Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?

Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?..♥

  If you haven’t heard of the Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder
then where have you been the last couple of months?! Ben Nye is a brand that
specialises in theatrical makeup but their face powders have become very
popular and in particular their Banana Luxury Powder used by Kim Kardashian’s
makeup artist and also infamous for its use as a highlight setting powder
especially amongst women of colour.  The
reason it has become such a cult product within the black community is because
many women of different skin tones are able to use the shade ‘Banana’ for setting
their highlighted areas without leaving an ashy or grey cast. In fact, many
retailers have sold out of this product due to the sudden high demand and you
may have to pre-order it to secure yourself one.

Although the finely milled powder is very yellow, it works
well on just about every skin tone including black skin as it’s translucent and
will definitely help brighten areas. If you’re looking for a not so yellow
powder or an all over powder, Ben Nye also offers Luxury powders for different skin tones including darker
skin.

 If you’re one to use
under-eye concealer then you know the importance of using a setting powder to
prevent the concealer from creasing and settling into fine lines. The Ben Nye
Banana Luxury Powder does just that! When the correct amount of powder is
applied with either a sponge or powder puff, this powder sets your concealer
leaving a silky matte flawless finish. As long as you’re not a 24hr makeup
wearer, this powder will also stop any product settling into fine lines for the
whole duration of your makeup wear. In addition to setting your under eye
concealer, when used elsewhere eg. to highlight forehead, for those with oily
skin, you may appreciate that is does well at keeping the oil at bay so you
stay shine free for longer!

 In my opinion, the only downfall of this product is the way
it’s dispensed. With it being such a difficult product to source, the last
thing you need is product being wasted! Unlike most powders of its kind, it
doesn’t come in a packaging where the right amount of product is being sift which makes it a
bit awkward and messy to use.

Overall, I think this is a very good and inexpensive product
to invest in. It is perfect for setting your under-eye area and will work just
as well or even better than high end products that retail for £20+. Yes it is
difficult to source and especially in the UK but make sure you grab them whilst
in stock or secure one by pre-ordering. It comes in three sizes; 
1.5oz., 3oz. or 8oz. (3oz. pictured above).

Availability: Can be found on Amazon (UK), Treasure House of Makeup prices (UK), Makeupmania (ship to UK), or Camera Ready Cosmetics (ship to UK)



 Did you manage to get hold of the Ben Nye Banana powder? Or are you going to jump on the bandwagon? Let me know!

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin

Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?

Going Bananas Over the Ben Nye Powder?..♥

  If you haven’t heard of the Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder
then where have you been the last couple of months?! Ben Nye is a brand that
specialises in theatrical makeup but their face powders have become very
popular and in particular their Banana Luxury Powder used by Kim Kardashian’s
makeup artist and also infamous for its use as a highlight setting powder
especially amongst women of colour.  The
reason it has become such a cult product within the black community is because
many women of different skin tones are able to use the shade ‘Banana’ for setting
their highlighted areas without leaving an ashy or grey cast. In fact, many
retailers have sold out of this product due to the sudden high demand and you
may have to pre-order it to secure yourself one.

Although the finely milled powder is very yellow, it works
well on just about every skin tone including black skin as it’s translucent and
will definitely help brighten areas. If you’re looking for a not so yellow
powder or an all over powder, Ben Nye also offers Luxury powders for different skin tones including darker
skin.

 If you’re one to use
under-eye concealer then you know the importance of using a setting powder to
prevent the concealer from creasing and settling into fine lines. The Ben Nye
Banana Luxury Powder does just that! When the correct amount of powder is
applied with either a sponge or powder puff, this powder sets your concealer
leaving a silky matte flawless finish. As long as you’re not a 24hr makeup
wearer, this powder will also stop any product settling into fine lines for the
whole duration of your makeup wear. In addition to setting your under eye
concealer, when used elsewhere eg. to highlight forehead, for those with oily
skin, you may appreciate that is does well at keeping the oil at bay so you
stay shine free for longer!

 In my opinion, the only downfall of this product is the way
it’s dispensed. With it being such a difficult product to source, the last
thing you need is product being wasted! Unlike most powders of its kind, it
doesn’t come in a packaging where the right amount of product is being sift which makes it a
bit awkward and messy to use.

Overall, I think this is a very good and inexpensive product
to invest in. It is perfect for setting your under-eye area and will work just
as well or even better than high end products that retail for £20+. Yes it is
difficult to source and especially in the UK but make sure you grab them whilst
in stock or secure one by pre-ordering. It comes in three sizes; 
1.5oz., 3oz. or 8oz. (3oz. pictured above).

Availability: Can be found on Amazon (UK), Treasure House of Makeup prices (UK), Makeupmania (ship to UK), or Camera Ready Cosmetics (ship to UK)



 Did you manage to get hold of the Ben Nye Banana powder? Or are you going to jump on the bandwagon? Let me know!

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin

How I Highlight My Face

How I Highlight My Face..♥

 For those that have asked, this is a post to show you how I use concealer to highlight my face. I know other people also highlight their cupids bow and chin but I personally don't. I only highlight the centre of my forehead and my undereye area for that "Kim K glow".  I am not a professional so apologies if I highlight incorrectly but this is the way I feel comfortable with. 

The concealer used for highlighting is entirely up to you but if you do have fine lines under your eyes and you want to avoid creasing, be sure to set your concealer with a powder of choice. Click HERE to read my post on how to prevent your concealer from creasing. 

Depending on my mood, the concealers that I use vary, though I tend to pick up my MAC Prolongwear concealer more often. I have this concealer in NC42, NC45 and NW40. The shade NC42 is the one I use majority of the time. NC45 is worn on days where I'm going for something more natural or I don't want my undereye area to be so bright. I never use the NW40 because after purchasing it, I realised that I don't really like the shade against my skin tone. If you're like me and usually use MAC concealers, the MAC Studio Finish concealers are also nice to use for highlighting provided that they are set very well. If you're not careful, yes this concealer will crease like crazy. If set, it is a good concealer to use for highlighting and out of the MAC concealers, will give you the most coverage and can also be used to achieve a glam look if that's what you're after. I own this concealer in the shade NC45.

All my highlighting is done after my liquid foundation has been applied. When highlighting my under-eye area, I highlight in the shape of an upside down triangle. Using a makeup sponge, I then blend out the edges of my concealer into my foundation. Once the concealer has been blended, I use my under-eye setting powder to prevent the concealer from creasing. 

Using the same concealer, I apply the concealer to the centre of my forehead and the bridge of my nose. Once again, I blend the concealer into my foundation using a sponge. I also set this area with the same powder.   

Once I've highlighted these areas, I go on to apply my finishing powder and complete the rest of my face.

When highlighting, go for a shade about 2 shades lighter than your skin tone making sure you try your best to blend.

Anyone who has tried YSL Touche Eclat or Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer, please let me know how you found these for under-eye application. Is there any other concealer you would recommend for this as I would like to branch out and try other brands.

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin 

How I Highlight My Face

How I Highlight My Face..♥

 For those that have asked, this is a post to show you how I use concealer to highlight my face. I know other people also highlight their cupids bow and chin but I personally don't. I only highlight the centre of my forehead and my undereye area for that "Kim K glow".  I am not a professional so apologies if I highlight incorrectly but this is the way I feel comfortable with. 

The concealer used for highlighting is entirely up to you but if you do have fine lines under your eyes and you want to avoid creasing, be sure to set your concealer with a powder of choice. Click HERE to read my post on how to prevent your concealer from creasing. 

Depending on my mood, the concealers that I use vary, though I tend to pick up my MAC Prolongwear concealer more often. I have this concealer in NC42, NC45 and NW40. The shade NC42 is the one I use majority of the time. NC45 is worn on days where I'm going for something more natural or I don't want my undereye area to be so bright. I never use the NW40 because after purchasing it, I realised that I don't really like the shade against my skin tone. If you're like me and usually use MAC concealers, the MAC Studio Finish concealers are also nice to use for highlighting provided that they are set very well. If you're not careful, yes this concealer will crease like crazy. If set, it is a good concealer to use for highlighting and out of the MAC concealers, will give you the most coverage and can also be used to achieve a glam look if that's what you're after. I own this concealer in the shade NC45.

All my highlighting is done after my liquid foundation has been applied. When highlighting my under-eye area, I highlight in the shape of an upside down triangle. Using a makeup sponge, I then blend out the edges of my concealer into my foundation. Once the concealer has been blended, I use my under-eye setting powder to prevent the concealer from creasing. 

Using the same concealer, I apply the concealer to the centre of my forehead and the bridge of my nose. Once again, I blend the concealer into my foundation using a sponge. I also set this area with the same powder.   

Once I've highlighted these areas, I go on to apply my finishing powder and complete the rest of my face.

When highlighting, go for a shade about 2 shades lighter than your skin tone making sure you try your best to blend.

Anyone who has tried YSL Touche Eclat or Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer, please let me know how you found these for under-eye application. Is there any other concealer you would recommend for this as I would like to branch out and try other brands.

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin 

Back To Basics: Defining Your Face Shape

Back To Basics: Defining Your Face Shape..♥

Hello! :)

I've decided to start a series called "Back To Basics" which will be posts about basic important information for those of you who are just starting out with makeup or maybe you just wanted to know a little bit more about it.

I am no professional so all posts will be about what I've learnt over the years from other sources.

The first Back To Basics post will be about face shapes. It is so important for us to determine our face shapes so that we can base our hair and makeup around it and know what suits us best.

In this post I will be defining the different shapes we may have.

       

1. Oval

Due to the symmetry of an oval face, it has been said that this face shape is the most ideal and perfect to have as it is proportioned well and balanced. It is narrower at the forehead and chin and slightly more broad at the cheeks. Because of its perfect proportions, it is an easier face shape to work with so things such as eyebrow shapes do not really need consideration. 

2. Round

A rounded face has fuller cheeks than an oval shaped face therefore making the face nearly twice as wide as it is long. The face also has a rounded chin and curved hairline/forehead. Those with this face shape tend to look younger and retain youthfulness.

 Contouring is often used with this face shape to create angles and a more defined bone structure. 

3. Heart

The heart shape face is wider at the forehead and temples and narrows down to a pointed chin. Those with a prominent heart face shape will also have a hairline that mimics the round bumps of a heart.

4. Square

A square shaped face is as wide at the jawline as it is at the cheeks and forehead. The hairline is often straight as well. The squared face can be softened by contouring under your cheekbones and temples.

5. Triangle

Triangle shaped faces are wide at the jawline and narrower at the forehead.

Width can be added to the face by contouring under your cheekbones.



6. Diamond

Diamond shaped faces are narrower at the forehead, jawline and chin whilst wider at the cheekbones. People with this face shape tend to have high cheekbones because of this, no contouring under the cheekbone is needed. 





Hope this helps in some way if you were trying to identify your face shape. The key is knowing what suits your face shape best so now maybe you can do research on makeup and hairstyles to suit your shape.





Don't forget my giveaway ends 30th November at midnight (GMT)!

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin ♥ Giveaway  

Back To Basics: Defining Your Face Shape

Back To Basics: Defining Your Face Shape..♥

Hello! :)

I've decided to start a series called "Back To Basics" which will be posts about basic important information for those of you who are just starting out with makeup or maybe you just wanted to know a little bit more about it.

I am no professional so all posts will be about what I've learnt over the years from other sources.

The first Back To Basics post will be about face shapes. It is so important for us to determine our face shapes so that we can base our hair and makeup around it and know what suits us best.

In this post I will be defining the different shapes we may have.

       

1. Oval

Due to the symmetry of an oval face, it has been said that this face shape is the most ideal and perfect to have as it is proportioned well and balanced. It is narrower at the forehead and chin and slightly more broad at the cheeks. Because of its perfect proportions, it is an easier face shape to work with so things such as eyebrow shapes do not really need consideration. 

2. Round

A rounded face has fuller cheeks than an oval shaped face therefore making the face nearly twice as wide as it is long. The face also has a rounded chin and curved hairline/forehead. Those with this face shape tend to look younger and retain youthfulness.

 Contouring is often used with this face shape to create angles and a more defined bone structure. 

3. Heart

The heart shape face is wider at the forehead and temples and narrows down to a pointed chin. Those with a prominent heart face shape will also have a hairline that mimics the round bumps of a heart.

4. Square

A square shaped face is as wide at the jawline as it is at the cheeks and forehead. The hairline is often straight as well. The squared face can be softened by contouring under your cheekbones and temples.

5. Triangle

Triangle shaped faces are wide at the jawline and narrower at the forehead.

Width can be added to the face by contouring under your cheekbones.



6. Diamond

Diamond shaped faces are narrower at the forehead, jawline and chin whilst wider at the cheekbones. People with this face shape tend to have high cheekbones because of this, no contouring under the cheekbone is needed. 





Hope this helps in some way if you were trying to identify your face shape. The key is knowing what suits your face shape best so now maybe you can do research on makeup and hairstyles to suit your shape.





Don't forget my giveaway ends 30th November at midnight (GMT)!

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin ♥ Giveaway