In this article, we will inspect Manic Panic Virgin Snow, and you can gauge whether you want to give this one a try compared to other brands of hair styles and unique colors. When we think of hair dye, one of the first things to come to mind is the brand Manic Panic. The brand especially saw popularity in the 90s during the grunge era for its funky colors. If you wanted a crazy color that lasted, you went to the Manic Panic aisle. This shade would be perfect for those who want to jump on the current silver trend.
What Is Manic Panic Virgin Snow?
Manic Panic began its journey in 1977 and was created by sisters Tish and Snooky Bellomo. Being native New Yorkers, and deeply involved in the New York Punk music scene, they soon found themselves performing at many of the East Village venues. They performed regularly at the famous club CBGB, singing backup for Blondie. They soon became more known and loved for their brilliantly colored hair. It wasn’t long before the Manic Panic hair colors were born.
Their vivid rainbow color dyes were one of the first of their kind. As previously mentioned, the product really peaked in the 90’s. Due to heightened demand, distribution of Manic Panic products expanded tremendously.
Since that time, Manic Panic has worked continuously to make sure their formula remains the best on the market. The company really focuses on listening to customer feedback and staying ahead of the trends by starting them.
Manic Panic has been mentioned in many documentaries, crediting them for beginning what would become a trend and now the acceptance of men and women wearing more outrageous colors. Manic Panic has received numerous mentions in publications such as Interview, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, Elle, The New York Times, The New Yorker, W, and Rolling Stone.
Tish and Snooky continue to perform as musicians. They are the extended part of Blue Coupe, a band composed of original members of Blue Öyster Cult, along with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and original Alice Cooper bassist, Dennis Dunaway.
The hair must be lightened to the lightest shade possible in order to work properly. Use this shade to create a cool canvas that can give you better results before dyeing with brighter colors. Looking to boost your blonde hair? Use Manic Panic Virgin Snow every couple of weeks to keep your blonde strands white as snow.
Wash your hair before you apply the product and use a clarifying shampoo. Do not condition afterward. Be sure to apply the dye once your hair is dry. Apply the dye to all of your hair. Make sure you really massage, comb and work it through your hair. This will prevent any patches from arising. Place a shower cap over it and leave it for at least an hour before rinsing the product out.
Product Specs
Like many other products from the brand, Manic Panic Virgin Snow is a semi-permanent hair color. Good news for vegans, the formula is cruelty-free and vegan. Virgin Snow can also condition the hair as well and can also be used as a mixer.
Manic Panic comes ready to use; do not mix with peroxide. It is also ammonia-free, and the company is proud that the dye is “tested on celebrities, not animals.”
Please remember that if you want to dye your hair like this platinum color, your hair must already be very light in order for this to work properly, For reference, a good color for your hair to match is the inside of a banana. If your hair isn’t light enough, it could end up a shade of lavender when using Manic Panic’s Virgin Snow. So, good news if you want lavender hair. Also be sure to really work the product in, or you will have purple streaks in with your white. Although, that could look cool. This does allow you to get a bit creative. Just be sure you like the outcome.
Pricing
On the company’s website, Manic Panic Virgin Snow retails for around $14. However, you can sometimes purchase the color for less at other sources. For example, Amazon charges around $10 and Walmart’s price is around $10 as well. Remember that if you buy online, you will also have to pay for shipping.
How it Compares
We picked a couple of similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
Ion Color Brilliance Permanent Creme Hair ColorWella T18 Lightest Ash Blonde TonerJerome Russell Punky Colour Hair Color Crème Platinum Blonde Toner
Comparison Table
[amazon box=”B006E5HUP8, B004AGFC3K, B00IAA9Z9Y, B001DKGK0A ” template=”table”]Manic Panic Virgin Snow
[amazon box=”B006E5HUP8″]
Ease of Use |
Assembly Time |
Color Quality |
Longevity of Color |
---|---|---|---|
Pros
- Easy to use
- Good color pay off
- Conditions hair really well
Cons
- Reported as not lasting long
- More expensive
- Not a lot of products for the price
[amazon fields=”B006E5HUP8″ value=”button”]
Ion Color Brilliance Permanent Creme Hair Color
[amazon box=”B004AGFC3K”]The Ion brand was introduced to salons in 1996 and quickly became a favorite from there. Today, it’s also the go-to for at-home colorists who want professional results on their own schedule.
ion Color Brilliance is a European Ionic Formula that is a luxurious, long-lasting, deposit-only hair color without ammonia. This hair color covers and blends gray hair up to 100% without lifting the hair’s natural pigment. Ion’s formulas are PPD-free and enriched with Hyaluronic Acid, Argan Oil, Pequi Oil, and botanicals to nourish and strengthen hair from within.
Wash your hair before you apply and use a clarifying shampoo. Do not condition after and wait for hair to dry. Then mix 2 oz. of ion Intensive Shine Demi Hair Color with 4 oz. ion Sensitive Scalp Creme Developer 10 Volume in a non-metallic bowl. Mixing ratio is 1:2 unless otherwise noted. Wait 5 minutes to cool down and let sit for 30-40 minutes.
Ease of Use |
Assembly Time |
Color Quality |
Longevity of Color |
---|---|---|---|
Pros
- Very Affordable
- Color lasts
- Easy to use
Cons
- Colors have been reported as being too dark
[amazon fields=”B004AGFC3K” value=”button”]
Wella T18 Lightest Ash Blonde Toner
[amazon box=”B00IAA9Z9Y”]Wella Color Charm Permanent Liquid Hair Toner saturates, penetrates and fuses with the hair to deliver vibrant color that is exceptionally fade resistant. The toner promises to be vibrant and long-lasting. In addition, the toner also claims to remove brass. All unwanted warmth should be gone after using this product.
Wash your hair before you apply and use a clarifying shampoo. Do not condition after. Be sure to once your hair is dry. Mix with a developer and wait. You only need to wait 15 to 20 minutes to achieve results.
Ease of Use |
Assembly Time |
Color Quality |
Longevity of Color |
---|---|---|---|
Pros
- Very affordable
- Easy to use
- Great color payoff
Cons
- Some reports of patches
[amazon fields=”B00IAA9Z9Y” value=”button”]
Jerome Russell Punky Colour Hair Color Crème Platinum Blonde Toner
[amazon box=”B001DKGK0A”]With over 30 years of experience, Jerome Russell, maker of Punky Colour, is a world leader in the hair color industry. Their products contain the highest quality ingredients. Acid dyes are never used since these can stain the scalp and cause color bleed on clothing and bedding. The company is cruelty-free and does not test on animals. A major force in the U.S. market, Jerome Russell products are in thousands of beauty and retail outlets throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and internationally.
Punky Color will give you outrageous color on bleached and even chemically treated hair. For darker shades of hair, it can create a brilliant highlight effect.
The directions are as follows. Shampoo hair and dry. Use petroleum jelly or baby oil around the hairline and on ears. Use rubber gloves and apply color evenly from hair roots to ends with a tinting brush. Comb through. Leave on for approximately 15-30 minutes and then rinse out. Do not use in the eye area. Avoid contact with skin or clothing as staining will result.
Ease of Use |
Assembly Time |
Color Quality |
Longevity of Color |
---|---|---|---|
Pros
- Very affordable
- Works on chemically treated hair
- Conditions hair
- No peroxide required (but needed for more pigment)
Cons
- Takes longer to apply
- Requires more tools and assembly
- Washes out quickly
[amazon fields=”B001DKGK0A” value=”button”]
What to Remember When Dying Your Hair
Before we give Virgin Snow an overall rating, please remember a few things when dying your hair. First, many things can cause your hair to fade. Hair color can fade faster in the sun, and when you don’t use a shampoo and conditioner combo for color treated hair. Due to this fact, there is no way to avoid getting touch-ups, and since hair grows about 1/2 inch every month, you’ll at least have to get your roots redone every 6-8 weeks.
Use a clarifying shampoo before you dye your hair. Clarifying shampoo strips your hair of buildup. If you use it on color-treated hair, it’ll cause your color to fade. If you use it before you apply the dye, though, it will give you a nice, clean surface to apply your color and will help your shade last longer.
Your hair health affects the outcome of your color. Damaged hair won’t accept color like healthy hair does. If you’ve been skimping on your cuts, get a quick trim before you color to get rid of any damaged strands. Otherwise, you won’t be seeing much color payoff.
Make a hair coloring kit if you’re DIYing. Set up a workstation before you start with a wipe, comb, and a couple of towels (one for around your neck, one for your workplace). This will help prevent staining.
If, for some reason, you hate your DIY job, don’t panic; a trip to a salon can more than likely fix it.
Conclusion
The Manic Panic Virgin Snow is the most expensive out of all of the brands and is reported as not lasting as long as some. However, it is easier to apply than others, is cruelty-free, and has a great color payoff. It really boils down to your preference of features. Are you more concerned about using a cruelty-free brand? You’re safe with Manic Panic. If you want long lasting color, at least with Manic Panic Virgin Snow, you might want to look elsewhere.
With Manic Panic, you’re paying for a well-known trendy “90’s era grunge style” dye. So it may be like buying “street cred” as well. Even celebrities of today have jumped on the Manic Panic bandwagon.
For example, Jared Leto began dyeing his hair with Manic Panic’s ‘Red Passion’ Classic Crème and posting pictures on his booming social media channels as early as 2010 and later appeared in Vogue with Manic Panic hair. When his role as the Joker came about for 2016’s Suicide Squad, Jared’s team came straight to Manic Panic for his signature green as well as for Margot Robbie’s blue and pink pigtails as Harley Quinn!
However, Manic Panic is also well known for its brilliant color pay off and a wide range of shades as well. When it comes to hair shade options, few have Manic Panic beat. This brand gives you an incredible 51 shade options. Their lines range from watercolor pastels to intense “High Voltage” hues, like Rockabilly Blue and the aforementioned Manic Panic Virgin Snow.
Overall, with its status as the original colored hair dye and the features it possesses, we give Manic Panic Virgin Snow 4 out of 5 stars. With its celebrity street cred, positive reputation, punk rock background, and great color payoff, it really is a hard brand to beat.