Press Release: BarryM Autumn/Winter Launches!

Hi ladies! I bet it wasn't just me wondering when Mr Mero, of BarryM, was going to dazzle us all with some new releases. There's been radio silence on their end since the release of the Sequin & Confetti Nail Effects, but I am now pleased to announce, the silence has now been broken!

Below you're going to see the complete low-down *make-up items included* of all the products BarryM are releasing this Autumn/Winter. I'm sad to see Summer go, but I love the dark & vampy looks Autumn brings, I'm just not a bright coloured kinda girl, in clothes, make-up or polish.

Enough about me, let's take a look what to expect to see launching in Superdrug stores September 25th and Boots stores October 2nd! ARE YOU READY?

**Lash Vegas Mascara in Waterproof**

For EXTRA LARGE showgirl lashes search no further than LASH VEGAS! Its spiral shaped brush has been designed to separate, define & reach the smallest of lashes for show-stopping volume. Now available in waterproof.   

-Retail Price is £6.49

**Classic Matte Nail Paint**

Matte look nails were key on the catwalks for AW/13, as seen At Alexander Wang, DKNY & Helmut Lang.  Be it a berry, black or nude shade, make Barry M's new coffee shop collection of warm, wintery Matte Nail Paints your go-to polish this season.  Not only will they give you the statement grunge look, they will also leave enough change for you to buy an outfit to match! 

-Shades: ‘Espresso’ (Black MNP1), ‘Crush’ (Burgundy Red MNP2), ‘Caramel’ (Light Brown MNP3), ‘Vanilla’ (Pink Nude MNP4), ‘Mocha’ (Medium Brown MNP5)

-Retail Price: £3.99

**The Royal Glitter Collection**

The new Royal inspired collection from Barry M will make you feel like a glittering, glistening Princess.  With 5 shades in the range, these Textured Glitter Nail Paints will get your nails noticed in an instant. 

-Shades: ‘Princess’ (Pink TNP5), ‘Majesty’ (Gold TNP6), ‘Duchess’ (Nude TNP7), ‘Lady’ (White Pearl TNP8), ‘Countess’ (Purple TNP9)

-Retail Price: £3.99

**Crystal Glaze Topcoat**

Dazzle your nails with this glistening topcoat.  Perfect for a crystallised finish for the ultimate glam touch.   

-Retail Price: £3.99

**Berry Cosmo Nail Paint**

This is a new addition to Barry M's original Nail Paint collection.  A beautiful purple/burgundy winter shade

-Retail Price: £2.99

**3 Eye & Cheek Palettes**

New to the Barry M range are a selection of stunning eye and cheek palettes, which cater to every occasion and every outfit. With a combination of soft, light, dark and jewel tones, you can create your favourite beauty look with the ease of having all shades in one compact- complete with a large mirror and two applicators.

Getting glam has never been so easy!                                                         

Glamour Puss- "Bring out your inner glamour puss with these 6 shimmering party eyeshadows and hot pink blush"                                                      

Smokin' Hot- "Create a smokin' hot look with these 6 smouldering eyeshadows and hot peach blush"                                                                    

Natural Glow- "Enhance your natural glow with these 6 subtle eyeshadows in natural hues and pastel pink blush"

-Retail Price: £6.49

**Flawless Finish Foundation**

An oil free formulation, containing soothing moisturisers with skin healing properties, for a flawless matte finish

-Shades: Ivory (LF1), Nude (LF2), Beige (LF3), Sand (LF4), Tan (LF5)

-Retail Price: £5.99 

HELL-O! How amazing do those textured glitters look? AND a matte collection! Everything in this release SCREAMS Autumn/Winter! As I mentioned, these will be available for purchase in Superdrug stores from September 25th and Boots stores from October 2nd!
How many, if not all, of these do you see yourself purchasing? As always, stay tuned for swatches of the Nail Paints coming soon!

Swatch: BarryM - Confetti Effects pt. 2

Hi ladies! So I have had these swatches on my computer for the longest time now and just haven't gotten around to posting them. I asked a while back whether I should do a post for these two Confetti polishes or just add them to my Facebook page, since I'd already reviewed 3 of them and I like to do 'collection' posts, the response from you all was to do a post for them, so here it is! You can see swatches of the three other polishes in this collection, Marshmallow, Liquorice and Dolly Mixture, here. 

I won't ramble on in this introduction, all of the information about how I found the application/formula of these polishes can be found in the first post, linked above.

Let's get into the swatches shall we!

Bubblegum is a mixture of bright Blue and White matte bar glitter in a clear base. This polish is everything I hoped it would be. After seeing the Press Release I was desperately hoping for it to be a bright Blue glitter and not another dupe for Jaye Bird and as you can see, it was! This is one coat of Bubblegum over BarryM Blue Grape without a top coat.

Sour Apple is a combination of an almost neon Blue and Yellow matte bar glitter in a clear base. Like Dolly Mixture, this is one we have seen before from both Nails Inc and Invogue, so if you have those then you probably won't need this one too. This is 1 coat of Sour Apple over BarryM Key Lime without a top coat.

So there you have the remaining 2 Confetti polishes from BarryM! These are now available from BarryM's website along with the Summer Gellys, here. Unfortunately they won't be available in Boots/Superdrug for another couple of weeks, their official launch date is June 8th for Superdrug and June 12th for Boots!

Swatch: BarryM Summer Gellys

Hi ladies! I have the brand new Summer Gellys from BarryM to show you today! These arrived in my letter box this morning and I just couldn't wait to swatch them. A couple hours later, they're ready for you guys to see! You'll notice that I've cut my nails down to nubs, that's because whilst packing up boxes at work yesterday I managed to somehow split my pinkie nail diagonally *WHAT* so I'm VERY annoyed about that, especially because I had just gotten my nails to the perfect length for me *sad face*.

Anyway, back to the post! BarryM released the original Hi-Shine Gelly collection last September which consisted of 9 Autumn ready shades, you can see swatches of those here and here. They then brought out 4 more Spring ready shades in February of this year, which you can see here, and are now launching 5 bright Summer ready shades this June! With an amazing formulation, vibrant lasting colour and a super glossy finish it's no surprise BarryM's Hi-Shine Gelly Nail Paints have become a favourite amongst Nail Polish lovers everywhere. 

So without further ado, let's take a look at the swatches!

May'd In Britain: BarryM

Hi ladies! First up is probably the most recognisable brand in the whole world, BarryM. If you asked anyone  in the Nail Blogesphere to name a British brand, I guarantee 99, if not 100% would say this brand. BarryM was the first brand of make-up/nail polish I got into at the tender age of 13, I remember going into town and buying a selection of Nail Paints (some which I still have to this day), Blushers and Dazzle Dusts, so BarryM will always have a place in my heart. Before I get into showing you some swatches, I thought I would include a little something about the brand taken directly from the BarryM website.

"Barry M Cosmetics was created in London, Great Britain in 1982 by Barry Mero. In the early 80's Barry had a number of retail outlets around London selling beauty and cosmetic products. The fashion was for dramatic, outrageous make-up. However he found that no one was producing the exciting and vivid colours that his customers required. So in June 1982 he decided to put together the Barry M Cosmetic range.

The Barry M name soon became a cult name in the field of colour cosmetics and in those days if you were a new romantic, punk or gothic the chances are you would have been using Barry M to make your statement!"

All BarryM products never have and never will be tested on animals, making the brand 100% cruelty free and their Nail Paints are also 3 free.

All information about where to buy will be included at the bottom of the post, so until then let's have a look at some swatches!

Swatch: BarryM Confetti Nail Effects

Hi ladies! Yesterday I posted the Press Release for BarryM's Summer Releases and mentioned I had 3 of the Confetti Nail Effects already. I wanted to wait until I had the whole set before posting, but you guys said you wanted to see some swatches straight away, so here they are!

I'm sure when you saw the release for these, you thought 'oh, another version of the polishes Nails Inc/Invogue have already done' although you would be semi-right, BarryM have 2 possibly 3 colour combinations I haven't seen before from either brands, I'll talk more about those shortly. All of the Confetti Nail Effects come in the classic BarryM bottle, complete with a White cap and a Silver holographic Zebra-esque pattern. 

As with the majority of BarryM Nail Paints I've tried, the formula was perfect, not too thick but enough to hold a decent amount of glitter on the brush. I found the best way to apply the 'Confetti' was to do an initial dip into the bottle then dot and drag around the nail. I also found if there wasn't enough glitter to cover the nail, but enough not to have to dip the brush back into the bottle was to just run the brush inside the neck of the bottle and collect the glitter stuck to the side. This way there's no unwanted lumpy, thick bits on the nail! These do dry to a slightly gritty finish, so if you're not into that, I suggest adding a Top Coat for a smoother finish.

Swatches after the break!

Press Release: BarryM Summer Releases!!

Hi ladies! So I was supposed to be showing you the new BarryM Sequin Nail Effects today, but there was a slight mix-up at the BarryM offices and I was sent a sample of their Summer release polishes! After contacting the PR rep about the mix-up she sent out the Summer Press Release earlier than scheduled! Unfortunately ladies, these won't be available in Superdrug stores until June 5th and Boots stores June 12th. But here's what to be expected this Summer!

**Summer Gelly Nail Paint**

To add to our Hi Shine Gelly Nail Paint collection Barry M have 5 new exotic fruit inspired shades!  Key Lime, Mango, Blue Grape & Guava will be your go-to shades this Summer for an extra glossy mani. Key Lime (Lime Green), Guava (Teal), Passion Fruit (Pink/Red), Blue Grape (Cobalt Blue), Mango (Orange)
These will Retail for £3.99 each 

**Confetti Nail Effects Nail Paint**

New Confetti Nail Effects is the perfect party for your nails.  Filled with confetti sprinkles that brush on smoothly, make your nails pop with 5 sweet inspired shades. Dolly Mixture (Multi), Liquorice (Black/White), Marshmallow (Pink), Bubblegum (Blue), Sour Apple (Green). 

*Build the effect with more than one coat or apply as a top coat over your favourite colour

Retail Price is £3.99

How amazing do those Gellys look?! Oh my word! I do have 3 of the Confetti polishes in my possession, Liquorice, Marshmallow & Dolly Mixture, would you like me to show those to you now or would you rather wait and see the whole collection together? As I mentioned above, these won't be hitting stores until June, so I apologise for torturing you! Which colour catches your eye the most? 

Press Release: Sequin Nail Effects

Hi ladies! Yes, you see right, Mr Mero has done it again! Just last week we saw the release of some Nail Art Pens, and now I'm being told about more Nail Paint releases! This is just a little teaser before BarryM release their Summer launches on June 5th (Superdrug) and June 12th (Boots), I'm super excited to see what they're going to bring out next! Until then, here is a sneak peek of the 3 brand new Sequin Nail Effects, launching on hot spots (this is PR slang for the top of the display shelf where the new launches are shown, did you know?! I didn't) around the UK on May 8th for just £3.99 each!

BarryM Sequin Nail Effects in Black

BarryM Sequin Nail Effects in Pink

BarryM Sequin Nail Effects in White

"Add a textured sparkle to your nails with new Sequin Nail Effects!  The rich formula packed densely with sequin specs is the perfect way to create a dramatic 3D effect on your nails"

Now I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to getting my hands on these and see how they look o the nail. In the bottle they have an indie look to them, don't you think? I do, however, think the Black looks very similar to the Black and Gold glitter they brought out not that long ago! I'll hopefully have swatches of these coming very soon!

Swatch: BarryM Spring/Summer Gellys

Hi ladies! You may remember towards the end of last year, BarryM released a new line consisting of 9 'Gelly' Nail Paints (7 of the 9 shades by clicking here and here) which promised to be just as glossy as a Gel manicure, without the aid of a Top Coat or curing under a UV light, in just one coat. Though all of the polishes were super glossy, not all of them were a 1 coater but that being said, the sheer quality of the Nail Paints were enough to make them extremely popular amongst polish lovers everywhere.

This Spring, BarryM have decided to release 4 new additions to the Gelly range all of which are perfect for the Spring/Summer season and I'm super stoked to show you those today! But first I want to just give you a little overview on the polishes as a whole; of course we'll start with the formula, as with the previous Gellys, these all went on perfectly with barely any issues, there were a few streaks and patches along the way, but a lot of that is to do with the slightly runnier consistency than regular polishes, which I think has something to do with the ingredients to make it so glossy but a little perseverance and a kind hand those were easily concealable. They all lived up to the high gloss finish with the finest of standards but again, like the previous Gelly releases, not all of them were 1 coaters.

Okay, so whose ready to see the swatches?

Papaya is a muted pastel Coral with a Salmon Pink undertone. I had a couple issues with streaking and patching with this particular polish, if not for those issues this would have been 2 coats, however I added a 3rd to smooth out the imperfections.

Greenberry is a bright Jade Green, this was a nightmare for my camera to capture and actually leans a little more Green than it appears in the photos. Again, this was a little streaky on the first coat but evened out on the second.

Lychee is a light Beige and the perfect Nude for my skin tone. I applied 2 coats for full opacity.

Dragon Fruit/Dragon is what I would call a 'Nicki Minaj' Pink with the most subtle shimmer, so subtle that you can barely see if in the bottle or on the nail unless you catch the right lighting. This was probably the sheerest polish of the bunch, which was a little surprising. I had to apply 3 coats for full opacity.

Overall I was impressed with the new Gelly polishes, I did find the application process is a bit of a hit and miss, you have to really be careful with the amount of polish on the brush in order to get the 'perfect' coat. I found it works best when I place a generous dollop of nail polish onto the nail, wipe the brush on the bottle and then spread the dollop around. But of course, it's all down to your preference.

Like the BarryM Textured Nail Effects these are set to launch in Superdrug stores nationwide on February 13^th & Boots stores on February 20^th.  Products will also launch on BarryM on February 13^th alongside the Superdrug launch and will retail for £3.99 each! 

To make sure you don't miss the announcements remember to follow BarryM on their Social Media networks; Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest!

Swatch: BarryM Textured Nail Effects

Hi ladies! Winter 2012 saw the explosion of the 'textured nails' around the Nail Polish Community, from Liquid Sand to Leather to Concrete and Feathers - it's no surprise that they continue to be a hit in 2013. With big named brands such as OPI, Nails Inc and soon to be China Glaze, it was only a matter of time before household drugstore brands jumped on the bandwagon & who better to start than one of the most renowned drugstore brands - BarryM!

I have all 4 of their new 'Textured Nail Effects' to show you this afternoon, all of which are Spring ready shades all named after famous haunts where Mr Barry Mero began his early working days in the markets of Ridley Road and Brixton.  Before I get into the swatches, I thought I would talk to you about the formula, since all 4 are the same consistency it would be silly to mention the same thing over and over again.

As with every BarryM Nail Paint I have tried, the formula is amazing. Especially due to the nature of the Nail Paint, I found all of them to be just the right consistency and applied like butter without any patchiness and streaking. All 4 polishes were opaque with 2 coats and dried in around 3/4 minutes to a texture similar to Nails Inc - Leather polishes, since they're not as rough as OPI Liquid Sands and also not as lumpy as Nails Inc Concretes. Though I don't own any Nails Inc Leather or Concretes, I'm basing my judgement solely on various swatches I have seen around the blogesphere.

Okay, so I've rambled enough, it's time to see the swatches! I want to just apologise now for my awful swatches, I have no idea what is going on with my nails/cuticles right now and I've also misplaced my clean up brush too!

Ridley Road is a Mint Green polish, similar to that of the same name from last years Spring release. I forgot to mention earlier, I found the easiest way to apply these polishes were to start with a thin layer for the first coat and then add a thicker second coat.

Atlantic Road is a light Sky Blue similar to Blueberry Ice Cream from the Ice Cream collection released last Spring.

Station Road is a Pastel Yellow with a Yellow/Gold Shimmer. Yellow polishes are like Marmite in the Nail Polish Community, you either love them or hate them, unfortunately I am the latter. Though I must say the shimmer was a nice surprise! Again, this is similar to Lemon Ice Cream from last years Spring releases.

Kingsley Road is a baby Pink similar to Strawberry Ice Cream from last years collection. I do believe, however, that Kingsley Road is a little bit lighter than Strawberry Ice Cream was, but since I no longer own that polish, I can't compare them for sure.

I'm sure you're all curious about the removal too? Well although I only had each polish on for 10 minutes max, the removal seemed fairly easy. I did have to apply slightly more pressure than usual due to the texture, so I imagine after a full days manicure the Tin Foil method or even a PVA glue base coat would be more beneficial and time efficient.

Overall, I was really pleased with the quality and how easy to apply these polishes were. After finding the Liquid Sands a little too rough for my liking, the Textured Nail Effects are a lot suited to my taste. 

If you're wondering where you can get yourself some of these Nail Paints, they are set to launch in Superdrug stores nationwide on February 13^th & Boots stores on February 20^th.  Products will also launch on BarryM on February 13^th alongside the Superdrug launch and will retail for £3.99 each! 

To make sure you don't miss the announcements remember to follow BarryM on their Social Media networks; Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest!

Press Release: Spring Launches from BarryM!

Hi ladies! I received an exciting e-mail from BarryM's PR people this afternoon filled with information about upcoming releases from BarryM, including new Nail Polishes!! Since this is a Nail Polish blog, I wanted to only show you guys the upcoming polishes, but I thought I would include the information for the make-up side releases too;

♥ LASH VEGAS Mascara

For BIG Showgirl lashes!
Pump up the volume with Barry M’s NEW LARGER THAN LIFE Lash Vegas mascara with spiral wand to catch every lash. Available in jet black. Retail Price is £6.49

♥ GEL EYELINERS

For a rock ‘n’ roll finish Barry M are introducing a NEW Waterproof Gel Eyeliner collection; available in three colours Black, Silver and Champagne – this ultra smooth liner will provide perfect precision to give you a silkier, smoother and sharper finish. Retail price is £4.59


Now that's out the way, let's get into what you REALLY want to see.....THE NAIL POLISHES!

♥ GELLY NAIL PAINTS

To add to our Hi Shine Gelly Nail Paint collection Barry M have 4 new exotic fruit inspired shades! Lychee GNP10, Dragon Fruit GNP11, Green Berry GNP12, Papaya GNP13 will be your go-to shades this Spring for an extra shiny mani. Retail price is £3.99

♥ TEXTURED NAIL EFFECTS

Channel East End cool by adding some grit to your nails!  Textured Nail Effect’s grainy, matte formula creates a unique textured effect for a grunge-chic look.  Available in 4 Spring/Summer shades named after famous haunts where Mr Barry Mero began his early working days in the markets of Ridley Road and Brixton.  Ridley Road (Green) TNP4, Kingsland Road (Pink) TNP3, Station Road (Yellow) TNP2, Atlantic Road (Blue) TNP1.  Retail price is £3.99

These are set to launch in Superdrug stores nationwide on February 13^th & Boots stores on February 20^th.  Products will also launch on BarryM on February 13^th alongside the Superdrug launch! To make sure you don't miss the announcements remember to follow BarryM on their Social Media networks; Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest!

How excited are you for the Nail Paints?! I knew with the textured polishes on trend throughout the higher end brands, that it wouldn't be long until Drugstore brands made their mark and who could be better than my all time FAVOURITE UK/Drugstore brand, BarryM. I'm dying to get my grubby little mits on these babies.

Swatch: BarryM - Gelly Nail Paints (part 2)

Hi ladies! I'm back again after taking a day or two to revitalise after the 30 Day Challenge with 3 more of the BarryM Gelly Nail Paints released last month. I knew from the get go I wanted these three the most and I was going to venture into town on payday and snatch them up. Then, Mr BarryM decided to have a 20% off sale to celebrate the launch of the Gelly's on their website, so of course I knew I had to get them there and then.

As I mentioned in my previous post, BarryM Gellys are not to be confused with the squishy Jelly finish we see in some polishes, although originally that's what a lot of people thought they would be. In fact, they're supposed to be an easier way to get the 'wet look' Gel Nails give but without having to cure the polish under a UV light.  Marketed as 'One Coat, High Gloss' polishes, I must say these three do live up to that promise, depending on how heavily you apply the first coat. I generally like to do two thin coats, but to show their true potential, I did one thick coat for the photos below. I had no trouble with the formula or application of the polish, even when applying a thicker coat, everything went on smoothly and there was no pooling or flooding in the cuticles. All photos below have been taken indoors, without a top coat.

First up we have Blackberry. Blackberry is what I would describe as a deep Plum and is probably one of my favourites, it's a toss up between Pomegranate and this.

Next up we have Blue Plum. Blue Plum is a dark Blue with Green undertones. The colour of Blue Plum is more accurately pictured in the bottom photo.

And finally we have Watermelon. Watermelon is a Forest Green with hints of Blue undertones. This was probably one of the hardest to photo, just because for some bizarre reason, my camera HATES Green polishes and capturing their true colour. Again, Watermelon is more accurately pictured in the bottom photo.

Have you tried BarryM Gelly Nail Paints yet? If so which are your favourites from the collection? I'm seriously debating whether to purchase Blueberry and Blood Orange to complete my collection, although neither of them really appeal to me. If you haven't tried any Gelly Nail Paints yet, they retail for £3.99 and are available from to purchase worldwide from their website and if you're in the UK and don't want to spend on shipping, they're also available in Superdrug and Boots stores across the country.