A while ago, I went through a loose powder eyeshadow phase. I actually still enjoy using loose powder eyeshadow although its not something many like due to the fussiness. I’ve found that for high shimmer, nothing beats loose powder eyeshadow. It was during this phase that I discovered Barry M Cosmetics and the wonderful dazzling Barry M Dazzle Dusts.
Barry M is a brand from the UK and found in Boots and Superdrug pharmacies (at hefty discounts sometimes). I was previously told it was also available in Topshop but I’m not sure if it still is anymore. When I was getting people to get it for me, it was quite hard to find to my surprise. It might now be easier.
Anyway, Dazzle Dusts are super shimmery loose powder eyeshadows that pack a punch if shimmer’s your thing. They come in tiny little glass pots (I’m serious – its tiny!) and I always use my finger to apply because it picks up the product better. I saw that the swatches on the Barry M website look quite different from the actual product, so here’s a picture of how my Dazzle Dusts look. A lovely friend got most of them for me from London and dropped them off here in KL on her way home to Australia – I tell you, this is truly what globalization is all about! 😀 Read on for colours and swatches.
The colors are (from left to right)
Row 1:
1 – Ice Pink (A very light pink); 3 – Pink/Gold (Pink with gold shimmer – warm tones); 14 – Website calls it Khaki but mine is a deep green shade; 15 – Aqua (A blue-green shade with gold shimmer); 20 – Baby Blue (A light baby blue)
Row 2:
24 – Old Gold (Antique Gold); 29 – Yellow Gold (Bright yellow); 51 – Mushroom (muted cool purple tones); 59 – Lilac (cool toned lilac)
Row 3:
72 – Emerald (Deep emerald green); 78 – Kingfisher (bright blue); 79 – Gold Green (lime green with gold shimmer); 68 – Turquoise (teal with gold shimmer)
I have some swatches further down of each color but be warned that the picture is large.
The texture is not all that smooth but the shimmer is second to none. You can use it on its own or over existing eyeshadow to amp up the glam factor. I use it both ways. The dusts do not adhere all that well to skin so I always use a cream eyeshadow as base first or eyelid primer before applying these shadows. Also always pat it on not swipe it on to get maximum shimmer.
If used over eyeshadow, it adds shine and you can even use the lighter shades as body glitter or shimmer or highlighter. I suppose you could even mix these with a clear lip gloss to create a shimmery lip or mix with nail polish to create shimmer polish. Possibilities are endless.
I’m boring so I only use these as eyeshadows. They go on slightly sheer which suits me fine. Use it over a similar colored cream eyeshadow or primer to really bring out the colour. Here are the swatches as promised.
Each little glass pot retails for GBP4.50 but they go on sale often at GBP10 for 3 or the likes. It’s a terribly inexpensive product that works dazzlingly well so there’s nothing to hate about this except the fact we don’t get it here in Malaysia. I don’t even know if its available outside of the UK! The Barry M website does ship internationally so if you really want to know what the fuss is all about, get a bunch of friends together and share in an order to save shipping. If you like shimmer or loose powder eyeshadows, you could do worse than indulge in the Barry M Dazzle Dusts 🙂
I did a look with some Barry M shadows previously in my review on Dior Rose Brazilia bronzer blush and thanks to Connie who reminded me that I do own these gems in my existing collection, you can expect them to feature from time to time from now on. 🙂
Pros: High shimmer, Inexpensive product, Lovely colours
Cons: Not available in Malaysia
oooh! khaki and emerald are lovely!!!!
too bad i am giving this a miss since i am buying other stuff 🙁
but hm, they are very nice 🙂
Hi Plue
I’m sure they’ll be around so there’s always next time 😉
that is one massive collection of dazzle dusts ma dear…*bedazzled*
Hey beetrice
Haha… I stopped at 13 😛
i used to be so crazy about these. then i stopped my craziness all of the sudden and got rid of them all! they are colourful but the shimmer die then turns to be matte. well, at least for me. so i stay with my MUFE Star Powder…
Hey Jojoba
Star Powder is a different quality altogether and price too LOL… Barry M is fun and you can use it without thinking too much about wasting product 😉
These are very pretty. I have a few of them myself. There is a deep maroon that is great for smokey eyes. You have very smooth hands; good for swatches. 😉
Hi Mag
Thank you I never thought of my hands that way LOL… I think I’ve seen pictures of the maroon but its hard to buy when the swatches online are so different from the real product!
Thanks for the post!! Finally my prayers were answered and there was a spree for Barry M. I ordered a new color called Petrol Black, which was the one that I really wanted. hehe. I’ve always liked loose powder eyeshadows but almost all of mine are in samples so that I have an excuse to own hundreds of colors 😀
Hiya Connie
You’re welcome! You’ll have to let us know how Petrol Black looks and whether its dark enough or shimmery enough. I have a ton of samples too LOL… One can never finish them.
hello! I was in london last month, and you can definitely get Barry M products in Superdrug stores, seldom see them in Boots, unless the Boots store is really huge. I was quite tempted to get the dazzle dusts, but only got the eyeshadow pencil…
Hi Deborah
Thanks for the heads up! I did remember seeing most of it on Superdrug’s website. I haven’t tried anything else by Barry M though.
OMG…i’m so in love with these babies!!!! I sudah rambang mata la…
Hey Jessica
So sad we can’t get them here right?
Hi PB! It’s really truly sad that these pretty things are not available here…sigh!
They are very pretty. May be they will be my next craze after cream eyeshadows, or I might just start a new collection of these when I go to the UK, to go with my current collection of cream eyeshadows from Benefit and Estee Lauder.
Huh!!! I am going crazy with makeups nowadays! 😉
Hey Vonvon
Loose powder shadows are a dangerous craze LOL… I have a whole box of them now 😛
I’m getting a bit worried hearing that. ;P
But how is the powder? Do the dust fly around? I have a little girl always hanging around my dresser. So kinda a bit worried if she might inhale them. Sorry for being such a worrywart. I try not to use loose powder products cos of her.
Btw, would you like to do some swapping? Or you cant bring yourself to part with them? 😉
Hi Vonvon
For now I’m keeping a pretty tight rein on these babies because its hard for me to get and its quite tiny when it comes to making samples – sorry. Loose powders will always have a tendency to fly around but its not like it gets everywhere – not when I use them anyway.
No problem, Paris! I’ll be in the UK in a few months and I can have all the Dazzles I want. Was just proposing cos they really looked so tempting! 😉
They are so tempting when I see them in jars!! But when on swatch, my interest died down… lol! 😀 Anyway, nice haul too! 😀
Hey Sue
Haha… Not shimmery? Too sheer? 🙂 Its something from a while back I’d forgotten about.
ooh yes i remember barry m from my london uni days..dazzling colours
Hi facekraft
Yep! I’d like to try their other products though.
Shiny=good…pity I don’t have any friends in UK!
i changed my mind about Barry M dazzle dusts in terms of comparison to MUFE Star Powder. they are different things and Dazzle Dusts are more daring and I like them more and more especially now that I have access to them in Sydney. Gosh, it’s not easy. I want all the dark colours.