Blonde Hair Color Chart: Every Shade, Level and Tone
Ten blonde shades from dark blonde to platinum, with the level, tone, who each one suits, what to ask your colorist for and how much upkeep it needs.
“Blonde” covers everything from a soft dark blonde that looks almost light brown to a white platinum that takes months of lightening. Colorists also split every blonde into tones: ash, neutral, golden and strawberry. If you only say “make me blonde,” you could walk out with almost anything.
This blonde hair color chart lays out ten popular blonde shades with their level, tone, who they suit and how much upkeep they need, so you can point to exactly what you want.
Quick answer: Blonde hair runs from level 6 (dark blonde) to level 10 (platinum). Within each level, the tone decides the look: ash blondes are cool and gray-toned, beige and champagne are neutral, golden, honey and butter are warm, and strawberry adds copper. Cool undertones usually suit ash and icy shades, warm undertones suit golden and honey, and neutral undertones can wear almost any blonde.
Blonde hair color chart
| Shade | Level | Tone | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum blonde | 10+ | Cool / neutral | Highest |
| Icy ash blonde | 9 to 10 | Cool (ash) | High |
| Ash blonde | 8 to 9 | Cool (ash) | Medium to high |
| Beige blonde | 8 to 9 | Neutral | Medium |
| Champagne blonde | 9 | Neutral to warm | Medium |
| Golden blonde | 8 to 9 | Warm (gold) | Medium |
| Honey blonde | 7 to 8 | Warm (gold) | Low to medium |
| Strawberry blonde | 7 to 8 | Warm (copper-gold) | Medium |
| Butter blonde | 9 | Warm (yellow-gold) | Medium |
| Dark blonde | 6 to 7 | Neutral to warm | Lowest |
Swatches are a guide only. Real hair color changes with the light, your natural base and how porous your hair is, so always ask for a strand test before a big change.
Blonde levels 6 to 10
Colorists measure how light hair is in levels from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde). Blondes start at level 6. See every level from black to platinum on our hair color chart.
| Level | Name |
|---|---|
| 6 | Dark blonde |
| 7 | Medium blonde |
| 8 | Light blonde |
| 9 | Very light blonde |
| 10 | Lightest (platinum) blonde |
Ash, neutral, golden or strawberry: which blonde tone suits you?
- Ash blonde: cool, with gray or blue-green tones. Best for cool undertones, and great at hiding brassiness.
- Neutral blonde (beige, champagne): balanced, neither warm nor cool. The safest pick if you are not sure of your undertone.
- Golden blonde (golden, honey, butter): warm and sunny. Best for warm and olive undertones, and the easiest blondes to keep looking fresh.
- Strawberry blonde: golden blonde with copper. Lovely on fair, warm skin, but the copper fades fast.
Not sure of your undertone? Our undertone finder takes about a minute, and the hair color quiz suggests shades beyond blonde.
Dark blonde hair color chart
Dark blonde is level 6 to 7, the bridge between light brown and blonde. It comes in three main tones: ash dark blonde (cool, mushroom-like), neutral dark blonde (soft and natural) and golden dark blonde (warm and sunlit). It is the lowest-maintenance way to go blonde, because it is only one or two levels above most natural light brown hair.
How hard is it to go blonde from your color?
- From light brown (level 5 to 6): dark, honey and golden blondes are usually reachable in one appointment.
- From medium brown (level 4): honey or golden blonde is often one session; ash and light blondes may need two.
- From dark brown or black (level 1 to 3): expect several sessions for anything above level 8, and choose balayage or highlights to protect your hair.
- From box dye: old color does not lift evenly. See a colorist and expect a slower, gentler process.
For placement ideas, browse our balayage hair colors and hair color ideas, and use the hair salon tip calculator when the long appointment is done.
How to keep blonde hair from turning brassy
- Use a purple shampoo once a week for ash and icy blondes, and a blue one if your blonde turns orange.
- Book a toner or gloss every 6 to 10 weeks, depending on how cool your shade is.
- Wash with cool water and a sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo.
- Use heat protection, and limit flat-iron heat, which can turn toner yellow.
- Rinse after swimming. Chlorine and hard water can tint blonde hair green or brassy.
Keep going: see every level on the hair color chart and find your undertone with the undertone finder.
