If you read Kathryn's Loves frequently, you will have realised I haven't been around for a few months. That is because I contracted COVID and since then I just haven't felt 100% well. I also suffer from severe endometriosis, for which I was supposed to have my third surgery last year, but of course that got cancelled too. So I had to take some time away from my blog, and I sure have missed trying new products and letting you guys know whether they are worth purchasing or not.
For my first post back, I have the Barry M Fresh Face collection, which was released about a week or two ago. The collection consists of three products - the Barry M Fresh Face Illuminating Primer, the Barry M Fresh Face Foundation and the Barry M Fresh Face Cheek & Lip Tint. The products come in pretty and clean pink and white packaging and are priced slightly lower than most high-street beauty brands.
First up is the Barry M Fresh Face Illuminating Primer, which costs £6.99 for 35ml and there are two colour options available - Cool and Warm. As I have cool-toned skin, I opted for Cool. If you are unsure how to tell your skin tone, it is fairly easy - if your veins show blue through your skin and your skin leans more pink, red or blue, you are cool toned. If your skin leans more peachy, yellow or golden you are warm toned and if you have a mixture of the two then you would be neutral. During these strange times, when online shopping for makeup is the only way, this can really help you order the right products. This illuminating primer contains Aronia Berry, Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid to help brighten the skin and keep moisture locked in, which is essential during these colder months. The Cool tone Primer is blended with silver pearls and the warm, golden pearls to complement the skin. Once applied to the skin, this feels instantly cooling and refreshing and I did wonder whether this would contain any noticeable shimmer, which it doesn't - so if you are someone who doesn't like a shimmery finish but still wants a more radiant, healthy looking skin, then I would definitely recommend this primer. I find it moisturising without feeling thick or heavy on the skin, and my foundation applies beautifully as it has a slight mattifying texture to it.
Moving on to the Barry M Fresh Face Foundation, this retails for £7.99 for 35ml, which again is an excellent price for a foundation. There are 20 shades available, which for a drugstore brand, I think this is very acceptable as the shades go from light to dark, with a good amount of variants. I know Revolution have a lot more shades available for their foundation products, but this is definitely a step in the right direction for Barry M. I opted for shade 2, which suits my light, but not super light skin-tone. The formula contains the same stand-out ingredients as the Primer, so Aronia Berry, Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid and so it does feel fresh and lightweight on the skin, even though the texture is slightly thicker. I found that this Foundation applied better using my fingers than my Beauty Blender, with it being a lighter product, but I was really impressed with the finished result - it is classed as a light to medium foundation, and whilst it is more on the light side on the first application, it definitely covered up the redness on my cheeks, chin and forehead. My skin looked and felt healthy and throughout this pandemic I have been wearing a lot less makeup and so I have been reaching for more lighter to medium coverage foundations.
The final product in this new collection is the Barry M Fresh Face Cheek & Lip Tint, which retails for £4.99 and you get 10ml, which is definitely enough for a cream lip and cheek product. There are five shades available and I opted for Peach Glow, (a peach shade, surprise!) and Summer Rose, a pretty medium pink shade. Cheek and lip products can sometimes be pretty hit or miss - sometimes they are too sticky for the cheeks, but I think Barry M have done a great job with this formula. Whether you apply them to the cheeks or lips, they are so easy to blend into the skin and a little goes a long way, leaving a tint on the cheeks and lips even when you have had a drink or eaten lunch, so their staying power is pretty commendable. As with the Primer and Foundation, this formula contains those three brightening and hydrating ingredients and so they keep both the cheeks and lips from drying out - which again, is perfect for this time of year! The other shades available are Blackberry, a deep plum, Deep Rose, a darker, warmer pink and Caramel Kisses, a warm nude.
So, there it is, my first blog post back. I have always posted around 5 times per week, but whilst I get back into the swing of things, I am aiming for 1-2 times per week. I am super glad to be back and would really appreciate your feedback in the comments below.
You can find the Barry M Fresh Face collection online at Barry M here.
All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx