Author: tzeoky

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Ciara Miller is the definition of “booked and busy.” When we connect on a sunny Friday afternoon, she’s in New York City prepping to spend nearly five weeks in Fiji hosting the Love Island aftershow, Aftersun, alongside Tefi Passoa. After that, she might be returning to the Hamptons for the 11th season of Summer House. And then she’s appearing on Dancing with the Stars, all while helping renovate her grandparents’ home in North Carolina.

Miller, who joined the Summer House cast during season five in 2021 while working as a traveling nurse during the pandemic, is also the face of Nexxus’s new campaign, titled “Claim Your Space.” It's all about confidence, presence—and the power of texture spray. The timing couldn’t be better for the nurse-turned-model-turned-reality-TV-star-turned-host, who has a profusion of eyes on her at this very moment. “I feel like [the campaign] is such a representation of this next chapter and who I am right now,” Miller shares. “For Black women, our hair is like our crown… Being unapologetically you and being able to walk in a room and take up that space as a woman is so important.”

If you’re even remotely familiar with the Bravo universe, you probably know that Miller is at the center of a scandal involving two fellow castmates. If not, a quick primer: Miller’s ex, West Wilson, recently began a relationship with her (now former) very close friend, Amanda Batula, who is currently in the process of divorcing another castmate, Kyle Cooke. The fallout took place during the three-part Summer House reunion, which aired its final segment on June 9, and Miller says that even though the process was “cathartic,” she’s “excited to close the door” on everything and move onwards and upwards.

For the reunion taping, Miller paired her two-piece Di Petsa dress with a deep burgundy red hair color—something she said felt “symbolic” given the increased attention to her personal life. “I don't experiment with my hair color a lot,” she explains. “The red was like, ‘She's on fire.’ It was symbolic, but I also wanted to try something new. My dress was a bit more muted so I wanted my glam to really be able to speak for itself.”

Miller has previously said that her “word of the year” for 2026 was “community”—a choice that has been particularly resonant given the support she has received since news of Wilson and Batula’s romance became public. “When I was making [community] my word of the year, I didn’t know just how much I would really need to lean on that,” she explains. “But going into this next era… I’m in my ‘F*ck it, f*ck you’ era of ‘I am me. I’m being myself. I’m taking up space with my hair, but also in my presence.’ When I'm walking into the room, it’s understanding that I deserve to be here. I'm grateful and I don't take any of this for granted, but I'm also where I'm supposed to be.”

Though Summer House season 11 is still up in the air—a Bravo VP told The Hollywood Reporter that casting isn’t typically final until late June—Miller has officially landed on her Aftersun outfits and is planning to pair them with “hair accessories, jewels, and braids.” She’s also prepping for DWTS, which kicks off in the fall. “I'm going to be in Fiji going to the gym and asking questions about love,” she says. "Those will be my two focuses.”

“I’m in my ‘F*ck it, f*ck you’ era of ‘I am me. I’m being myself.’”

One thing Miller will definitely be packing for Fiji, Los Angeles (where DWTS films), and the Hamptons (should she return to the house) is hairspray, which is her absolute must-have while filming. “I go through bottles and bottles and bottles of hairspray.” These days, she’s into Nexxus Maximum Firm Hold Hairspray paired with the brand’s Air Shape Workable Hold Texture Spray. For those long hours of filming, “you need products that are going to help your hairstyle stay throughout the day. We're always doing some type of crazy activity.” She keeps travel sizes in her bag or production vehicles for on-set touchups, and hairspray and texture spray are always in her night-out bag, too. And as for what was in that Sephora bag from her very well-played Instagram post after news about Batula and West broke? “Perfume, setting sprays, and of course, makeup.”

Though Miller's hair-care routine varies depending on what she’s doing, a heat protectant is an absolute must to keep her hair healthy through lots of styling. “I live and die by a heat protectant,” she says. “It’s essential to the process if I want to keep my natural hair and prolong the life of my extensions as well.” She cares for her natural hair with steam treatments. “It’s a team effort between me and my hairstylist taking care of my hair, trying to protect it, and morphing into different styles.”

Throughout her five seasons on Summer House, she’s worn lots of different hairstyles, but says she feels most comfortable in braids. “I wore braids when I was younger. Being able to come back to that style is nostalgic but a representation of who I actually am,” she says. “It tells a story of my comfort: not trying to fit in a box, avoid questions, or being in white spaces and having my hair be a topic of conversation. I feel like I've been able to shed the anxiety or the anticipation of that.”

Miller has been at the center of a whole lot of conversation thus far in 2026, but a year from now, what does she want Summer House fans to take away from her story? “Honestly, I hope they talk about how I have great hair, I've had great glam, and the type of friend that I am… and leave it at that.”

Nexxus

Collage: Jemeria Davison; Source images: Courtesy of brandsSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

Long before “recession hair” was a thing, the best hair colors for gray hair had found their way into the home-styling kits of those looking to keep color fresh and grays at bay, without spending endless hours—and countless dollars—at a salon. Jackson Simmonds, a colorist and stylist in New York City, is the first to recommend at-home solutions to keep his color clients covered (literally) for a bit longer between their visits to his chair.

Since grays tend to be coarse and wiry, not just any hair color will work to conceal or blend them. And the right one will depend on the look you’re going for, how much time you have, and how much gray hair you have. “A permanent hair-color kit is truly ideal for that person who has permanent color, lots of gray, and would go to the salon every ten days if they had time or their colorist would allow it!” he says. “With at-home options, they can DIY every other color application so they don't have to see that cringey gray stripe in the mirror [between appointments].” For those looking for shorter-term coverage, the best hair colors for gray hair are available in temporary, semi-permanent, and demi-permanent formulas that range from creams and gels to glosses and sprays.

Our Top Hair Colors for Gray Hair

• Best Overall: L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme, $13
• Best Demi-Permanent: DP Hue Color Dream, $33
• Best Permanent: IGK Permanent Hair Color Kit, $31
• Best for Roots: Color Wow Root Cover Up, $35

So, which is the best hair color to artfully conceal your grays? Ahead, find the at-home color kits pro stylists swear by and find one that speaks to your hair type and color goals. Whichever one you choose, make sure to get your gloves ready!

Frequently Asked Questions

• What hair color works best on gray hair?
• Is it better to go darker or lighter with gray hair?
• Meet the experts
• How we test and review products
• Our staff and testers

Best Overall: L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme

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L'Oréal Paris

Excellence Creme

$13 $12 (8% off)

Amazon

Why it's worth it: Go ahead and start practicing your hair toss now. L’Oréal Paris’ Excellence Crème is an at-home color kit that provides complete gray coverage while helping hair feel soft and hydrated with a protective keratin complex and a post-color shampoo and conditioner infused with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture. "For accessible and consistent all-over coverage, Excellence Crème is a reliable benchmark," says Abby Haliti, a colorist based in New York City. She also praises its "dependable” shade consistency and its ability to soften the typically coarse, wiry texture of silver hair, leaving strands looking smooth, bouncy, and full of shine.

More to know

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• Shades: 27
• Type: permanent
• Who it’s for: people who want 100% gray coverage

Best Demi-Permanent: DP Hue Color Dream

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dpHue

Color Dream Demi-Permanent Kit

$33

Ulta Beauty

Why it’s worth it: “DP Hue’s Color Dream Demi-Permanent Color is one of my top at-home recommendations for gray hair—especially if you're looking for shine, tone, and softness without committing to harsh, long-term color,” says Vito Esposito, a stylist based in Beverly Hills, California. “The Color Dream Demi is ideal for first-timers or anyone who wants less damage: It’s ammonia-free, super gentle, and blends grays beautifully instead of covering them harshly. You get a soft, natural finish that fades gradually, which is perfect for aging hair or finer textures.”

Also free of parabens, sulfates, and silicones, “This is ideal if you want to look polished without sacrificing hair health,” Esposito says. Kristina Maccaro, a colorist based in Jersey City, New Jersey, seconds her enthusiasm, adding that this is also one of her go-to recommendations. “It’s perfect to refresh or tone your color without creating a line of demarcation,” she explains. “It won't lighten your natural color or fully cover your greys, but it will add a tone of shine and grey-blend in 20 minutes.” The color lasts for about 16 washes, which is quite impressive.

More to know

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• Shades: 8
• Type: demi-permanent
• Who it’s for: people with virgin hair, previously colored hair, or grown-out highlights

Best Permanent: IGK Permanent Hair Color Kit

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IGK Hair

Permanent Hair Color Kit

$31

Amazon

$31

Ulta Beauty

Why it’s worth it: “IGK’s Permanent Hair Color Kit is a favorite of mine for clients looking for quick results with serious shine and dimension—all in a 20-minute session, or up to 45 minutes if your gray is particularly resistant,” says Maccaro. “I also love the range of shades and the price point.” Pro hack: This won't lighten previously colored hair; it will only match or darken your current shade, Maccaro says. “If you're lightening virgin hair, pick a shade one level lighter than your natural hair color.” And if you'd prefer to fully embrace your grays and make your color more uniform, the kit is also available in BA Titanium, a cool, silvery shade designed to complement and enhance naturally graying hair.

More to know

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• Shades: 33
• Type: permanent
• Who it’s for: people who have 50% or more gray hair

Best Temporary: Overtone Color-Depositing Daily Conditioner

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Overtone

Color-Depositing Daily Conditioner

$15

Amazon

Why it's worth it: If you're looking for a lower-maintenance way to blend grays between salon appointments—or simply prefer a color refresh that doubles as a conditioning treatment—Overtone's Color-Depositing Daily Conditioner is a deposit-only treatment for “anyone who wants gray coverage without bleaching," says Haliti. (Deposit-only means it adds pigment to the hair without using ammonia or peroxide to lift or lighten your natural color, so it can enhance, refresh, or deepen your shade, but it won't make hair lighter.) This temporary color can be used as often as you'd like to maintain vibrancy, revive faded color, or gradually build a bolder result over time.

While the brand offers plenty of natural-looking shades, from chocolate brown to soft blonde, we're especially partial to the more playful options—think cotton-candy pink, electric purple, and other vibrant hues that prove bright color doesn't come with an age limit. Part color refresher, part deep conditioner, it deposits pigment while nourishing strands with hydrolyzed pea protein, shea butter, coconut oil, aloe, and jojoba oil. “For those with lighter grays, it blends beautifully for a natural, lived-in look rather than a harsh or flat finish," says Haliti. The color gradually fades over two to three weeks (about 10 washes), making it an easy, low-commitment way to experiment with color while keeping hair soft, shiny, and healthy.

More to know

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• Shades: 26
• Type: temporary
• Who it’s for: people who want color without any lightening agents

Best Gloss: Kristin Ess Signature Gloss

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Kristin Ess

Signature Gloss

$15

Amazon

$15

Ulta Beauty

Why it’s worth it: Looking for a temporary, no-fuss solution to a touch of gray? Enter Kristin Ess’ Signature Gloss, a shine-boosting solution that comes in eight hues, ranging from Smoky Topaz (a medium, natural bronde) to Cherry Cola (warm red brown medium). “This gloss is super easy to use—you can just throw it on during a shower—and it’s great for blending regrowth,” says Jennifer Korab, hairstylist based in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Ammonia-free and made with a smoothing antioxidant complex, “The gloss leaves the hair silky and can help with the vibrancy of color and shine,” Korab says. The color lasts for three to four weeks, fading gradually with each shampoo. “Use this between color sessions to maintain shine,” she says.

More to know

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• Shades: 8
• Type: temporary
• Who it’s for: everyone, especially helpful for brassiness or dullness in blondes and brunettes with graying hair

Best for Roots: Color Wow Root Cover Up

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COLOR WOW

Root Cover Up

$34

Amazon

$35

Ulta Beauty

$35

Sephora

Why it's worth it: If it feels like your grays start making an encore appearance the moment you leave the salon chair, the 2026 Readers' Choice Award-winning Color Wow Root Cover Up is here to buy you some time. This pressed mineral powder instantly conceals regrowth with a natural-looking, multi-dimensional finish that blends seamlessly into your hair—without any of the stiffness, stickiness, or waxy residue common with sprays and mascaras. "This is a non-negotiable in my kit for root touch-ups between visits," says Haliti. Since the powder "sits on the hair rather than penetrating it, there’s zero damage, and it won't transfer to your pillowcase, budge during a blowout, or disappear after a dip in the pool,” she says.

Available in eight realistic shades, the easy press-on formula stays put until shampooed out, and it'll even make your hair look thicker when applied to your part or hairline. "I brush it along the part and around the face and the nape of the neck if I do a bun or ponytail to fill in any exposed scalp," Seattle-based stylist Jen Atkin previously told Allure.

Tester feedback from executive beauty director Jenny Bailly

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“OK, so here's the thing about this Color Wow stuff. Actually, a couple of things—four of them. 1) It's a pressed powder (in eight shades, from platinum to black) that comes with a small brush so I can pinpoint my grays—and avoid my fancy salon highlights—better than I can with a spray or loose powder. 2) It has the texture and finish of real hair, and never turns dull or stiff, as some sprays and hair mascaras can. 3) It's free of waxes and dyes, so it washes out easily with shampoo. What it does contain are tiny double-ended zinc particles with a positive charge on one end that attach themselves to each strand of hair like magnets…magnets that hold the mineral pigments at your roots through a downpour or even a swim. 4) It comes in a slim compact with a mirror that I can take anywhere that might subject me to fluorescent lights.” —Jenny Bailly, executive beauty director

More to know

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• Shades: 8
• Type: temporary
• Who it’s for: people who are between color appointments or have sparse grays

Best for Sensitive Scalps: Herbatint Permanent Haircolor Gel

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Herbatint

Permanent Hair Gel

$18

Amazon

Why it’s worth it: “Herbatint Permanent Hair Color Gel is a fantastic choice for those with sensitive skin or anyone looking to minimize chemical exposure,” Esposito says. “It's ammonia-free, odorless, and enriched with eight organic herbal extracts.” Infused with meadowfoam, white birch, aloe vera, echinacea, and other plant-based ingredients that soothe and nourish the scalp, “This dye provides effective gray coverage without causing scalp irritation,” Esposito says. “Its gentle formula ensures hair remains soft and shiny.” ​What’s more: The gel comes in 28 shades ranging from Light Blonde to Dark Chestnut.

More to know

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• Shades: 28
• Type: permanent
• Who it’s for: anyone with a sensitive scalp looking for permanent color

Best for Shine: Wella Professionals Colorcharm Demi-Permanent Hair Color

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Wella Professionals

Colorcharm Demi-Permanent Hair Color

$10

Amazon

$10

Ulta Beauty

Why it’s worth it: Wella Colorcharm Demi-Permanent Hair Color has a stamp of approval from Jamee Mahmood, a hairstylist based in Bellevue, Washington. “This ammonia-free, vegan, gluten and paraffin-free color is gentle and great for all hair types, and there are 24 shades available.” She adds that the demi-permanent cream, which acts as a gloss, will blend grays for up to 24 washes—and ply the hair with other benefits. “The results are high shine and healthier hair,” she notes. One word of advice? “You will need to purchase the Colorcharm 10 Volume Cream Developer,” which mixes with the color for optimal gray blending.

More to know

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• Shades: 24
• Type: demi-permanent
• Who it’s for: people with scattered grays

Frequently Asked Questions

What hair color works best on gray hair?

“Gray hair tends to be more coarse and porous, so look for formulas labeled as ‘gray coverage’ or ‘rich coverage,’” says Esposito. “Demi-permanent hair dyes are great for first-timers or those who want less commitment, while permanent formulas are ideal for high-percentage gray.”​ In terms of color, Maccaro suggests looking for hues described as “neutral,” “natural,” or “natural gold.” These colors, she says, have flattering results on most skin tones and “help counteract the starkness of the gray.”

Is it better to go darker or lighter with gray hair?

“It depends on skin tone, but in general, going a bit lighter or warmer can soften features and create a more natural blend with grays as they grow in,” Esposito says. “Super dark shades may draw attention to regrowth. A soft medium brown, warm blonde, or even golden caramel tone often blends grays more seamlessly and ages more gracefully.”

Maccaro adds a tip for home-color rookies. “If you’re new to color, choose a shade that’s one level lighter than your natural color or your desired tone,” she instructs. “This gives you more wiggle room to adjust and avoids the ‘box dye went too dark’ look.”

Meet the experts

• Jen Atkin, a stylist and founder of Ouai based in Seattle
• Vito Esposito, founder and head stylist of Vito Esposito based in Beverly Hills, California
• Abby Haliti, a colorist and founder of Abby Haliti Color Studio based in New York City
• Jennifer Korab, a New Jersey-based hairstylist and founder of Renaissance Salon & Spa based in Hillsborough, New Jersey
• Kristina Maccaro, educator, colorist, and owner of Love Lane Salon based in Jersey City, New Jersey
• Jamee Mahmood, a hairstylist and owner of Square Roots Salon based in Bellevue, Washington
• Jackson Simmonds, a master colorist and stylist based in New York City

How we test and review products

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of the best hair colors for gray hair, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists who test and recommend moisturizers almost every day. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

Our staff and testers

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

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I do everything a reasonable person is supposed to do.

I meditate. I do breathwork. I show up at my weekly therapy appointments, even when I would rather sleep in. I take the SSRIs that my therapist, my former primary care physician, and I all agree I should take. I work out several days a week. I go for a walk every evening before dinner. And, despite applying for hundreds of jobs, I’ve been out of work for a year. The stress of being without a stable income and benefits has affected my well-being on a cellular level, and the protocols that are supposed to work do not—even though, by every measure of wellness culture, I am taking my own care seriously. Before I left DC to move in with friends in North Carolina, I spent every day on edge, wondering when someone would unlock the door and force me and my possessions out onto the curb.

I do everything a reasonable person is supposed to do. And now, for the first time in a decade, I want a cigarette. To get even more specific, I would kill for a Marlboro 27.

For the first time in a decade, I want a cigarette.

Cigarettes are the leading cause of preventable deaths in the US. While the long-term health effects of the occasional cig are tricky to track, we do know smoking even just one causes immediate damage to the body, and, of course, you run the risk of developing a really nasty habit. Despite this, they are having a cultural resurgence, and many writers have spent the last few months parsing out why. In The Cut, Xochitl Gonzalez made a melancholy case for smoking as a rebellion against the productivity-poisoned way we live now, a way of stepping outside our optimized matrix and engaging with another person for the length of a cigarette. In Allure, Gabriella Onessimo followed the smoking aesthetic into the makeup aisle, rightly clocking that the beauty industry is glamorizing a deadly addiction.

At my peak, I smoked half a pack on a mild day, though most were bad ones where I would have nearly the whole 20. When I quit, the effects were immediately noticeable. Within weeks, my skin was better, my resting heart rate was going down, and I could take deeper breaths. Quitting was one of the few unambiguously good decisions I have ever made about my own health, and I do not regret it. Still, the desire to smoke pops up. Most likely because addiction, even one I had a long time ago, has rewired the neural pathways in my brain a bit, but there’s also the intense stress I find myself under.

A class story lurks beneath this current wave of cigarette nostalgia, too. Why do Americans deal with stress by grabbing a $10 pack of cancer sticks from their local corner store? Even though fewer people are lighting up, smoking rates historically tick upward during and after catastrophes—as they did in 2020, after 9/11, and following Hurricane Katrina, when a percentage of former smokers relapsed, and current smokers started burning through more cigarettes. Even when calamities are more intimate, such as being unemployed for a long period of time, there is a higher risk of smoking, likely due to anxiety.

Stability remains among the best treatments for stress, but our current job market makes such a simple ask seem improbable. Fewer people are optimistic about finding work than they were during the pandemic—I’m one of them—and, last May, more than half of US workers said that job insecurity significantly affects their stress levels. It doesn’t help that the safety net is being actively dismantled. Health care is inaccessible to many. Significant cuts and restrictions to SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid will plunge more people further into poverty, a consequence of policy choices that are not focused on human well-being.

Stability remains among the best treatments for stress, but our current job market makes such a simple ask seem improbable.

So, the answer to why people smoke to cope with stress is straightforward: Cigarettes cost about $10.

Seconds after taking a pull, you’ll feel the calming effects of nicotine, and your stress will decrease for a moment. You will get that reprieve you are desperately craving. Your relief will mimic that photo of Ben Affleck, standing out front of a nondescript building, mouth agape, cigarette in hand, eyes closed, finally catching a break. There is no other intervention available to a stressed person that is that reliable, and the cigarette does not require you to work or volunteer to qualify for public assistance.

Or, at least, that’s the conclusion I came to once I caved and had one. I popped into a 7/11 on my block and bought some 27s. I stood on my balcony with the pack in my hands for a few minutes because I’ve written extensively about what I was about to do and decided to roll the dice anyway.

It was euphoric.

My eyes rolled back in my head, and I took a deep breath to get the smoke farther into my lungs. I held the fumes and the irony of taking a deep breath of cigarette smoke, something I’m only able to do because I quit in 2016, for a few seconds before blowing it out and going back in for another pull. My shoulders dropped, and I felt serene. In 10 seconds, the cigarette did what 12 months of intense wellness-ing hadn’t. Then, about halfway through it, I realized I was risking putting myself into a horrible cycle of addiction and put it out. After I woke up—the hit relaxed me so much I knocked out—I spent a few hours feeling guilty about it. But I’ve done everything a reasonable person is supposed to do.

In this economy, it simply wasn’t enough.

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The New York Knicks may have lost to the San Antonio Spurs at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but there were still plenty of highlights at the highly anticipated matchup—most notably a surprise appearance from New York's very own Cardi B, who took the court at Madison Square Garden to perform her songs “Bodak Yellow” and “Bodega Baddie” in inches upon inches of extra-long, sweeping dark hair.

If you thought Cardi was just there to cheer on the Knicks with her son Wave, well, you'd be wrong! She was there to watch, but she was also there to work! Cardi paired her super-fitted catsuit with nearly ankle-length hair parted precisely in the middle, styled as always by her longtime hairstylist Tokyo Stylez, who described the hairstyle as looking like “silk.” It was the perfect pick for a quick but very impactful performance (just over three minutes) and flowed dramatically behind Cardi as she strutted from her seat through a throng of dancers to the center of the floor. And when we say her hair was long, we mean it—it didn't end at her hip, her butt, or her knees, but hit right between her calf and ankle for extra drama.

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The rest of Cardi's beauty details were just as notable, including her equally long, bright white stiletto-shaped nails and matching white pedicure by nail artist Jenny Bui. Makeup artist Erika La' Pearl applied classic Cardi B glam: precise brows, long lashes, and a subtly shiny lip.

“Bodak Yellow” came out in 2017, skyrocketing Cardi to worldwide fame, and since then she's solidified her place as one of the biggest rap and beauty icons in the industry. She launched her hair-care brand, Grow-Good, this year—a project that was more than three years in the making—and continues to have so much fun with her beauty routine, whether that's with a denim-blue bob or a rainbow updo. The Knicks play the Spurs again on June 10, so we'll be keeping a very close eye on the celeb-studded front row for another Cardi cameo.

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There's a new member of the MAC Viva Glam family: Chappell Roan! The musician has officially joined a truly legendary lineup of stars who have fronted campaigns for MAC's philanthropic lipsticks, an effort that has raised over $545 million since 1994.

The Chappell Roan Viva Glam collection includes three lip colors: UnNatural Red Head, a dark cherry; Roan of Arc, a mid-toned plum lipstick-balm; and Damnsel, a sheer red-plum gloss with gold shimmer. The packaging features very Roan-esque crest with a sword and heart design, referencing some of the themes the Grammy winner has explored in her performances. (Roan has been a MAC Cosmetics ambassador since late 2025.)

Roan joined forces with her go-to makeup artist Andrew Dahling on the campaign, and Dahling described it as an “incredibly collaborative process” centered on a “multidimensional French Revolution story” featuring a few characters. “The archetypes really helped decide where to go. I’ve learned it’s helpful to invent a character and play from her," Dahling explained. "I thought about what Chappell Roan would look like during the French Revolution, or in a hyperbolic 1940s film as a romantic aristocratic empress. The key to connecting her visual identity was the use of color and glitters, a sort of modern, surreal Chappell Roan take on this era of makeup and its references.”

Roan was super hands-on in the process, designing her specific shades and packaging. “I wanted to do more of a bold color because that is my vibe,” the singer tells Allure. “I wanted the packaging to live in the world of Medieval, Art Nouveau. And I wanted to make a lipstick that matched my hair!”

Makeup is integral to the persona of “Chappell Roan” the pop star and a key part of the world the singer and her team create for every performance. “It is all intertwined, but I am really only wearing makeup when I am performing. When I wear makeup, it is 100 percent Chappell Roan,” she says. “However, the performing side of Chappell only makes up one third of my character. It’s the showmanship sliver that you see, but the rest is quite bare.”

The campaign was shot by photographers Inez & Vinoodh and directed by MAC Global Creative Director Nicola Formichetti. Given that lip products are Viva Glam's main focus, they play an important role in the imagery; Roan wears a combo of UnNatural Red Head and Lip Pencil in Vino in the photos, paired with a dramatic eye in shades of plum, gold, ruby, and turquoise, feathery lashes, pencil-thin brows, and tumbling red curls styled by Lacy Redway. “This campaign is meant to be inclusive and represent a different type of glamour,” Roan explains. “I hope the weird art kids and people who are down to be different, dramatic, and bold all see themselves reflected here but all are welcome.”

MAC CosmeticsMAC CosmeticsMAC Cosmetics

In addition to raising funds for charities that support sexual, gender, racial, and environmental equality, MAC is donating $300,000 to Roan's nonprofit, the Midwest Princess Project, and its LGBTQ+ partner organizations. With her campaign, Roan joins stars like RuPaul (the first Viva Glam campaign star!), Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Rosalía, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, and Missy Elliott, all of whom have posed in support of the initiative.

“I think [Viva Glam] represented people who weren’t afraid to associate themselves with something gay and something feminine, which are two things that are shamed in our society,” Roan shares. “Honestly, it's a lot to take in that I am a part of that legacy, and I feel a lot of responsibility to uphold what people expect but also to honor the people before me.”

Roan's Viva Glam collection launches June 11.

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Move over, millennial mint. See ya next year, butter yellow. There's a new pastel color trend in town, and we've seen it on two celebs this week alone: lovely lilac! Yes, this supremely springy shade is making its way into summer thanks to Emily Blunt, who went monochromatic with a lavender manicure and eye shadow combo that solidified the color as a few fave for June and beyond.

Blunt fully embraced lilac tones at the UK premiere of her movie Disclosure Day, walking the red carpet in a strapless purple gown with matching nails and lids. Her nails were a medium length in a slightly rounded square shape, painted with a few coats of a creamy light purple reminiscent of one of my favorite Crayola crayons of all time, Purple Mountain's Majesty. (Remember that one? What a hit.) The color was an exact match for her intricate lace Stella McCartney dress, and if you're feeling it, Essie's In Pursuit of Craftiness, a soft violet, would satisfy your purple cravings.

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But the purple vibes didn't stop there! Blunt, who works with makeup artist Jenn Streicher, also wore the shade on her eyes, with a soft wash of shadow across the entire lid. The eye shadow of choice was just a tiny bit darker than her mani and dress, more of a true purple than lavender or lilac. This is monochromatic glam done right—just matchy-matchy enough, with lots of little subtle details that make it feel chic, not cheesy.

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Blunt isn't the only star turning lilac into the go-to summer color; Jennifer Lopez also co-signed the hue for one of her Office Romance premiere events, wearing a gorgeous pale purple color dusted on her eyes and enhanced by spiky, dramatic false lashes to really make the violet shade shine. Looks like we'll all be channeling our inner Prince this summer!

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Cindy Crawford looks great. Full stop. None of this “for your age” bullshit. “I'm not 20, and no one expects me to look the same way as I did when I was 20,” she tells podcast hosts Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan on the latest episode of Gloss Angeles, where the legendary supermodel gets candid about everything from facials to facelifts. (Spoiler alert: She's not especially into either.)

Speaking of being 20, Crawford is appalled that the public discussion about the “right” age to get a facelift has skewed so young on social media. “Is there a right age? I mean, certainly not 20. I'll tell you that much,” she says. And certainly not 24, which is her model daughter Kaia Gerber's age. And when it comes to cosmetic treatments and procedures that have gained popularity among younger people, she tries to steer her away.

“What I say is, like, look, you are naturally beautiful, and I would just encourage her to lean into that,” Crawford says of her advice to Gerber. “Because otherwise, everyone starts looking kind of the same, and so I'm like, you made it because you had your look.”

So does the Meaningful Beauty founder, now 60, think that she's at the right age for a facelift? She's not immune to intrusive thoughts about getting work done, but she's holding off, at least for now. She credits some of that restraint to a pact with her friend, makeup artist Sonia Kashuk.

“We're like, 'We're not doing it, right? We're not doing it,'” Crawford says. “I feel lucky that my husband is very, very against it cause he's like, ‘You look beautiful. Why?’" But then, Crawford says, she'll see someone who got a facelift and admire how great it turned out, so the temptation returns.

“I have decent genetics, and, I mean, tempted? Yes. I, like everybody—you look at someone, you're like, ‘They look really good. What did they do?’ But then you see other people, and you're like, is it worth the risk?" she says, grimacing at the thought of undesirable results. “My self-talk is all about, obviously, trying to take care of myself and accept that, you know, we all age if we're lucky.”

Photo: Gloss Angeles

As for other beauty treatments, Crawford tells Gloss Angeles that she's tried lasers and PRP, but she's getting conventional facials a lot less often than she used to. “I used to go to Cristina Radu all the time for facials, and that's when I was working a lot, and my skin was younger, and I really needed the cleaning and the microdermabrasion more,” she says. “Now, I don't like that kind of a facial so much.”

Instead, to get a more refreshed look, she's been enjoying the occasional facial massage, and she recently partnered with Upneeq, the prescription eye drops that help lift eyelids. “Upneeq is a great product, especially for people who don't want to do surgery,” she says, referring to blepharoplasty.

“I would recommend to anybody because you can just stop using it if you don't like it. You can use it every day if you want. You could use it for special events if you want,” she says. “It's not a big buy-in, right? There's so many interventions you can do now.”

And whether or not you decide to pursue those interventions is an entirely personal call. “If it bothers you, it bothers you,” Crawford said, echoing the advice her esthetician aunt used to give about not considering other people's opinions regarding your appearance. “And if you want to and if you have the means to address it, then that should be up to you.”

Check out the full conversation about aging, modeling, running a beauty brand, and so much more in the latest episode of Gloss Angeles.

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Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter and Zendaya and Billie Eilish and Hailey Bieber all have at least two things in common: 1) They are famous. And 2) They can pull off a headscarf better than most. I’ll let the photos floating around the World Wide Web speak for themselves.

Pause there, then rewind to 1953: Roman Holiday premieres starring 24-year-old Audrey Hepburn. As she begins her rise to stardom, she frequently wraps her chocolate brown hair in a headscarf. 1970: Printed scarves—in colorful florals and punchy designs–crown Queen Elizabeth II from one royal engagement to the next. Fast-forward and the year is 1998: Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill repopularize scarves, swirling them around their hair on stage and off.

Then and now, the most elegant—and sometimes, the most mundane—squares of fabric have been spun (and tied) into a statement. Sometimes, the most extravagant materials can even take the shape of a headscarf. We witnessed this in 2014, when Adam Selman designed Rihanna a custom headpiece, dazzling with thousands of Swarovski crystals.

Rihanna dazzles in head-to-toe Swarovski crystals at the 2014 CFDA Awards.

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But let’s pause again. Because there was a distinct time—specifically the 18th century—when headscarves represented an extremely different status than “cool” or “stylish”: Headscarves were a symbol of servitude. Not a choice. Not a fashion statement. Headwraps were a requirement for slaves by their owners.

Decades later, Black culture began to embrace the style, day and night, and it evolved into a form of protection: “Would you ride your bike without a helmet? No. Would you go to sleep without wrapping your hair? Never. When it comes to maintaining hairstyles, retaining length, and preventing frizz, the noblest work is done at night,” former Allure editor Jihan Forbes wrote in 2018.

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Now, amid your morning scroll in 2026, chances are someone on your phone screen will be showing off their headscarf this summer. Posing…and voguing, because the accessory begs to be photographed. Maybe it’s Zendaya, who stops your scroll, hilariously posing for the camera at an independent bookstore with copies of Dune and The Odyssey, her bangs poking out of a casual blue bandana. Or it could very well be that you still have images of Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter saved from 2024—when the headscarf trend really started taking off—on your Pinterest board. (Not going to lie, we still think of Carpenter's look in her “Espresso” music video, complete with baby pink scarf, her curtain bangs peeking out just so). Or, perhaps, it’s your favorite content creator—Claudya Moreira, Jenny Walton, Tezza Barton, Jessica Skye, Amy Julliette Lefévr, and the list goes on (and on)—whose photo you have saved as inspiration because maybe…just maybe…you are finally convinced to wear the scarf that’s been sitting in a drawer, waiting patiently to be all tied up.

Sabrina Carpenter walks the runway at Vogue World in 2024

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Candidly, we still have Hailey Bieber’s Coachella look (you know, the one where she boldly layered a leopard-print scarf over a Fila baseball cap) stuck in our heads. The same is true about Ayo Edebiri (a.k.a. Chef Sydney “Syd” Adamu) in The Bear. Edebiri pairs her white coat with a new scarf episode after episode—and each look is fabulous. Uncommon it is not to see this hairstyle in the kitchen. But, uncommon it is for someone to have such an expansive collection of ridiculously gorgeous scarves. All were sourced by costume designer Courtney Wheeler—from Aimé Leon Dore, Fine and Dandy, a vintage shop in New York City, and eBay, among other places—who says the scarves were a practical accessory but also gave Syd "self-expression without her even speaking.”

Hairstylist and hair department head for The Bear Ally Vickers had runway images pinned on her mood board for Edebiri’s character: “I pulled a lot of inspiration from fashion shows in the ‘90s and 2000s,” she tells Allure. “Anna Sui, Calvin Klein, and Prada are my favorites for archival runways. The hair is chef’s kiss.” Yes, Chef! Yes, indeed.

Emilia Wickstead spring 2026

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Zimmerman spring 2026

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If you follow fashion week, you'll know Headscarves have been the accessory du jour of the past few seasons. At the spring/summer 2026 runway shows—at Calvin Klein, Emilia Wickstead, Zimmerman, and Giambattista Valli, to name a few—models could be spotted rocking the accessory. Bold prints, solid, splashy colors, and unexpected fabrics all made an appearance. While what’s on the runway doesn’t necessarily make it to street style, scarves have flooded the sidewalks.

For Claudya Moreira—a model, digital creator, and the self-proclaimed “Queen of Scarf”—a scarf is a “versatile accent” that she incorporates into her daily ensemble, no matter the occasion…or season. “My love for scarves runs deep and is rooted in my heritage,” she tells Allure. “Growing up in an environment where all the women wore scarves, I naturally embraced them as a part of my daily life and personal style. I inherited a cherished scarf from my grandmother, and everything our grandparents leave us is a blessing. Scarves are more than just accessories to me; they represent a connection to my past, a celebration of heritage, and a medium for artistic expression.”

Claudya Moreira, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Scarf,” photographed wearing her signature accessory.

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You’ll see Moreira styled to perfection from head to toe (in a structured blazer or summery blouse or full-length gown on her Instagram) and just about every look is complete with a scarf in some form. “Each of these styles allows me to express my fashion sense while adding a touch of elegance to my outfits,” says Moreira, who has even designed a collection of scarves called Zafia Lisbon.

Creator Jenny Walton sees scarves as more than just a polished accessory: “I mainly end up wearing them when I’m having a bad hair day, which is often in the summer,” she tells Allure. “Or if my roots need to be redone and I don’t have time, a headscarf can prolong my hair appointment for a few weeks.” To be clear, you would never know that her vibrant matching Marimekko dress and scarf were hiding anything such as a “bad hair day.” Walton typically reaches for Hermès scarves and says their lightweight silky texture makes them easy to tie—and they actually stay on.

Jenny Walton pairs a Marimekko headscarf with striking sunnies.

Jenny Walton

Hairstylist Lacy Redway previously told Allure, “To secure the scarf, cross two pins behind your ears where they are not very visible.” Allure associate features director Dianna Mazzone Singh says this method has proven to be successful for her, especially with a little reinforcement from the arms of her sunglasses (as she has styled the look above).

Allure associate features director Dianna Mazzone Singh poses poolside in a caftan and headscarf.

Dianna Mazzone Singh

In her “30 Days, 30 Scarf Styles” series, Moreira shared a genius solution to avoid slippage, laying the scarf over her head (so one of the corners completely covers her face), sliding on thick black headband, and folding the scarf back over the headband to conceal it completely. Hairstylist Sunnie Brook also has a hidden support hack using bobby pins and some sneaky folding, which you can watch below.

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And on a windy day—or just to be certain your scarf isn't going anywhere—Vicker’s has another pro tip: “Leave a little hair out at the nape of your neck. Tie your scarf between the hair that you’ve left out and the bulk of your hair; then when you’re putting your hair into a ponytail you can secure all the hair into the same elastic,” she says. “You will still be able to see the bow of your scarf, but your hair will keep her locked in.”

It’s certainly one way to elevate your ponytail—or hairstyle of the day—and look effortlessly polished… no matter what lies beneath.

Shop our favorite headscarves:

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SilkySilky

Elegantly Designed Silk Printed Square Scarf

$30

Nordstrom

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The Peacock Crew

Premium Soft Cotton Bandanas

$13

Amazon

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For Love & Lemons

Rose Crochet Head Scarf

$69

Revolve

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Gunia Project

Lybid Silk Headscarf

$170

Gunia Project