my go-to-neutrals (along with a dark navy). When I changed to a platinum blonde, my best neutral became white and a soft denim blue.
Now that I’m grey, grey has become my best neutral and I’ve started to collect grey clothes, these didn’t look good at all when I had the dark hair, but now are great.
Greyspiration
If you are wanting more going grey inspiration (or I call it, Greyspiration), Instagram is the place to go as there are so many grey hair hashtags you can follow, to see others making the transition and embracing their grey.
There are some great hashtags to follow or check out, that include: #goinggrey #silversisters #grayhair #embracingmygrey #goinggreygracefully #goinggraygracefully #grombre#graytransition#greyhair #goinggraydontcare #grayhairmovement #greyisbeautiful #ditchthedye #greyismycolor #greyandproud #embracethegrey #grayonpurpose #silverfox #saltandpepperhair #dyefree #openlygrey #naturalgreyhair #silveristhenewblonde
If you want to see some amazing grey transformations – one of the best is Jack Martin (a LA based hairdresser) who shows you some of what is possible (with many hours in the chair).
Warm Grey Hair Gals
Here are a few Insta accounts with warm undertone women who are embracing their greys.
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If you want tips on going grey (or just finding the right haircut and colour for you) then check out my Hair and Makeup Masterclasses here (which are also included as a special bonus as part of my 7 Steps to Style program).
More Tips on Choosing Your Grey
Choosing Colours When You Have Grey Hair But a Warm Skin Undertone
Visiting from Kellyann and Jill’s link party…
I am a cool grey and have noticed I gravitate toward either deep jewel tones or the greys and lavenders. I am also still able to wear white which is a good thing as I wear lots of white tees under things!
Loved reading about your journey. I decided to do it about 3 years ago now. With the pandemic, it was sort of easy to not have to think about dyeing it any more. I also have a fabulous hair stylist who is a wiz with color. She used to smudge a darker grey into my roots which balanced out the darker ends. I love my grey and won’t go back (unless I buy a wig which could be fun)!
You look absolutely stunning with grey hair. An inspiration to us all.
This is so interesting, your grey hair is so cool (in both senses of the word). I look forward to seeing whether my hair goes to a warm grey – I don’t have much yet but my natural dark hair colour in my roots seems to be quite neutral (I seem to have developed a bit of a skin reaction allergy to hair dye). It’s all so fascinating.
Thanks for these tips. I was an “autumn” when my hair was brown. Now that I’ve gone gray, I look better in “spring” colors. It’s interesting to try to figure out what the most flattering colors are. It really makes a difference in clothing and jewelry choices.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
I was warm autumn when I was younger, although my hair was a dark red-blonde. I’ve gone mostly warm white now, there’s really no grey in my hair, just a little bit of light blonde in there with the white. I have to agree with you that spring colours are better mostly. I usually wore the brighter colours of autumn so I wonder if I was typed wrongly and could have been clear spring even when I was younger. I have very dark brown eyes which give a lot of contrast. I can’t wear my colours as the very brightest, I need them a little softer, but the soft, smoky colours which are recommended to those of us with grey hair and warm colouring still do not look good. I don’t look good in grey clothes either, I never have. I was glad to see your post as at least I know it’s not just me now.
If there’s no grey in you this is why grey doesn’t work for you, and grey isn’t a great colour for those with warm colouring. You will find warm white a brilliant neutral and overall lighter warm pastels with pops of dark to match your eyes.
Thank you for replying and for the advice. Pastels don’t work on me either, I look washed out in them, as I do in beige and light warm colours. I have a very difficult colouring I think. Even when I was draped by Colour Me Beautiful about 25 years ago it was a struggle to type me, the dark brown eyes unusual with light colouring of skin & hair. But I will try them out again just to make sure. Thank you again
YOur colouring chanes with age – so what may not have worked 25 years ago may work now – plus colour systems have moved on a lot! I have an 18 palette system that wasn’t available back then – and I developed it because I found that many people didn’t fit into the seasons that were available – now I have palettes for everyone.