Product Alert: Ben Nye Powders

BEN NYE POWDERS

BEN NYE POWDERS

Ben Nye is one of the most accessible ‘pro brands’ for make up enthusiasts like myself.  The banana powder was my entry level product and I will talk about it a bit later but Ben Nye was a person.  A make up artist and educator based in Hollywood working on 20th Century Fox productions including Planet of the Apes (the original, not the one with Helena Bonham Carter) and Gone with the Wind.  I think that this context is useful because pro products are not really meant for  people like me.  Make up enthusiasts often (not always) dont have the skill level / technique to know what to do with a pro product.

BEN NYE POWDERS

I own three Ben Nye Powders.

Banana Powder – this is a luxury powder and i bought this because I bought into the hype.  I can get away with it on my rich skintone but I have to use a very light hand.  It is not my favourite of the powders that I own.

Cocoa Tan – a translucent powder that has an orange tone on my skin.  I find that orange is really brightening on my skin so I prefer to use this to highlight the skin  than the banana powder.  It is slightly more opaque on the skin than the banana powder but it suits my undertone better.

Sienna – another translucent powder.  Lighter than my skintone but brown rather than orange.

BEN NYE POWDERS

 

Application

  • With a large fluffy powder brush, as a finishing powder all over the face (usually sienna)  This is great for those occasions I may have been a bit heavy handing with my highlighter / blusher / contour.
  • With a small fluffy brush – for application under the eye or to create a matte highlight on the highest planes of the face.
  • With a damp beauty sponge – I am not the hugest fan of baking but the Ben Nye Powders are brilliant for it.  If you need your make up to last all day or you are heading out somewhere fancy and you need to look more flawless than usual.

BEN NYE POWDERS WoC swatches

 

I mix these colours depending on the look I am trying to achieve. Sometimes all of them, at other times, a bit of banana with Sienna or Cocoa Tan depending on where I am using the powder.  These powders are talc based, personally I don’t find that I get flashback with them but it is something to consider.  You can purchase these powders at pro make up stores like PAM and Guru MakeUp Emporium. They come in a variety of sizes all with the shaker top which makes them messy – but no more so than any other loose powder.  The packaging is not pretty, but, if you can take the time to get to know the product, and play with different techniques, it is really worth it because the effects that you can get are flawless.  For me, there is something far less scary about a coloured powder than a white translucent powder.

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