When I hear Manic Panic, memories of dying my hair blue, green and red (not all at once) from my teenage years abound. So, when the gorgeous editor of My Beauty Bunny asked me to test out the very creepy Creature of the Night line from… Manic Panic, I had to say yes. The main attraction was the Melodrama eye kit with a supporting cast of the Deadly Night Lip Lock Lipstick and Eye Wear Glossy Mascara.
Although all of us glamorous rock girls have no problem mixing the bevy of colors presented, the Melodrama Dramatic Eye Kit included three tutorial cards for application tips and tricks to add to the fun. Aptly rated, the “PG-13” guide leaves a sweet entry to the rock and roll look for daytime wear; in turn, the “X” steps give you a naughty bad girl look fitting for a night in the goth club or… Halloween. Turns out, just like the movies, my favorite look is “R” – just the right bit of spiciness for daytime wear without being too sugar and sweet.
While the packaging is gorgeous and color combo truly rocks, the applicators leave something to be desired. The kit is very affordable (around $12), so it’s all good – I just use my own brushes anyway. The black cream combined with the black shadow worked especially well but the white cream left me feeling like I was putting Halloween make-up on. Mind you, for me, every day is Halloween but I would have liked the white shadow to be easier to blend and work with. Now, let’s talk about the red shadow… while it looks quite striking in the palette, I think it needs just a bit of blood (i.e., darker hue) to really make it worthy of the name “Creature of the Night.”
The Eye Wear Glossy Mascara ($8) is actually a stand out and adds just enough texture and length to enhance the Creature of the Night look or your favorite daytime eye look. On the other hand, the Deadly Night Lip Lock Lipstick ($8) is just that – meant for nighttime wear in your boudoir or maybe at the club. While most versions of the eye kit in my photo were complemented by Mac’s Media Lipstick, you’ll see a special “X”-rated shot with the plum-colored Manic Panic lipstick.
There’s also a black lipstick (Lethal) that can be used for Halloween or goth clubs…OR…you can actually use it to darken any lipstick – just put a little over your too-bright lipstick and rub your lips together – you can instantly make a ton of new colors from your current collection.
Overall, I give this line a thumbs up for the clever theme, packaging, color combination and useful tips to help redefine you into a sexy creature or just enhance the one you already are. As Manic Panic’s slogan says, this is “Rock + Glamour. Redefined” while being cruelty free and vegan. That just rocks!
You can join Manic Panic on Facebook and Twitter for special discounts and deals – there are some good ones going on now!
Guest post by Sharon “AnaStesia” Jennings, rockin’ hottie, animal lover and music industry professional.
