Silver Beauties, Sierra Edition

It's no secret I love women who celebrate their silver hair. I'm a total fan. It takes guts, grace, and a sure sense of self to wear un-dyed hair in this youth-obsessed culture.

I've written about Silver Beauties before. This week, I realized how many of them are right under my nose, at this piece of Heaven in the High Sierra.

I'd love to introduce you to a few of my favorite heads of silver hair, and the beautiful women who totally rock the look.

This is L., mother of four, whose pixie cut is perfect with her fine-boned features and athletic lifestyle.

She's gorgeous without a speck of makeup on.

This is A., whose youthful face contrasts beautifully with her long, silver hair.

Toned and trim, she's a force to be reckoned with on the volleyball court.

Just look at those legs!

When silver-hair and a strong, svelte figure come together in the same woman, the effect is head-turning.

When my good friend S. first started going silver ten or so years ago, she looked at her hair in a magnifying mirror.

"Cool!," she thought. And so began her sojourn into Silver Beauty. Her hair is like a silver cloud. I love it.

And look at it shine!

I first noticed K., below, when she blew by me on a mountainside. She's in fantastic shape and is one of the fastest hikers I've ever met.

I've never seen her without her tanzanite-and-diamond necklace, which perfectly sets off her blue eyes and beautiful hair.

From my own experience, and from watching the gorgeous Silvers around me, I've come up with a short list of tips to enhance the beauty of silver hair:

1. Try using hot rollers or a flat iron to bring out more of your silver hair's natural shine. These tools help because silver hair tends to be coarser than other colors of hair. And coarse hair reflects light less efficiently than smooth hair.

Ceramic-plate flat irons are available in a variety of prices, from around $30 to over $100.
photo: deedoucette

2. Try one of the many shine enhancers on the market. These products are available at any good drug store or beauty-supply store and they look like hair spray. But instead of holding hair in place, a shine enhancer imparts a beautiful, youthful shine to your hair.

Shine enhancers are terrific and don't cost much more than a bottle of hair spray.

3. Dress in colors that enhance your natural coloring. Not sure what those shades are? Grab a friend, a mirror, and a bunch of different-colored tops. You'll quickly find out what shades make you sparkle, and which make you look like you had a very hard night.

Usually, Silver Beauties look great in the cool spectrum of colors--all the blues, purples and lavendars, bluish greens, and pinks with a blue undertone. Silver Beauties also usually look terrific in black, white, and grey. Experiment a little and see what else works for you and your coloring. If true red was your friend 20 years ago but now makes you look haggard, try coral. You might be surprised.

Many Silvers look fantastic in shades of blue.

4. Choose a classic haircut and visit your hairdresser routinely to keep those split ends away. Nothing says "witchy" faster than split ends!

No split ends here, please!

5. Be at peace with yourself. Each of these women, above, radiates inner health, peace, and confidence.

And that can make you gorgeous, head to toe.