I absolutely love this topic too…no matter how much I learn, there’s always so much more to discover.
In terms of Feng Shui my colours are much more Metal since going grey; I rock pastels! 🤣 But I still need the red and purple of Fire to support my intentions on ‘those’ days, it’s easy for others to overlook a woman with grey hair, no matter how elegant, if there isn’t a bit of ‘punch’ to her colours. If we’re talking seasonal colour analysis, yes, my colours have softened with age, my eyes are no longer as bright as they were and my hair varies with the light that shines on it. I was classed as a Winter long ago, but more recently as Light Summer. As long as I stay broadly cool, I’m fine. Colour theory is always nuanced when it comes to the practice of it…and always fascinating.
Wow, your level of engagement with this topic for your own style is so inspiring Sue. You really have done so much to understand yourself. Very very cool and an always ongoing process I know! Intentionally adding in red and purple has impact for how you feel too which just shows it's so much more than impact on skin. Ahh. I think I might write more on this this weekend! Happy Monday! x
I too was mousy brown as a teenager. Spent my life being blonde and suffering same warm issues that you describe. By the time I’d gone platinum my whole routine was based around blue shampoos and purple toners every 3 weeks on top of the bleach. An accident with said bleach put paid to my remaining platinum and I cried when I realised I would need to go grey. So silly in retrospect. I love being grey and so will you. Trust me on this. When you wear cool tones you will rock them even more. Join the club!
Thanks for sharing your story Sue. You absolutely rock your grey and as you say in retrospect it is so easy to be hard on ourselves for not seeing it at the time. We were different people then. It's also interesting to me that some women really feel the disharmony and others, even if they have it, don't feel it so deeply. I was thinking recently this is where our elements come in in informing the parts that guide us and the parts that float on by! x
True - you have metal and I need (intend) it so perhaps that's why we are Ok about it. The thing is, you can always go back if you don't like it. Treat it like an adventure, an exploration, a 'being curious' and then you have no attachment to the outcome. Either way, you'll be able to see and feel what it's like and then you can really make up your mind based on that evidence.
As you say, it’s a completely personal decision. However, I decided to embrace the grey completely at the age of 42…not an easy decision in Ireland over 20 years ago! It was the best style decision I ever made though. No more mismatch between my dyed hair colour and my cool skin and eyes!
In hindsight it was probably easier to do it in my early forties because it looked intentional. If I did it now at 66, it would probably look more like giving up…but they’ve had a long time looking at the grey now, they don’t even see it.
One piece of well meant advice though - don’t ditch the bright colours altogether, softs look nice with grey hair but there are times you need to up the ante and a fierceness may be needed. Red is always needed in the arsenal. xx
Interesting Sue. I'm intrigued but the last bit you say on bright colours. In fact I feel I have so much more to write on this topic! Do you love bright tones with your grey or you don't and someone told you you should? I think tones and shades and generally all colour is impacted also by our 2 most dominant elements from Feng Shui. There are lots of factors at play. In terms of just technical colour analysis some women have soft grey, some have bright. Some have bright platinium tones along with bright skin, in which case bright colours will always be good. But in my experience based purely on colour analysis (if that's where you like to make decisions from), no matter what your skintone, we all 'soften' somewhat with age and may find we do in fact like softer shades alongside brights. Oh, I love this topic!
I absolutely love this topic too…no matter how much I learn, there’s always so much more to discover.
In terms of Feng Shui my colours are much more Metal since going grey; I rock pastels! 🤣 But I still need the red and purple of Fire to support my intentions on ‘those’ days, it’s easy for others to overlook a woman with grey hair, no matter how elegant, if there isn’t a bit of ‘punch’ to her colours. If we’re talking seasonal colour analysis, yes, my colours have softened with age, my eyes are no longer as bright as they were and my hair varies with the light that shines on it. I was classed as a Winter long ago, but more recently as Light Summer. As long as I stay broadly cool, I’m fine. Colour theory is always nuanced when it comes to the practice of it…and always fascinating.
Wow, your level of engagement with this topic for your own style is so inspiring Sue. You really have done so much to understand yourself. Very very cool and an always ongoing process I know! Intentionally adding in red and purple has impact for how you feel too which just shows it's so much more than impact on skin. Ahh. I think I might write more on this this weekend! Happy Monday! x
As ever, I’d love to read your thoughts on this topic. x
I too was mousy brown as a teenager. Spent my life being blonde and suffering same warm issues that you describe. By the time I’d gone platinum my whole routine was based around blue shampoos and purple toners every 3 weeks on top of the bleach. An accident with said bleach put paid to my remaining platinum and I cried when I realised I would need to go grey. So silly in retrospect. I love being grey and so will you. Trust me on this. When you wear cool tones you will rock them even more. Join the club!
Thanks for sharing your story Sue. You absolutely rock your grey and as you say in retrospect it is so easy to be hard on ourselves for not seeing it at the time. We were different people then. It's also interesting to me that some women really feel the disharmony and others, even if they have it, don't feel it so deeply. I was thinking recently this is where our elements come in in informing the parts that guide us and the parts that float on by! x
True - you have metal and I need (intend) it so perhaps that's why we are Ok about it. The thing is, you can always go back if you don't like it. Treat it like an adventure, an exploration, a 'being curious' and then you have no attachment to the outcome. Either way, you'll be able to see and feel what it's like and then you can really make up your mind based on that evidence.
As you say, it’s a completely personal decision. However, I decided to embrace the grey completely at the age of 42…not an easy decision in Ireland over 20 years ago! It was the best style decision I ever made though. No more mismatch between my dyed hair colour and my cool skin and eyes!
In hindsight it was probably easier to do it in my early forties because it looked intentional. If I did it now at 66, it would probably look more like giving up…but they’ve had a long time looking at the grey now, they don’t even see it.
One piece of well meant advice though - don’t ditch the bright colours altogether, softs look nice with grey hair but there are times you need to up the ante and a fierceness may be needed. Red is always needed in the arsenal. xx
Interesting Sue. I'm intrigued but the last bit you say on bright colours. In fact I feel I have so much more to write on this topic! Do you love bright tones with your grey or you don't and someone told you you should? I think tones and shades and generally all colour is impacted also by our 2 most dominant elements from Feng Shui. There are lots of factors at play. In terms of just technical colour analysis some women have soft grey, some have bright. Some have bright platinium tones along with bright skin, in which case bright colours will always be good. But in my experience based purely on colour analysis (if that's where you like to make decisions from), no matter what your skintone, we all 'soften' somewhat with age and may find we do in fact like softer shades alongside brights. Oh, I love this topic!