Barry M Natural Glow 2 Palette | Review
If you are looking for an affordable, cruelty free everyday eyeshadow palette then the Barry M Natural Glow 2 palette might be for you.
About the brand
Barry M is a long standing favourite of Friendly and Free, due to their cruelty free ethic and quality for price. First started in 1982 to provide strong colour cosmetics, the range has evolved a long way since then allowing the way for natural, neutral everyday makeup.
The packaging
Natural Glow 2 is set in a cardboard palette that stays closed with a magnet. There is large mirror on the upper part and a space in the front of the shadows that comes with two sponge applicators. Sponge applicators are quite outdated and do not work well for blending but perhaps somewhat useful if you want to lay down a single colour. The applicators are also difficult to clean so I recommend just using regular eye shadow brushes.
The product
The Natural Glow 2 palette is the sequel to the Natural Glow eye shadow and blush palette, however in this part two, the blush has been replaced with an eye primer. The primer provides a kind of blank canvas to apply the colour, however it is a difficult texture to work with and is quite clumpy. I think the palette could have been improved by offering up the space for two more shadows and using a separate primer.
The colours in this palette are the stand out feature. The first three colours are matte and the last three are shimmery and this makes for a really versatile palette. The first shade is a creamy ivory which is great for the inner corner of the eye. The matte light grey works well with the last, darkest shade to create a smudge smoky look. The fourth shade is my favourite in the whole palette, is a beautiful, shimmery peach rose quartz that looks so pretty placed right on the centre of the lid and blended with a darker, matte tone in the crease.
The fall down with this product is very minimal, it creases a little bit but I think that is acceptable for the price and when used with a primer it stays on for a fair while. If you were wearing this product for an entire day you would need to reapply by evening for more intense colour but as a natural daytime palette it works perfectly.
Summary
For £6.49, this is a great palette. There are six great shades that work well for a myriad of looks, from daytime to night. The primer isn’t great but there’s still a decent amount of shadows so it’s still a perfectly viable product.
Overall, this palette has six really pretty colours, it’s extremely good value, and it’s cruelty free. The palette is available from Barry M stockists such as Boots, Superdrug and M&S and it is also available at BarryM.com.
