Ben Nye Fireworks Fantasy Wheel ($20 USD) has been around for a long time. The very first time I bought it was a couple of decades ago. I was naive and thought of the product as is and the colors as fantastic as Joseph’s Technicolor Dreamcoat! The product ended up in a corner of a dark makeup drawer for me back then.
Check out: Best High Definition Cream Makeup Palette
I was an inexperienced makeup explorer. I didn’t know what I could do with it because the formula back then was very greasy! It was pure greasepaint and it took a lot of Ben Nye Neutral Set powder to get rid of the oiliness to set it.
That was then and this is NOW! Not only is this product less greasy than before, the texture closely resembles one of my favorite pro brands, MAQpro. Ben Nye is becoming stiff competition at a much more affordable price! Look out, France! With this modern formulation and with better knowledge, this nifty wheel allows me to think outside the conventional makeup box. I can use this wheel to suit my needs; from sheer luminizer to a creamy powder eyeshadow. The only limit is my imagination.
Ben Nye Fireworks Fantasy Wheel consists of six color creams in handy wheel. Each section goes all the way to the bottom. It isn’t some illusion where the product is only filled halfway. This is a lot of highly pigmented, luminescent, metallic colors in more of the neutral spectrum:
- Ruby Luster - soft metallic burgundy
- Bronze - a neutral bronze
- Silver Satin - true tin man silver
- Gold Dust - yellow gold
- Copper - a warm brown
- Ice - an icy metallic white.
These creams can be used anywhere on the face even on the lips.
The Learning Curve
To use it as is, you should scoop it out of the container and soften it either on the back of your hand or you can use a ceramic tile. This will break down the oil and waxes to allow for an even distribution of product onto the skin.
Layering it on top of powder products will give it better staying power. If you use it as some kind of base or want to use it alone, you will have to set it with a no color powder to allow for the full effect of color. You can also use a translucent face powder to change the color a bit or to tone it down.
A Liquid Cream Highlighter
Here, I mix it with vegetable glycerine. I always have a bottle of this handy because it can be used to make a mixing medium which is great for the Ben Nye Cake foundations.
Mixing the glycerine will create a sheer paste and also sheer out the color for use as a luminescent liquid/cream product which not only can be used as an underbase for makeup but also as a hair highlighter!!
Create a Creamy Powder
The easiest way to change the texture of any of the colors and even to add some other color is to use pure pigments. You can use the premixed loose pigments sold by cosmetic brands, but I would rather use pure pigments with no fillers. I usually buy mine from Just Pigments. They sell high grade pigments which usually are the best for pro brands since the colors are so clearly defined. You won't get any muddy result or murkiness.
The amount of powder pigment depends on how creamy or dry (more powdery) you want as your end result. For this example, I accidentally spilled too much and thought, I can't make a mistake because it is a pro product whereas with beauty brands I have to treat the product like it was some flawless diamond. I don't worry with pro brands.
With the amount of powder used, I end up with a powder eyeshadow but with a slight cream base. This is great for those mature eyes who want some shimmer on the eyes without the wrinkly dry look of many of the eyeshadows out there. You can mix this ahead of time and keep it in a small sanitized jar to save time!
The end result of the color mixed with pigment is as saturated as the top but with variation thanks to the pigment. Nothing looks dry. It still looks like a cream but it isn't!
Mix to Your Heart's Desire
The easiest way to create new colors is to mix the ones already there. Here, I just mix two colors to create a new one. Just remember to mix the colors thoroughly for a maximum benefit of easy application. The result of the mixed color. Still vibrant, smooth, and pigmented.
There are many, many more ways to use Ben Nye Fireworks Fantasy Wheel. The only limitation would be the stubbornness of your mind. Remember, it is a pro product and that means there is more to play with in the container. Mistakes are rare because whatever you make it will create something useful, cosmetic-wise!!
