Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation


Barry M which is one of the UK's most favoured nail polish brands are about to become one of the best high street foundation go to brands if you ask me. Sneaking into Boots and Superdrug just over a week ago is Barry M's Flawless Finish Foundation and let me tell you from the get go it is a good 'un...choice of fonts aside of course!

Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation
Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation
Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation

Before I discuss the shade choice and formula let us touch base on the packaging, yes it looks rather similar to Benefit's Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation and I'm not all that sure why. In brief the casing is plastic, simple and easy to use thanks to the build in pump mechanism. Speaking of the pump it easily distributes the foundation in a controlled manner so you do not waste product due to excess production. Yes it is a little copy cat in terms of aesthetics but I truly can not fault the packaging.

Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation
Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation
Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation
Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation

In my opinion the shade line up of Barry M Flawless Foundation is a little samey in the sense that it really is 5 shades of beige. If you have exceptionally pale skin then the lightest shade may be a little too dark and forget about it if you have a deep complexion as the deepest shade within this line is lucky if it is an NC40 if that. The shades and approximate MAC reference point are as follows:
Ivory (LF1) - approx NC15-20
Nude (LF2) - approx NC25
Beige (LF3) - approx NC30 (very neutral)
Sand (LF4) - approx NC35/37 maybe an NW30ish 
Tan (LF5) - approx MAC NC40 maybe an NW35
For reference I wear a blend of Sand NC35-37 in MAC foundations.

Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation

Shade woes aside this foundation truly is a high street gem - the formula is light yet creamy it will hydrate and soothe dry skin yet won't overwhelm oily skin types. It applies beautifully both with the fingertips (my preference) or brushes et al offering a medium natural matte coverage. Flawless Finish foundation can be built up where needed with next to no effort without caking or feeling heavy on the skin. For most the level of coverage this offers will be more than suffice for most imperfections especially those that lie flat on the face but some concealer will be needed for blemishes. Having deep pores I can struggle with certain foundations but I can vouch that this does not settle into my pores nor will it emphasis fine lines nor does it oxidise. I was a little wary of the promise of matte skin due to the oily nature of my complexion but again this came up trumps. No it won't leave the skin looking flat or provide mask like coverage but rather it provides a soft, matte finish that does keep oil at bay for up to 6 hours in my experience and that is without a primer or setting powder. With such products you can easily get a full days wear oil free which is no easy task in my case.

A huge, huge thumbs up from me and one of the few high street foundations I fully recommend.

You can find Barry M Flawless Finish Foundation* via Boots for £5.99 - link and via Superdrug
for the same price but with free delivery - link

*PR samples sent for consideration for review.