Okay hello teenage nostalgia! Just the mere site of Manic Panic’s packaging takes me back to middle school and shopping Hot Topic. When it came to funky hair dye there was only Manic Panic and maybe it’s below par alternative of Kool aid in my time! The iconic brand recently celebrated their 40th anniversary, or as the founders dubbed it, their “manniversary.” Founded by punk rock visionaries, sister duo Tish and Snooky
who hello used to be backup singers for Blondie!!! The bad-ass sisters, Tish and Snooky proudly rung in their fortieth year of creating iconic hair color and bold color cosmetics.
I’ve been following them for some quite time and actually missed the big celebration last week in New York, but got my fan-girl moment out this weekend at Cosmoprof in Las Vegas during the ICMAD CITY Awards where I was one of the judges. I obviously knew in advance that they were one of the winners but not that they would be accepting the award in person so that was epic for me — And they are every bit as fabulous as you’d expect.
To commemorate the milestone, the brand will be celebrating throughout 2017 with some dynamic launches and a great cause. Tish and Snooky are hosting an online auction in support of #Cancerland, an organization who’s mission is to give those living with breast cancer the confidence and the platform to change the dialogue about the illness. 100% of the proceeds go towards the cause. To donate and learn more about the auction, check out the website here.
JEM Amplified Hair Color, $9.99 each. Shades shown: Pink and Turquoise
Glitter Jewels, $7.35 each. Shades shown: Atomic Sapphire and Ruby Slippers
While I was out of town for the festivities, my assistant Ashtyn joined Tish and Snooky along with some of their ‘dyehard’ fans at The Cutting Room NYC to celebrate their success. The infamous duo gave an impassioned speech thanking all of their supporters over the years and spent a few moments fondly recounting how they first got their start in the business. Drinks and goodie bags were served, and you can imagine my excitement when I found out that two bottles of their JEM hair color was included! Also included was two shades of Glitter Jewels, glamorous glitter that can be sprinkled on hair, face and body. I mean Jem + Manic Panic is like my childhood dream — I was Jem for Halloween one year.
For anyone not as familiar with the brand, they were born on St. Mark’s Place in New York City in 1977, as a small punk-style boutique and since then, has grown into a leader in the hair and cosmetics industry, most notably for their rebellious hues. The duo has attracted the attention of literal rock ‘n’ roll royalty including David Bowie, Cher, The Ramones, and Cyndi Lauper. I should also note Patricia Field’s iconic red hair is them! Today, their products are can be found in their Manic Panic salons as well as internationally in many major retailers.
Make sure to keep your eye out for new Manic Panic launches, the brand will be launching several new products and product lines over the remaining course of 2017 including Dry Shampoo, Coffin Dust shade extensions, Blue Lightning Bleach Kit and their Manic Panic Professional line.
Congrats to Tish and Snooky on 40 amazing years! I love you.