Makeup for grey hair: 6 expert tips to brighten your complexion and look your best

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Going grey will change the way you look. But that doesn’t mean you suddenly need more makeup. In fact, piling it on is often the last thing you want to do according to the makeup artists CNA Lifestyle spoke to.

They advised that the trick is knowing what to change – and, more importantly, what to leave alone.

Whether the grey is part of the natural ageing process or the result of a very deliberate salon appointment, losing pigment in your hair can subtly change the way your complexion and usual makeup look. 

Your favourite lipstick may suddenly seem too strong. Your face might look paler or more washed out than you remember. And the brows you barely paid attention to before can suddenly become rather important.

How noticeable these changes are will depend on how much grey or white hair you have. Younger women who have gone grey may find that their youthful skin provides enough natural contrast. On mature skin, however, the absence of pigment in the hair can make sallowness, dullness and other signs of ageing more apparent.

The good news? You probably don't need to overhaul your makeup bag.

There are no hard and fast rules about makeup for grey hair. Small adjustments will make all the difference. Think a little more colour where it counts, softer definition around the eyes and brows, and makeup textures that make skin look alive rather than covered up.

FIRST, PUT SOME LIFE BACK INTO THE FACE

If there's one lesson worth remembering, it's this: When colour disappears from your hair, you may want to put a little of it back into your face.

Grey hair can sometimes wash out the complexion because you no longer have the same depth of hair colour framing it.

“Those with warm skin undertones may find their complexions looking sallow, while others with cool undertones may look paler. This really depends on individual skin tones and how grey your hair is, however – some women may not experience this effect at all,” said celebrity makeup artist Peter Khor, who paints the famous faces of Zoe Tay, Yvonne Lim and Kit Chan, among others.

His fix isn't heavier foundation. Instead, look for foundation or base products containing pearlescent or light-reflecting pigments. These can subtly brighten the skin, neutralise dullness and give the complexion a little more luminosity.

But two products really start earning their keep when your hair goes grey: blusher and lipstick.

They are among the easiest ways to return warmth and rosiness to the complexion. In fact, a good lip colour can lift the face almost instantly, even if you aren't wearing eye makeup or blusher, said Khor.

That extra hit of colour isn't necessarily about making a statement. “It simply makes the whole face come alive,” he shared.

That doesn't mean you need to reach for scarlet red.

“You don’t necessarily have to go for a scarlet lip if you’re not comfortable wearing it. A softer rose- or berry-toned colour can be easier to wear and will work just as well in bringing radiance to the face,” Khor added.

DON'T ABANDON THE COLOURS YOU ALREADY KNOW SUIT YOU

Another useful lesson: Grey hair doesn't suddenly rewrite everything you know about your skin tone.

If certain lipstick and blusher shades have always looked good on you, chances are they still will. You may simply find that going slightly deeper or warmer gives your complexion the boost it now needs.

And if you're a lifelong nude-lip person, there’s no need to ditch your beige lipstick.

Veteran hair and makeup artist Grego Oh, who has spent more than two decades making women look beautiful, suggested being more selective about your neutrals instead.

“Skip flat-looking nudes that are too close to your skin tone, and go for deeper neutral shades with subtle warmth, like a brown with a hint of red, or a pinkish mauve,” he said.

The same colour shift applies to eyeshadow. Browns, greys and mauves are dependable choices, but there is no reason to retire every colourful eyeshadow you own just because your hair has turned silver.

Colour comes in endless variations. It's about finding the version that works on you rather than deciding you're suddenly too grey to wear it.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BROWS

This might be the most immediately useful trick of the lot.

“When hair goes grey or white, you no longer have dark hair and brows framing your face. This somehow makes the face look bare. It is also why it becomes very important to fill in and define your brows – doing so will help ‘awaken’ and add structure to the face,” Oh pointed out.

Think of brows less as the frame that has quietly gone missing. Put some definition back there and the rest of the face can suddenly look more finished, even with very little makeup.

Black isn't forbidden if that's what you've always preferred. But Oh suggested trying a softer black or swapping a sharply drawn brow pencil for powder, which creates a more diffused effect. Taupe, grey and brown are also excellent choices if you want less contrast between your brows and grey or white hair.

Khor has an even easier trick, particularly useful if some of your brow hairs have turned grey or white: Use mascara.

He suggests wiping most of the product off the wand first, then lightly comb it upwards through your brows. “Besides adding definition, it can tint pale brow hairs and often looks more natural than drawing them in with pencil,” he explained.

The same softening principle works around the eyes.

The eyeliner you've worn for years may suddenly start looking harder than you remember. Rather than giving up eyeliner altogether, press a dark eyeshadow along the lash line with a small, angled brush. You still get definition, but without an obvious, severe-looking line.

BEFORE BUYING NEW MAKEUP, LOOK AT YOUR SKINCARE

Sometimes, the problem isn't your makeup at all.

“You don’t have to significantly change your makeup when you have grey hair. For mature skin, it’s actually more about the skincare – dealing with the signs of ageing and improving skin texture,” said Khor.

His advice is to moisturise well before applying makeup, preferably with lightweight skincare that leaves skin comfortably hydrated rather than greasy.

It's a small preparatory step, but one that becomes increasingly important as skin matures. Well-moisturised skin allows makeup to sit more smoothly and naturally. Khor added that it can also help prevent foundation or other base products from oxidising and leaving the complexion looking dull.

In other words, before blaming your foundation for suddenly looking terrible, give it better skin to sit on.

MORE MAKEUP ISN'T THE ANSWER

The instinct, when grey hair seems to drain colour from your face, may be to compensate by putting on more of everything.

Resist it – unless, of course, a strong makeup look is genuinely your thing.

“More makeup is not better, unless you like it that way and can carry off a strong look. Keep in mind that too much makeup can make mature skin look older,” cautioned Khor.

What works better is being strategic. A touch of blusher where you need warmth. A lip colour that brings the face to life. Defined brows. Softer definition around the eyes.

It's less about adding more but rather about putting the right things in the right places.

TEXTURE MATTERS MORE THAN YOU THINK

One final lesson that becomes increasingly useful with age: The finish of your makeup matters.

Oh noted that dry, matte formulas can settle into lines and emphasise texture on mature skin. Hydrating and emollient formulas, on the other hand, tend to be much more forgiving and can give the complexion a fresher, livelier appearance.

That may mean choosing a tinted moisturiser instead of a heavy foundation or reaching for a lip tint or tinted balm when a matte lipstick no longer sits comfortably on dry or lined lips.

Oh is also a fan of cream blusher for mature skin. It's easy to blend, gives cheeks a natural-looking glow and, depending on the formula, can sometimes be dabbed onto lips and eyelids too for an effortless tonal look.

Ultimately, going grey doesn't require learning an entirely new face.

Your features haven't changed simply because your hair colour has. What has changed is the balance of colour and contrast around them.

And perhaps that's the most useful real-life lesson from the pros: Don't try to paint back the face you had before your hair went grey. Work with the one you have now. Add warmth where the complexion needs it, definition where the face has lost contrast and moisture where skin needs softness.

The grey can stay. Your makeup just needs to catch up.