How do I know which shade is right for me?

Whether you're a seasoned home hair colourer or considering giving it a go for the first time, it can be hard to know where to start on selecting the right shade. We hear this a lot from our community. So we thought we'd share Josh's expertise on how to navigate and land on the your best colour match.

Firstly, when colour matching it is important to know that Josh Wood Colour doesn’t deliver dramatic transformations in hair colour. It's designed to covers 100% grey, giving you beautiful, modern, natural colour, and shiny, nourished hair. If you’re looking to go drastically lighter or darker than your natural colour, we always recommend visiting a salon.

Next you need to decide if you are naturally lighter and blonde or darker and brunette?

Answering this is the first steer. Our system is very simple, we sell 11 shades from natural black to blonde, and our numbering runs from 2.0 (natural black) to 9.0 (lightest blonde). The next steps below will get you closer to the number that best fits you.

Step 1: Identify your base colour

The best way to do this is to look at the roots of your hair. Check right at the base of your parting, at the top of your head and along the hairline in your root regrowth. Even if you’re grey – you’ll still see pieces of hair that are your natural pigmented hair in this area and this the colour we want to match to.

Super important: Match the colour you’re trying to create (the colour swatch on the box) to the roots of your hair, not your ends. To get the best result, your root colour should be as close as possible to the colour you’re trying to achieve. Important to remember Josh Wood Colour doesn’t deliver dramatic transformations in hair colour.

Step 2: How grey are you?

To assess your grey, look at the roots of your hair across the temples, underneath your hair. This is where you will see the pattern of greying. This is important because it will show you the areas you need to apply the permanent colour to first, and leave for the longest. You don’t need to apply permanent colour to your ends – they already have plenty of colour! Josh recommends only combing colour through to your ends for the last 5-10 minutes of the 30 minute process time. This prevents ends looking too dark and heavy.

Step 3: Find your perfect colour kit

Match your root colour to the image on the box kit or to our model's hair. Sometimes it is easier to take a photo of your hair to do this. You can then find the perfect match for you to achieve your gorgeous colour. 

Super important: You will find your perfect shade more easily if you focus on the images rather than the shade descriptions. 

Step 4: Find your personalised tone

Elevate your base shade, with multidimensional tone, by using the Shade Shot. We all have a preference on whether we like warmer or cooler tones running through our hair, which one do you prefer?

Super important: Shade 2.0 and 3.0 do not pair with a shade shot. 

For Brunettes shade 4-6

Chestnut Brunette Shade Shot will bring out warming, autumnal highs and lows.

Our model wears shade 5.5 + Chestnut Brunette Shade Shot

Smoky Brunette Shade Shot will neutralise red tones on dark hair for the ultimate cool, dark finish.

Our model wears shade 6.0 + Smoky Brunette Shade Shot

For Blondes shade 7.0-9

Champagne Blonde Shade Shot will bring out creamy, sun kissed tones.

Our model wears shade 8.0 + Champagne Blonde Shade Shot

Icy Blonde Shade Shot will neutralise brassy tones and give you a cool ash finish.

Our model wears shade 8.5 + Icy Blonde Shade Shot