Ben Nye

Ben Nye is a professional makeup brand founded in 1967 by Ben Nye Sr., a Hollywood makeup artist. The company says he established the business to serve professional artists and actors with high-quality makeup. His career included work as Makeup Director at 20th Century Fox, where he was responsible for makeup on more than 500 feature films and television shows over four decades. His experience in film makeup and his teaching of makeup artists helped inform the brand’s emphasis on artistry, beauty, and realism. The brand’s range covers performance makeup, beauty cosmetics, and special-effects makeup. Its product categories include face foundations and powders, blush and contour, concealers, eye and lip products, shimmer, artistic makeup, body paint, Halloween makeup, and special-effects products. The latter include alcohol-activated colors, blood, latex and wax, liquid and powder effects, adhesives, removers, kits, and tools. The official site features products such as Creme Rouge Wheels, MagiCake Fantasy Palette, Final Seal Setting Spray, Master Bruise Wheel, Clown White, Neutral Set Powder, Banana Luxury Powder, Liquid Latex, Spray Blood, and brushes. Ben Nye presents itself as a professional-focused brand serving artists, educators, and makeup enthusiasts around the world. It sells through a network of authorized retailers and describes its business as relationship-led, with working artists helping inspire product development and improvements. The company remains a family business: the official site says Dana Nye, Ben Nye Sr.’s youngest son, maintains his father’s commitment to serving professionals worldwide. The company says nearly all of its cosmetics are made at its Los Angeles facility, where it applies quality control and continues to develop its product line. Ben Nye Makeup Company is a professional makeup brand headquartered in Los Angeles, known for stage makeup, special effects makeup, and everyday cosmetics. Its products are widely used in film, theater, and television production.

Ben Nye began in 1967, when Hollywood makeup artist Ben Nye Sr. founded a company to serve professional artists and actors with quality makeup. Before and during the development of the brand, he built a substantial film and television career. As Makeup Director at 20th Century Fox, he was responsible for makeup on more than 500 feature films and television shows over four decades. The company’s account of his work names productions including Gone With the Wind, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Fly, and The Sound of Music, and actors including Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, and Julie Andrews. The official biography also credits him with teaching many makeup artists whose work would influence the field. The brand’s original professional orientation expanded into a broad makeup line. Ben Nye now describes its scope as encompassing performance, beauty, and special effects, with product categories ranging from foundation and powder to body paint, theatrical makeup, and SFX materials such as latex, wax, blood, and alcohol-activated colors. Its current catalog also includes application tools, kits, adhesives, and removers. The official site presents the range for professional artists and educators as well as makeup fans, and its products are available through authorized retailers. The brand is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and its products are widely used in film, theater, and television production. The company describes itself as a family business. Its current account says Dana Nye, the founder’s youngest son, maintains Ben Nye Sr.’s commitment to serving professionals around the world. The company says that it works closely with makeup artists and listens to their input as a source of ideas for improving and developing products. It also says that nearly all of its cosmetics are manufactured at its Los Angeles facility, where it maintains quality control. The brand continues to publish product information and practical makeup guidance. For example, a tattoo-covering guide published on June 15, 2023 explains color-neutralization principles and discusses alcohol-activated and creme-based makeup options. This illustrates the brand’s ongoing connection to professional and applied makeup techniques, alongside its commercial product range.

• 2023

  Publishes a tattoo-covering guide

• 1967

  Ben Nye Sr. founds the company

Professional makeup for artists, educators, performers, and makeup enthusiasts, spanning performance, beauty, and special effects. The brand emphasizes artistry, product quality, and practical input from working makeup artists.

• Creme Rouge Wheel

  A featured Ben Nye makeup product shown on the official homepage.

• MagiCake Fantasy Palette

  A featured palette shown on the official homepage.

• Final Seal Setting Spray

  A featured setting spray shown on the official homepage.

• Master Bruise Wheel

  A featured product associated with the brand’s special-effects makeup range.

• Liquid Latex and Spray Blood

  Special-effects products featured on the official homepage.

• Neutral Set Powder and Banana Luxury Powder

  Powder products featured on the official homepage.

1. 1Ben Nye | Professional Makeup for Stage, SFX, and Beautybennye.com
2. 2About - Ben Nyebennye.com
3. 3Pro Makeup Products | Ben Nye | Face, Eyes, SFX, & Morebennye.com
4. 4Tattoo Cover Guide | Essential Products and Technique | Ben Nyebennye.com