Aveda Color Charts

Aveda is a professional hair color and care brand founded in Minneapolis in 1978 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies since 1997. Its salon color system is called Full Spectrum, and the formulas are vegan and largely naturally derived. The range covers Full Spectrum Permanent, Full Spectrum Deep for extra lift on darker hair, Full Spectrum Demi-Permanent for deposit-only toning and glossing, and Full Spectrum Vibrants, a semi-permanent fashion line. Enlightener lighteners and Color Catalyst developers complete the system. Base shades are written as a level number plus a series letter, such as N (natural), NC (natural cool) or NN (double natural). Tones use a primary/secondary code, so V/B reads as violet with a blue secondary, and many tones come in Light and Dark versions made for lighter and deeper levels. Formulas are written in grams of color and milliliters of Color Catalyst. Stylists know Aveda for building custom shades from bases and pure tones rather than relying on a huge premixed palette.