Convert Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded to Redken Color Gels Lacquers

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

Of the 101 SoColor Pre-Bonded shades, 30 have an exact equivalent in Color Gels Lacquers, 43 close, 26 approximate and 2 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 Redken Color Gels Lacquers. 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	Color Gels Lacquers	Name	Match
Level 1
1N	Black Neutral	1NN	Midnight	Exact
Level 2
2N	Natural Black	1NN	Midnight	Approximate
Level 3
3N	Darkest Brown Neutral	3NW	Cocoa Bean	Exact
3AA	Darkest Brown Ash Ash	3NW	Cocoa Bean	Approximate
3BR	Darkest Brown Brown Red	3RO	Mahogany	Close
3RR	Darkest Brown Red Red	3RO	Mahogany	Approximate
3RV	Darkest Brown Red Violet	3RO	Mahogany	Approximate
3VR	Darkest Brown Violet Red	3RO	Mahogany	Approximate
503N	Darkest Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	3NW	Cocoa Bean	Exact
Level 4
4N	Dark Brown Neutral	4NN	Double Espresso	Exact
4A	Dark Brown Ash	4NA	Forest	Exact
4AA	Dark Brown Ash Ash	4NA	Forest	Close
4VA	Dark Brown Violet Ash	4NA	Forest	Approximate
4M	Dark Brown Mocha	4NN	Double Espresso	Approximate
4NJ	Dark Brown Neutral Jade	4NN	Double Espresso	Close
4RB	Dark Brown Red Brown	4RV	Cabernet	Close
4RV+	Dark Brown Red Violet+	4RV	Cabernet	Close
504N	Dark Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	4NN	Double Espresso	Exact
504NA	Dark Brown Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	4NN	Double Espresso	Close
504NJ	Dark Brown Neutral Jade (Extra Coverage)	4NN	Double Espresso	Close
504AB	Dark Brown Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	4NA	Forest	Close
504W	Dark Brown Warm (Extra Coverage)	4WG	Sun Tea	Approximate
Level 5
5N	Medium Brown Neutral	5NN	Cafe Mocha	Exact
5NA	Medium Brown Neutral Ash	5NN	Cafe Mocha	Close
5A	Medium Brown Ash	5NA	Smoke	Exact
5M	Medium Brown Mocha	5NN	Cafe Mocha	Approximate
5BR	Medium Brown Brown Red	5RO	Manzanita	Approximate
5BC	Medium Brown Brown Copper	5RO	Manzanita	Approximate
5G	Medium Brown Gold	5GB	Twilight	Exact
5W	Medium Brown Warm	5GB	Twilight	Close
5CG	Medium Brown Copper Gold	5GB	Twilight	Approximate
5VR	Medium Brown Violet Red	5NA	Smoke	Approximate
5RR+	Medium Brown Red Red+	5RO	Manzanita	Close
5RC	Medium Brown Red Copper	5RO	Manzanita	Close
505N	Medium Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	5NN	Cafe Mocha	Exact
505M	Medium Brown Mocha (Extra Coverage)	5NN	Cafe Mocha	Approximate
505RB	Medium Brown Red Brown (Extra Coverage)	5RO	Manzanita	Close
505R	Medium Brown Red (Extra Coverage)	5RO	Manzanita	Exact
Level 6
6N	Light Brown Neutral	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Exact
6NA	Light Brown Neutral Ash	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Close
6NJ	Light Brown Neutral Jade	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Close
6NV	Light Brown Neutral Violet	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Close
6NW	Light Brown Neutral Warm	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Close
6A	Light Brown Ash	6NA	Granite	Exact
6AA	Light Brown Ash Ash	6NA	Granite	Close
6VA	Light Brown Violet Ash	6NA	Granite	Approximate
6M	Light Brown Mocha	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Approximate
6BR	Light Brown Brown Red	6RR	Blaze	Approximate
6RB	Light Brown Red Brown	6RR	Blaze	Close
6W	Light Brown Warm	6GB	Ivy	Close
6RV+	Light Brown Red Violet+	6RR	Blaze	Close
6RR+	Light Brown Red Red+	6RR	Blaze	Close
6RC	Light Brown Red Copper	6RR	Blaze	Close
506N	Light Brown Neutral (Extra Coverage)	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Exact
506NA	Light Brown Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Close
506NJ	Light Brown Neutral Jade (Extra Coverage)	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Close
506NV	Light Brown Neutral Violet (Extra Coverage)	6NN	Chocolate Mousse	Close
506AB	Light Brown Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	6NA	Granite	Close
506W	Light Brown Warm (Extra Coverage)	6GB	Ivy	Close
Level 7
7N	Dark Blonde Neutral	7NN	Cocoa Powder	Exact
7NA	Dark Blonde Neutral Ash	7NN	Cocoa Powder	Close
7A	Dark Blonde Ash	7NA	Pewter	Exact
7P	Dark Blonde Pearl	7NA	Pewter	Exact
7M	Dark Blonde Mocha	7NN	Cocoa Powder	Approximate
7BC	Dark Blonde Brown Copper	7RR	Flame	Approximate
7RB	Dark Blonde Red Brown	7RR	Flame	Close
7G	Dark Blonde Gold	7GB	Butterscotch	Exact
7W	Dark Blonde Warm	7GB	Butterscotch	Close
7CG	Dark Blonde Copper Gold	7GB	Butterscotch	Approximate
7CC	Dark Blonde Copper Copper	7GB	Butterscotch	Approximate
507N	Dark Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	7NN	Cocoa Powder	Exact
507NW	Dark Blonde Neutral Warm (Extra Coverage)	7NN	Cocoa Powder	Close
507M	Dark Blonde Mocha (Extra Coverage)	7NN	Cocoa Powder	Approximate
507RB	Dark Blonde Red Brown (Extra Coverage)	7RR	Flame	Close
507R	Dark Blonde Red (Extra Coverage)	7RR	Flame	Exact
Level 8
8N	Medium Blonde Neutral	8NN	Creme Brulee	Exact
8NA	Medium Blonde Neutral Ash	8NN	Creme Brulee	Close
8A	Medium Blonde Ash	8NA	Volcanic	Exact
8AA	Medium Blonde Ash Ash	8NA	Volcanic	Close
8AV	Medium Blonde Ash Violet	8NA	Volcanic	Close
8M	Medium Blonde Mocha	8NN	Creme Brulee	Approximate
8W	Medium Blonde Warm	8NG	Safari	Close
8CC	Medium Blonde Copper Copper	8WG	Golden Apricot	Close
508N	Medium Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	8NN	Creme Brulee	Exact
508NA	Medium Blonde Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	8NN	Creme Brulee	Close
508AB	Medium Blonde Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	8NA	Volcanic	Close
508W	Medium Blonde Warm (Extra Coverage)	8NG	Safari	Close
Level 9
9N	Light Blonde Neutral	9N	Mist	Exact
9A	Light Blonde Ash	9NA	Sky	Exact
9P	Light Blonde Pearl	9NA	Sky	Exact
9G	Light Blonde Gold	9GB	Butter Cream	Exact
9CG	Light Blonde Copper Gold	9GB	Butter Cream	Approximate
509N	Light Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	9N	Mist	Exact
509AB	Light Blonde Ash Brown (Extra Coverage)	9NA	Sky	Close
Level 10
10N	Extra Light Blonde Neutral	10N	Snow Queen	Exact
10AV	Extra Light Blonde Ash Violet	10N	Snow Queen	Approximate
510N	Extra Light Blonde Neutral (Extra Coverage)	10N	Snow Queen	Exact
510NA	Extra Light Blonde Neutral Ash (Extra Coverage)	10N	Snow Queen	Close
Level 11
11N	Extra Light Blonde+ Neutral	10N	Snow Queen	Approximate

No direct equivalent in Color Gels Lacquers (2)

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

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, 30 exact, 43 close and 26 approximate in this chart with Color Gels Lacquers. For example, SoColor Pre-Bonded's 6N maps to Color Gels Lacquers's 6NN. Natural reflects cross over best; copper ones need more adjustment. 2 shades have no direct equivalent in Color Gels Lacquers; 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); Color Gels Lacquers uses a double-letter family after the level (5NW = natural warm, NN = natural natural, NA = natural ash). Both brands write the reflect in a similar way, so reading the code across is straightforward.

View reverse: Redken Color Gels Lacquers to Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded

We answer your questions

Questions about SoColor Pre-Bonded and Color Gels Lacquers

Common questions when converting between these brands

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

Of the 101 SoColor Pre-Bonded shades, 30 have an exact equivalent in Color Gels Lacquers, 43 close, 26 approximate and 2 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 Redken Color Gels Lacquers

No direct equivalent in Color Gels Lacquers (2)

Other popular conversions

Questions about SoColor Pre-Bonded and Color Gels Lacquers

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.