This has been a favourite of mine for quite a few months now, infact it’s become the kind of product that I find myself thinking ‘how did I manage without this before when doing my makeup??’ and most certainly if I had to pick 5 items from my collection to keep forever, this would be on that list!
I’m sure many people heard about Ben Nye’s Banana Powder from Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist raving about it and let’s face it, no matter what you think of the soon to be Mrs West, she sure does manage to look flawless almost all the time - with contouring and highlighting done to perfection! This received so much hype on YouTube, and though I’m not always one to jump on the bandwagon, I am so so very pleased I did with this one!
I’m going to try and structure this review a little differently so do let me know what you think, just fancied a little change ^_^
what is it?
Essentially it is a finely milled yellow powder, suitable for use all over the face, but mainly under the eyes and for highlighting. The yellow colour will not do much for those who have strong pink tones in their skin, but for people with yellow undertones who struggle with dark circles, it is a little lifesaver! I have struggled with dark circles from mid-teens till now, due to a huge range of issues (but mainly genetics and insomnia too) so for me it has worked wonders. Ben Nye has a range of colours available, and there is bound to be one to cater to your skintone, however the banana powder tends to work fine for light/medium and ever slightly deeper shades.
What is so special about it?
The beautiful thing about this powder is, not only does it sets your concealer and prevents it from caking/creasing, but it also adds coverage too! It disguises the dark circles with it’s counter-acting yellow tones (much like the salmon/peach coloured correctors). The main difference between the salmon/peach colour and the yellow colour is that yellow is also brightening, so this covers and brightens rather than just disguising the dark under eye circles. I’ve tried normal powder under the eyes (Rimmel stay matte) and elf’s HD powder, but nothing beats Ben Nye’s Banana powder!
Packaging
This stuff isn’t packaged in the most glamorous way imaginable, it is simply in a clear plastic bottle with a black lid and holes through the top of the bottle, similar to that of baby powder. However it is easy to sprinkle a little into the lid, and the excess powder easily goes back into the bottle. It is a little bit messy, but never an issue.
The initial purpose of this was for stage makeup! To be worn under harsh lighting conditions and therefore you can imagine the least of Ben Nye’s worries were to make his bottle look extraordinary! Does the function, and the powder pays for itself so no problem to me :)
How do I apply it?
Now as I have mentioned, my dark circles are my biggest insecurity and though I don’t mind going out without concealer on, I feel a lot more comfortable with the pesky darks covered up! So because of this it is really important for me to use products that provide as much coverage as possible whilst still looking natural. I start with a peachy toned concealer (currently using Benefit’s boi-ing in shade 3 but lusting after Bobbi Brown’s corrector!!!) and pat lightly under the eyes. This instantly corrects the darkness. Then I dab a little of Collection’s lasting perfection, in whichever shade I have lying around. For some this is too thick for under the eyes, but for me it is perfect. After using my ring finger to blend/pat that in gently, I take my banana powder, and with a Real Techniques setting brush (tapping it on the side of my table so it’s not overloaded) I gently pat the brush under my eyes, and the with sweeping and patting motions set the excess powder in. Et voila! Happily covered up dark circles = happy Iqra!
Where to buy it from?
It can be a little tricky to get hold of, I know amazon sometimes have it in stock, though when checking online for this review, I have seen it being sold at extortionate prices! Having just checked my amazon order history, the seller I bought it from is no longer selling :( so I would recommend this online store (LINK) where the price is very reasonable (not too sure about delivery costs though!)
Worth the hype? Definitely!
Essential for everyone? No. If you don’t suffer with dark circles, you’ll be fine using a normal powder to set concealer or even the translucent one they do. As I mentioned those who are very experienced with makeup use this powder as a highlighter all around the face (check YouTube for some pretty scary looking screenshots!) but personally I would only attempt that for a really special occasion, and even then I’d be hesitant!
Value for money? Without a doubt
Product rating : 10/10
Pros: Adds coverage, whilst setting concealer to last all day so no need to worry about touch ups. Doesn’t look cakey. You get a large amount for what you pay for. It is multi-functional (what’s not to love about that??) It makes covering dark circles up a lot easier!
Cons: It can be quite messy…that’s about it!
