Last Updated on January 22, 2025 by Candi Randolph
Gray hair is stunning – it’s bold, it’s sophisticated, and it’s all about embracing your natural beauty. But when your hair color changes, it often means your makeup needs to shift, too. What worked before might not flatter quite the same way. No worries, though! I’m here to share the best makeup tips to help you feel confident and radiant.
Let’s talk about how the right gray hair makeup can elevate your everyday look, no matter what shade of silver you’re rocking.
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Table Of Contents
- 1 | Identifying Your Undertones: The Key to Flattering Makeup
- 2 | Perfecting the Base: Flawless Face Makeup for Older Women
- 3 | Eyes That Pop: Best Eye Makeup for Gray Hair
- 4 | Makeup and Glasses: Enhancing Your Look with the Right Frames
- 5 | Flattering Blush for a Youthful Glow
- 6 | Lips That Stand Out: Finding the Perfect Lip Color for Gray Hair
- 7 | Finishing Touches: Subtle Highlighters and Setting Your Look
- My Makeup for Gray Hair Choices
- Conclusion: Best Makeup for Gray Hair
1 | Identifying Your Undertones: The Key to Flattering Makeup
One thing I’ve learned is that knowing your undertone is essential, especially when you’re choosing makeup with gray hair. Whether your skin leans warm, cool, or neutral, it influences how colors sit against your complexion—and this is especially true when gray hair enters the mix. The key is finding shades that complement both your undertones and that gorgeous new gray.
For makeup colors for gray hair, cool-toned shades tend to be the most flattering, bringing out the brightness of your silver strands. Think soft pinks, taupes, and even hints of plum. If you’ve got warm undertones, go for peaches or warm nudes to keep everything balanced.
If you’re not sure what your skin undertone is, a simple way to tell is by looking at the veins on the inside of your wrist:
- if your veins look greenish, you probably have warm undertones
- if your veins look blue or purple, you’re most like a cool undertone
- if you veins look colorless or match your skin, you may have neutral undertones
2 | Perfecting the Base: Flawless Face Makeup for Older Women
Foundation is the first step to flawless face makeup. But let’s be real – what worked in your 30s probably isn’t cutting it anymore. As we age, the focus shifts to keeping things lightweight, hydrated, and fresh. Heavy powders or matte formulas can settle into fine lines, making us look older than we feel (and that’s definitely not the goal).
For makeup for older women, a moisture-rich foundation with light to medium coverage is ideal. And if you need a little extra brightness, color-correcting primers can help neutralize any sallowness or redness, giving you that glowing, even complexion that pairs beautifully with gray hair makeup looks.
3 | Eyes That Pop: Best Eye Makeup for Gray Hair
Gray hair naturally softens your overall look, so eye makeup can add just the right amount of definition without feeling too harsh. I’ve found that neutral tones with a hint of shimmer can work wonders. Soft grays, taupes, and cool browns are my go-to, with a dash of plum or navy for something extra. It’s all about balance – enough color to make your eyes pop, without clashing with your silver hair makeup looks.
Don’t forget about your eyebrows! As hair grays, brows often fade, too. A well-defined brow frames the face, and using a brow pencil or powder a shade or two darker than your hair can create natural definition without being overdone.
4 | Makeup and Glasses: Enhancing Your Look with the Right Frames
Wearing glasses with gray hair is an opportunity to create a chic, polished look – but it can be tricky to balance both frames and makeup. The key is to make sure your makeup complements both your gray hair and your glasses without overwhelming your face.
Start with Your Frames: If you wear bold or dark frames, go for softer eye makeup. Neutral tones with a little shimmer, like soft browns or taupes, will add definition without clashing with your glasses. On the flip side, if you wear lighter or wire-frame glasses, you can play up your eyes a bit more. Just be sure to avoid colors that compete with your gray hair makeup looks – think cool shades like soft purples, grays, or gentle blues.
Defining Your Eyes: Glasses tend to mute the intensity of your eye makeup, so don’t be afraid to define your eyes a little more. A smudge of eyeliner along the upper lash line or a few coats of volumizing mascara can help make your eyes stand out behind the lenses. Be careful with lower lash lines, though – too much definition can create a shadow effect, especially with bifocals.
Don’t Forget Your Brows: Frames draw attention to the brows, so this is the time to make sure your eyebrows are well-groomed and defined. Just like with other aspects of gray hair makeup, choose a shade that complements both your hair color and your glasses for a natural yet polished look.
Balancing Your Lips and Cheeks: Since glasses often add another focal point to your face, you’ll want to balance the rest of your makeup accordingly.
- If you’re going bold with your glasses, stick to a soft lip color and a gentle flush of blush.
- If your frames are more understated, feel free to go bolder with your lips—plums, berries, or cool reds look gorgeous with gray hair!
5 | Flattering Blush for a Youthful Glow
Blush can truly bring life back to the skin, and when you’re rocking gray hair, soft shades are your best friend. Opt for a natural flush with cool-toned pinks or peaches. These hues add warmth and give you that healthy glow without clashing with your makeup for gray hair over 50.
The application is important, too – apply blush higher on the cheeks to lift the face, creating that youthful effect we all love. Cream blushes can be a great option here since they blend seamlessly into the skin and won’t settle into fine lines like powders sometimes do.
6 | Lips That Stand Out: Finding the Perfect Lip Color for Gray Hair
Lips are where you can have fun! The best makeup for gray hair includes lip colors that enhance rather than overwhelm. If you’re looking for a bold lip, cool reds, plums, or berries are perfect. For an everyday look, soft pinks or rosy nudes will balance your gray hair makeup perfectly.
Hydration is key here, too. Whether you choose a matte lipstick or a gloss, make sure it’s moisturizing. Dry, cracked lips are a no-go, especially as we age. Look for long-lasting formulas that won’t settle into fine lines and keep those lips looking fresh all day.
7 | Finishing Touches: Subtle Highlighters and Setting Your Look
Gray hair makeup doesn’t have to stop at foundation and color. A little subtle highlighter can work wonders. Choose a soft, luminous highlighter (nothing too glittery!) and apply it to the high points of your face – cheekbones, brow bones, and the bridge of your nose. It adds a soft glow that complements the cool tones of makeup for salt and pepper hair.
Finish things off with a light setting spray or powder to keep your makeup fresh all day. But go easy! You want to set your makeup, not mattify it into oblivion. A healthy glow is the goal.
My Makeup for Gray Hair Choices
Choosing the best makeup for my gray hair and glasses can be a challenge. Fortunately, I don’t sweat it, because that’s not who I am. I’m more of a ‘take me or leave me’ kind of a girl when it comes to makeup and fashion.
I did, however, strive to take my own advice when putting on my makeup, and I think the results are pretty good.
My skin has warm tones so I opted for a subtle peach lipstick and peach-toned blush. The eye makeup doesn’t show well in the photo, but I used a lighter shade of taupe with a gray eyeliner. My eyebrows are very thin these days so they need a filler – I use a gray and then add in just a bit of brown.
Oh, and I also used a bit of highlighter/sheen on the apples of my cheeks, chin, nose, and forhead. I don’t use it all the time but it’s a nice way to add some light to our mature faces.
Conclusion: Best Makeup for Gray Hair
No matter what makeup colors for gray hair you choose, the most important thing is how you feel when you wear them. Confidence is key! Makeup is just a tool to enhance what’s already beautiful – you.
So experiment with different shades and techniques, have fun, and remember that embracing your gray hair is a celebration of you being unapologetically yourself.
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