Decade of Dye Community Spotlight: Melika + PPL Eater

Meet the community behind the color. To celebrate 10 years of Good Dye Young, we put out a casting call on social media and invited our community to help us tell our story.  In less than 24 hours, more than 500 people applied to be part of our Decade of Dye campaign. From those submissions, we selected 8 community members to represent the 8 original shades that launched GDY back in 2016.

Meet Melika, wearing PPL Eater.

Name: Melika
Pronouns: they/them
Location: NYC
Occupation: Producer/DJ
OG GDY Shade: PPL Eater

How long have you been using color?

“This is my first time! <3”

Welcome to the Good Dye Young community, Melika! We are so excited to see where your vibrant hair journey takes you next.

What is your favorite thing about Good Dye Young?

“Bold! Joyful fun :)” 

At GDY, we’ve always believed that hair color should be a celebration! It’s a chance to play, experiment, and express every colorful version of yourself. Whether you’re going bright, pastel, or somewhere totally unexpected, we’re here to make the process more fun.

What does community mean to you?

“Being held! Holding others!” 

That’s what we’re here for! The GDY community is all about showing up for each other, celebrating every version of ourselves, and creating a space where everyone feels seen, supported, and inspired.

Why PPL Eater?

Melika is wearing PPL Eater, one of the eight OG shades that launched Good Dye Young in 2016.

PPL Eater is a great semi-perm shade to try out when you are a first-time vivid color user, because it still shows up vibrantly on a base that has a darker starting level. If you are beginner who may be a little nervous about lightening your hair fully to a level 10 (even though we’re here to support with all the tools and resources you need!), you can still achieve bold results when applying PPL Eater to a level 8.

The Story Behind the Shade: PPL Eater

Like every original GDY shade name, PPL Eater came from the creative world Hayley and Brian were building when they launched the brand, drawing inspiration from the films, music, pop culture references, and the stories they loved.

This deep, royal purple is a playful reference to the 1958 novelty song "The Purple People Eater,” which we shortened to PPL Eater. The name is whimsical and fun, reflecting our deeply held belief that hair color shouldn't be taken too seriously.