How-Tos > Hair Color > Northern Lights How-To
Last updated: March 27, 2018

Northern Lights How-To

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close formula
  • Formula A:

    Manic Panic Professional Flash Lightning + 10-volume developer

  • Formula B:

    Manic Panic Professional Blue Bayou

  • Formula C:

    Manic Panic Professional Solar Yellow

  • Formula D:

    Manic Panic Professional Serpentine Green

  • Formula E:

    Manic Panic Professional Pussycat Pink

  • Formula F:

    Manic Panic Professional Velvet Violet

When you think of the northern lights, what comes to mind? For us, it’s not just a sky full of beautiful colors, it’s all the magic that allows those colors to come to life. We feel the same way about this stunning unconventional color created by Manic Panic Global Artistic Director Alix Maya. Her eye for placement, signature sectioning method and blending process created a true piece of art, and honestly, we’re thinking it’s giving the northern lights a run for their money. Here’s how she created it.

Colorist: Alix Maya

COLOR FORMULAS

  • Formula A:

    Manic Panic Professional Flash Lightning + 10-volume developer

  • Formula B:

    Manic Panic Professional Blue Bayou

  • Formula C:

    Manic Panic Professional Solar Yellow

  • Formula D:

    Manic Panic Professional Serpentine Green

  • Formula E:

    Manic Panic Professional Pussycat Pink

  • Formula F:

    Manic Panic Professional Velvet Violet

HOW-TO STEPS

  • open color formula
    close formula
    • Formula A:

      Manic Panic Professional Flash Lightning + 10-volume developer

    • Formula B:

      Manic Panic Professional Blue Bayou

    • Formula C:

      Manic Panic Professional Solar Yellow

    • Formula D:

      Manic Panic Professional Serpentine Green

    • Formula E:

      Manic Panic Professional Pussycat Pink

    • Formula F:

      Manic Panic Professional Velvet Violet

    1

     Starting with a totally clean palette, lighten the hair using Formula A to a Level 7/8 or higher. It’s important to start super clean when creating this kind of color.

  • 2

     Shampoo the hair, towel-dry and begin sectioning for the creative color application.

  • open color formula
    close formula
    • Formula A:

      Manic Panic Professional Flash Lightning + 10-volume developer

    • Formula B:

      Manic Panic Professional Blue Bayou

    • Formula C:

      Manic Panic Professional Solar Yellow

    • Formula D:

      Manic Panic Professional Serpentine Green

    • Formula E:

      Manic Panic Professional Pussycat Pink

    • Formula F:

      Manic Panic Professional Velvet Violet

    3

    Section the hair starting at the nape and moving toward the ear, create a football-shaped section in the crown and clip away.

  • 4

     Moving back down toward the nape, divide the fallen section, clip both sides and secure.

  • 5

     Then, working in the crown, divide the football section into equal parts down the middle, clip and secure, creating isosceles triangles in the process.

  • 6

    Move toward the fringe and part the hair according to your client’s desires. Using that as your guide, section out the hair from the ear to the suggested part line. Cut the heaviest section in half to maximize your blending opportunity. (This will again create isosceles triangles on the head.)

  • open color formula
    close formula
    • Formula A:

      Manic Panic Professional Flash Lightning + 10-volume developer

    • Formula B:

      Manic Panic Professional Blue Bayou

    • Formula C:

      Manic Panic Professional Solar Yellow

    • Formula D:

      Manic Panic Professional Serpentine Green

    • Formula E:

      Manic Panic Professional Pussycat Pink

    • Formula F:

      Manic Panic Professional Velvet Violet

    7

    Now that your sections are outlined throughout the entire head, go back to the nape and alternate applying Formula B, C, D, E and F in 1-inch subsections to every outlined section using your own preferred method of application.

    Pro Tip: Alix proves to us that you can use more than foil to separate your colors…her latest go-to were paint chip swatches she got from a local Home Depot!

  • 8

     Let color process as you work (for a total of 30 minutes), then rinse with tepid water. Style as desired.