Convert Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded to Paul Mitchell The Color

Q: How many SoColor Pre-Bonded shades have an exact equivalent in The Color?

Of the 101 SoColor Pre-Bonded shades, 25 have an exact equivalent in The Color, 37 close, 36 approximate and 3 with no direct equivalent. The level (1-10) is universal; what varies is the reflect.

Find the equivalent for each Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded shade in Paul Mitchell The Color. Complete chart with levels, reflects, and match confidence.

Remember that equivalences are approximate. Each brand has proprietary pigments and bases that produce slightly different results. We always recommend doing a strand test when switching brands.

SoColor Pre-Bonded	Name	The Color	Name	Match
Level 2
2N	Natural Black	3N	Dark Brown	Approximate
Level 3
3N	Darkest Brown Neutral	3N	Dark Brown	Exact
3AA	Darkest Brown Ash Ash	3N	Dark Brown	Approximate
3BR	Darkest Brown Brown Red	3N	Dark Brown	Approximate
3RR	Darkest Brown Red Red	3N	Dark Brown	Approximate
3RV	Darkest Brown Red Violet	3N	Dark Brown	Approximate
3VR	Darkest Brown Violet Red	3N	Dark Brown	Approximate
503N	Darkest Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	3N	Dark Brown	Exact
Level 4
4N	Dark Brown Neutral	4N	Medium Brown	Exact
4A	Dark Brown Ash	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
4AA	Dark Brown Ash Ash	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
4VA	Dark Brown Violet Ash	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
4M	Dark Brown Mocha	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
4NJ	Dark Brown Neutral Jade	4N	Medium Brown	Close
4RB	Dark Brown Red Brown	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
4RV+	Dark Brown Red Violet+	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
504N	Dark Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	4N	Medium Brown	Exact
504NA	Dark Brown Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	4N	Medium Brown	Close
504NJ	Dark Brown Neutral Jade (Extra Coverage)	4N	Medium Brown	Close
504AB	Dark Brown Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
504W	Dark Brown Warm (Extra Coverage)	4N	Medium Brown	Approximate
Level 5
5N	Medium Brown Neutral	5N	Light Brown	Exact
5NA	Medium Brown Neutral Ash	5N	Light Brown	Close
5A	Medium Brown Ash	5A	Light Ash Brown	Exact
5M	Medium Brown Mocha	5N	Light Brown	Approximate
5BR	Medium Brown Brown Red	5RO	Light Red Brown	Approximate
5BC	Medium Brown Brown Copper	5RO	Light Red Brown	Approximate
5G	Medium Brown Gold	5C	Light Copper Brown	Approximate
5W	Medium Brown Warm	5C	Light Copper Brown	Approximate
5CG	Medium Brown Copper Gold	5C	Light Copper Brown	Close
5VR	Medium Brown Violet Red	5A	Light Ash Brown	Approximate
5RR+	Medium Brown Red Red+	5RO	Light Red Brown	Close
5RC	Medium Brown Red Copper	5RO	Light Red Brown	Close
505N	Medium Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	5N	Light Brown	Exact
505M	Medium Brown Mocha (Extra Coverage)	5N	Light Brown	Approximate
505RB	Medium Brown Red Brown (Extra Coverage)	5RO	Light Red Brown	Close
505R	Medium Brown Red (Extra Coverage)	5RO	Light Red Brown	Exact
Level 6
6N	Light Brown Neutral	6N	Dark Blonde	Exact
6NA	Light Brown Neutral Ash	6N	Dark Blonde	Close
6NJ	Light Brown Neutral Jade	6N	Dark Blonde	Close
6NV	Light Brown Neutral Violet	6N	Dark Blonde	Close
6NW	Light Brown Neutral Warm	6N	Dark Blonde	Close
6A	Light Brown Ash	6A	Dark Ash Blonde	Exact
6AA	Light Brown Ash Ash	6A	Dark Ash Blonde	Close
6VA	Light Brown Violet Ash	6A	Dark Ash Blonde	Approximate
6M	Light Brown Mocha	6N	Dark Blonde	Approximate
6BR	Light Brown Brown Red	6RO	Dark Red Blonde	Approximate
6RB	Light Brown Red Brown	6RO	Dark Red Blonde	Close
6W	Light Brown Warm	6G	Dark Golden Blonde	Close
6RV+	Light Brown Red Violet+	6RO	Dark Red Blonde	Close
6RR+	Light Brown Red Red+	6RO	Dark Red Blonde	Close
6RC	Light Brown Red Copper	6RO	Dark Red Blonde	Close
506N	Light Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	6N	Dark Blonde	Exact
506NA	Light Brown Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	6N	Dark Blonde	Close
506NJ	Light Brown Neutral Jade (Extra Coverage)	6N	Dark Blonde	Close
506NV	Light Brown Neutral Violet (Extra Coverage)	6N	Dark Blonde	Close
506AB	Light Brown Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	6A	Dark Ash Blonde	Close
506W	Light Brown Warm (Extra Coverage)	6G	Dark Golden Blonde	Close
Level 7
7N	Dark Blonde Neutral	7N	Medium Blonde	Exact
7NA	Dark Blonde Neutral Ash	7N	Medium Blonde	Close
7A	Dark Blonde Ash	7A	Medium Ash Blonde	Exact
7P	Dark Blonde Pearl	7A	Medium Ash Blonde	Exact
7M	Dark Blonde Mocha	7N	Medium Blonde	Approximate
7BC	Dark Blonde Brown Copper	7N	Medium Blonde	Approximate
7RB	Dark Blonde Red Brown	7C	Medium Copper Blonde	Approximate
7G	Dark Blonde Gold	7G	Medium Golden Blonde	Exact
7W	Dark Blonde Warm	7G	Medium Golden Blonde	Close
7CG	Dark Blonde Copper Gold	7C	Medium Copper Blonde	Close
7CC	Dark Blonde Copper Copper	7C	Medium Copper Blonde	Close
507N	Dark Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	7N	Medium Blonde	Exact
507NW	Dark Blonde Neutral Warm (Extra Coverage)	7N	Medium Blonde	Close
507M	Dark Blonde Mocha (Extra Coverage)	7N	Medium Blonde	Approximate
507RB	Dark Blonde Red Brown (Extra Coverage)	7C	Medium Copper Blonde	Approximate
507R	Dark Blonde Red (Extra Coverage)	7C	Medium Copper Blonde	Approximate
Level 8
8N	Medium Blonde Neutral	8N	Light Blonde	Exact
8NA	Medium Blonde Neutral Ash	8N	Light Blonde	Close
8A	Medium Blonde Ash	8A	Light Ash Blonde	Exact
8AA	Medium Blonde Ash Ash	8A	Light Ash Blonde	Close
8AV	Medium Blonde Ash Violet	8A	Light Ash Blonde	Close
8M	Medium Blonde Mocha	8N	Light Blonde	Approximate
8W	Medium Blonde Warm	8G	Light Golden Blonde	Close
8CC	Medium Blonde Copper Copper	8G	Light Golden Blonde	Approximate
508N	Medium Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	8N	Light Blonde	Exact
508NA	Medium Blonde Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	8N	Light Blonde	Close
508AB	Medium Blonde Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	8A	Light Ash Blonde	Close
508W	Medium Blonde Warm (Extra Coverage)	8G	Light Golden Blonde	Close
Level 9
9N	Light Blonde Neutral	9N	Very Light Blonde	Exact
9A	Light Blonde Ash	9A	Very Light Ash Blonde	Exact
9P	Light Blonde Pearl	9A	Very Light Ash Blonde	Exact
9G	Light Blonde Gold	9N	Very Light Blonde	Approximate
9CG	Light Blonde Copper Gold	9N	Very Light Blonde	Approximate
509N	Light Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	9N	Very Light Blonde	Exact
509AB	Light Blonde Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	9A	Very Light Ash Blonde	Close
Level 10
10N	Extra Light Blonde Neutral	10N	Lightest Blonde	Exact
10AV	Extra Light Blonde Ash Violet	10N	Lightest Blonde	Approximate
510N	Extra Light Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	10N	Lightest Blonde	Exact
510NA	Extra Light Blonde Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	10N	Lightest Blonde	Close
Level 11
11N	Extra Light Blonde+ Neutral	10N	Lightest Blonde	Approximate

No direct equivalent in The Color (3)

These SoColor Pre-Bonded shades have no comparable level-and-reflect shade in The Color. Switching ranges here means adjusting the formula, not swapping one code for another.

1N Black Neutral
11A Extra Light Blonde+ Ash
11P Extra Light Blonde+ Pearl

How to read the match: Exact = same level and same reflect · Close = same level, same reflect family · Approximate = same level in natural, or adjacent level with the same reflect. Hover each badge for that row's reason.

Of the 101 SoColor Pre-Bonded shades, 25 exact, 37 close and 36 approximate in this chart with The Color. For example, SoColor Pre-Bonded's 6N maps to The Color's 6N. Natural reflects cross over best; copper ones need more adjustment. 3 shades have no direct equivalent in The Color; those cases need a formula adjustment, not a code swap.

SoColor Pre-Bonded writes the reflect with a letter after the level, US scale one level higher than European (7N = dark blonde neutral, A = ash); The Color uses a letter after the level (7N = medium natural blonde). Both brands write the reflect in a similar way, so reading the code across is straightforward.

View reverse: Paul Mitchell The Color to Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded

We answer your questions

Questions about SoColor Pre-Bonded and The Color

Common questions when converting between these brands

How many SoColor Pre-Bonded shades have an exact equivalent in The Color?

Of the 101 SoColor Pre-Bonded shades, 25 have an exact equivalent in The Color, 37 close, 36 approximate and 3 with no direct equivalent. The level (1-10) is universal; what varies is the reflect.

Are brand equivalences exact?

No. Equivalences are approximate because each brand uses different pigments, bases, and concentrations. The level (1-10) is universal, but the reflect result may vary. We always recommend doing a strand test when switching brands.

Can I mix hair color from different brands?

It's not recommended. Each brand formulates its products with specific chemistry (pH, alkalizing agent, pigment system). Mixing brands can create unpredictable reactions and unwanted results. Always use color and developer from the same brand.

What if the exact shade doesn't exist in the other brand?

The tool shows you the closest available shade. If you need a very specific result, you can combine two shades from the target brand (for example, mixing a natural with an ash to get a soft ash). Blendsor calculates these mixes automatically.

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Convert Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded to Paul Mitchell The Color

No direct equivalent in The Color (3)

Other popular conversions

Questions about SoColor Pre-Bonded and The Color

Charts give you the equivalent.Blendsor gives you the full formula for that hair: ratio, developer and timing.

Charts give you the equivalent.
Blendsor gives you the full formula for that hair: ratio, developer and timing.