Plum.

Usually not — Plum (level 5) can be reached on most bases without lift. Very dark or previously colored hair may still need a clarifying or color-removal step, so confirm with a strand test.

Plum leans cool and sharpens cool undertones — pink, rosy, or porcelain skin, especially if silver jewelry flatters you. Still unsure? The two-minute shade quiz reads your undertone from vein, jewelry, and sun-response checks and ranks this shade against all 51.

Medium upkeep. Plan a gloss or tone refresh every 4–6 weeks, color-safe shampoo, and cooler washes to hold the reflect. Fades through rosewood over 4 weeks. Cold-water washes and color-safe shampoo stretch every shade further.

Partial gray blending — softens and blends early grays but won't fully cover stubborn whites.

Fades through rosewood over 4 weeks. Because the base sits close to natural depths, grow-out stays soft rather than stripey.

They share the burgundy family, but Cherry Cola sits at level 3 versus Plum's level 5 — deeper and lower-commitment; Cherry Cola leans warm and cool while Plum leans cool. The fastest way to choose is to preview both on your own photo and see which one lights up your skin.

Yes — at level 5 with no bleach required, Plum deposits directly onto most dark bases, which is exactly why the burgundy family is the lowest-risk entry point. The caveat is history: box-dye buildup or henna can block even deposit-only color, so do a strand test if your ends carry old pigment.