Start here: there are two different services on this page
Have you been using permanent color on your roots?
- No. You want Grey Blending. From $170 — we soften the root so your natural grey reads as intentional. One appointment, then upkeep every 8–12 weeks, with Vicki O’Connor and the color team.
- Yes. You want The Grey Transition. It starts with a $150 consultation with Sal and a written, session-by-session plan. From $600, typically 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months.
What decides it is the color, not the calendar. If there is permanent color banding on your hair, you are in the transition — however long ago you last colored it, and whatever percentage grey you are.
Grey Blending — from $170 — is a color technique for hair that is not on permanent color: your natural grey is already coming in, and we soften the root and weave dimension through it so the grey reads as a deliberate part of your look rather than a line you are managing. It is one appointment, then upkeep every 8–12 weeks — one of the lowest-maintenance, most sophisticated choices in modern color: fewer salon visits, no harsh regrowth line, and a result that grows out gracefully.
The Grey Transition — from $600, with Sal only — is the other service on this page, and it is for hair with permanent color banding on it. If you have been covering your roots for years, that is the one that applies to you, and it works differently: a planned series rather than a single appointment. Both are described in full below.
You’ll see it written both ways — gray blending in the US, grey blending in the UK — and you’ll see it called gray camouflage; at Reverie that is the $170 service. A grey transition is a different service: it is the work of getting permanent color off hair that has been covered for years, and it is described below. At Reverie Salon in River North, Chicago, gray blending is led by 17-time NAHA-recognized stylist Sal Misseri and a team trained to one standard through Kaizen Education, his advanced color curriculum. The approach prioritizes soft transitions, realistic grow-out, and results that look sophisticated rather than “grown out.”
What grey blending actually is
Grey blending is for hair with no permanent color on it. Your natural grey is already coming in — at the temples, through the part, wherever it started — and the work is softening the root so that grey reads as chosen rather than as a line you are managing. There is nothing to remove and nothing to correct.
Highlights and lowlights are woven so the grey becomes dimension instead of a demarcation, and a tailored gloss harmonizes the whole thing. It is closer to a root touch-up than a correction: one appointment, then upkeep every 8–12 weeks. From $170, with Vicki O’Connor and the color team.
What The Grey Transition actually is
The Grey Transition is not about making your hair grey. It’s about removing the color that’s already on it, so your own hair can grow out without a line. Most people who come to us for this have been covering their roots every four to six weeks for years. Underneath that is their real hair — and it is almost always better than they expect.
The work is getting the old color out cleanly, protecting the hair while we do it, and shaping the transition so that at no point does it read as neglect. It is a series, not an appointment: typically 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months.
From $600, with Sal only. We quote it only after a consultation — never by phone, text, DM or chat. A $150 consultation with Sal is where the plan and the written, session-by-session quote come from.
Why clients choose Reverie for grey blending in Chicago
At Reverie, grey is treated as a design element. The first thing we do is tell you honestly which of the two services you are in — a blend or a transition — because every other decision follows from that one. Grey blending itself is handled by colorists trained to one consistent standard through Kaizen Education, founder Sal Misseri’s advanced color curriculum. That means precise reading of resistant grey, custom placement that flatters your face shape and density, and a grow-out designed for 8–12+ weeks rather than the hard line that comes with traditional coverage.
The result is dimensional color that looks intentional, not like a compromise. And where there is permanent color that has to come off first, we say so and plan it as a transition with Sal, rather than selling you a blend that cannot do that job.
Gray blending vs. full gray coverage vs. doing nothing
Which column is yours is decided by one thing: whether there is permanent color on your hair today.
| Grey blending | The Grey Transition | Full grey coverage | Growing it out, untouched | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Hair with no permanent color on it | Hair with permanent color banding, after years of coverage | Those who want zero visible grey | Hair with no permanent color, and patience |
| Maintenance | Low — every 8–12+ weeks | A planned series first — 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months — then blending upkeep | High — visible regrowth in 3–4 weeks | None, but an awkward in-between phase |
| Regrowth line | Soft, no harsh line | None — the old color comes off instead of being covered again | Defined root line as grey returns | Two-tone demarcation |
| Dimension | High — multi-tonal | Built in as the color is removed | Flat, single tone | Variable |
| Price | From $170 | From $600, with Sal, quoted at consultation | Priced by length and stylist | — |
Who it’s ideal for
Grey Blending — from $170 — is for hair that is not on permanent color. Your natural grey is already coming in, and we soften the root so it reads as intentional rather than a line you are managing. It is closer to a root touch-up than a correction: one appointment, then upkeep every 8–12 weeks. Vicki O’Connor and the color team do this work.
The Grey Transition — from $600, with Sal only — is for hair with permanent color banding on it. This is the client coming off years of root coverage toward her natural hair. It typically runs 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months, and it is quoted only after a consultation.
The dividing line is the banding — not the calendar, and not how much grey you have. If there is a band of permanent color on the hair, the transition is the honest answer, however recently or long ago you last colored it. If there isn’t, blending is a single appointment and you are done.
Gray blending for men
Gray blending works just as well on short hair. The goal is the same: soften the gray so it reads as dimension rather than a change you made, with no visible line and nothing that announces itself as color. On shorter cuts we typically blend to around 50–70% coverage, so the result looks rested, not colored.
It is the same service at the same standard, priced by length and stylist like everything at Reverie: the standalone service starts at $170, and it can be added to a haircut at a price confirmed with your stylist. The simplest way to book it is with your regular cut, and it refreshes on the same rhythm as your haircut. Book it as gray blending with any colorist, or ask about it at a haircut consultation. If you have been using permanent color on your roots, the same rule applies — that is a grey transition with Sal, not a blend.
How the process works
- Consultation. We look at what is actually on your hair, how much grey you have, where it falls, your natural tone and how much upkeep you actually want. This is an honest conversation, not a sales pitch — sometimes the right answer is to do less.
- Placement. Highlights and lowlights are mapped to soften the root and add dimension where it flatters your face and your cut. In a transition, this is also where we map how much of the old color comes off in each session.
- Gloss & tone. A tailored gloss harmonizes everything and gives that lit-from-within finish.
- A plan you can live with. You leave with a realistic maintenance rhythm and the products to hold the tone at home.
What it costs and how long it takes
Three things set the price. How much artificial color is on the hair. The condition the hair is in. And what has been used on it before — box color, drugstore permanent and henna each change the plan, and each one changes how many sessions it takes to get through.
Grey Blending starts at $170 as a standalone service, or it can be added to a haircut at a price confirmed with your stylist. Toner is priced separately, from $75. Pricing is by length and stylist, never by gender.
The Grey Transition starts at $600 with Sal, and typically runs 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months.
We don’t quote a transition over the phone. Not by text, not by DM, not over chat. The number comes out of the consultation, and you get it in writing, session by session, before any color is applied.
A standalone consultation is $50 for 15 minutes, or $150 for 30 minutes with Sal. Either one is credited in full toward any service or product within 30 days. It is forfeited only on a no-show, or a cancellation inside 24 hours. Every booked appointment includes a full consultation in the chair at no extra charge.
And whichever service you are in: you will leave every single session looking finished. At no point does it look like you are mid-project. That is the part of this work we are strictest about.
Maintenance & longevity
Because there’s no hard root line to chase, most clients stretch comfortably to 8–12 weeks or more between appointments, with the occasional gloss refresh to keep tones clean. A sulfate-free, color-considerate routine at home protects both the tone and the integrity of the hair.
Concretely, that is a sulfate-free color-safe shampoo so the gloss doesn’t rinse away early, and — if your grey is running warm or you want the silver reading cooler — a toning shampoo for blonde and silver hair once or twice a week. Used more often than that it over-deposits and the grey goes dull or faintly lilac, so ask your colorist how often yours actually needs it; for some people the honest answer is not at all. Grey also grows in coarser and more porous than pigmented hair, which is why we usually add a weekly mask or treatment — it is what keeps grey feeling soft rather than wiry.
How Reverie approaches grey blending
Grey is unforgiving. It’s resistant, it varies across the head, and getting it to look intentional takes a colorist who reads hair precisely. Every appointment begins with an honest consultation: we look at what is actually on the hair, how it responds, and which of the two services you are in.
For a blend, placement is freehand — highlights and lowlights woven to soften the root, and a tailored gloss to seal the finish. For a transition, the work is mapping where the permanent color sits and how much of it comes off in each session, protecting the hair while it goes, and shaping the grow-out so it never reads as neglect.
Transitions off permanent color are led by Sal Misseri, a Davines Global Artist who trained Davines’ North American color education team and teaches this work internationally. Once you’re through the transition, Vicki O’Connor keeps it — she is one of the salon’s finest colorists, and grey maintenance is where she does her best work.
Frequently asked
What is grey blending?
It is the service for hair that is not on permanent color, from $170. Your natural grey is already coming in, and we weave highlights, lowlights and a gloss through it to soften the root, so the grey becomes a deliberate, dimensional part of your look instead of a line to manage. One appointment, then upkeep every 8–12 weeks. If there is permanent color banded through your hair, the service you want is The Grey Transition instead.
What is The Grey Transition?
The Grey Transition is not about making your hair grey. It’s about removing the color that’s already on it, so your own hair can grow out without a line. It is the service for hair with permanent color banding, usually after years of root coverage. It is a series, not an appointment: typically 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months, from $600, with Sal only, and quoted only after a consultation.
What’s the difference between grey blending and a grey transition?
Banding. Grey Blending, from $170, is for hair that is not on permanent color — we soften the root so your natural grey reads as intentional, which is closer to a root touch-up than a correction. If there is permanent color banding on the hair, that automatically puts you in The Grey Transition instead: from $600, with Sal, typically 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months. It is the banding that decides, not how recently you colored and not what percentage grey you are.
I’ve been coloring my roots for years — can I still do this?
Yes. That is exactly what The Grey Transition is for. Years of root coverage leaves permanent color banded through the hair, and the work is getting it out cleanly rather than covering it over again. It starts with a $150 consultation with Sal and a written, session-by-session plan.
How many sessions will it take?
For a transition, usually 2–5 sessions over 6–18 months. What decides it is what is on the hair — how much artificial color, what condition it is in, and whether box color, drugstore permanent or henna is in its history. Grey Blending, by contrast, is a single appointment and then upkeep.
What does it cost?
Grey Blending starts at $170 as a standalone service, or it can be added to a haircut at a price confirmed with your stylist, with toner priced separately from $75. The Grey Transition starts at $600 with Sal and is quoted only at consultation, in writing. A standalone consultation is $50 for 15 minutes, or $150 for 30 minutes with Sal, credited in full toward any service or product within 30 days.
Will I have a line while it grows out?
No — that is the entire craft of it. Every session is shaped so that you leave looking finished, and at no point does it read as neglect or as though you are mid-project.
How is grey blending different from grey coverage?
Coverage puts permanent color over the grey and commits you to a root touch-up every few weeks. Blending softens the root so your own grey reads as intentional and there is no line to chase. And if you already have years of coverage banded through your hair, the answer is not blending at all — it is a grey transition, where the old color comes off over a series of sessions.
How much does gray blending cost in Chicago?
Gray blending at Reverie starts at $170 as a standalone service, and it can be added to a haircut at a price confirmed with your stylist. Toner is priced separately, from $75. A grey transition starts at $600 with Sal and is quoted only at consultation, in writing. A standalone consultation is $50 for 15 minutes, or $150 for 30 minutes with Sal, credited in full toward any service or product within 30 days.
How often will I need to come in?
Most clients go 8–12 weeks or longer between appointments, with an occasional gloss refresh — one of the main reasons people choose blending.
How much grey do I need for it to work?
There is no threshold, and no upper limit either — this is not a look that only suits a certain percentage of grey. What decides your service is whether there is permanent color on your hair: no permanent color, grey blending; permanent color banding, a grey transition.
Will it look like I’m “giving up” on color?
The opposite, in either service. Blending is a design decision — your grey becomes dimension you chose. And coming off permanent color is a decision too; the whole point of how we plan a transition is that it never looks like a decision you are waiting out. You leave every session finished, and most people find their own hair is better than they expected it to be.
Who does the grey blending at Reverie?
Grey blending at Reverie is done by colorists founder Sal Misseri personally trained through Kaizen Education, his advanced color curriculum. Grey blending and grey maintenance are Vicki O’Connor’s — it is where she does her best work. Transitions off permanent color are Sal’s, and he leads every one himself. Once you are through a transition, Vicki keeps it.
How is Reverie’s approach to grey blending different?
We soften the root with dimensional highlights, lowlights and a custom gloss, so the result grows out softly for 8–12 weeks or longer and reads as intentional color rather than a root line to chase. Where there is permanent color to come off first, that is a grey transition and it is planned as a series.
Is grey blending a good choice if I still want some color?
Yes. The goal is not full coverage or full silver. It is a soft, dimensional result that lets your natural grey become part of a polished look with far less maintenance.
Why does training matter for grey blending?
Grey is more resistant and less predictable than pigmented hair. Consistent training under one high standard produces more reliable placement, better grow-out, and fewer surprises.
Is gray camouflage the same as gray blending?
Yes. Gray camouflage is another name for gray blending: softening the root so natural gray reads as intentional instead of covering it completely. In the UK it is usually spelled grey blending. A grey transition is not the same thing — that is the service for hair with permanent color banding on it, where the old color has to come off over a series of sessions.
Do you do gray blending for men?
Yes. Gray blending works on any length, including short men’s cuts: we blend the gray to roughly 50–70% coverage so it reads as natural dimension, not color. It is priced by length and stylist, never by gender. The standalone service starts at $170, and it can be added to a haircut at a price confirmed with your stylist. If you have been using permanent color on your roots, that is a grey transition with Sal rather than a blend.
Keeping your silver bright between visits
This is what your colorist sends home with you after a gray blending appointment — three products, and the honest reason for each one.
- Milbon Blonde Plus Nourishing Violet Shampoo — $32.40. Grey is porous and grabs warmth from hard water and hot tools, and this pulls that yellow back out. Once or twice a week only — used every wash it over-deposits and the silver goes dull.
- Davines Alchemic Silver Conditioner — $40.00. Silver pigment in a conditioner, so you can cool the tone on a day you are not using the violet shampoo. Concentrate it on the ends, where brass shows up first.
- Milbon Blonde Plus Nourishing Violet Treatment — $44.40. Grey grows in coarser and more porous than your pigmented hair. This is the step that keeps grey feeling soft rather than wiry, and it tones while it conditions.
Not sure which of these your hair actually needs? Ask your colorist at your next visit, or see the rest of what our stylists keep on their own shelves.
Book the one that’s yours
No permanent color on your roots? Book Grey Blending. Permanent color banding from years of root coverage? Book the consultation with Sal — that is where the plan and the written quote come from.
