News · 9 February 2026
Warpaint buys collapsed rival Barry M for £1.4 million
Photo by Victor Candiani on Pexels
Men's makeup brand Warpaint acquires family-run cosmetics icon Barry M for £1.4 million following its collapse into administration. The deal terminates 44 years of family ownership since the company's 1982 founding but places 100 jobs at risk as the London factory closes. Analysts blame a failure to innovate against celebrity-led competitors like Fenty Beauty for the decline. Barry M remains stocked in 1,300 UK retailers including Boots and Superdrug despite the takeover.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs