If you’re anywhere from 25 to 65 and wore make-up as a teen, you’ll remember Boots 17, the inexpensive, trend-led cosmetic brand that launched in 1968 and was pulled from stores in 2018.
Well, now it’s back.
And while it’s kept the name, Boots hopes that what it is touting as ‘unbelievable quality at unbelievable prices’ is going to appeal to a demographic that goes way beyond teenage girls.
‘In 1968, 17 was launched to cater to the teenage revolution,’ says Sophie Clapp, the Boots in-house historian and archivist.
These teens wanted make-up but not the stuff their mums were wearing.
It soon became a hit and throughout the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, 17 evolved to keep pace with teens and their changing attitudes.
The 1980s saw, for the first time, a man — pop star Paul King — wearing cosmetics for a Boots 17 advert and wacky products, such as a lipstick that was blue on one side and red on the other, as well as the cult Twilight Teaser lipstick, which was a sort of pearly purple.
But by the 1990s it was all about girl power, with advertising slogans that read: ‘It’s not make-up, it’s ammunition.’ By 2018, however, the market had changed.
‘It had started to lose its way,’ admits Jenna Whittingham-Ward, head of beauty brands at Boots. ‘The market had changed so rapidly — it was all about Insta beauty and limited drops that sold out instantly, and 17 just hadn’t kept up.’
As a result, it was discontinued. But then, says the company, the pandemic hit and it realised there was a desire for quality beauty products that didn’t cost the earth.
The result is that 17 is back with products the brand says are benchmarked against premium names such as Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier.
But how do they stand up?
We put a handful to the test…
HITS
Eye Shadow Palette
This is available in five colourways and I tried the pinks — a great combination of matte and shimmer shades, not too sparkly and with good colour pay-off.
It’s Charlotte Tilbury-esque but at a fraction of the price.
Buy for £5.
Ink Legend Tattoo Eyeliner
This liquid liner with staying power comes in five shades.
I tried black, which delivers a punchy amount of pigment if you’re going for cat-eye flick or puppy eyeliner, and doesn’t budge once dry.
Buy for £4.50.
Colour Glow Cream Blush
Also in five shades, this has a sort of cream-to-powder feel to it.
I tried Soft Peach and found it subtle but buildable for natural-looking colour.
It might be too matte for some but I liked it.
Buy for £4.
MISSES
Second Skin Enhancing Foundation
This comes in 20 shades (more are planned) and is half the price of Revolution’s cheapest foundations (which number over 40), but I think it’s half as good, with a very flat finish.
Buy for £5.
Eye Pigment Quick Stick
This has five shades.
I’d hoped it would be a Laura Mercier dupe but the crayon isn’t as soft as it needs to be — I broke the tip trying to use it as there’s too much drag, and it doesn’t go on easily and evenly.
Buy for £4.
MAYBES
Light Reflect Liquid Highlighter
This comes in three shades and for me had a bit too much sparkle to wear as a highlighter — I think shimmer looks more sophisticated.
But it was fine when blended with foundation to give a dewier finish.
Buy for £4.50.
Second Skin Enhancing Concealer
In ten shades, this isn’t bad for a budget concealer and gave decent coverage but you’d need to make sure skin was well hydrated if you wanted to use it underneath the eyes.
Buy for £2.
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Source: Read Full Article
