The Ageless Beauty Secrets Behind “Grace and Frankie,” From Gray Hair to Glowing Skin (2024)

“A lot of older women say to me and to Lily, ‘You know, you gave me hope. I can now see that there could be a future,’” Jane Fonda once told Vogue while discussing the significance of Grace and Frankie, the beloved Netflix series starring her and Lily Tomlin. After seven years chronicling the later-life friendship between Fonda's Grace and Tomlin's Frankie—beginning with the day their longtime husbands left them for one another—today, the final episodes are available to stream (and take note: it’s Netflix’s longest-running original series ever).

Needless to say, there’s much that’s aspirational about Grace and Frankie. As Fonda put it, “I think one of the reasons that people like the show is that it’s really easy on the eye.” There’s the scenic California locales, like that beachfront San Diego house. There’s their style, which is definitely a wink at the coastal grandma aesthetic TikTok can’t get enough of. And of course, there’s each of their individual, yet ageless beauty aesthetics: Grace is classic and elegant, while Frankie skews earthy and bohemian. Here, we’re speaking with Fonda and Tomlin’s glam team about each character’s beauty ethos—and the hair and makeup tricks behind their signature looks this season.

Grace, Played by Jane Fonda

“Grace was the owner of a cosmetic company so she had a working knowledge of beauty and was always polished and pulled together,” explains Fonda’s makeup artist David De Leon. According to the pro, the big difference this season was Grace embracing her natural silver hair color. “I adjusted her makeup tones to harmonize with her new hair color,” says De Leon. “A slightly lighter base color and cooler neutral tones in the lips, cheeks, and eyes.” To bring out her gaze, he focused most on the eyes, smudging lids with cool smoky tones of pewter and gray with a little bit of warm peach tones “to bring out the blue in her eyes.” A heavy coating of mascara and false lashes were added to “really make her eyes pop.” As for the rest of her face, cheeks were kept soft with washes of nude pink and peach, while lips were enhanced with a slick of warm matte pink, usually L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude. When it was time to dial things up? “There was an occasional pop of bright pink or red lipstick when Grace was dressed up,” says De Leon.

Over the course of season seven, you can see Grace letting her gray roots grow out to reveal a sleek silvered bob—mirroring Fonda’s own hair transformation off screen. For the first four episodes released back in 2021, hairstylist Jonathan Hanousek used three wigs to show the progression of Grace growing out her natural gray, which Fonda revealed at the 2020 Oscars. “Grace was tired ofthe upkeep and maintaining beauty stereotypes,” explains Hanousek. “In real life,Janewas ready to let her natural hair color grow out as well.” Throughout the final episodes, Fonda is wearing her natural gray bob. “Grace is more relaxed and her hair is softer, not as coiffed as past seasons,” he says, adding that he used L'Oréal Paris Boost It mousse throughout the entire head and White Sands UnderCover Styling Spray at the roots. “Overall I think Grace’s signature style was sophisticated and modern.” For De Leon, Grace is the epitome of a timeless canvas. “I love that although Grace has a classic conservative way of dressing, she always looked ravishing with her silver mane and the polished glamour of her makeup.”

Frankie, Played by Lily Tomlin

“Frankie is a mix of hippie, spunky, kooky, and a free spirit,” says Tomlins makeup artist Bonita De Haven. “Her makeup needed to reflect natural while enhancing her lovely features.” Unlike Grace’s, Frankie’s clothes are bolder and more vivid. “I love Frankie’s style,” says De Haven. “Her wardrobe was often colorful and it was important that her makeup was strong enough to balance with her hair and costumes, yet reflect a softness.” To prep skin, the pro leaned on primer to create the perfect base; one that smoothes fine lines, reduces shine, and helps grip the makeup that follows. “Shoot days can be long and primer gave her foundation and makeup the ability to last,” says De Haven, who administered coverage as needed with light sculpting and roseate washes on the cheeks and lips. Of course, playing up Tomlin’s icy gaze was also key. “They are a beautiful blue and a signature shape,” she says. “It was important to emphasize them without changing that shape.”

Another essential part of capturing Tomlin’s hippie spirit was her trademark cascade of long, dark silver waves, which are actually a nod to Grace and Frankie creator Marta Kauffman. “We were inspired by Marta’s beautiful long dark hair with silver threads and used her vibe as inspiration for Frankie,” explains hairstylist Marlene Williams of creating Tomlin’s full lace-front wig, adding it was shaded with different natural colors “to represent the aging process through hair and, at the same time, look beautiful!” As for texture, it was all about channeling a lived-in feel. “Frankie’s wig was air dried, waves were enhanced with spiral curls using various irons and broken down into flowing natural texture,” says Williams, adding that she used a lightweight hair oil to smooth flyaways and add definition. No matter the vibe of the episode–“from silly to stunning to playful!”–Tomlin’s unfussy, yet aspirational beauty was out in full force.

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