Hello ladies, today I have got my hands on Ben Nye Luxury Powders (Banana and Cameo). I got these two beauties in $32 from an online store and they shipped it in 15 days to me. Like always, I am going to give you a brief explanation about these finishing powders then move onto the review.

Well setting and finishing powders are must-have makeup stuff that you cannot actually live without. For a perfect make over you need the right amount and type of setting/finishing powder to give you the best look. You can find setting/finishing powders in two forms: the loose ones and the pressed powders. To be honest I have encountered the loose powder a very few times in drugstores even in the busiest lights of Karachi. Usually you find these compressed powders and we normally recognize them with their compact round boxes.

Normally the MUAs and the enthusiasts know about the loose powders here (in Pakistan) and believe me that is the first time I have tried loose powder after going through tons of reviews and swatches especially on the Ben Nye loose powders. Before digging deep into the review and comparison I would like to clarify you ladies to not to confuse setting powders with the finishing powders. Setting powders are applied with foundation to fix the uneven finishing and texture of your skin whereas the finishing powders are applied after you’re done with all the makeup to give your face a perfect finishing. Let me show you these beauties first:


The Ben Nye Luxury Cameo Powder is more of a neutral toned matte finishing powder that suits fair to medium skin tones. You can also use it as the highlighting powder to enhance the glow of your skin while absorbing the sweat and excess oil on your skin.


On the other hand, the Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder is an ideal choice for a good range of skin tones. Its color correcting formula reduces the blemishes and dark circles perfectly while giving you a matte look that does not give you ghoulish-white look in flash photography. The Banana shade works better with light to medium or deep skin tones, and not ideal for extremely-fair or fair skin tones at all.

Ben Nye Cameo & Banana Powder Review

The Ben Nye Powders are no doubt the most talked finishing powder on the web and that actually intrigued me to give it a try. The Ben Nye powders are translucent, finely milled, multi-use powder you can use it as a setting and finishing powder. I have broken down my review into the following pointers:

It Does not break your Skin

Ben Nye Powder is very good at controlling all the excessive oil and sweat on your skin so your makeup lasts longer without breaking your skin at all. I have tried both the Banana and Cameo shades for almost a month and its hot and humid here in Karachi most of the times. This powder absorbs nicely into your skin and locks all the oil and sweat. It works best with all the good to average liquid foundations and helps your makeup not only look the best but last longer.
  

Which Shade is Good for You?

If you have fair skin then you should go for the Cameo Shade it brightens your skin and covers the undertones nicely with a pinkish tint. For Medium to Dark Skin you should go for the Banana shade it does a very good job at covering your undertones and give you a natural look with a yellowish tint. I have tried both these shades on me the Cameo looks good in night time and the Banana works wonder in daytime and flash photography.

Contouring and Highlights

You can use these finishing powders for contouring and highlighting your face. Just a light layer of powder on your face with a little thick layering on T-zone can help you achieve finest of the looks. The banana shade specifically works as a very good highlighter even if you have fair to light skin tone. So, if you are thinking about highlighting and contouring I recommend you to go with the banan shade regardless of your skin tone.

Hides Skin imperfections

Both the shades work a great job in hiding the fine lines and dark circles. But for the immaculate perfection I recommend you to go for the right shade according to your skin tone. The finely milled Ben Nye powder absorbs in your skin nicely and shrinks large pores to give your skin a balanced texture and finishing.

If you are still wondering which shade you really have to go for then read the comparison below to select the right one for you:

Ben Nye Banana Vs Cameo Shade Comparison

First of all, these came in a packaging that I have never seen before, usually you find them in a compact case but they are in the dome-jars. The best part about it is that they are really handy and travel-friendly, you do not have to worry about carrying them they are light and compact. 



So, let's get to the comparison now, I have been wondering for some time if I should go for the Cameo shade or the Banana, so I ordered them both to see what looks better on me. Both these finishing powders are translucent and lighter, and you can use them either to highlight or set your skin after setting the base makeup. Another added advantage of these loose powders is that they can handle your makeup quite nicely by controlling the excessive oil and sweat.

I have tried them with NARS sheer glow foundation and MAC pro longwear foundation and believe me they easily added a few more hours to their staying power. It does not let oil or sweat to break your skin for hours, and the best part is that you can use it to brighten the odd dark areas on your skin.

I tried some swatches on my skin first to determine what works better for me, here are some of the pictures for you gals.

Starting with the Cameo Swatch first

Here you go with the Banana Swatch

And, Here is the comparison 

I really like the cameo shade  because it actually has a good brightening effect compared to the banana shade on my skin. Both of them have the same coverage and lasting power. Both these finishing powders mattify the areas on your skin while keeping the concealer in place and do a nice job at canceling the undertones. However, again, the brightening effect can vary from light to medium skin tones; that is why I suggest Cameo for Light to medium skin tones and the banana shade for Fair to medium/ slightly darker skin tones. I had a really good experience using these amazing beauties and would highly recommend it.

Pros

• It is Light weight.
• The Coverage is fantastic.
• The staying power is excellent.
• Ideal for flash photography.

Cons

• Pretty expensive finishing powder compared to the others.
• Not ideal for a dewy look. 

Recommendation

The Ben Nye Luxury Powder is easily one of the excellent choices of mine. It does not move, and the concealer looks better throughout the day easily. If you do not get a chance to fix your face in a busy day then I would say this finishing powder is best to go for. I rate this product 9 out of 10.

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Questions Related To This Post

How to apply Ben Nye powder?
You can use a makeup brush or sponge to apply this powder.

Is Ben Nye powder good for oily skin?
Yes, it is an excellent finishing powder for oily skin.

How to Contour & Highlight with Ben Nye Banana powder?
You can contour and highlight your face by adding a light layer of powder on your face and a heavy layering on T-zone.

What is the best Ben Nye powder for fair skin?
You can go for the banana shade if you have fair skin.

How can I use Ben Nye luxury powder?
You can use it as a setting & finishing powder plus this powder can also be helpful in contouring and highlighting.