‘No You Don’t Have To Change Your Make-Up When You Go Grey’: Sali Hughes Discusses Her Latest Hair Revamp

Sali Hughes, renowned beauty journalist, author - if you haven't read Pretty Iconic or Pretty Honest yet, seize the day and add to basket - and co-founder of Beauty Banks, a non-profit organisation aimed at making hygiene poverty a thing of the past, has just gone grey. Sali revealed her big hair colour revamp to her 182K strong Instagram following in May. Her video documented a 7-hour-long session at the Goldwell Academy during which hair colour guru Rebecca Wallin took Sali's hair from a rich brunette to multi-tonal grey. Sali's fresh new look predictably reeled in the compliments and we couldn't wait to sit down with the beauty guru herself and discuss the process. Here Sali speaks exclusively to Grazia about finally making that big 'let's go grey' decision - 'I've been planning to do it for years but kept losing my nerve', the most common misconceptions surrounding that much-talked-about switch to grey hair and the intricacies of her current haircare routine:

On Going Grey

'I'm allergic to PPD, which is present in all permanent grey covering hair dye, and I mean literally every single one. I think people struggle to get their heads around that but it's true that all 100% grey covering hair dye contains either PPD or its non-identical twin PTD and I'm allergic to both. For the past decade I haven't been able to dye my hair safely. My options are limited.'

'I had greys coming through but I didn't have the option of covering them up. So I decided to go completely the other way. If you can't beat them, join them! So I bleached the rest of my hair. I've been planning to do it for years but kept losing my nerve. Once it's done it's really really hard for me to go back, because I can't use a PPD dye. I agonised over my decision quite a lot and in the end I just decided to go for it. I think that's happened to lots of people during the pandemic hasn't it? A lot of people have made new and bolder decisions about their appearances.'

On The Process

'I went to the Goldwell Academy because they make a hair dye called Elumen that doesn't contain PPD. I had known about that for a long time because I've done lots of work around the subject of PPD over the years. I spoke to their head office and asked whether they'd be prepared to come on this journey with be. They were up for it and seven hours in the hairdressing chair later here I am.'

On Getting Used To A New Look

'It has definitely taken some getting used to. Bleached hair is incredibly high maintenance. You're constantly trying to make sure it doesn't go yellow or it doesn't go blue, so toning products are a must. It's been fun though. I'm such a product nerd and I enjoy that trial and error process and the experimentation of it all.'

On The Make-Up Factor

'I've been asked whether I've changed my make-up to suit my new grey hair so many times and I find it so interesting. No you don't have to change your make-up when you go grey, not in my opinion. Make-up is really more about skin tone, I don't think my hair plays a huge part in it. When people change their hair colour from brunette to blonde, or blonde to red I don't think they pay as much attention to this idea of changing up your make-up too. When someone bleaches their hair grey or silver though, there's this assumption that women have to somehow become more pared back, more chic or more elegant. I rejected those sorts of ideas because I associate them with the expectation that women should become more demure as they get older and that bothers me. I certainly haven't changed how I dress, which a lot of people have implied that I should do. Personal style comes from within for me, I didn't see my hair colour as a hugely influential factor. There are certain small things that I've changed. I'm not wild about pairing sugary pinks with silver hair, it all gets a bit pastel toned for me and that's not my taste. Somebody said to me on Instagram last week, "Oh you look so lovely now you've softened your make-up after going grey" and I had to point out to them that I hadn't changed a thing! I haven't changed a single product.'

On A New Haircare Routine

'The colour of my hair has changed and the condition of my hair has changed slightly too, but my scalp has remained the same. I need to take continue to maintain those constants like my scalp health, whilst adapting my routine to my new look. The main change to my routine has been incorporating toning shampoos. I use lots of violet pigments to ward off brassiness and yellow tones. My one caveat is that I don't use a purple shampoo every time I wash my hair. I use a purple shampoo once or twice a week, and use my everyday shampoo in the interim. If you overuse purple shampoos your hair can end up taking on a blue or purple tint.'

'As I mentioned before, the condition of my hair has changed slightly too. For me it's actually a good thing. I always had soft, floppy hair and now I've got a bit of grip and plumpness, and my hair now holds a style much better than it used to. It's all about working out what your hair needs. I've enjoyed the process of tinkering with my haircare. The nature of my job requires me to test products all the time. Some people might like to use Head & Shoulder's Deep Cleanse Scalp Detox Shampoo, £5.99, to keep their scalp healthy, for example. I think people are so well versed in the art of exfoliating their face but it's important to think about gently cleansing your scalp too, particularly if you apply dry shampoo regularly. The Head & Shoulders' Deep Cleanse Range contains salicylic acid, for example, an ingredient we've become very used to seeing on the label of our skincare products. I try not to wash my hair too much too, I wash my hair around three times a week. I use Aveda's Thickening Hair Tonic, £22.50, too, which is a product I've used for years and years. It doesn't aggravate my scalp like so many styling products. It goes onto my damp roots after every single wash before I dry my hair upside down. As for toning shampoos, my favourite at the moment is the Balmain Hair Illuminating Shampoo in Silver Pearl, £27.70. I'd use that if I'm going somewhere special because it's very expensive, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the best I've tried so far. A great cheaper alternative is one called Fanola Official No Yellow Shampoo 1L, £9.74, but do you have to make sure to wash your hands really well after using it because it can stain your palms a little.'

Shop: Sali Hughes' Three Current Haircare Favourites As Well As Head & Shoulders' New Releases

READ MORE: 12 Best Moisturisers For Every Skin Concern And Skin Type

READ MORE: Sarah Tarleton Reveals The £5.99 Skincare Product Everyone Told Her To Buy During Pregnancy