I don’t know my mom’s real hair color. I heard a rumor years ago that it was dark brown. Or maybe reddish brown. I think I saw a couple of gray strands a few years ago, during a brief, shining moment between her last touch up and a sale on Dark and Lovely Honey Blonde (#378 if you’re playing at home) at Wal Mart. I have early grayers on both sides of my family, so I wasn’t shocked when the little white hairs on my head turned into big patches – no – swaths during my 30s. I decided to forgo the dye and embrace the gray.
Needless to say I’ve been on my follicular own for the most part, with most women my age around me rocking every hair color from deep black to fuchsia. No. Really. Fuchsia. But rocking the gray doesn’t mean you’re heading for the rocking chair. Check out my five gray-haired icons below.
Renee Davis (pic at top)
Renee is an actress and model based in Atlanta. The 62-year-old started modeling when she was 40 and is a breast cancer survivor. And fabulous.
Dana King
The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-A-News-Anchor caught my – and the internet’s – attention when she ‘dared’ to report the news sans dye. And she looked 15 million times better with the gray. Not too long after freeing herself from the throes of Clairol, she left her job at San Francisco’s KPIX to become an artist full time. Check out her work here. Her sculptures are amazing.
Donna Mitchell
Mitchell was a popular cover model in the 1960s. I’ll take a wild guess and say that she’s in her early-to-mid 60s now. This shot comes from a breathtakingly simple and elegant Sept 2013 Elle Deutschland spread.
Catherine Walsh
I discovered Catherine via a Top Shelf on Into the Gloss and she quickly became one of my top style idols. The senior VP for Coty’s claim to fame is starting the celebrity fragrance trend by signing a deal with Jennifer Lopez for Glow. Red lipstick + gray hair = hot.
Kristen McMenamy
I had to look twice when I saw this pic of Kristen. “THAT’s the supermodel?” According to an interview, Kristen stopped coloring her hair in 2004. Not too many folks can wear gray hair long, but she pulls it off royally. Having killer cheekbones helps.:-) So those are my gray-haired icons. Tell me yours!
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