Isn't this a cool-looking color? It really caught my eye when I was at Sally buying hair color. I couldn't resist, I had to take it home with me and try it out. So... I did. And it was awesome.
Manic Panic Electric LizardThis is a semi-permanent hair color creme. It has the texture of a conditioner and has nearly no smell, scent or odor to it. Interesting tidbit listed on the label: this color glows under blacklight.
Here's how it looks on my hair:
Manic Panic Electric Lizard (dim natural light and flash)The second picture (the one with flash) brings out the bright neon glow this color has. It's really a sight to behold. This is on hair that was bleached to just a little darker than pale yellow. It will not show up on dark hair that hasn't been lightened, but it may leave a green tint.
- First, I lightened my hair from dark brown (about a level 2 or 3) to a light yellow blonde (probably about an 8 or 9).
- I washed my hair with a clarifying shampoo and blow dried it (the more porous and dry the hair is, the better it will absorb a brightly colored dye.)
- I applied Manic Panic Electric Lizard (while wearing disposable gloves), combed it through and covered it with a shower cap. I left the color on for somewhere around 2 hours. You can process it with heat for an even better result, but I like to just leave it in and forget about it while I'm doing things around the house.
- Once it was time to rinse, I used cool water and rinsed until the water ran clear and then I applied conditioner and rinsed again.
What I liked:
- It's a gorgeous color. It looks super insane in certain lighting conditions, too (you should see it at dusk!).
- The formula of the color cream is very conditioning and leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth.
- No ammonia or peroxide or anything sting-y, burn-y or smelly in this dye.
- This particular color doesn't stain my skin or my shower too badly.
- Cheap! This is $9 at Sally Beauty if you have a card, $10 if you don't.
- It is actually, legitimately neon.
- It glows under blacklight!
What I didn't like:
- This color fades very quickly (within 1-3 washes) to a lemon yellow. I could prolong the life of the color by not washing my hair every day, but my hair is way too thin and flat to do that. Washing with cool or cold water and using a sulfate-free or other shampoo designed for color treated hair helps, though.
- Bleaching your hair this light is not good for it. Just a caveat.
I didn't think I had lightened my hair enough to get a good result, but it turned out awesome. It would look even better if I went all the way to pale yellow or near-white with my hair, but I'm pretty satisfied with the results. The only downside is that this is a very high-maintenance color- it fades significantly with every wash. I don't know how long it takes to wash out completely (and it may not wash out completely on porous, bleached hair), but after 20-ish washes, almost all the green disappears and it looks like candy banana yellow.
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ReplyDeleteI did; it does :D How cool is that?
DeleteI have used MP purple on my hair and green on my son's (may have been THIS green), they really do wash out WAAAAY too fast. I was redoing my purple sections every week and I only wash my hair every 3 days or so! My son's green was gone in like 3 days. I really wish someone would make a good permanent colored dye!
ReplyDeleteI've had mixed results with Manic Panic in the past, either the color looking too weak or just fading too fast, but I'm really pleased with the ones I've tried recently. I have a section Hot Hot Pink on one side and the color is STRONG and it lasts a month before I have to re-dye it.... Just bought a couple of their purples to see how they turn out.
DeleteI agree... I want a permanent!!
DeleteA tip to help prolong the color and keep it bright: mix a bit of leftover color with your daily conditioner. Because colors like these are conditioner-based, it blends well. when you condition your hair each day, leave it on for a few minutes, and it's like a mini-touch up each time. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I've always heard that tip but I always forget never end up leaving any leftover dye, will have to pick up an extra jar and try that!
DeleteI have never had much luck with Manic Panic, personally. I like Special Effects and La Riche Directions much better. I've been dyeing my hair crazy colours since I was 14 and these have always given me the best result. :)
ReplyDeleteI like Special Effects a lot, but lately it's been hard to find. I've always heard good things about Directions but I'm not sure if I can get it here. I like some Manic Panic colors better than others, it seems they've improved their formula in recent years :D
DeleteI have never had much luck with Manic Panic, personally. I like Special Effects and La Riche Directions much better. I've been dyeing my hair crazy colours since I was 14 and these have always given me the best result. :)
ReplyDeleteI use Midnight Blue by Manic Panic (going to switch to the new Rockabilly Blue) and usually only have to touch it up every 1-1 and half months. My secret is to use a gentle shampoo and ONLY wash with cold water on your hair, it makes it last MUCH longer.
ReplyDeleteI have some Manic Panic Hot Hot Pink in my hair right now and it only needs to be touched up once a month, and that's with washing it every day. Seems like some of the colors hold better than others. I'm pretty happy with it!
DeleteI don't know if the formula on MP is the same, so I can't say as to whether or not this trick will still work, but... When I was maybe fifteen years younger, MP was all I really could get in terms of outrageously coloured hair dye and I certainly didn't have the cash to go to a salon and have it done.
ReplyDeleteWhat I eventually started doing was to apply the MP on pre-lightened hair, wrap my hair in saran-wrap, and then get a towel fresh from the dryer and wrap that around my head. I'd leave this on until the towel cooled and then swap it for another one, for basically half an hour to an hour before washing the dye out. What I got in return was more vibrant colour that lasted for months instead of weeks, even with regular washing. It didn't seem to damage my hair or scalp, but obviously what worked for me might be disastrous to someone else.
That sounds like it will definitely work! I used to stand there with the hair dryer on hot, blasting my plastic-wrapped hair and it was such a pain in the ass, that hot towel idea is way better! Going to try that next time I color, always seems like it comes out better with heat.
DeleteWeeew, great! I love coloring my hair blue, red, turquoise, green or anything like that.
ReplyDeleteHere is what I learned over the years: sleep with the color in, or leave it over one day if you dont need to go outside. About 8+ hours and it will fade a lot less quickly.
I'm going to try that! I have white pillowcases... wish me luck! lol
DeleteI used to get my Special Effects from Amphigory. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see more haircolor reviews in the future!
Can do :D
DeleteAwesome color! I've noticed that mp does fade really fast on my hair, so last time I wanted to get a nice deep purple I went with the darkest purple I could possibly find, so it would fade to a normal purple instead of a pale lavender.
ReplyDeleteDid it work out well? Most of the purples I've used fade to blue, but one of them faded to a pretty fuchsia color. I can't remember which brand that was!
DeleteSo you have a neon green section and a hot pink section? Ok, now I want to see a pic of your whole head! :)
ReplyDeleteI used to have my hair blonde with hot pink sections, I loved it! But I'm not talented/coordinated enough to do it myself (the times I tried to bleach my dark roots myself I always ended up with orange hair! Lol), so I had it done at a salon and eventually it just became too much expense and upkeep. It was awesome though. :)
It's such a pain! Doing roots is the worst kind of chore, ugh! I always get frustrated with the upkeep after a while and go back to brown cause I can't deal with it lol
DeleteThat's where I am - dark brown, because it saves me money and...I'm lazy! Lol. But I'm getting the itch for highlights/color again, eek!
DeleteThis looks great, I used to use mani panic all the time!
ReplyDeleteIt really does fade fast, I had to do mine once a week usually.
I usually only do dark colors which seem to last longer, but I'm really loving this bright cheery green
DeleteWow it looks awesome! I love the color but it's certainly one you have to be daring to rock :O Props to you Scrangie! And I agree that Manic Panic can wash out fast, but I think the color selection is unbeatable. (Also fading is a great excuse to try out more colors haha!)
ReplyDeleteExactly! :D
DeleteI don' understand people who say Manic Panic fades quickly, you cannot leave it on for 20 min or a few hours you must sleep with it on your head and it will barely fade out! I love this color, and I would mix it with Electric Banana (neon yellow.)I did it for 10 years, it's my favorite color and now I can't do it because of work. Let me tell you green is the HARDEST color to remove, and it took me months to try and get it out. Looks good on you!
ReplyDeleteThat's the thing; one shouldn't HAVE to sleep with the dye on their head to make it last longer than a week. I can leave Special Effects in for an hour and it'll be good for a month.
DeleteThat one never worked for me. I know hair dye is like nail polish and won't work the same on everyone. I may be addicted to the way Manic Panic smells (fantastical) :P
DeleteThank you! My green is currently faded out to yellow, so maybe it's a good time to try Electric Banana in between, I was curious about that one. And then I can mix!
DeleteManic Panic doesn't wash out if you sleep with it on your head! This is the only brand of dye you can do that with. I mixed this lovely green and the neon yellow together for 10 years and dyed my hair this color and it grew out and barely faded. I used to wear a wig to work to cover my 'weirdo green' hair but my hair started to fall out from the friction and I couldn't do it anymore :(
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun color! I used to use Manic Panic when I dyed my hair pink (I tried flame red too). My hubby did his blue, and it faded really quickly.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used their blue before... Used to use Special Effects Fishbowl and that was amazing
DeleteI noticed you said you'd been having difficulty finding Special Effects recently. Have you checked out Amphigory.com? I've been buying SE from them for years, and the prices are really reasonable. I usually stock up so I only have to pay the shipping charge once. I got really lucky recently and found a piercing shop local to where I am (Olympia, WA) that sells it too! I <3 Special Effects. I've NEVER had good results with Manic Panic =\
ReplyDeleteI should order from there sometime. I've been wary of buying hair color online ever since I had a bottle of hair color explode in the shipping box once... That was a nightmare, as you can imagine XD
DeleteLove this, I'm currently wearing electric banana, hot hot pink and ultraviolet in my hair. It's the first time I've used manic panic in a while, I had being using Pravana-that color doesn't play around. Neon hair is so fun!
ReplyDeleteIsn't Hot Hot Pink killer? I am kinda in love with it.
DeleteManic Panic is TERRIBLE for fading. Just read any review online for it. Try Fudge, Directions, or SFX - the have much better lasting power.
ReplyDeleteSome of the colors are... But some of them are really good! This is not one of the better ones for fading, unfortunately
DeleteI personally love Manic Panic and have been using it for years. I find the trick for my hair is to apply the Manic Panic, put a cap on, and apply heat for a half hour. I then leave it on for 2 to 3 hours, then apply heat again for about 20 minutes. Keeping it capped keeps it moisturized.
ReplyDeleteI also do use sulfate-free products, but I only wash my hair every 5 to 7 days because I'm not particularly oily.
This is such a fun color!
You are my hair idol, I know I tell you that all the time... but seriously!
DeleteI've only ever used one Manic Panic color and it was a red that wound up staying pretty well in my hair. I switched to Special Effects for my pink and blue and now I just use henna because I'm old and boring.
ReplyDeleteThis green is pretty amazing, though. I always passed by greens because I was afraid it would somehow mix with my red hair and create some sort of Christmas effect.
I've had bad luck with Manic Panic reds, but every Special Effects color I've used is amazing. Haven't tried their red, though.
DeleteChristmas hair... I kinda like the sound of that. Christmas kicks ass.
I may have to give MP a try again. I used to use it and found that it faded way too fast but your above comments make me want to try it again. Maybe they have improved their formula.
ReplyDeleteI've always had mixed results with Manic Panic, but the Hot Hot Pink I'm currently using really lasts, I'm quite happy with it
DeleteIm not sure that I, a 33 year old single mom, would be acceptet walking around with neon green hair :-p
ReplyDeleteWhy the heck not? Life's too short not to have green hair lol
DeleteI had dark red violet streaks put in my (graying) light ash brown hair when I was 53. My only regret is that I had to wait until I retired from my guvmint job to do it (that working with the public thang). Unfortunately, though I had it done professionally with permanent dye on sections that had been lightened to white, it didn't last for crap. Even using special shampoo and conditioner and only washing every third day, within three weeks my rich red violet had faded to lavender. Fortunately it continued to fade to a beautiful silvery lavender that went great with the ash brown and my skin tone. I'm considering having her do my whole head rather than streaks since I pretty much liked it at all stages of color. What would be even better is if I could get that silvery lavender with dark red violet streaks.
DeleteAnd Scrangie is so right, life is too short to worry about what fuddy duddies think (unless of course it's the fuddy duddies signing your paycheck ).
I've never had good luck with manic panic. But my favorite for deep, long lasting violet is Special Effects in Deep Purple. I would only have to touch up once a month, if that!
ReplyDeleteDeep Purple was my color for a few years- it's amazing!
DeleteHas anyone tried this on black hair? I am going to be Sailor Pluto at New York Comic Con and she has black/green hair...
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that this might not work out the way you want it over black hair... You'd probably be better off using Manic Panic Green Envy over black, it'll leave more of a blackened-teal-green look but it may be subtle!
DeleteI love your green hair Scrangie and the Lizard name of the product. :) I'd love to have neon green hair someday!
ReplyDeletethere's a brand called special effects whic the best thing I've found over the years. I get 3-5 weeks out of it depending how often I wash it :)
ReplyDeleteThat is sick. Only a Scrangie can do that.
ReplyDeleteI could never do the at-home coloring my hair wild colors thing. I am SO CLUMSY. I got dark purple highlights 7 weeks ago at my Ulta and didn't need bleaching (for which I was eternally grateful for, because I have fragile and fine hair and I had agonized all winter and spring I'd need my hair bleached then colored.) The ones I got were a little too dark this time (we were fiddling with formula), but I have to go in a week and get them redone, so I'll probably get them a little lighter. Redken has a green (at my Ulta, any way.)
I used Manic Panic waaay back in the day. Have since found Jerome Russell Punky Colour-the selection is pretty good, and they all seem to last and wear well. I've even seen it at Ulta! Currently I'm rockin Atlantic Blue, it's become my signature color, but all the comments make me want to try out some other brands
ReplyDeleteYou are my hero for dying your hair green. You should try all of the colors! Please let us know if you do try any more colors!
ReplyDeleteYou are my hero for dying your hair green! Are you planning on dying it any other colors?
ReplyDeleteThis is AAAAAWESOME!
ReplyDeleteTotally love it. I recently tried the new Ion semi-permanent in Aqua from Sally and it's still in my hair after 5 weeks (I will note that my hair is quite porous from what I've put it through). Maybe you would like to check it out!
ReplyDeleteThis is so bad ass! hahaha I'd love to do a crazy color like cherry-bomb red or violet purple, but my mother would absolutely shit herself. Oh well! I guess I'll hold out til im off in college. just one more year...
ReplyDeleteHow cool, I love how you try these things, it looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering, what kind of hair care routine do you follow? Any really amazing deep conditioners you swear by?
ReplyDeleteThat's the one thing I hate about Manic Panic - it washes out sooooper quickly. I used Vampire Red all throughout college on top of my dark brown unbleached hair, and it would look gorgeous for about 3 washes. :(
ReplyDeleteI used to use Manic Panic Fuchsia Shock all throughout high-school. Lasted about 3 weeks for me, I did not use heat or anything... just wrapped in plastic and a towel for an hour. I didn't bleach either, I have dirty blonde hair. Alas, jobs kept me from dying it... now I started again and I haven't gotten yelled at. I just dye some sections on the underside, so its not as noticeable. I need to get some MP or special effects. Bought some stuff from a beauty supply and it faded sooo fast... I think Hot Topic carries special effects.....
ReplyDeleteIn the sake of research, while at the mall, I checked and hot topic carries only be manic panic amplified line at 13 dollars each. Never used those, so I'm not sure if they are better.
DeleteI used to dye my hair all the time, but never with Manic Panic. My hair was lightened to a kind of gross yellow, so I'm not sure how conducive it was. I dyed the whole thing blue once, and it was a HUGE mess, and faded to grey after 1 or 2 washes. From then on, I only dyed the front sections, but would use multiple colors, so it looked pretty cute. I had this one green that was similar to this one, but more spring-y. It was sooo cute, but naturally it was gone after maybe 1 wash.
ReplyDeleteI've dyed my hair with this color, and I had better results, because I bleach (damage) my hair regularly. I dyed it green in the middle of last October and it stayed very green until maybe about March! Of course, I wash/shampoo my hair very infrequently, which also helps a lot.
ReplyDeleteI'm so new to bright hair dye....ideally I'd want something permanent, but do they even make "unnatural" colored permanent hair dyes?
ReplyDeleteWow, now you're doing hair dye reviews? Scrangie, you ARE an inspiration. Thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I like the result and love the neon! This is timely for me because I just did pink streaks in my hair with the Punky hair color brand, which I liked, but it was my first go at non-traditional color. It was also semi-permanent. I want to try Manic Panic next to see which one wears longer. I didn't bleach first because my hair is dirty blonde and I do work with doctors so I didn't want it too crazy, hence the streaks rather than all over.
ReplyDeleteThat's really wild and fun! I've never changed my hair colour to an unconventional colour before - stop-sign red was as far as I went. But, if I were to dye my hair, I'd go for either a dark purple or a dark blue.
ReplyDelete