Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Ben Nye hair color

I used to use NESTLES STREAKS AND TIPS in WHITE only to gray the hair. Had GREAT coverage, lots of pigment and I used to buy it by the case to keep on hand. SADLY I was told they quit making it in white. Ruined THAT day for sure. BUT then I went to the inexpensive brands from the costume shops here in town. Coverage was NOT as good, far less pigment but worked OK. Then I found a place somewhere in Minnesota or some mid-eastern state that still showed the Nesltes in WHITE - I called and asked them and they said they had it in stock, that Nestles had NOT stopped making it as I was told by the shop I used to buy it from all the time. WAS going to order it but don't do as much work in theater anymore so I figured if I did need it at least I knew where I COULD get it...so didn't order it.

BUT after the spray went away that I liked (or thought it went away), I resorted to Ben Nye Liquid makeup in white....NOT liquid hair color. It's labeled Liquid MAKEUP (unless they've changed the name - and they might have). BUT I fell in love with that. EASY to use - simple process with an old tooth brush. Pour a little on a palette, dab the toothbrush in and LIGHTLY begin coating the hair a little or a lot - whatever your needs are. BUT then I ALWAYS would allow it to dry, lightly brush through it and then lightly repeat the process. Makes for VERY realistic GRAY hair because you control how much you put on and how much you brush out since it dries the same as the color hairsprays do. IT IS also water soluable, shampoos out, with a final coat of regular hairspray it holds up VERY well. I've used it tons and like it. I HAVE also used the spray in brands - the cheap $3.00 a can brands from the costume shop. While I've had to use MORE to get similar coverage, with enough patience and REALLY shaking the can, you can get the pigment moving. BUT give me back the Nestles Streaks and Tips and I'd drop Ben Nye like a hot potato....although it has served me well for years.

BOTH are relatively easy to apply, wash out in a shampoo cycle and though they both DRY the hair a bit, the application of a conditioner for the hair helps restore that. BUT I ALWAYS use WHITE in either the spray or the Liquid Makeup because the GRAYS are NEVER RIGHT. And DON'T EVEN get me started on using the Silver Hairsprays for gray hair on stage. NEVER NEVER NEVER use that. Looks like CHROMED HAIR under hot lights yet everybody thinks that's the way to go. NOT in my nearly 50 years of doing makeup work. Never did, never would. There are RARE RARE occasions where it works - I HAVE seen some elderly folks with really VERY SILVER WHITE hair - it's beautiful in real life. STILL rarely would I use it on stage - but I have maybe twice or three times in that 50 years. BUT it's really rare that I do.

ANYway one is as good as the other in my estimation. I have used both extensively. LIKE the liquid makeup applied with a toothbrush - takes longer but can get good results controllable and to me pretty realistic. Same with the spray though. If I can get enough pigment in the hair with the hairspray it's more quickly applied, I STILL brush through it (top coating with colors is NOT the way to go...need to work it down to the root if possible for realism) and brushing through it, smooths it down a bit and makes it more real looking in my book as well.

Either OR - both seem good to use in my kit. Worked with both a LOT and don't really have a preference of one over the other. They're similar in use, coverage, look - though only different in application and time invested to accomplish real looking gray on someone who is not.

Good luck

TonyDi

"Almost famous"

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We have recently started using the Ben Nye liquid hair color and I love it! It's so much easier to use. We put it on with a toothbrush or an old mascara bruch and it looks so much more natural than the spray.

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Author	Message
falstaff29 Celebrity Joined: 9/17/04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 155	Topic: Ben Nye hair color Posted: 7/21/09 at 3:22pm
	Just wondering, does anyone have experience with Ben Nye's liquid hair colors (e.g., for graying an actor's hair)? BN touts it as superior to sprays, which I think most people would agree have their problems. I was wondering if anyone in the know could share some pros/cons versus either/both spray and clown white. Thanks!

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TonyDi Celebrity Joined: 9/13/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 7/22/09 at 7:24am
	I used to use NESTLES STREAKS AND TIPS in WHITE only to gray the hair. Had GREAT coverage, lots of pigment and I used to buy it by the case to keep on hand. SADLY I was told they quit making it in white. Ruined THAT day for sure. BUT then I went to the inexpensive brands from the costume shops here in town. Coverage was NOT as good, far less pigment but worked OK. Then I found a place somewhere in Minnesota or some mid-eastern state that still showed the Nesltes in WHITE - I called and asked them and they said they had it in stock, that Nestles had NOT stopped making it as I was told by the shop I used to buy it from all the time. WAS going to order it but don't do as much work in theater anymore so I figured if I did need it at least I knew where I COULD get it...so didn't order it. BUT after the spray went away that I liked (or thought it went away), I resorted to Ben Nye Liquid makeup in white....NOT liquid hair color. It's labeled Liquid MAKEUP (unless they've changed the name - and they might have). BUT I fell in love with that. EASY to use - simple process with an old tooth brush. Pour a little on a palette, dab the toothbrush in and LIGHTLY begin coating the hair a little or a lot - whatever your needs are. BUT then I ALWAYS would allow it to dry, lightly brush through it and then lightly repeat the process. Makes for VERY realistic GRAY hair because you control how much you put on and how much you brush out since it dries the same as the color hairsprays do. IT IS also water soluable, shampoos out, with a final coat of regular hairspray it holds up VERY well. I've used it tons and like it. I HAVE also used the spray in brands - the cheap $3.00 a can brands from the costume shop. While I've had to use MORE to get similar coverage, with enough patience and REALLY shaking the can, you can get the pigment moving. BUT give me back the Nestles Streaks and Tips and I'd drop Ben Nye like a hot potato....although it has served me well for years. BOTH are relatively easy to apply, wash out in a shampoo cycle and though they both DRY the hair a bit, the application of a conditioner for the hair helps restore that. BUT I ALWAYS use WHITE in either the spray or the Liquid Makeup because the GRAYS are NEVER RIGHT. And DON'T EVEN get me started on using the Silver Hairsprays for gray hair on stage. NEVER NEVER NEVER use that. Looks like CHROMED HAIR under hot lights yet everybody thinks that's the way to go. NOT in my nearly 50 years of doing makeup work. Never did, never would. There are RARE RARE occasions where it works - I HAVE seen some elderly folks with really VERY SILVER WHITE hair - it's beautiful in real life. STILL rarely would I use it on stage - but I have maybe twice or three times in that 50 years. BUT it's really rare that I do. ANYway one is as good as the other in my estimation. I have used both extensively. LIKE the liquid makeup applied with a toothbrush - takes longer but can get good results controllable and to me pretty realistic. Same with the spray though. If I can get enough pigment in the hair with the hairspray it's more quickly applied, I STILL brush through it (top coating with colors is NOT the way to go...need to work it down to the root if possible for realism) and brushing through it, smooths it down a bit and makes it more real looking in my book as well. Either OR - both seem good to use in my kit. Worked with both a LOT and don't really have a preference of one over the other. They're similar in use, coverage, look - though only different in application and time invested to accomplish real looking gray on someone who is not. Good luck TonyDi
	"Almost famous"
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peacock Star Joined: 3/03/09 Location: Bangladesh Online Status: Offline Posts: 58	Posted: 7/23/09 at 10:32pm
	If you mean the liquid hair dye (looks like white-out in the bottle) I have used it for several years. It is much less expensive than spray. You streak it on strand by strand. Once it dries you can brush it or comb it and it looks pretty natural. It does not come off on costumes, and you can do isolated streaks (like Cruella de Ville) more easily than spray. It does take some practice, so you want to try a couple times before you actually perform. I think it gives a lot more flexibility for styling.
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kathrynj Walk-On Joined: 7/06/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 7/24/09 at 5:23pm
	We have recently started using the Ben Nye liquid hair color and I love it! It's so much easier to use. We put it on with a toothbrush or an old mascara bruch and it looks so much more natural than the spray.
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Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
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Topic: Ben Nye hair color( Topic Closed)