Manic Panic hair dye
Owned and operated exclusively by women since 1977 (founded by sisters Tish and Snooky), Manic Panic has been a staple and revolutionary hair color brand throughout the past 40 years.
What started as a brand offering punk rock-inspired colors has blossomed into one that supports several charities and is constantly evolving, offering endless shades (vibrants, darks, pastels, bleaches) all with conditioning and gentle ingredients. Manic Panic is a brand that prides itself on its high-quality ingredients that are gentle on your hair. Best of all, their products are vegan, cruelty-free, ammonia-free, gluten-free and paraben-free.
Things to consider before purchasing Manic Panic
Before deciding on which Manic Panic hair dye is best for you, you should first consider the following:
Your current hair color
Your desired color outcome
Understanding these two things will help you narrow down the right hair dye for your hair since Manic Panic has over 40 different hair colors available, and a few different types of hair dye.
Knowing which shade you are starting with as your base will help you with your first step: deciding whether or not you’ll need to pre-lighten your hair. Several of Manic Panic’s shades are light, bright or pastels – meaning they require a very light base – level 9/10 or “very bleach blonde’ hair” in order to show up. Manic Panic also sells lightening products available to strip your current color away, as well as pastel-izers for those wanting to customize their color before applying. For those who do not want to lighten their hair prior to dying it, there are still options for dark blondes, brunettes and redheads. While your end result may not be as vibrant as it would be on lighter hair, many of Manic Panic’s deeper shades are dark hair-friendly and will still give a unique result.
Classic hair dye vs. amplified hair dye
Once you’ve figured out which base color you are starting with, you can decide on which type of product you’d like — Manic Panic truly does have endless options — blues, pinks, greens, reds, purples, greys, cream colors and more. But there are slight differences between the products:
Classic high-voltage
Manic’s classic hair dyes are available in dozens of beautiful shades; these are pre-mixed, semi-permanent products that you simply apply to your hair for the instructed amount of time, then wash out. These shades last for up to 6 weeks before fading, depending on how often you wash your hair. They are available in bold, bright and cream shades.
Amplified
Amplified hair dyes are available in several shades as well; however, they last 30% longer than the classic products. They are not recommended for those with “commitment issues” as the color will likely be in your hair for a few months.
The best Manic Panic colors
Manic Panic Pink Warrior Hair Dye Classic Color: available at Amazon This shade of pink is striking on both light and dark hair. On darker hair, it develops a deep pink hue. On lighter hair, it’s a more vibrant pink. Pink Warrior comes in a classic, pre-mixed container and is easy to apply with hands or an applicator brush. It lasts 4-6 weeks before fading and is a classic high-voltage hair dye.
Flash Lightning 40 Volume Complete Maximum Hair Lightening Kit: available at Amazon and Ulta Beauty Flash Lightning is not a color; rather, it is an essential step for those looking to obtain a very light-blonde shade before dying their hair with a vibrant Manic Panic product. Flash Lightning is a 40-volume hair lightener that will lift your hair up to 7 levels. This kit has everything you’ll need including gloves, a bowl and an application brush.
Manic Panic Purple Haze Amplified Color: available at Amazon and Ulta Beauty Purple Haze is a deep shade of purple that works best on pre-lightened hair, but it will still give purple tones on darker hair. Because this shade is a part of the “amplified” line from Manic Panic, it will be longer-lasting than other classic shades.
Manic Panic Green Envy Amplified Color: available at Amazon and Ulta Beauty For those wanting to try a unique, stunning shade of green, the Manic Panic green envy is a deep emerald shade with an undertone of blue. It is long-lasting (it’s one of the amplified hair dyes) and will show green results on blonde to light-brown hair.
Manic Panic Atomic Turquoise Hair Dye Classic Color: available at Amazon This turquoise shade is unique and tropical. When using it over pre-lightened hair you’ll have perfect green/blue turquoise results, whereas over brown hair, you can expect a deeper green tone. This color comes from Manic’s classic hair dyes and thus will last 4-6 weeks.
Manic Panic Vampire Red Amplified Color: available at Ulta Beauty This red shade allows for plenty of flexibility. If you are blonde, you will get vibrant, bright red results. However, for those with medium brown hair, a more burgundy, deep result is possible. Because this is an amplified hair dye you can expect your red tone to stay for 6+ weeks before fading.
Manic Panic Sunshine Yellow Hair Dye Classic Color: available at Amazon For those who are tiring of their blonde locks and looking to brighten things up, Sunshine Yellow is a warm, golden-yellow shade with detectable hues of orange. This shade isn’t often seen and is definitely eye-catching and beautiful. It’s from the classic line of hair dyes and will last anywhere from 4-6 weeks. Manic Panic Virgin Snow Toner Amplified available at Amazon and Ulta Beauty Virgin Snow is a toner, meaning it is meant to de-brass hair that is already blonde or pre-lightened. If your locks have an unwanted orange or yellow tone, using this toner will give a cool, ashy result. This can be used before coloring your hair with another Manic Panic dye, or on its own to refresh your blonde color. Remember – toners do not lighten your hair, rather, they diminish brassy tones.
Courtney Love is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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