Barry M launches limited edition Nail Paint inspired by young cancer patient’s manicure fundraising challenge

Today (Monday 9th August) the UK’s leading nail brand, Barry M has launched a new, limited edition, Nail Paint named after Esme, 9, a young girl who was diagnosed with leukaemia earlier this year. The Company was inspired to create the Nail Paint after Esme set up her own manicure challenge from her hospital bed at the Royal Marsden Hospital to raise money for cancer charity Young Lives vs Cancer.

The new Nail Paint, which the young girl named herself as ‘Esme’s Deep Marine’, is a holographic blue sparkly colour (Esme loves sparkles!) and is available to buy exclusively on BarryM.com from today for £3.99. £3.33 per bottle, or 100% of net revenue* from the sale of every bottle of ‘Esme’s Deep Marine’ will go to Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK’s leading charity for children and young people, who have been supporting Esme and her family since her diagnosis.

The Story behind Esme’s Manicure Challenge

During her cancer treatment, Esme’s Mum would often give her a pamper session to help cheer her up. Esme’s Dad, Richard, would do anything to see his little girl smile so one day he let her paint his nails during a pamper session on the ward. Esme found it funny and told her Dad to keep the nail varnish on all week – and now, several months on, Richard is still proudly wearing his bright nails.

Esme wanted to take the nail painting one step further and asked her friends and family to paint their dads’ nails too, and soon grandads, uncles, cousins, brothers and friends were all sporting brightly coloured nails. Esme encouraged people who took part to donate towards her JustGiving page for Young Lives vs Cancer and share photos of their beautiful creations on social media with the hashtag #EsmesManicureChallenge.

To date, Esme has raised over £11,000 for Young Lives vs Cancer, a charity who have helped her family find the strength to face cancer and everything it has thrown at them.

Richard says: “When we got to Southampton Hospital, Young Lives vs Cancer staff were there for us immediately. They gave us two initial grants of £100 each to help with costs such as travel, parking and food which was a huge weight off our shoulders. The Young Lives vs Cancer social workers also really helped my wife and I during those early days when we needed someone to talk to or wanted to discuss what was happening. The whole team were really helpful.”

When Barry M heard of Esme’s challenge and the positive impact it was having on both her and the charity, they wanted to get involved to help spread the challenge further. ‘Esme’s Deep Marine’ is going on sale today (Monday 9 August) on their online shop, and they are encouraging customers to use the Nail Paint to take part in Esme’s challenge; to paint someone else’s nails, or their own, in the blue sparkly polish and add to her fundraising total.

Dean Mero, Managing Director at Barry M said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting Esme’s Man-icure Challenge to help to raise awareness and funds for Young Lives vs Cancer’s important cause, which makes such a huge difference to many families in the UK. Esme’s challenge is such a wonderful way of getting people involved – as soon as we heard about it we knew we had to get involved too by creating a special Nail Paint just for her. We hope to reach out to our customers, our followers and beyond to encourage wider participation and fundraising. We are so inspired by Esme and her dad, Richard and we are excited to see lots more people with bright and sparkly nails as the challenge continues to grow”

Joanna Hancock, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Young Lives vs Cancer said: “We are so pleased to see the launch of ‘Esme’s Deep Marine’ today as not only will this go on to raise vital funds for children and young people with cancer across the UK, we know it has helped to make Esme smile through one of the toughest times.

“As soon as Barry M heard of Esme’s challenge, they have been dedicated to making it bigger and better and we know it has made Esme so happy. We can’t wait to see everyone wearing Esme’s special Nail Paint and taking part in the challenge to help more families like hers.”

‘Esme’s Deep Marine’ is available to buy for £3.99 only on BarryM.com from today, Monday 9 August, from 9am. All proceeds from the sales will go to Young Lives vs Cancer. To donate to Esme’s Manicure Challenge please visit her JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Esmes-man-icure-challenge or text ESMEBARRYM to 70085 to donate £3. Texts cost £3 plus one standard rate message.

Get your a bottle of ‘Esme’s Deep Marine’ here: https://barrym.com/pages/esmes-man-icure-challenge

* Net Revenue = price paid by the customer minus 20% VAT = £3.33 donated to Young Lives vs Cancer for every ‘Esme’s Deep Marine’ Nail Paint sold.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information, an interview or images, please contact Emma Gibbons on 07932 666163 or email at emma.gibbons@younglivesvscancer.org.uk

About cancer in children and young people

Today, 12 more children and young people in the UK will hear the devastating news that they have cancer. Treatment normally starts immediately, is often given many miles from home and can last for up to three years. Although survival rates are over 80%, cancer remains the single largest cause of death from disease in children and young people in the UK.

About Young Lives vs Cancer

When a child is diagnosed with cancer life becomes full of fear, for them and their family. Fear of treatment but also of families being torn apart, overwhelming money worries, of having nowhere to turn to, no one to talk to.

Young Lives vs Cancer is the charity that helps children and young people (0-25) and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them. The charity’s social workers offer specialist, empowering support, its Homes from Home offer families a free place to stay nearby to the child’s hospital and grants help families to navigate the costs of cancer. We’ve been there before. We’ll face it all, together.

For more information visit www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk

Note to sub editors

Always use our name in full: Young Lives vs Cancer and write it with only the Y, L and C capitalised. But don’t capitalise ‘vs’

‘Young Lives vs Cancer’ should be not be abbreviated – it’s not “Young Lives” for short, nor “YLvC”

About Barry M Cosmetics

Founded in 1982 by Barry Mero, Barry M is the UK’s leading colour cosmetics company. The Company is an independent family-run business based in North London, where 70% of Barry M products are formulated and manufactured. Barry M is renowned for bold and fearless makeup and Nail Paints which have always been Cruelty Free, and now 100% Vegan. A much-loved high street brand in the UK, Barry M has a growing global presence in Europe, Australia, Indonesia, the USA and in many more developing markets.
For more information visit: www.Barrym.com