Hair Color Chart:
Find your Level, Tone and Perfect Shade

Finding your shade comes down to two things: first, assess your natural level, the color that grows at the roots, and color-treated level, the color on mid-lengths and ends if you currently color your hair. Then, decide on the level and tone you want to end up with. Level is how light or dark a color is on a scale of 2 to 10. Tone is whether it reads warm, cool, or neutral. This page teaches you to read both so you can find your shade on any hair color chart. And if you would rather be matched, Madison Reed gives you four free ways: the Color Quiz, our Virtual Try On, Madi Virtual Concierge, or a consultation with a licensed colorist.

• Level is the number, from 2 (black) to 10 (light blonde). Madison Reed hair color covers the full range.
• Tone is the letter. It decides whether your color reads warm, cool, or neutral.
• Rather be matched? Take the Color Quiz, see a shade on yourself with Virtual Try On, ask Madi, or book a free colorist consultation. All four are free and backed by a licensed colorist.

What do the numbers and letters on hair color mean?

The number shown is the level, which represents how dark or light the color is. The letters are the tone - the underlying hues mixed into that shade, which determine whether your result reads warm, cool, or neutral.

Fun fact: every natural hair color is some combination of black, brown, yellow, and red. The yellow and red pigments in your hair are responsible for the underlying tone. Most shades contain more than one letter: the first is the primary tone, the second and third letters are the undertones refining the result to create the final shade.

• N is neutral. A balanced base with no push toward warm or cool. This is the predominant tone that covers gray.
• A is ash Cool and smoky. Cancels orange, so it keeps brass in check.
• V is violet. Cool. Cancels yellow, which is why it works on blondes.
• G is gold. Warm. Adds warmth without going orange.
• C is copper. Warm and bright.
• R is red. Warm. True red.
• M is mahogany. A mix of cool and warm. Adds red with brown depth.

Tip for gray coverage: a permanent shade needs N in the formula to cover gray, so if there is no N in the code, that shade is not made to cover gray. A double and triple dose of N pigment is what makes our Knockout shades - an NNA or NNN code - strong enough for the most resistant grays.

What your color can and cannot lift

• Permanent color lifts (lightens) your natural shade up to two levels lighter.
• Permanent color cannot lift hair that is already colored. The general rule is: “color cannot lift color.”
• Demi-permanent color does not lift at all. It deposits level and tone, so it will darken or enhance, never lighten.

Going darker at home is the easier move: you are adding pigment, and the result is more predictable. Going lighter is a bit more involved, because lifting exposes the warm pigment underneath - and if your starting level is too dark for the shade you are using, your roots can lift brighter and more orange than your lengths. Here is how to avoid hot roots.

The best hair color for your skin tone

Your undertone decides how a shade reads on you, and the simplest starting point is to match it: cool shades tend to flatter cool undertones, warm shades warm undertones. It is a guide, not a rule - plenty of guests wear the opposite beautifully, and high contrast can be striking. What matters is that the shade works with your starting point. Not sure which you are? Two quick tests will tell you:

• The jewelry test. Silver flatters cool undertones. Gold flatters warm undertones. If both look nice on you, you are likely neutral.
• The white fabric test. Hold pure white and cream next to you in natural light. If pure white brightens your skin you lean cool; if cream looks better, you lean warm.
  
  

How to find the best hair color for your skin tone →

What if I choose the wrong shade?

Your first box is covered by our 100% Money Back Guarantee. If you are not happy with your color, contact our Color Crew within 60 days of your first hair color purchase and we will refund it.