Colour Charts

Colour charts

Ever wonder what the numbers and letters on hair color charts stand for? Tone is indicated by the letter, while level is indicated by the number. Every natural hair color is some combination of black, brown, yellow, and red. The yellow and red pigments in your hair are responsible for underlying tone. This hair color chart read from the warmest tone to the coolest tone. 

Warm and cool tones

Warm tones neutralize cool tones and vice versa. If you’re coloring your hair lighter, warm tones become naturally exposed, so we recommend using a cool tone for more neutral results. Otherwise, let your complexion be your guide. Warm tones can help add color, while cool tones will reduce the look of redness. And when in doubt, you can always opt for a neutral.

About hair colour levels

While tones are warm and cool, levels are dark and light. Your hair’s black and brown pigments determine level. Start by determining your natural level. And your current level, if your hair is colored. If you want to go lighter, there are limits to what home hair color can do. Making hair darker is more easily accomplished at home, though for healthier-looking hair, you’ll want to go darker gradually. 

What’s the best hair colour for me?

The answer to ‘what hair colour suits me’ lies in a hair colour chart – you know, those charts that show swatches of the hair colours in a range and have a bunch of numbers and/or letters next to them.What these numbers and letters are trying to tell you is what the shade is like and whether or not it’s suited to your existing hair colour. On a hair colour chart, there are two key things you need to know. The level on the one hand and the tone on the other hand.

The level of hair colour

When we talk about hair colour, we tend to give it a name, like chestnut dark, blonde platinum or blonde platinum golden, or group it by black, brunette, blonde or red. Hairdressers also group shades into levels to describe how dark or light the hair colour is. The standard measurement for hair colour levels is on a scale of one to 10, with level one being the darkest (i.e. black) and level 10 being the lightest (a very light blonde like platinum blonde). You’ll also find mention of these levels on your hair colour packaging. They’re the first number you’ll see on the packaging.

This is what each level means:

Level 1: Black

Level 2: Very dark brown

Level 3: Dark brown

Level 4: Medium brown

Level 5: Light brown

Level 6: Dark blonde

Level 7: Medium blonde

Level 8: Light blonde

Level 9: Extra light blonde

Level 10: Lightest blonde 

If you are looking for more hair colour inspiration, check out our blog and find new ideas on how to colour your hair.