L'Oréal Majirel Codes Explained: 7.31, 7GB and More

Every Majirel shade carries two codes for the same color: a number like 7.31 and a letter version like 7GB. The number before the point is the level, and the digits after it are the tones, so once you can read one code you can read the whole chart.

How Majirel dual coding works

L'Oréal Professionnel prints both codes on every Majirel shade, so 7.31/7GB is one tube, not two. The numeric code is the classic international system. The letter code spells the same tones out as initials, which is faster to read on a formula card.

Both codes follow the same order:

1. Level: the number before the point, or the first number in the letter code.
2. Primary tone: the first digit after the point, or the first letter.
3. Secondary tone: the second digit after the point, or the second letter.

So 7.31 reads as level 7, gold primary, blue secondary. 7GB says exactly the same thing in letters. For the general layout of any brand's chart, see how to read a hair color chart.

Majirel level names

Majirel runs from level 1 to level 10, and L'Oréal gives each level a name:

A level 7 shade is "blonde," not "medium blonde." That matters when you translate a Majirel formula to a brand that names its levels differently.

Tone numbers and letters

Two letters cause most of the mix-ups. G is gold, not green. Green is Gr, as in the Cool Cover shade 6.17/6BGr. And Rv is one tone, red-violet, not red plus violet, so 5.5/5Rv has a single red-violet reflect.

Mocha is a blend on its own. L'Oréal describes .8/M as containing violet (.2), blue (.1) and gold (.3), so a shade like 6.8/6M brings a little of all three.

The tones also map to the law of color L'Oréal teaches: opposites on the color wheel neutralize each other. Blue counters orange, violet counters yellow and green counters red. That is why the cool reflects (.1, .2, .7) do the heavy lifting in toning and warmth control.

Primary vs secondary tone

The first tone is the dominant reflect. The second is a supporting reflect in a smaller amount. Flip the order and you get a different shade:

• 7.31/7GB: gold first, blue second. A warm blonde with the gold softened.
• 7.13/7BG: blue first, gold second. A cool blonde with a touch of warmth.

Same two tones, opposite results. Read the order, not just the digits.

A few patterns change how a code reads:

• Repeated digit: the tone is doubled. 7.44/7CC is a double copper, 9.22/9VV a double violet, 8.11/8BB a double blue.
• Zero first: a natural base with a tone on top. 9.03/9NG is natural gold and 8.04/8NC is natural copper.
• Zero after the tone: the letter code triples the tone. 7.40/7CCC, 5.60/5RRR and 4.20/4VVV pair a zero after the tone digit with a tripled letter, the chart's intense copper, red and violet.
• Plain level vs .0: 8/8N and 8.0/8NN are separate shades. NN marks the deeper natural shades, which L'Oréal's French charts call bases profondes.

Majirel's guide adds one rule for the special reds: Carmilane, Rubilane and DM5 shades are used alone, never mixed with a shade from a different technology family. Carmilane shades can be mixed with each other, for example 5.60 with 6.66/6RR.

Majirel mixing and processing

Core Majirel mixes 1:1.5 with Majicrème Developer: one 2 oz tube plus 3 oz developer. Majicrème comes in 12.5, 20 and 30 vol depending on the intensity you want. 20 vol gives up to 2 levels of lift and is the choice for white coverage. 30 vol gives up to 3 levels for maximum lift. Process 35 minutes at room temperature, no heat. Coverage of white hair is up to 100%. For more on picking the strength, see developer volume explained.

For more than 50% white:

• Warm target: half tube of the desired shade plus half tube of the same level gold (.3/G). Example: 7.31/7GB with 7.3/7G.
• Cool target: half tube of the desired shade plus half tube of the same level natural (N). Example: 7.12/7BV with 7/7N.

Under 50% white, use the desired shade alone.

On virgin hair, apply to mids and ends first, staying 1/2 inch off the scalp, then apply freshly mixed product to the regrowth. On a retouch, apply to dry, unwashed regrowth. Both process 35 minutes.

Majirel sub-ranges

The Majirel chart has four parts: the main palette plus Cool Cover, High-Lift and Boosters.

Cool Cover

Cool Cover is built for ultra-cool, opaque coverage and for neutralizing warmth. The range is blues (.1/B), blue-greens (.17/BGr) and naturals (N), for example 7.1/7B, 5.17/5BGr and 6/6N. Some codes match main-line Majirel shades, but Cool Cover tubes are their own formula, so write "Cool Cover" on the card.

Mix 1:1.5 with Majicrème 20 or 30 vol and process 35 minutes. On natural levels 3 to 5, the target shade alone covers up to 100% white. On level 6 and up, the target shade alone gives natural-looking coverage, and half target plus half natural at the same level gives fully opaque coverage.

High-Lift

High-Lift lightens and tones in one step. It mixes 1:2: one 60 ml tube plus 120 ml Majicrème. Use 30 vol (9%) for more neutralization or 40 vol (12%) for maximum lift. Process 50 minutes. High-Lift does not cover white hair.

The shades carry no level number, because the result depends on the natural base: .0/N, 900S/N, 901S/NB, .11/BB (Ash+), .12/BV, .2/V and .13/BG.

• 900S and 901S on 40 vol give up to 4.5 levels of lift.
• The cool shades .11, .12, .2 and .13 go on 30 vol for higher neutralization.
• A level 5 base lifts to a warm-to-neutral blonde and works best with Ash+ or other neutralizing shades to fight orange.
• A level 6 base lifts to a clear, balanced blonde and works best with the 900 series.

Majicrème Developer 40-Volume is now sold in the US. L'Oréal recommends it for natural bases 5 to 6 with High-Lift.

Boosters

Boosters come in Blue, Green, Violet, Copper and Red. They are never used alone. They are mixed into a Majirel shade, and the total mix still takes 1.5 parts developer.

• Red and Copper: up to 1/4 tube booster plus 3/4 tube shade.
• Blue, Green and Violet: up to 1/8 tube booster plus 7/8 tube shade.

Process 35 minutes. Keep Violet to a very small amount at level 8 and above. For red or copper over 50% white, use half desired shade, half same-level gold and up to 1/8 tube booster. For blue, green or violet over 30% white, use half desired shade, half same-level natural and up to 1/8 tube booster. On the chart they are listed by name, such as VIOLET and COPPER.

Majirel vs iNOA

iNOA uses the same dual coding, so 7.31/7GB in iNOA reads exactly like the Majirel shade. The chemistry and the mix are different:

Majirel uses Odor Trapping Technology, which cuts the ammonia smell by about half without changing the ammonia content. iNOA skips ammonia entirely, is vegan and pairs only with its own developer. iNOA's 10 vol option is for toning and refreshing with up to 1 level of lift, something core Majirel does not offer.

The shared codes make it easy to find the matching tube when you switch lines. The developer and ratio do not carry over, so rewrite both when you move a formula from one line to the other.

Writing Majirel formulas cleanly

Write the full code, the developer and the ratio every time: "7.31/7GB + 7.3/7G, 1:1.5 Majicrème 20 vol, 35 minutes." Anyone who picks up the card can mix it without guessing. Formula Finder builds formulas from real shade codes in your brand, starting from the client's inspo pic.