I don't own many Ben Nye products, and the main reason is because the only way I can get Ben Nye products is by ordering online and there aren't many reviews and swatches out there to really see what many of their products actually look like.
Throughout this post, I'm going to briefly go over the products I have and my thoughts about them.
Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Face Powder and Ben Nye Banana Visage Luxury Powder
Neutral Set Translucent Powder is a great, cheap alternative to MAC Blot Powder. I would go thorough Blot Powder so quick, that I switched to this. I don't even go through a whole shaker bottle in one year. I use it under my eyes to set my concealer and then I use a fluffy powder brush and swipe or buff my face to keep the shine away. By the end of the day, I don't need to touch it up. It doesn't change the color of your makeup, it blends in perfectly. If you apply it too heavy though, you will have a temporary white cast. I like to put it thickly under my eyes to brighten the area up a bit.
Banana Luxury Powder is similar to Neutral Set as it's a setting powder with little pigment. It has a yellow/peach tone so it's great for my warm, yellow skintone. I like using it under my eyes to aid in counteracting my dark circles. The consistency is a little softer/finer milled than Neutral Set. I actually like mixing the two!
*TIP to save a mess and wasting product, put a piece of tape over the holes.. except for one or two of them. I do this with all of my powders!
Swatches of Banana Visage and Neutral Set (not blended)
I love Ben Nye's concealers. They are extremely pigmented and provide full coverage. Apparently, you can even cover tattoos with it. I would say they are comparable to MAC Studio Finish Concealer, but a little more creamy. They smell like Halloween/Costume makeup, which is pretty much expected as it is "theatrical" makeup.
Cover All Wheel in the shade SK-1. This is a concealer wheel that consists of 4 different shades: A medium beige, peach, olive yellow and a ruddy tan. This works really well for under the eyes as well as any blemishes or redness. I've even used it all over my face with a great result. You can make it look flawless, yet natural by applying with a damp sponge. The darkest color is a little useless for me, but I sometimes use it to contour.
Blue Neutralizer in the shade NB-2. This particular shade is almost identical to MAC Studio Finish in NW30. I don't have NW30 at the moment to compare, but below I swatched it next to MAC Studio Finish in NW25.
Cool Pink Blush is a vibrant pink, that surpringly isn't really cool. I would actually consider it a warm pink, as it doesn't pull blue or purple at all. It's a little reminiscent of MAC Dollymix (a matte version). When applied lightly, it gives a nice natural flush to the cheeks. What's a bit annoying with this blush though is the texture. It's very, very dry and any moisture will cause the surface to harden, so I'll have to scrape the top layer with a q-tip after I use it a few times. Very annoying and I'm not sure if I'd purchase any other Ben Nye blushes for that reason. Anyone else experience this?
Ben Nye Cool Pink
Swatch of Cool Pink
One of my favorite products that I always re-purchase is Final Seal. If you ever used Benefit Shelaq, its like Shelaq for your whole face (similar to Model in a Bottle). Once you apply your foundation, spritz this on your face and your makeup will stay put all day long. It will withstand heat and sweat. I will usually spritz it on my face after I applied my foundation and use my 187 brush and stipple the product across my face, then spritz it once more. It is alcohol based, so it smells kind of like hair spray. This will not leave your face sticky or stiff. HG product! I didn't take a picture of this, it goes on clear.
Lastly, another one of my favorite products is the Ben Nye Bronzing Tint. This stuff is amazing! I bought it on a complete whim. I first tried it and didn't like it.. had it sitting in my drawer for months and then I tried it again.. and finally figured out how to use it. This is a product I keep continuing to purchase. What it is, is a liquid bronze body tint. Have you ever applied self tanner to your body and your neck/chest isn't as dark as you wanted it to be? This happens to me a lot, so this stuff is my little bronze savior. If I'm going somewhere and I need to touch up on my tan and don't have time to let a new layer of self tanner develop, I use this. All I do is.. pour a little in the cap and dip a bronzer/blush brush and swipe it all over my neck and chest.. and then buff it. It's exactly like applying self tanner. You can control how dark you want to be. You can put a thin layer.. mix it with water or moisturizer.. or apply it thickly for a darker look. it blends great with no streaks. It looks exactly like vanilla extract and doesn't have much of a scent. Throughout the day, it doesn't budge. Its like a temporary dye for your skin! It washes off easily with soap and water.
Do you have any Ben Nye favorites?
