When Boots decided to discontinue Seventeen makeup in 2018, I stockpiled so much that I still have a blusher in the shade ‘The Cheek Of It’.
But four years on, the much-loved nostalgic beauty brand is back with a Gen-Z makeover – but the same affordable prices.
Rebranded as 17. there are 170 vegan and cruelty free products all of which are priced under £5.
The range launched online on February 17, and hit stores towards the end of the month – and I added one of almost everything to my basket, and the bill didn’t even come to £50.
This nostalgic brand was one that saw me through high school – from covering my teenage acne with their concealer, to exploring my identity with their must-have high drama intense liquid eyeliner.
And having trialled the products for around a month now, there are three I continue to reach into my cosmetics bag for – and they’re all brow products.
Now, I have my brows laminated every three months or so, and for the first four weeks, they only need brushing and oiling daily. For the following four weeks, I’ll use a brow gel as my natural hairs grow through and my tint fades.
Then in the final four weeks when I’m stretching my perm to keep my brow hairs in good condition, I like to use gel and a pencil to fill them in.
And with 17. cosmetics, I can do it all for £10.50!
The cult budget beauty brand has launched a Brow and Lash Lamination Clear Mascara which has the perfect sized spoolie for bushing though bushy brows to tame hairs and achieve that popular soap brow look. Previously, I’ve used hairspray, gel and setting spray to achieve the same look between appointments, but this £2.50 product is a real game changer that won’t damage my hair, skin or leave me breaking out..
It enhances my brows without them going stiff or sticky, and they don’t look wet either. The fine comb captures the hairs to brush them where you’d like them to sit, and keeps them in place all day without drying them out.
When I’m happy with the shape of my brows, I go in with the 17. Precise Definition Tinted Brow Gel in brown – but it also comes in ashy brown, dark brown, black brown and blonde.
The applicator is tiny, which allows it to be so much more precise, capturing the brow hairs without getting product all over your skin, too. It’s only £4.50, and transforms my brows in just a few strokes. Even with the clear Brow and Lash Lamination Clear Mascara, my eyebrows don’t feel caked in makeup, and are still malleable and flexible, providing a really natural look.
Looking at the millennial pink packaging, I’d say this is a pretty good dupe for the Glossier Boy Brow.
To fill in any sparse areas, I love the 17. Full Definition Brow Pencil, which creates hair-like strokes to give a fuller brow. I bought the ashy brown shade for this one – costing £3.50 – to give a little bit of dimension to the hair. The fine stick is great for lining the brows and mimicking hair, while the spooling at the other end blends everything together.
Not only that, but I found the pencil to be perfect for drawing on faux freckles, which I’ll be doing in the run up to summer.
Prices for 17. makeup start from £2, and are no more than £5 for bigger products like 9-pan eyeshadow palettes and their Second Skin Enhancing Foundation.
Boots claim you can ‘build an entire makeup look for as little as £10’, and celebrities like Tilly Ramsay are already obsessed with it. Posting to Instagram, she said: “I LOVE the brand new range – it’s SO affordable, but such good quality!”
Some of her must-have products include the Powder Pigment in Light Pink, Another Level Volume Mascara and a touch of Lacquer Gloss in Electric Pink.
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As well as this hero brow trio, I also love the Lip Boost and Shine Gloss, and the Dewy Prep setting spray – both which really seem to pull an easy no-makeup makeup look together.
I’m so thrilled that 17. is back, hopefully this time for good. They’re so affordable without compromising on quality, rivalling bigger name brands in the industry. The packaging is so cute, and it feels like a really positive and accessible range that’s sure to go viral.
