Good HouseKeeping
Bette Midler Shows How To Make Gray Hair Glamorous Again
By Charley Williams-Howitt
November 10, 2026
Bette Midler’s silver bouffant updo shows how to make gray hair glamorous at 80. Silver hair gives her classic bouffant a modern glow.
If you’ve ever talked yourself out of wearing your gray hair up for a big evening, look at Bette Midler.
However, at the New York premiere of Steps, she wore a voluminous updo with a fringe framing her eyes.
The height gave Bette Midler’s hair red-carpet drama. However, what really elevates the look is the silver color itself. ‘Grey hair reflects light differently to darker shades, so when it’s healthy and well-toned it creates a vibrant, luminous finish,’ says Kris Barnes, celebrity session stylist, colorist and PROVOKE ambassador.
Bette’s updo is improved by her silver shade and soft styling. Additionally, Here’s how to borrow a little of Bette Midler glamour for your own updo.
A gray updo can look modern.
Grey hair doesn’t age a hairstyle.
Additionally, ‘gray hair can make an updo look incredibly chic because it naturally creates dimension and texture,’ explains Kris.
The key is avoiding anything overly rigid or heavily sprayed. ‘Today’s most flattering updos have softness around the hairline, movement through the crown and a slightly undone quality,’ says Kris. ‘Additionally, Embracing your silver can actually make classic updo look fresher and more modern.’
First, keep the finish soft and touchable.
Which updos flatter gray hair?
Additionally, a mix of silver and darker tones can look beautiful in styles that showcase the hair’s natural variation.
Soft French twists, textured chignons, and voluminous swept-back updos are particularly effective.
The twists and folds reveal different tones throughout the hair, Kris says.
Think of it as natural highlighting.
The contrast between silver and darker strands creates depth and movement.
It gives the style a richness that one solid color can’t always achieve.
What’s the trick for keeping a silver updo glossy?
Grey hair can become drier and less reflective, so maintaining brightness and hydration is essential. Additionally, I recommend using products designed specifically for gray hair to keep tones clean and luminous and prevent yellowing, advises Kris.
He recommends using PROVOKE Touch Of Silver Ultimate Grey Shampoo and Conditioner to maintain brightness. Additionally, this supports the hair fiber, helping silver shades look more reflective. When styling an updo, finish with a lightweight shine spray through the mid-lengths and ends, and a flexible-hold hairspray. ‘You want polish and movement, not a helmet,’ says Kris.
How to recreate Bette’s look at home. If your hair is naturally gray, it’s on the mature side. Moreover, as you age, the diameter of hair strands tends to decrease. The hair becomes finer overall. “Fine hair often struggles to hold height because it’s too silky,” Kris says. “So the secret is creating structure before you pin the hair up.”
Apply a volumising mousse or root-lift spray to damp hair and blow-dry with a round brush, lifting the roots.
Additionally, backcombing at the crown will help create support, but keep it concentrated at the roots, Kris suggests.
Kris suggests.
Smooth the surface with a soft brush. Additionally, gather the lengths into a loose twist or bun at the back of the head. ‘The trick is not making it too perfect. Leave a little softness around the face and keep the volume rounded rather than overly teased. It’s that combination of height and softness that gives the look its glamour,’ says Kris.
