Barry M bought by make-up for men brand Warpaint

Barry M, the affordable make-up brand, has been bought out of administration by Warpaint, which produces cosmetics for men.

The family-run firm, which was set up in north London in 1982 by Barry Mero, collapsed earlier this month.

Warpaint said on Monday it has acquired the Barry M name for £1.4m.

The deal does not protect more than 100 staff who worked at Barry M or its factory in the capital where it produces its nail varnish and make-up lines.

Barry M had been a favourite of make-up fans and drag queens for its eye-catching colours.

It is stocked in around 1,300 shops across the UK, including Superdrug, Boots, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

Patrick O'Brien, retail research director at analytics firm GlobalData, said Barry M had failed to innovate and had instead been "more reactive".

He told the BBC that the company had also struggled as, despite being stocked in well-known retailers, it faced increasing competition from rival brands at affordable price points.

O'Brien said Barry M had become "a small brand in a sea of new and fun names, which are generating traction through social media marketing".

Since Mero's death in 2014, the compamy has been run by his son, Dean Mero.

His father reasoned that these people were looking for "the blacks and the blues and the greens and the yellows", but why not offer more than that?

He remembers his father saying that no other make-up company had produced 100 colours and Barry M would become the first firm to reach that target.

In the year to 28 February, 2025 the most recent for which figures are available, Barry M reported sales of £15m.

Alongside the deal, Warpaint also provided a trading update in which it said full-year profits would be lower due to a "challenging consumer and customer environment" as well as US tariffs.

It said the levies, announced by US President Donald Trump, resulted in a £2m hit to its business as "uncertainty earlier in the year" led to "stalled momentum in the US".

While sales for 2025 are expected to be higher at £105m, compared to £102m in the previous year, underlying profit is forecast to fall from £25m to £22m.

Warpaint said taking over Barry M would increase its sales by expanding its reach in stores.

Warpaint's takeover of Barry M is subject to court approval. Warpaint's share price climbed by 8.5% after the announcement.