Every beautiful colour match starts with the right base. Our base shades are the natural, true-to-life tones that anchor a blend, the foundation you build your dimension on top of. Whether you're matching a client's roots, grounding a balayage or creating a seamless single-tone finish, these are the shades your work begins from. Across our range, we offer 17 base shades, available in five methods, from the deepest black through to warm golden brown.
When the base is right, everything you layer on top falls into place: the dimension reads as real, the root melts naturally, and the join settles away. Every one of our base shades is hand-blended and multi-tonal, so even a solid, single-level shade carries subtle highs and lows through the strand, the natural light-play that gives a fit its realism.
Solid base shades
- 1 Jet: the deepest true black; no warmth.
- 1C Orca: an off-black with a subtle warm undertone.
- 1A Lara: a clean, neutral darkest brown; the workhorse base for most dark naturals.
- 1B Sierra: a deep, true brunette.
- 1B2 Raven: a warm, dark brunette.
- 2 Chocolate: a rich mid-brown with cooler, ashy depth.
- 3 Harmony: a warm, glossy chocolate brown.
- 3B Flaxen: a warm, golden mid-brown.
- 5 Cindy: a soft, cool mid-brown.
Warm and red base shades
- 133 Midnight: a dark, red-y brown with lighter dimension.
- 433 Chestnut: a deep auburn brown.
- 33 Ember: a rich, warm red copper.
- 30 Ray: a bright, natural copper.
Highlight base shades
- 4/5 Oak: a warm light brown lifted with soft highlights.
- 5/8 Biscuit: a caramel-brown melting into sandy highlights.
- 6/7 Caramel: a golden-brown woven with lighter caramel highlights.
- 27 Toasted: a deep brunette with subtle warm, golden ends.
Our five bestselling base shades
If you're building your core stock, these are the base shades our stylists reach for most:
- 1B Sierra: a deep, true brunette; the most-fitted base in the range.
- 1B2 Raven: a warm, dark brunette.
- 5 Cindy: a soft, cool mid-brown.
- 27 Toasted: a deep brunette with subtle warm, golden ends.
- 3 Harmony: a warm, glossy chocolate brown.
Between them, these five cover the most-requested natural depths, from true dark brunette through to warm, glossy brown, making them a reliable foundation for the majority of client matches.
Base shades by method
Not every base shade is offered in every method, so it's worth knowing what's available where when you're building stock:
- I-Tip: 13 base shades, a wide base range, spanning from 1 Jet through to 433 Chestnut
- Keratin Tip: 13 base shades, spanning the full depth range from 1 Jet through to 33 Ember.
- Tape: 15 base shades, and the only method to carry our blended highlight bases: 4/5 Oak, 5/8 Biscuit and 6/7 Caramel.
- Clip-In: 5 base shades, 1, 1A, 1B, 3 and 27.
- Weft: 4 base shades, 1A, 1B, 3B and 5.
1A Lara is our most versatile base of all, the only shade available in every one of our five methods, and a lovely go-to foundation for most dark natural bases. Alongside it, 1B Sierra rounds out the two bases you can fit whatever service a client books.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What's the difference between a base shade and a blended shade?
A base shade is a single natural depth, the foundation you match a client's root and mid-length to. A blended shade carries built-in graduation, such as a rooted or balayage effect. Base shades are what you build dimension on; blended shades bring that dimension ready-made.
Can I mix two base shades?
Absolutely, layering complementary base shades is one of the most effective ways to fine-tune a match, whether you're deepening a root, warming a cool base or bridging a client whose natural depth sits between two levels.
Which base shades are available in every method?
1A Lara and 1B Sierra is available across all five methods, making them the most flexible foundations in the range. Availability for other bases varies by method; see the breakdown above.
What if my client's base sits between two shades?
This is exactly where a two-shade blend comes in. Combining the level above and below, or a warmer and cooler tone, lets you land precisely on a base that no single shade would match on its own.
With 17 hand-blended base shades across five application methods, and over 55 shades in the full collection, you have the range to match virtually any client, and the multi-tonal quality to keep every fit looking genuinely natural. It's why over 950 salons and stylists worldwide choose The London Hair Lab for their extension work.
Are you a salon or stylist looking to elevate your colour work? Apply for an account today to access our full range, free colour-match service and free UK next-day delivery.
