MANIC PANICUltra Violet Amplified Semi-Permanent Hair Dye - Cool Blue Toned Violet Color - Works on Dark & Light Shades - Vegan, PPD & Ammonia Free

I have used Manic Panic since college over 20 years ago. The Amplified line has been a favorite of mine for just under half of that. It provides deep color that lasts about a month-- fading from a dark tone to a lighter one over time. That lighter tone rarely looks washed out like other color brands, so it gives me plenty of time to refresh it.This color in particular covers my grays well without having to treat my hair with bleach. If you apply it with a highlighting brush to grays, you get some nice variance and dimensionality. I am frequently complimented on this color. Before my grays, I would use the Vampire Blood color on bleached blond hair which would go from dark red to pink. Currently, I am using a bright green on my kid and it is washing very well, though the cool tone purple rinses out surprisingly fast.I happily endorse this product. Just be careful, it stains a variety of surfaces for a very long time. Apply it with gloves and try to avoid getting it on your skin if you don't want to look terribly bruised lol.

I bought Ultra Violet after deciding I needed a color change (originally, I was RAW Bright Betty Red). I bleached the crap out of my hair until it was a sunset ombre sort of fade - yellow on top, neon pink toward the ends. I left Ultra Violet on for about an hour and a half before rinsing. I wish I would have left it a bit longer. While the color is fabulous and beautiful, I'm currently a week (and only one shampoo) out from dying and my color has begun to wash out considerably up on top. It's not BAD looking, it's just not as purple as it was, and you can see peeks of bleached hair poking out from under the color. I'm going to touch-up just for good measure. I'm not sure why it didn't take as well on the top of my head but it's likely my fault. :) Also, since I didn't evenly bleach my hair, it's purple up on top and plum-ish down toward the bottom - do NOT expect this color to work like permanent dyes and remove your current color/deposit new color - that's not how these work! They coat the surface of your hair and layer over the color you have. There are sections where I didn't quite get the color on there as well as i should have, and I have an interesting pink-purple blend. It's pretty, I like it, but next time I'll use two jars instead of just one, just for coverage's sake. I'm buying more to touch-up the top of my head with this weekend.It does stain clothing (which, sorry, you're pretty much screwed there) and will stain bathtubs/sinks/skin, but I have tips:#1, use gloves (duh)#2, lay down newspaper or old towels on your work surface, so when you set your jar down or lean against your counter, you don't spread the stain everywhere#3, When rinsing, lean over as close to the drain as possible and rinse the majority of the color out there before getting in the shower to rinse the rest of it.#4, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, use the eraser to scrub all surfaces the dye touched. Rinse the sponge well. It even works on your skin, just don't scrub too hard because it'll take off the top layer of skin if you do. Seriously, though, guys. It works.#5, Orange/Oxy cleanser - spray it on, let it sit, Magic Eraser over the top of it, rinse. Do this with every shampooing, and you'll have a white tub that stays white, I promise you.#6, when you're letting your color sit, wrap a plastic grocery bag around your head and pin it in place... just to avoid accidentally touching something with your gooey head. I have vaulted ceiling. My purple head came in contact with my white ceiling. Panic and chaos ensued.#7, use a color safe, sulfate/surfactant/salt-free shampoo & conditioner. ONLY shampoo when totally necessary, I recommend dry shampoo as much as possible. And if you don't want to buy a dry shampoo, look up how to make your own, or dust your hands with baby power and ruffle your hair with that. Makes your color last tremendously longer!

Name brand (not a knockoff). Yes, amplified formula in tall bottle really is more vivid than the thinner solution in the tub. Bottle sucks though, too stiff to squeeze so you’ve gotta dump it in a bowl. It you haven’t dyed your hair bright before, bleach it first. Whether you have fresh bleach or not, put this color onto washed but not conditioned, and dry hair. Use latex or nitrile gloves (doctor or mechanic gloves) and prep your hairline and ears with Vaseline, wear crappy dark clothes - expect to get dye on your shoulders and arms. If it gets on your skin it can be scrubbed off with normal soaps but the longer it’s on, the harder to get off.Apply dye to hair like a leave in conditioner only more neatly, don’t be skimpy, or I you’ve done box dyes it’s the same concept - get it aaaallllll over every hair. Don’t panic about “wasting” dye left in the bottle, this stuff is shelf stable and doesn’t get all weird if you leave it like box dyes do... this isn’t mixed or blended at home, it really is like a conditioner. What’s in the one and only bottle is what goes on your hair, leftovers can be left in the bottle until you want to redye another day.Once applied, Leave on as long as you want, I recommend at least 45 min but I like to do over an hour. Wrapping your head with cling film will help keep it mess free as you go about your chores or whatever. In the shower it’s a total mess washing it off but that’s normal. Don’t bother washing or conditioning after it’s completely rinsed because this formula IS a conditioner.On bleached hair this color shows up really well and when it fades out it’s still cool. Every time you wash the color will fade, moreso if the water is hot. Hot tip, add some of this color to your conditioner (then leave in for as long as you can) for an anti-fade boost on wash days. It takes about two weeks so 3-4 washes from this to go from awesome hot pink to washed out faded pastel pinkish yellow on my bleached hair.I’ve tried a lot of other bright hair dyes over the decades and if you want cool color at home this (on bleached hair) is your best bet.