You have seen the numbers. 27, 30, 613, 99J. They appear on every extension listing as though everyone already knows the code, and nobody explains it.
Here is the whole system in plain terms, using the nine shades we actually carry.
How the numbering works
Two things are happening in these codes.
Low numbers are darkness levels. The scale starts at 1 for black and climbs as the shade gets lighter — 4 is a medium brown, 8 is a light ash brown, 27 is a honey blonde, 613 is the lightest. A letter after the number signals an undertone: 1b is a natural black, slightly softer than a pure jet 1.
Some codes are not on that scale at all. 350 and 99J are red-family codes that describe a tone rather than a level. This is why people get caught out — you cannot line them up against the others by number.
The nine shades, described honestly
- 1b — natural black. The default. Not a harsh blue-black; it reads like real dark hair.
- 4 — medium brown. Warm, close to a dark chocolate. The most forgiving color on the list.
- 8 — light ash brown. Cooler than 4. Reads as a subtle lift rather than a color change.
- 27 — honey blonde. Warm golden blonde. The most requested colored shade in most shops, ours included.
- 30 — auburn. A red-brown. Sits between 4 and 350 and is the safest way into a red without going bright.
- 350 — copper ginger. Bright, orange-leaning. This is a statement color and it photographs vividly.
- 613 — platinum blonde. The lightest we carry. Almost white in daylight.
- 99J — deep wine red. Dark and cool-toned, more berry than fire.
- burgundy — darker and more purple than 99J. The deepest color on the list.
The three pairs people mix up
350 and 99J. Both called red, and they are opposites. 350 is bright orange copper. 99J is a dark wine. If you order the wrong one you will not be slightly off, you will be at the other end of the red family.
99J and burgundy. Genuinely close. 99J leans red, burgundy leans purple. In a photograph under warm light they can look identical; in daylight they do not.
27 and 613. Both blonde, several levels apart. 27 is warm honey. 613 is near-white. If you want blonde braids that read as blonde from across a room, that is 613. If you want warmth, 27.
Picking one
Three questions get most people to an answer.
How far from your own color do you want to land? 4 and 8 read as a lift. 27 and 30 read as a color. 350, 613 and burgundy read as a choice you made deliberately.
Warm or cool? Warm shades are 4, 27, 30, 350. Cool shades are 8, 613, 99J and burgundy. Mixing a warm shade into a cool base is where installs start looking accidental.
Are you blending or contrasting? Two shades close together — say 4 with 8 — give depth without an obvious change. Two shades far apart, like 350 with 613 running through it, is a deliberate contrast. Both work. They are just different intentions.
How color affects the install
A few things that only show up once you are in the chair.
- Light shades show length. 613 at a given length reads longer than 99J at the same length, because dark color absorbs light and the ends disappear against clothing.
- Bright shades show the parting. On 350 or 613, the braid pattern at the root is far more visible than on 1b. That is usually a good thing on knotless braids, where the pattern is part of the look.
- Order all your bundles together. Color batches are not identical, and on a bright shade a small difference between batches is visible.
Where to find each shade
All nine are available in every one of our textures through Custom Color Bulk Hair at 12, 18 and 24 inches, and through Custom Color Wefted Bundles up to 26 inches. How that line works is explained in Custom Color Braiding Hair.
If you want a color at a long length specifically, we mapped exactly what exists in 24 Inch Braiding Hair in Color. And for what people are actually asking for this season, see Boho Braid Color Trends.