Tell-all: Manic Panic's Infra Red

In typical Olivia-fashion, I decided one morning that I would dye my hair red.
And I mean really red.
Like, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, red.

​After a bit of research, I decided that Manic Panic's Infra Red would be the perfect shade of red for me. My hair was already a bit lighter at the ends from a previous failed ombré attempt (a story for another day), so I wasn't too worried about the numerous reviews of this dye that mentioned the color wouldn't show all that well on darker hair. Flanked by my mother (who has been with me through all my hair mishaps and victories) and my best friend from college (hi, Marlee!), we lined the bathroom in garbage bags, each wore chic garbage bag dresses (you'll thank me later), and started painting on the red...

A few laughs, embarassing Snapchats, and ​Psycho references later, and my hair was the perfect shade of red!

Here's what I noticed:

+ Manic Panic is a vegan and cruelty-free brand, which was a major factor in why I purchased it (yay!).

+ I only needed one 4oz jar of dye (I have long hair, but it's quite thin), however, if your hair is on the thick side, I would use at least two jars.

+ My hair had zero damage after using this dye - if anything, I noticed my hair felt a bit more silky than usual.

+ The color definitely lost vibrance after a few washes. Here's a tip - try adding a touch of the leftover dye into your conditioner - I found I could extend the color a bit longer.

+ My perfectly white bathroom, towels, and sheets are now perfectly pink. The stuff gets everywhere. Seriously.

+ Overall, I would recommend this product with the forewarning that this red is a bit of a mess. As you can tell, depending on how dark or light your hair is, the color might not turn out as vibrant as desired. My medium-to-dark hair color stayed about the same, but with red tones most visible in sunlight. My previously-bleached ends, however,  picked up the color perfectly, and I can't imagine how intense the red would look if your hair was closer to being white or "colorless."

I absolutely loved this color, though just like most of my hair whims,
​it only lasted a couple of moon cycles.

If you've tried this dye before or have any questions about my experience, please comment below!