• Auburn
  • Black
  • Blonde
  • Blue
  • Brown
  • Gray
  • Pink
  • Red
  • White
  • Burgundy
  • Light Brown
  • Dark Red

Hair Color Code

HairColorCode.com is the number one resource for free hair color information from professionals and fans. Check out our hair color guides, ideas and advice.

Choosing the right hair color which matches your skin tone can be tough. We offer the right advice & support in maximising how you feel and expressing your personality.
  • Home
  • Hair Color Ideas
    • Dark Skin
    • Dark Hair Ideas
  • Hair Color Chart
  • Hair Color Guides
  • Celebrity Hair Colors
  • Editors Blog
You are here: Home / Hair Color Guides / Hair Color Shades – A Selection Guide

Hair Color Shades – A Selection Guide

February 9, 2012 By Anthony Anders 29 Comments

Woman with brown and red hair color shades

Congratulations, you have made the big decision to change your hair color – that’s the hard work done, right?

Wrong. Now the job of selecting a shade begins. And let’s face it, if it was as simple as choosing between blonde, brunette, black and red, there wouldn’t be a need for HairColorCode.com!

When it comes to shades there are literally hundreds if not thousands of possibilities so it is wise to start by narrowing down your options.

Get started by finding your level

A hair color level chart ranging from 1 to 10

To kick things off, let’s start by selecting your level. This is how light or dark you want to go, and obviously a strong determination of whether you become a brunette or a blonde. Level 1 is the darkest and Level 10 is the lightest (however some cosmetic brands go up to Level 12).

As a general guide, Level 1 is black (reserved for the Goth kids) and Level 2 is typically the color found is most Asian/Indonesian hair. Levels 8 through 10 are the very lightest blonde (but remember to allow room for margin as every brand is slightly different). We are not concerned with tonality or shade here, just the lightness or darkness of your color.

Next step, pick your perfect tone

Ok, so you have chosen your level, the next step is to select your tone. This is how you tailor your color to your complexion and your wardrobe.

When it comes to tones you will have three options, cool, neutral or warm. Let’s say for example you have selected Level 4. You now have the choice of Level 4 cool, Level 4 neutral or Level 4 warm. Each of these categories will contain two or three specific shades so you can find the one that is exactly right for you.

The three options when it comes to tone:

A chart of the cool neutral and warm hair color tones

Cool tones have undertones of blues and greens, and are sometimes referred to as ash tones. They can be harder to see in darker levels, but at lighter levels they produce a champagne or icy blonde.
Neutral tones are a balance of warm and cool and do not fall heavily at either side of the line.
Warm tones have reds, oranges and golds as the dominant colors, represented in shades such as chestnut brown at a lower levels and strawberry blonde at the higher levels.

So how do you decide if you are cool, neutral or warm?

One of the best indicators of your perfect tone is your skin complexion and eye color

Check out this article on selecting a color for your skin tone.

An understanding of tones is invaluable when it comes to color correction, for example if your neutral shade becomes ‘brassy’ you can select a shade with cool tones at the same level to balance it out.

There are some tonal selections which might initially seem confusing, for example ‘cool reds’ such as burgundy and merlot shades, these are called secondary pigments and are another means of subtly changing your color.

And Now it’s time to pick your next hair color shade!

Once you have decided on a level, and either a cool, neutral or warm tone, you will have narrowed down your options to two or three shades. Which one you go for is entirely up to you, but hopefully if you have followed these steps the choice should be a little less daunting!

If you’re ready to pick your new shade, check out our Hair Color Chart

Color does not have to be tricky, but a little research will help you to make the best choices. Whether you are coloring your hair at home, or starting negotiations with a professional, an understanding of levels, tones and shades will help you predict the end result prior to placing the product on your precious locks.

Hair Color Shades - A Selection Guide, 3.9 out of 5 based on 33 ratings

Filed Under: Hair Color Guides

Hair Colors

Alexa Chung with brown to blonde ombre hair

Ombre Hair Color – The Big Look This Year

Ombre hair color is the look of the year, making its way from stylish celebrity circles to become a … Read More

Young woman with stylish gray hair in a bob

Gray Hair – A classic color back in style!

For some people gray hair is something to be avoided at all costs, but when fashionistas like Daphne … Read More

Comments

  1. Carol Lewis says

    May 7, 2012 at 10:46 am

    What colours are 6 neutral or warm

    Reply
    • Rida Wasty says

      May 17, 2016 at 7:51 am

      Dark brown

      Reply
  2. Susie B says

    May 8, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    Hi Carol,

    6 is the level of the color, which is the lightness or darkness (and 6 is more or less bang in the middle). When it comes to tone though, you can get both neutral, warm and cool shades at level 6.

    Because it’s a mid-level selection, I would say that there tends to be more neutral shades available at level 6, but there are still plenty of warm shades out there.

    Is there a specific tone you’re going for?

    S x

    Reply
  3. Jayne Koenig says

    October 8, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    I have been colouring my hair for years with a light golden brown, but would like to go a shade lighter to dark blonde. There was only neutral dark blonde in this brand, no golden and I would like to stay with this brand.

    I have heard there are dangers in changing from warm to cool, you can end up with green hair, but can you change from warm to neutral?

    Reply
  4. shehnaz says

    February 18, 2013 at 1:29 pm

    Sir/Madam
    Can you tell me which color do i apply on my hair,i have being using light brown but there is some red tone in it and now i want to change my color want to go in light golden blonde please tell me if i use medium ash will it cover my grey and remove red from my hair.

    Reply
  5. CHIC says

    March 9, 2013 at 4:55 pm

    LOOKING FOR WHITE COLOR TO COVER GRAY HAIR. NO YELLOW IN IT . BEEN TOLD YOU DISCONTINUE IT WHY WHY WHY! Chic

    Reply
  6. jennifer says

    April 23, 2013 at 12:39 am

    I would like to go from golden blonde to champagne blonde..what do you suggest?
    Thank you!
    Jenn

    Reply
  7. alfred says

    April 26, 2013 at 5:11 am

    i colored my hair about a month ago, it came out way to dark almost black, when i just wanted a medium brown, im trying to light it up to a light brown, i just bought a 5nw wella and a 5n alfaparf evolution, will that help me to get rid of the dark and get to where i wanted to be? can anybody help me….

    Reply
  8. ian chua says

    May 25, 2013 at 4:30 pm

    can i mix chestnut brown with burgundy before applying onto hair??

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      December 31, 2015 at 4:57 am

      Did you end up trying this combination? I’m wanting to do it but not sure how it will turn out.

      Reply
    • Lindsey says

      March 9, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      Yes… I’ve mixed colors before to create my own cherry cola color. I used a dark brown and vibrant auburn. If you’re unsure, do a strand test first. Reds generally take longer to adhere to your hair. The brown may need less time; maybe put the red on first? I mixed then together in the bottle and the result was subtle. It all depends on the look you’re going for!

      Reply
  9. Roots says

    July 6, 2013 at 7:04 pm

    Currently my hair is layered and the back is a little past my shoulders… I have been growing it out after having to cut off my long light brown highlighted hair (naturally ash brown) (shoulder length bangs the rest to the middle of back) due to several months of stubborn stupidity thinking i could figure out how to fix what was suppose to be dark brown color i put on my hair (after wearing a dark brown wig to a cinco de mayo party where i got tons of compliments) that turned my hair burgundy…..sorry for rambling….
    Anyway, now my hair is this blondish reddish orangish color and i have about 2 inches of natural color roots – medium/light ash brown with an irritating introduction of gray…..
    I recently used Revlon Roux Young Color 29/4GN light ash brown which is a semi permanent color, it uses “Crystals” no ammonia or peroxide…..I love what it did…..but it didn’t even last 2 weeks….I want to accomplish the same results but with permanent not semi permanent….
    So again, sorry for rambling….my question is…..can I use 20 developer with the Roux Young Color or can someone suggest what color to buy at local beauty supply store to get same result?

    Reply
  10. Margaret says

    October 11, 2013 at 5:00 pm

    Hi,
    I am trying to keep my natural hair colour which is light auburn, its not red or ginger or blond but a mixture leaning to the blonder end of the scale. I am of a certain age and turning gray and cannot find a product to maintain my colour or even get close. Can colours be mixed? what would you suggest I do?
    Thanks in advance for your advice
    By the way some of the links on the hair colour chart are not connecting

    Reply
  11. Gana says

    April 13, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    my articles http://katdelunaonline.org/2013/12/some-facts-about-strawberry-blonde-hair-color/

    Reply
  12. MARIZ CASTRO says

    August 25, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    hi i have a morena/tan skin tone andi dyed my hair yellow gold before and now its starting to fade.. any suggestions on what hair color should i do next ?

    Reply
  13. test says

    May 2, 2017 at 7:55 pm

    I know thi web site presents quality depending articles and additional stuff, is
    there any other website which presents suuch stuff in quality?

    Reply
  14. Arelia says

    June 24, 2017 at 5:40 am

    Need picture of #27 and #35 mixed together he results please

    Reply
  15. Willard says

    July 22, 2017 at 3:12 pm

    Your homer offer for maximizing traffic though will be the resource box.
    Therefore it may get huge redults whether principles are followed consistently.

    Planned to hear back from an agent.

    Reply
  16. 83Teresa says

    August 3, 2017 at 3:25 am

    Hello admin, i must say you have very interesting content here.
    Your page can go viral. You need initial traffic
    only. How to get it? Search for; Mertiso’s tips go viral

    Reply
  17. FirstSelena says

    September 25, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    I have noticed you don’t monetize your website, don’t waste your traffic, you can earn additional cash every month because you’ve
    got hi quality content. If you want to know how to make extra $$$, search
    for: Mrdalekjd methods for $$$

    Reply
  18. AnastasiaSmall says

    March 2, 2018 at 7:14 pm

    I have checked your website and i’ve found some duplicate
    content, that’s why you don’t rank high in google’s
    search results, but there is a tool that can help you to create 100% unique content, search for: Boorfe’s
    tips unlimited content

    Reply
  19. free proxy says

    June 6, 2019 at 3:06 am

    Hi,I log on to your blogs named “Hair Color Shades – A Selection Guide” daily.Your humoristic style is witty, keep up the good work! And you can look our website about free proxy.

    Reply
  20. Bev Foll says

    January 27, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    Hello

    YOU NEED QUALITY VISITORS FOR YOUR: haircolorcode.com ?

    WE PROVIDE HIGH-QUALITY VISITORS WITH:
    – 100% safe for your site
    – real visitors with unique IPs. No bots, proxies, or datacenters
    – visitors from Search Engine (by keyword)
    – visitors from Social Media Sites (referrals)
    – visitors from any country you want (USA/UK/CA/EU…)
    – very low bounce rate
    – very long visit duration
    – multiple pages visited
    – tractable in google analytics
    – custom URL tracking provided
    – boost ranking in SERP, SEO, profit from CPM

    CLAIM YOUR 24 HOURS FREE TEST HERE=> [email protected]

    Thanks, Bev Foll

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What to Wear With Colored Hair Part 3: Breathtaking Brunettes | Beatrice Couture Blog says:
    April 23, 2013 at 6:39 pm

    […] unsure which category you fall into, check out the informative “Tone” section of this article (click the tone palette preview to go to the article). Image courtesy of […]

    Reply
  2. Hair Dye Post – Little Town says:
    July 1, 2014 at 12:22 am

    […] helpful to learn about shade levels if you’re serious about hair coloring. It’ll help narrow down what you’re looking […]

    Reply
  3. How to Find the Best Hair Color for Your Skin Tone – Blog Community | Hair says:
    November 9, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    […] Image via: Hair Color Code […]

    Reply
  4. How to Get Purple Hair: The Basics - Kayllisti's Quill Kayllisti's Quill says:
    July 11, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    […] a darker color of purple, you need to have pretty light hair to get the color vibrant. Refer to a hair shade chart. I bring mine to an 8 to achieve the color that I have now. Decide on the shade of blonde you need […]

    Reply
  5. level 6 auburn hair color | Best Hairstyle Models says:
    December 10, 2017 at 8:55 am

    […] Hair Color Shades – A Selection Guide […]

    Reply
  6. all hair shades – New Home Decor says:
    May 4, 2018 at 4:02 am

    […] Hair Color Shades – A Selection Guide […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Us

  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact

Come Say Hi on Facebook

Four women with hair colors

Hair Colors – Starting With The Basics.

Find What You Are Looking For

Getting Started

  • Hair Coloring Basics
  • Hair Dye Guide
  • Hair Color Shades
  • Hair Colors
  • Color Ideas For Brunettes

Hair Color Guides

  • Changing Hair Color
  • Kool Aid Hair Dye
  • Hair Color Removal
  • Natural Hair Dye
  • Henna Hair Dye
  • Red Hair Dye

About The Team

  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · HairColorCode.com

This site uses cookies: Find out more.