Nails, nails and more nails...

At the beginning of this month we released these new nail paints:
311 Instant Nail Effects, 312 Indigo and 313 Dusky Mauve.

The blogger world has gone mad for Instant Nail Effects, it is the cheapest, simplest way of doing nail art!

But don't just listen to me tell you how amazing it is, here are some reviews on it:

http://www.vexinthecity.com/2010/10/you-need-this-barry-m-instant-nail.html

http://www.donotrefreeze.com/2010/10/finally-instant-nail-effects.html

http://www.facebook.com/notes/beauty-begins-blog/barry-m-dusky-mauve-and-instant-nail-effects/485078895341

Now just for a bit of fun, because we love to play around with our nail varnishes here, I painted my nails in black with hologram hexograms overt the top. The picture is a bit flat but they look so sparkly and reflective in reality, we love this look:

Steal Katie Waissel’s X Factor style

Love her or hate her, 24-year-old hair salon receptionist Katie Waissel has already made a big impression on the X Factor judges. And despite fluffing her lines not once, but twice, the Madonna-inspired singer made it into the final 12.  But while Katie’s quirky retro style might not be for everyone, here's how to create a much more toned down, wearable version of her make-up.

For a start, ditch the humongous circus-like false lashes - who knows how Katie got through the day at the judges’ houses with those unsightly things weighing her down. Instead, opt for a thickening mascara like our 3 in 1 to lengthen, add volume and separate the lashes. Elsewhere, Katie keeps her eye make-up pretty simple, with neutral eye shadows and well groomed eyebrows.

Katie opts for a matte foundation finish with a subtle rosy blush. Try a light to medium coverage foundation or a tinted moisturiser and sweep a smidgen of our Pink Orchard onto the apples of your cheeks.

The lips tend to be the focal point of Katie’s look (apart from the aforementioned lashes, of course) and at the judges' houses, she went for a girly baby pink shade. A far cry from the bright orange/red she went for on her first audition, the pale pink complemented Katie’s complexion and was well in line with the 60s little white dress look she sported. Achieve a similar look with our lip paint in Sheer Pink.

Finally, add a dramatic bow or hair piece to a quiffed barnet, and a coat or two of black nail polish and you’re ready to go!

By Lauren Holden

Get the X Factor with Cher Lloyd's look

The X Factor finalists have only recently been selected, but there are already countless articles and YouTube videos on how to recreate the girls’ make-up looks. First up, hip hop princess, Cher Lloyd - there’s no mistaking the 16-year-old singer’s distinctive look. And while we may not all want to rush out and purchase a pair of baggy ghetto pants or sky-high boots, there are tons of make up junkies who’d happily sport Cher’s heavy smokey eyes and dramatic black brows.

Here’s how to do it: get hold of a black or dark brown kohl eyeliner and fill in the brows, accentuating the arches by building up colour gradually. Or soft kohl pencil in black is a mere snip at just £2.95. If you’re blessed with thicker, more defined brows, use a thin shadow brush and a dark eyeshadow shade to gently fill them in.

Create Cher’s stunning smokey eyes by blending a dark eyeliner under the waterline and in the inner corners of the eyes our Super Soft Eyes Crayons are great for creating a smudgy, smoky effect. If you prefer to use a liquid eyeliner, our black will do the trick.

For the eyeshadow, blend a dark shade like Dazzle Dust in Petrol Black on the lid. For a much more wearable daytime look, you can tone it down with Charcoal or even a navy blue shade.

On the cheeks, Cher’s rosy glow is down to a well chosen blush like our Pink Orchid, at £4.50. Finally - the lips! Never mind those who say dramatic eyes should be worn with neutral lips - and vice versa. Cher is usually seen wearing a coral/pink, perfectly suited to her pale skin tone which you can get with our Peachy Pink Lip Paint. And you’re done!

Stay tuned for some more X-Factor-inspired make-up looks!

This was written by Lauren Holden

Yep Barry M are doing pressed eyeshadows!

Finally, I hear you all cry! Barry M are now doing pressed eye shadows - so you can get all the amazing sparkle and shimmer you have come to expect from Dazzle Dusts - but in solid form!

And they come in these lovely trio pallets:

You will start to see these in Superdrug now but if you can't get hold of them then they are always available on our website.

Personally I am loving Golden Goddess which is the first one, it makes creating a bronzed smokey look for summer so easy. And the pink and brown one, called Delicious Diva, gives a similar look but puts a pink twist on it for that extra girliness - how can you go wrong!

You get an applicator in the pallet, with a brush and a sponge end. Personally I always prefer to use my own brushes but they are great to use for touching up when I am out.

Hope you like! This is totally new for us so we would love to hear your feedback.

Cookie the Barry M Bunny

Did anyone spot the Barry M Bunny in our TV advert?! She was in the first shot and at the end hopping around in amongst the girl's mess! Take a look and see if you can spot her: www.barrym.com/fun/tv-commercial

You may be asking yourself why a make-up company keeps banging on about rabbits?!?! Basically becuase we love them, and not just rabbits, all animals. Barry M have NEVER and will never test on animals. Not only that but we will only buy ingredients from suppliers who do not test on animals. 

So us crazy kids in marketing took this picture at our last photo shoot just to prove that our glamorous models wear our make-up and Cookie just gets a nice hug! (Click on the image to enlarge it)

 

Cookie is a family pet, you can watch what she gets up to all day on our website: www.barrym.com/bunnycam/

Vanity Van and Barry M at festivals!

With the festival season upon us, the chances are that you are off to watch some top-notch live music acts; you’ve loaded up your tent, picked up your mates and packed your wellies, but then you find there is no room for your straighteners!

Stylista’s don’t fret looking good this summer has never been easier. Glamping is IN ! - living in a muddy field for 3 days is no longer an excuse to end up as crusty as your wellies!

Vanity Van’s alfresco salon comes to the rescue to keep you buffed, bronzed and beautiful at some of the major festivals this year including Glastonbury, Isle of Wight festival, V festival and Creamfields.

Vanity Van is armed with fully trained beauticians and therapists ready to indulge you with their treatments, this year they are offering;

• Hair–cuts, blow drys, curling, straightening, up dos and DIY styling
• Makeovers, Face & body art using Barry M cosmetics and gorgeous false eyelashes 
• Beauty treatments such as Manicures, Pedicures using Barry M’s gorgeous nail paint range, BeauBronz spray tans and Parissa waxing
• Skilled therapists offering head, neck and shoulder massages using massage chairs and full body massages in our unique private massage zone

New! For this season the Festival Recovery Package, amazing group discounts, free goody bags for every customer and the opportunity to capture your makeover with our photographer, your friends will never believe you could look this good in a field!

Don’t be the last in the queue pre-book your treatment now by emailing us at bookings@vanityvan.co.uk , stating the event you are attending, the date and a preferred time.



For more information on festival dates, treatments and prices visit www.vanityvan.co.uk.

Be beach ready with Barry M!

This has been written by Lauren Holden, a freelance journalist and huge Barry M fan!

Summer's mere weeks away and we'll soon be digging out our bikinis and passports in search of some much-needed sun.

Make sure you have everything you need for a day on the beach by following Barry M's handy guide. Here's our top handbag essentials to take you from beach to bar.

* Lip service
Keep lips soft, smooth and kissably soft in time for that beach holiday romance this summer. Smooth a generous slick of Barry M's Vitamin E and peppermint oil lip balm before applying your usual lippy. Choose from cherry or strawberry scented lip balm and finish with a quick application of Barry M's peachy pink lip paint to complement your golden tan. Pale faced beauties can opt for Barry M's Pale Pink Sparkle or Palest Lavender to set off a porcelain English rose complexion.

*Want tasty beach-ready tootsies?
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Barry M's new Ice Cream nail paints. And nothing says summer quite like ice cream! With any one of Barry M's four tasty Ice Cream nail paints, you'll have cutesy, girly hands or tootsies in no time. Choose from Strawberry, Berry, Lemon or Blueberry ice cream-inspired nail paints - yum! Barry M's lilac (Berry Ice Cream) shade has been disappearing off shop shelves faster than you can say strawberry sauce and chocolate sprinkles - it really is that delicious.

* Dazzle day or night
Instantly jazz up your daytime beach make-up with Barry M's famous Dazzle Dust. Bronzed babes can enhance their summer tans with a subtle dusting of Barry M's Burnt Orange eyeshadow combined with Marigold or Bronze. Brilliant brunettes can go all out and embrace vibrant tropical inspired shades with a summery cocktail of colours. Opt for Parrot Green, Kingfisher or Aqua Gold Dazzle Dusts for a stunning beach-ready look.

And that's it - all that's left do do now is pack those sunnies and sun cream and board the plane! Enjoy

Little update from HQ

Sorry we haven't posted in a while, we have been crazy busy filming our new TV ad. It looks great, we are so proud! It's great to get so involved and see something through from concept to completion. So make sure you are watching Hollyoaks on Channel 4 on 4th May to see it first! It will also be on our website from 4th May so make sure you check it out.

We are going to be running numerous competitions over the next few months to win items from the advert. Such as shoes from Office, dresses from Motel Rocks and handbags from Fiorelli! So keep an eye on our website competition page from 4th May.

Whilst we are talking about our website - we have also added fashion pages to our website. Every week More! magazine send across their fashion picks and recommendations of the essential items we all need! This is not good for my purse! This week's top 5 includes these hotpants which are definitely the cutest things I have ever seen! (£30 Topshop)

Looking forward to a wonderful warm weekend (fingers crossed!). Hope you have got some great things planned!

Imperfection Correction

Here at Barry M HQ we are all very excited, this is something we have been working on for ages, something that has been missing from our make-up bags...and now it is finally here...THE CONCEALER!

Cleverly named (if I do say so myself) our Imperfection Correction concealer pen is perfect for everything! I now have one product to cover my spots AND hide my bags! It conceals and illuminates, and all in one easy to use brush pen.

It comes in 3 shades:

1. Ivory for yellowy, pale skin tones
2. Almond for brown, more olive skin
3. Peach for pink/rosey coloured skin.

And there is some science: "the anti-ageing properties include a UV filter to protect against UV rays and extract of White Tea which acts as an anti-oxidant."

You can get yours now on our website for £5.95 but they will be in Superdrug mid-April. What are you waiting for?!

Dating in the Dark - contestants wanted

We have been contacted by Dating in the Dark to spread the word and help hem find contestants. If you are interested there is an email address of who to contact at the bottom of this...




DATING IN THE DARK

IS BACK FOR A 2ND SERIES ON LIVING!

IF YOU’RE OVER 21 AND LOOKING FOR YOUR SOUL MATE THEN WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

• DO YOU KEEP MEETING THE WRONG TYPE OF PERSON?
• PERHAPS YOU FIND IT HARD TO MEET ANYONE OUTSIDE OF WORK?
• MAYBE PEOPLE JUDGE YOU BEFORE THEY GET TO KNOW THE REAL YOU?

IF YOU’RE SINGLE AND BASED IN THE UK THEN THIS TV SHOW COULD HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT PARTNER.

E-MAIL dating@initialtv.com TO RECEIVE YOUR APPLICATION FORM. BUT PLEASE HURRY, AUDITIONS START EARLY APRIL.

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO FIND THE ONE!

Ice cream shade nail paints - hot off the press!

Spring is definitely upon us, so we decided it was time to let you all know what our new Nail Paints are going to be...and here they are, delicious, soft shades of fabulous colours...our Ice Cream range!

np306 is Blueberry Ice Cream
np307 is Lemon Ice Cream
np308 is Berry Ice Cream
np309 is Strawberry Ice Cream

Don't forget our Mint Green from last year which is the perfect compliment to this range and a cheap way to copy Chanel's infamous Jade.

Go get yours now, I will defintiely be sporting the lilac, apparently it is going to be huge this summer and I love to follow a trend! Sad I know! But why not get all of them at only £2.95 each! Here is a clearer (but nowhere near as fun!) picture of the range:

You can get them on our website now, they will be in Superdrug and Boots in a few weeks.

Win a make-up lesson!!

We have been talking to our customers a lot lately and have realised that most girls struggle with how to apply make-up without looking like a clown! I know, I was one of those before I started working here - hopefully I have learnt something!

So we have partnered with our friends at The Glass Slipper to do a competition for you to win a FREE make-up lesson for you and 3 friends. It is a brilliant package! Basically, an expert make-up artist from The Glass Slipper will visit you and advise on how to apply the best Barry M make-up to suit your colouring. Check out more info on The Glass Slipper and exclusive discounts they are offering Barry M customers: http://www.barrym.com/lookz/the-glass-slipper.asp

Not only that, you will each get a free Barry M make-up kit worth £50 to recreate those fabulous looks you have been shown! This prize is seriously amazing - it's worth £500!!!

So enter now on our website, it's just a simple multiple choice question: http://www.barrym.com/fun/competition.asp

I hope you like this, we always want to hear from you, so if you have any other ideas for great competitions or prizes please let me know...

Also, we are in the process of creating simple video tutorials of how to use all of our products which we will put on the website. I learnt a lot just from editing them! Barry M products are easy to use, but I suppose it's like everything - it's easy once you know how!

Competitions

So don't we all love a chance to win something?! Well we have decided to have a constant flow of competitions over the next few months...

Up until the end of today there are 20 chances to win a pastel pink lip gloss wand. Then on Monday I will launch another quick and easy competition. We want to give our customers something back, and not end of stock rubbish, we are giving away the best and the newest products!

But, in March there will be a big one, a really fabulous prize that will hopefully get everyone really excited. So keep an eye out for it on our competition page here: http://www.barrym.com/fun/competition.asp?clr=true

As you may know, we work with a great girl band called Robots in Disguise, they look fab, they sound fab, and they are inspiring business women with it! They are doing a few gigs around the country in March and April so watch this space for exclusive free tickets to these. http://www.barrym.com/fun/robots-in-disguise.asp  (Oh and do you recognise the lip stick colour?!)

Come to one of our pamper parties

On Thursday February 11 from 5pm onwards, head down to any one of our specially selected Superdrug stores for an evening of fun, freebies and fabulousness.

Not only will you able to redeem your Barry M make-up kit if you have been collecting the tokens in Fabulous magazine, but this exclusive evening will ensure you look stunning for Valentines Day. Plus don't miss 10% off in store!

We've lined up makeover artists and manicurists and Impulse professional make-up artists who specialise in creating diamante face art, plus you can find your signature fragrance with Superdrug's in-store experts and get complimentary skin testing and advice**.

Get there early to pick up your free Fabulous goodie bag, which is packed with make-up from Barry M, sweet treats from Kit Kat, Chupa Chups and Skinny Cow and loads more delectable delights.

To find you nearest Superdrug store, just click here

**Complimentary testing in selected stores only.

Win Lip Lacquer Crayons

Enter our competition to win 2 Lip Lacquer Crayons in time for Valentine's Day. Just answer a simple question on our website: http://www.barrym.com/fun/competition.asp?clr=true

Competition closes at midnight on 4th Feb so hurry up!

Free make-up kit with Fabulous

Did anyone see the Amanda Holden advert last night? If not, check it out here: http://www.barrym.com/fun/free-barrym-makeup-kit.asp

We have joined up with Fabulous magazine (free with the News of the World on Sunday) and Superdrug to offer a free make-up bag of goodies worth £20 when you collect 4 out of 5 tokens in the mag.

The set includes a glossy tube, eye shadow, kohl pencil and nail paint all within a gorgeous pink make-up bag. These are exclusive products for Fabulous so you won't be able to get them off the shelf.

Watch this space for news of exclusive Superdrug pamper party's for the Fabulous readers collecting the tokens!

Don't we all need free stuff in January?! I certainly do! So go get your first token on Sunday...

New product alert

Happy New Year everyone, 2009 seems forever ago already!

So, here is the first new product of the year and I can't get across how excited I am to tell you about these!

These are our new Lip Lacquer Crayons. Literally a jumbo sized crayon to apply directly to your lips. They are so fun and glide on so smoothly. The colour is so intense and glossy - hence the name lacquer.

I have done a swatch on my arm so you can see what the colours are like. Honestly amazing for nights out, esp because they are so easy to reapply. Although I wear Ballet Pink in the day - the advantages of my job is I have been testing them and finding my favourite shades for a while now!

The colours are:
1 - Scarlett Red
2 - Cherry Red
3 - Mandarin
4 - Party Pink
5 - Ballet Pink

So go get yours on barrym.com now! They will be available in Superdrug stores on the 27th January.