Beauty brand Barry M bought out of administration by Warpaint

High street beauty brand Barry M has been bought out of administration by cosmetics firm Warpaint for £1.4 million.

The acquisition includes the brand and intellectual property, but not Barry M’s factory and staff.

London-listed Warpaint, which owns make-up brands W7 and Technic, said it expects the move to help it grow into key retail channels in the UK.

Barry M has stands in more than 1,300 stores including Superdrug, Boots, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, as well as selling products online.

The British brand is known for its colourful nail varnishes and affordable make-up, positioned as vegan and cruelty-free, having grown to become staples of the UK high street.

It was founded by Barry Mero in 1982, with the leadership of the business passed down to his don Dean Mero after his death in 2014.

The brand moved to appoint administrators last year after warning over “geopolitical issues” and rising prices which it said were absorbed into its cost base.

It nonetheless generated a £17.4 million turnover and a £172,000 pre-tax profit for the year to the end of February 2024, according to its most recently published results.

It had more than 120 staff on average during the year, with most employed at its manufacturing site in London.

Warpaint, whose products are also stocked in high street retailers, told investors that earnings for the 2025 financial year were expected to come in at around £22 million.

But it said the collapse of beauty retailer Bodycare last year and subsequent closure of all its stores negatively impacted the group, as it was a significant retail customer of its brand Technic.