"Oil Slick Hair" - Manic Panic Hair Dye Review

If you are on any form of social media these days I'm sure you've seen "oil slick" or "mermaid" hair... if not, open a new tab and do a quick google search. Alright, now that we're on the same page, awhile back I decided I wanted to do a hidden oil slick because I wasn't brave enough to do my entire head! My sister had recently dyed her entire head in an ombre purple but she had to strip and bleach her hair first. I wasn't cool with that and I didn't want to use a permanent dye either, I like the kind that gradually washes out over time... so the research began, I ended up deciding on Manic Panic Dyes.

These dyes are vegan friendly (which I didn't even know was a concern with hair dyes, but there you go!) and semi-permanent. We had a trip planned to visit my family so I asked my sister if she could pick-up these colors from Sally's Beauty and some supplies in preparation for my arrival.

One Sunday afternoon we set-up shop in my parents back yard and she went at it... She separated my hair into sections then applied the colors randomly (completely in no particular order like the rainbow you see in an actual oil slick), then she rolled it in foil, and moved onto the next section.

The end result was so vibrate and amazing looking!

I wanted to see how long the colors lasted, so my plan was to take a weekly update photo. I missed a couple weeks but you can see that the vibrancy started to fade after a bit. My hair really held onto the red (which actually doesn't surprise me since I naturally have strawberry blonde hair in the summer time). I'm currently 8 weeks post-dye and I still have some red streaks throughout.

1 Week -- 2 Weeks -- 3.5 Weeks -- 6 Weeks

So for my hair, with no bleaching or stripping:

• Purple Haze - washed out within the first week
• VoodDoo Blue - actually looked teal in my hair (which I liked!) but was basically gone by 3.5wks
• Infra Red - Still going... I like it!

We had half a jar left of each color so I wanted a simple travel solution, luckily I found out my son's Parent's Choice Puffs container fit them perfectly! I just taped the lid shut and threw it in my suitcase.

The only down side to these dyes that I found was the transfer when my hair was wet. I purposely put an old pillow case on my nightly pillow. I had red and purple streaks on it. I will confess that I am guilty of putting my hair in a top knot while wet from the shower and just going to bed. I also used an old beach towel for my hair when getting out of the shower, it also showed red and purple streaks... I think my hair may have held the colors longer because I only wash it between 4-5 days and use dry shampoo in between, but I can't vouch for that.

Anyway, if you're looking for a fun twist on hair, I do recommend Manic Panic Dyes! Maybe just dry your hair before going to bed unlike me ;)

Have you ever done anything crazy with hair color?
Let me know in the comments!
-Tay

*I was NOT compensated by Manic Panic - I just wanted to share my personal experience and pass it on to ya'll!

Ohana.

For those of you who have never left home (I'm talking more than those 4yrs of college or moving a town away) I don't really know how to explain this accurately but I will do my best.

Moving somewhere completely new changes you in ways you can never understand. Moving to an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean thousands of miles away from anyone you know adds a whole new element. My time in Maryland was short all of 16mo, we did find a church and a group of friends to "do life" with, most of which we keep in touch with today. But Hawaii is where our life really became "our own."

Within 3 months of moving there I started having debilitating panic attacks - to the point of throwing up, jolting awake, and having to go to the ER twice within 2wks. We were desperate for answers, desperate for a place to call home (been in an hotel room for 60 days and ended up in a temporary apartment for 3mo before renting our home on base), and desperate for a place to fit in.

We tried a few churches, but once we walked into Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay (now Anchor Church) we knew we were "home." I started attending a women's study and we planned to join a married group once my husband returned from his upcoming deployment. The women in my small group got me through my anxiety issues, supported me during the deployment, and some became very close friends that I talk to daily/weekly even now!

Once my husband returned we jumped into a young married's group and the rest is history... Weekend get togethers, impromptu dinner nights, beach & boat trips, hikes, holiday parties & potlucks, rallying around those who moved/were sick/had kids/etc. These people were our Ohana, we knew if we needed something all we had to do was call. Even if our car broke down on the other side of the island, someone would show up! Thousands of miles away from home and we still had that safety net. There's just something about that island. That life. That time. I will never forget those moments or people.

I need to find that here. 

Family Near & Far.

Next to the Coast Guard the Marine Corps is the smallest military branch... When incidents happen like on Thursday evening (helicopter crash in Hawaii) there is a collective gasp, lurching of hearts, and eventually a huge flood of tears.

The Marine Corps is a family. One we have a love/hate relationship with. We love the history, the service, the pride our spouses have being part of something bigger than themselves. We hate the long hours, separations, dictating of our lives, but mainly... The unknowns.

Will my husband come home today? Most likely yes. Does that stop my heart from dropping anytime I read something like this online? No. Remember- I said the Marine Corps is small. I said we are a family. No matter where we go the probability is high that we will know at least one (usually more) person there. This is no exception... In the unit that crashed we have friends. 

Right now a friend who is probably fielding the "is he okay?" "Have you heard from him?" "Do you know..." "When will they release names?" ...and on and on... An endless drone of questions for her poor heart. She has herself and toddler to take care of, she doesn't need these questions pounding her from every corner.

I didn't ask. I simply prayed. I remember receiving questions often when my husband was deployed. Questions I didn't have answers to. Questions I sometimes didn't want an answer for. 

One of my really good friend's husband is deployed at the moment (he flies on helicopters as well). So we chatted on and off all day. Talking outcomes. Praying for miracles. How they are trained for survival. The proximity of Kauai. The weather. And more. We both still went to bed with tears in our eyes.

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**UPDATED: January 19th, 2016**
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Today my heart is heavy.
Today my eyes are red rimmed & wet.
Today and forever the Marine Corps Family will weep for those precious souls lost.
Rest now heroes. Your job here on earth is done. Now your families wait to see you on that final homecoming day when they too reach heaven and can wrap their arms around you once again.

 

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If you want a tangible and reputable way to help the families of these 12 Marines, please follow this link: http://www.wingmanfoundation.org/463/ 

 

With love and prayer,

-Tay

Sadly... Instead of positivity and encouragement, I have seen rude, bitter, and condescending comments written on news articles and photos posted about this incident. If you feel the need to comment on such things...

I have three things to ask of you:

1. Enough with the conspiracy theories - seriously, just stop!
2. The military isn't leaving Hawaii, we need mutual respect & tolerance (from both sides).
3. No matter your views on the military remember that you are talking about 12 souls - 12 people whose lives are just as important as anyone else (yours included) - and now 12 families with holes in their hearts... Watch your words. Closely.

I know I said three... But please take this to heart as well: Stop being keyboard bullies in general. Stop hiding behind the computer screen. Just stop typing. That old adage of "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all," absolutely applies here (not to mention daily).