Manic Panic Hair Dye Guide

Although I proclaim myself as a mistress of Metal, I'm pretty tame in "real life."  I've never had any piercings (not even my ears), no tattoos, no hair dye, and I hadn't started wearing makeup until about two years ago, and not advanced makeup (with my Kat Von D eyes and such) until four months ago.

So, at twenty-two years old, I finally decided I desperately needed some sort of physical change in my life.  I also wanted to do something shocking to surprise my fiance once he gets off his aircraft carrier [soon].  He hasn't seen me in person since October! So, out of all the "crazy" things I could have done, dyeing my hair with semi-permanent dye is by far the least damaging and non-permanent option.  My mind made up, I went on a research-quest to find the right dye for me, and decided on Manic Panic.  The brand has punky/metal colors, is Vegan and vegetable-based (I'm not Vegan, but I like when products are!), and supposedly washes out quicker than most dyes.  Winwinwin. 

I think it's cute.

I picked the color "Vampire Red" because it looked like a deep red in swatch photos and on their website, and I wanted red hair.  I have very pale skin, and red hair is just lovely on us pale beauties!  I didn't want "natural" red hair, either--I wanted super sexy, unnatural, Metal, Little Mermaid hair.  And I got it.  I wasn't expecting unbleached hair to come out so, well, vibrant.  Though, it's becoming a bit more purple as it sits in my hair and mixes with the oils in my head.  Which is still cool.

Forgive the duck face--I've been culturally brainwashed.  Photo on the left taken by Rachel Kertz.

Just look at that RED hair.  And that's without bleaching.  I always considered myself as having brown hair, but I suppose I'm naturally blonde, aren't I?  All the more reason to dye it.  And, with virgin hair and this being my first experience with hair dyeing, I learned many things.  I will share my new secrets with you.

MAGIC RITUAL OF GETTING RED HAIR:

1. Cover your bathroom (or wherever you dye your hair) with towels.  Everywhere.  The dye got places I didn't know it could go.   
2. Cover your face, ears, and neck with Vaseline.  You'll thank me later.  Also, wear a shirt you don't care about (though the dye washed out of mine).  
3. Really, have a friend/significant other/SOMEONE ELSE put your dye in for you.  You do NOT want this stuff in your sink.  SO messy.  Make sure they wear good gloves. 
4. My hair is crazy-long and very thick, but I only needed one jar of Manic Panic.  The friend who dyed my hair used a wee bit of a second jar, but it probably wasn't necessary. 
5. You can let your dye sit however long you want.  There aren't any bad chemicals in it to seep into your brain and give you cancer (Manic Panic is rated 4/10 on EWG).  The internet says the longer you leave the dye in, the longer it lasts.  The jar suggests 20 minutes and I let mine sit for four hours.  And it hasn't really gone anywhere in the five days since I dyed it.  I expect it to last at least a month.  UPDATE:  It's been two months.  Still red.  I've got some roots showing, though.  But this stuff isn't budging!  :D
6.  Please, do not get any dye on your scalp.  My scalp was covered in dye and it took over an hour to rinse all of it out, and I had to shampoo my head twice to get it off my scalp. 
7. Rinse your hair in the shower--NOT the sink--if you left your dye in longer than the instructions advise.  Even if my scalp wasn't dyed red, it would've taken a good 30+ minutes to get my water to turn clear, and even then it never REALLY turned clear.  I just had to give up.  Make sure you towel dry your hair really well after getting out of the shower.  
8. Mentally prepare yourself for all the bleeding that will happen if your hair gets wet.  Because it bleeds like a mutha.  Rain is now my enemy. 
9. Also mentally prepare yourself for ridicule from just about everyone!

And that's how the magic happens!  Granted, it seems like quite a bit of work, but it's really not so bad.  I just have to accept the fact that, with Manic Panic, that whole "when water turns completely clear" thing will just never happen.  Ever.  I always wait until the dye pouring out of my hair is a light pink (rather than blood) color before I hop out of the shower.  And my pillowcases and clothes are fine.  My towel that I let my hair dry on, though--that thing is stained pretty badly.   

I only go outside when driving places, apparently.

Stay tuned for the funny ways you'll get treated once your hair is an unnatural color!

<3

Kitty Vamp Designs-- Band Shirts (and more) For Women!

More and more bands are including token female-sized shirts at their merch booths, but it's usually just one shirt.  And it usually has a tiny design on the front, without tour dates on the back.  So, men's shirts are still way more badass.  But they EAT me.  And I'm way too lazy/scared to attempt resizing them myself.

If you find yourself in a similar dilemma, thank your lucky stars that KittyVamp exists.  You can send her a band shirt from your collection, buy one from her shop, or buy one of the fancy designs she's already made.  Like this Children of Bodom shirt that she turned into a pencil skirt.

How awesome is that? D:

Her prices are pretty good for what she offers ($30ish for shirts you buy from her collection, $40 for dresses, $16.99 to send your own shirt to be altered).  I have a hawt Iced Earth shirt that she offered in her store two years ago that I LOVE.  My fiance has the same shirt (unaltered of course because he's a man), so it's cute to wear them together.  ;P

So glorious.  It has turquoise lace trim :D

KittyVamp also has many different styles to offer if you're not a tank top kind of gal, including off-shoulder tops and corsets!  She even makes DRESSES.  You know what, I'll just stop talking and let you look at all the cheddar.

Making dresses out of giant man shirts!  The geniusness!

Powerglove doesn't offer ladies shirts yet, so this  is a must-have for a fan of The Glove.

WAAANT.

I need to get an off-shoulder shirt :D

All of those shirts are found on her website (except my Iced Earth one, but I'm sure she'd be able to replicate it with a shirt you send in).  She also sells eye makeup from Concrete Minerals in case you need a little something extra to get free shipping.  The colors look awesome!  You know how much I loves me some makeup, so I'll give these a try for sure :D

So, what are you waiting for?  Head on down to KittyVamp!



<3

    

Toxic Vision - it doesn't get any more Metal than this

Canada's Toxic Vision creates Metal fashions straight out of my wildest dreams (or is it nightmares?).  Leather, spikes, studs, corset lacing, everything a girl could ever dream of.  Some of the outfits are a little too sexy for my taste (hot pants?  Metal HOT PANTS?  Whoa.), but there's plenty to like here.  Toxic Vision even made Stu Block's (Iced Earth) new concert outfit, so soon she'll be making outfits for the menfolk, too.

Unfortunately, since all the fashions are made from scratch, they're woefully expensive.  I couldn't afford any of it unless I got a big fancy job somewhere.  But I can look, can't I?  And so can you.  Visit their website here and Facebook page here.  Happy drooling!

Shut up and take my money!

                           

Brand to watch - Metal Mulisha!

Today I'm going to show you a selection of deliciously Metal clothes offered by Metal Mulisha.  I mentioned Metal Mulisha in last week's catalog of Metal handbags, but was also impressed by their selection of clothing for women (which they refer to as "Metal Maidens" on their website).  I admit that a lot of the designs are more "skater"- or "hipster"-looking, but there are many gems to be found if you search a bit. 

ON TO THE GOODNESS!

I really like these shirts :D  They're more subtle than some of the other designs Metal Mulisha offers, and have that feminine edge that I looove.  They also look really flattering to the body, which is a plus!

 

Metal Mulisha always have a great selection of dresses, but I recommend checking out ebay.  There are so many more awesome designs than what's offered on MM's website, and you can snag some great deals!  I recently bought the Traced dress on ebay for $30 and I love it!  It's pretty tight, though. 

 
 Their swimsuits are a bit skimpier than what I like, but they're pretty Metal for those of you with the bodies to pull it off.  I mean, c'mon, a skull on your boob AND your butt?  That's pretty badass.  And I love the soft feminine touches of the lace trim and satin bows.




So, there you have it!  A small sampling of the great clothing options for Metal maidens from Metal Mulisha!  You can get their stuff online, or at PacSun stores (found in most shopping malls).  It's actually much cheaper to buy Metal Mulisha items at PacSun, but not all PacSuns carry it!

Happy shopping!

Awesome Metal Bags!

I've always referred to the chalices in which I dump all my personal items as purses, but apparently it's more politically correct to refer to them as simply "bags" now (because of all the different types).  Whatever the term, I find it frustratingly difficult to find purses that fit my aesthetic.  Sure, there are black purses everywhere, but the increasingly dominant girly-girl in me wants something a bit more fancy nowadays.  Zippers, chains, buckles, maybe some bows!  Or pink accents!  Wait, did I just say pink?  To quote some Symphony X lyrics, I don't know what the Hell I've become.

Now isn't the time for an identity crisis, Leslie!  Show them the epic bags!

Metal Mulisha, though primarily a brand for assholes (ugh, just look at the homepage...), have some great purses for ladies.  These three are my favorites, but Metal Mulisha have many more to offer on their website.  I love the classic black leather looks of these purses combined with the added mixture of edgy and feminine touches.  At $46-50, they're a pretty good price, too!

I really like this purse by surfer-girl brand Roxy.  I don't like any of their other purses (or anything else at all, really), but this one is great.  Distressed black leather feel combined with silver studs, zippers, and buckles.  Very Metal :D  And it's a cross-body, which is ideal for shows and festivals because it keeps your hands free and puts less weight on your shoulder!  And it's super affordable at $44.

I looove tokidoki.  The designs are just so damned cute.  This design is a nice middle-ground between my love of cuteness and Metal.  The adorable characters are there, but in subtle, vintage-y grays instead of the rainbow color explosion found in most tokidoki products.  Unfortunately, these purses are crazy expensive (by my standards).  This purse is the smallest offered (though still a good size methinks), and it's $98.  Yowch!  D:

Here's a cute purse from Iron Fist.  Though Iron Fist's primary Metal fashion offering is shoes (which I'll be sure to write about later), they have some other great things to offer.  Like this purse!  At $45, it's very affordable!  Also, Iron Fist tend to lean more towards the Horror than Metal aesthetic, so if you find yourself also leaning more towards that, google Iron Fist!  Their website doesn't have all their items, so some googling/ebaying may be in order. 


If you're the type that needs to try on a purse before purchasing, here's a list of some purses that can be found in stores (click the picture to view):

Phew, that was a LOT of purses!  I focused on black because, well, it goes with everything!  Hopefully I at least gave you names of some designers that cater to the Metal aesthetic more than others.  Enjoy, and happy shopping!

<3

Rock & Republic exclusively at Kohl's

A few months ago, I went on a quest to find a sufficiently Metal purse.  I wrote down brands and designers that seemed to cater to my specific aesthetic (feminine and cute, yet Metal), and one of the brands I noted was Rock & Republic.  They had edgy stuff that was still quite feminine, and I was excited to find out that their stuff would soon be sold in Kohl's stores (meaning that I'd actually be able to afford it). 

So, the day has arrived, and I'm quite disappointed.  Granted, I haven't ventured into an actual Kohl's store yet, and there's bound to be much more in stores than listed online.  But still, the online offerings are quite lackluster.

Of course, this is only the beginning.  Hopefully more will get released as time goes by (purses!), but I'm still disappointed by what I thought would be an epic new line of clothes.

Here's what I actually liked (links in the description):

These platforms are pretty cute.  I like silver, and the subtle snakeskin is pretty Metal.

These are pretty hawt.  I loves me some studs on shoes.

I actually think this is pretty cool (pun intended).  It would definitely be a good choice for winter concerts, as the ventilation will keep you cool while you're wedged between the mass of bodies.  Also, it's cute and edgy. 

This cardigan's pretty shimmery-looking, and I love the handkerchief-bottom and the cutout shoulder.  Very sexy ;D

I like the subtle embellishments on the sleeves, and everyone likes little black dresses, right?

I love dip-dyed/gradient/ombre things.  The cutout shoulder is very sexy, too!  A great option if you're not into form-fitting tops!  I like form-fitting stuff, though, so I'd have to try this one on.

Hmm, maybe I found more to like than I thought!  But for everything I did like, there were more things that I didn't.  But have a look yourself, or waltz into Kohl's and check it out!  The Rock & Republic collection is currently 30% off, and Kohl's usually has other sales and coupon codes you can find online at shady websites!

Sexy, Metal Platform Shoes!

I couldn’t resist researching platform shoes (comfortable ones) after my post about the dilemma of being a short Metal fan.  I’ve just recently gotten into, well, pretty things, but I haven’t yet ventured into the realm of fancy shoes.  I have my cute Vans, some old Converse from high school, gladiator sandals (which are AWESOME), and some generic flip flops.  That’s where I stand on shoes.  

For the record, heels scare me.  They look terrifying, but they’re PRETTY.  I finally couldn’t resist anymore and I purchased these Vera Wang wedges, thinking that wedges aren’t heels, so they’re not scary!  Unfortunately, they hurt pretty badly.  There’s no platform in the front, so I basically walk around on the tips of my toes when I wear them, which KILLS the balls of my feet.  Gel insoles can’t fix that.  Siiigh.

Gaawwd, I love them D:

But what about platforms that raise the front of the feet, too?  I’ve done some research, and found some cool and (generally) reasonably-priced shoes that, according to the commenters, are very comfortable.  But, with the torture that some women put their feet through nowadays, one woman’s comfortable could be my bed of nails. 

If you have any platform shoes you’d like to recommend, leave a comment!  I’d love for some insight, as I’m really a high-heel/platform shoes virgin.

BRING ON THE STUFF:

I've always liked Mary Janes.  These shoes have a nice platform to them, and the foot won't have that terrible ball-of-foot-destroying arch.  It looks like a natural position for the foot to be in.  Commenters say the shoes are surprisingly comfy for being "Halloween shoes", and have lots of padding in the soles.  Also found in GLITTER!  Can be bought on Amazon.  This company seems to have MANY platform shoes to choose from, so look around!

These are SO. AWESOME.  I think I'll have to dedicate an entire post to Iron Fist later, because their stuff is AMAZING.  These wedges are on sale for $33, and look pretty comfortable compared to Iron Fist's other shoe offerings.  Ugghhh I may buy these out of weakness.  Ugh.  Iron Fist's website listing.

Harajuku Lovers is a brand that I often like.  It mixes edgy with anime (so to speak), and I'm a fan of both aesthetics.  These are cute, seem to be well-cushioned, and place the foot in a more natural position than most platforms.  They're also pretty cheap as far as fancy shoes go.  Again, I found these lovelies on Amazon.

These Seychelles are pretty cute!  They have a whopping four-inch heel!  The reviews are also good.  However, I tend to stay away from suede, as it get pretty ugly if you get it wet.  If someone spills beer on your shoe, it's all over.  Unless you're a suede-fixing wizard or the gods are on your side.  Found on Endless.

These platform heels by Betsey Johnson have a huge, five-inch heel!  The arch doesn't seem too steep, either, and I'm loving how thick the heel is.  Those spindly, stick-thin heels most pumps have are what scare me most about them.  They just look like they'll break at any moment, and definitely would be a cause for concern while flipping out at a Metal show.  But I'd like to see these babies break off.  They're suede, though, so again you'd have to worry about beer-spilling.  Endless.    

And, finally, we have the dream shoe:

Excuse me while I change my pants. 

The reviews aren't the best for these, I'll admit.  Women complain about comfort, about stones falling off (but, really, the rhinestones can fall off.  I'm here for the studs), and these suckers are stupid expensive.  These shoes are almost the price of a ProgPower ticket.  But I will fantasize.  and so can you.  Yes.  Endless.

EDIT:  Vera Wang made a dupe of this shoe for Kohl's!!  These are much more affordable (around $50 before your inevitable 20-30% off coupon), but they unfortunately don't come in black.  The snake skin is cute, but these may just bee too pinky for me!   

And there you have my short catalog of (hopefully) comfortable platform shoes!  You don't have to shop at Amazon and Endless; I'm sure there are other websites and actual stores that also have comfy platforms.  I foresee a visit to Bakers in my future. 

Also, I will make a later post about shoes that look badass, but are walking death traps.  And non-heeled shoes of badassery.