How to create 5 trending make-up looks
Ayesha Muttucumaru
Beauty & skincare
Reading time: 7 minutes
From Euphoria-style glitter to the clean make-up aesthetic, here’s how to shake up your summer look – without blowing the bank
This article was created in partnership with 17.
The beauty comeback of the year? The return of 17. to Boots in February.
Back with a new look and new line-up, covering everything from foundations and eyeshadows to blushes and lipsticks, the relaunch was good news for our make-up bags, as well as our bank balances, with every product coming in at £5 or under.
Providing unbelieveable beauty at unbelieveable prices, the collection makes it easier than ever to step outside our colour comfort zone and get creative with our make-up – something we are looking to do more of in the coming months.
According to our Boots 2022 Beauty Trends Report, feel-good rituals and mood-boosting splashes of colour are at the forefront of our minds. How can we achieve both without breaking the bank? We’ve got you covered. Here, five brilliant beauty influencers provide the need-to-know on five of this season’s hottest looks. From tips and tricks to the affordable staples to have on hand, these are the make-up tutorials guaranteed to take your summer look to the next level.
The look: Euphoria eyes
As our Boots 2022 Beauty Trends Report stated, maximalism is the way we’re choosing to go with our make-up. Freedom and fantasy are fuelling the trend as more of us look to get creative with our artwork and add accents of joy and the ethereal to our looks. One of the most popular sources of inspiration has come courtesy of the TV show, Euphoria, from Julia’s unapologetically bold, black graphic liner to Cassie’s twinkling glimmers of glitter. Want to give it a try? Beauty, skincare and fashion content creator Mikai McDermott (@mikaimikai) shows us how to make it uniquely your own…
Recreate the look
Step 1: Apply a swipe of 17. Second Skin Enhancing Concealer (available in 10 shades), underneath the eyes, in the inner corners, and blend it out using a damp foundation sponge.
Step 2: Seal your work by dabbing a small amount of 17. Ultimate Look Finishing Powder, on top.
Step 3: Give your eyeshadow extra staying power by adding a pea-sized amount of 17. Eye Primer, onto lids and gently patting in using your ring finger.
Step 4: Use 17. Ink Legend Tattoo Eyeliner, to draw a line that wings out towards your temple from your lower lash line. Then, starting from the inner corner of your eye, draw a connecting line that skirts above your lid for an exaggerated effect.
Step 5: To make eyes pop, apply a veil of the holographic purple shade in the eye-catching 17. Eye Shadow Palette 050 Glitter. Lightly press it onto lids with an eyeshadow brush to keep fallout to a minimum.
Step 6: For the perfect finishing flourish, apply a set of your favourite falsies (master your technique with this guide to how to apply false lashes) or apply two coats of 17. Another Level Volume Mascara, to take lashes to new heights.
The look: The perfect brow for less than £10
When it comes to our eye make-up, brows continue to share the spotlight with graphic liner. Brow lamination is the in-salon treatment of the moment, but if you’re looking to try the look without the commitment (it can last for up to three months), you need only look at the contents of your make-up bag. Content creator and blogger Caitlin Muirhead (@caitlinmuirheadd) shows us how to give our brows the brushed-up boost we’ve been looking for…
Recreate the look
Step 1: Your secret weapon? 17. Brow + Lash Lamination Clear Mascara. This multiuse clear mascara offers firm but flexible hold, while the brush gently lifts and shapes hairs to provide noticeable definition. Top tips: swipe upwards at a slight angle (rather than straight up), following the direction of the hair growth for a natural finish. A little goes a long way, so start with a small amount and build slowly to prevent hairs from feeling too stiff.
Step 2: For more depth, try 17. Full Definition Brow Pencil, to fill in sparse areas. Caitlin’s advice? Draw light, hair-like strokes at the start of the brow and extend the tail outward for a lifted effect.
Step 3: Carve out your brow using 17. Second Skin Enhancing Concealer, for extra sharp lines. And there you have it, super-snatched brows that won’t break the bank.
The look: A base that’s good to glow
Everything from pollution to late nights can dial up dullness and while brightening skincare can make a difference in the long-term, some illuminating make-up essentials provide an instant dose of radiance if you’re in a hurry. It all comes down to stealthy layering and applying glow-enhancing formulas where the light naturally hits you. The good news? It’s super simple and speedy. Make-up content creator Hannah Martin (@artistrybyhan) spills the secrets.
Recreate the look
Step 1: Create the perfect canvas by applying 17. Base Glow Illuminating Primer, all over your face. Infused with light pearls, it helps give skin a subtle glow and serves up a light blurring effect to minimise the appearance of pores.
Step 2: Next, go in with 17. Second Skin Enhancing Foundation (available in 20 shades), and buff in with a foundation brush, starting from the middle of the face and blending outwards for a natural, seamless finish.
Step 3: If you’re looking to disguise dark circles, apply a few swipes of 17. Second Skin Enhancing Concealer, and blend using either the heat of your fingers or a damp beauty sponge. Super buildable, it’s easy to customise your level of coverage.
Step 4: For a natural-looking creamy contour, try 17. Second Skin Enhancing Concealer, in a few shades darker than your skin tone. Apply it anywhere that you’d like to warm up your face and enhance bone structure.
Step 5: Looking for a super-wearable pop of colour? Try 17. Colour Glow Cream Blush in Peach Dreams. Cream formulas work amazingly on dry skin types.
Step 6: To make your blush even more multidimensional, try the trick of dotting 17. Liquid Reflect Highlighter in Rose, in between dots of your blush and patting them together with your finger for a rose gold sheen.
The look: Green glitter smokey eye
Pops of colour that sparkle with multidimensional glitter can brighten up anyone’s mood – especially when they provide some serious savings, too. Case in point, beauty influencer Kirsty Belle’s (@kirsten.addison) Save vs Splurge split face tutorial. Proving you don’t have to spend big to make a big impact, her green glitter smokey eye provides bags of shopping – and make-up – inspo to give more expensive options a run for their money. With the high-end side of her face costing £752 and her affordable side coming in at just over £20, the maths says it all. Here’s how to recreate the more affordable look…
Recreate the look
Step 1: Buff in a medium coverage foundation, such as 17. Second Skin Enhancing Foundation, for a fresh finish. Skin-conditioning goodies like vitamin E and hyaluronic acid give it a moisturising edge.
Step 2: Help smooth over unevenness with a few dots of 17 Second Skin Enhancing Concealer, under eyes.
Step 3: For a stunning choice of emeralds and golds to gild eyes with, look no further than the 17. Eyeshadow Palette 040 Greens. From matte to shimmery shades, the buttery textures provide great colour payoff and work well with eyeshadow brushes, as well as fingertips in our experience. To achieve the look, apply the glitter shades in the inner corner of the eye, with the darker and matte shades applied to the mid and outer lid for a striking, gradient effect.
Step 4: To finish, apply two coats of 17. Ultimate Lasting Definition Mascara Jet Black. Wiggle the wand at the roots for extra volume.
The look: Clean make-up
Dewy skin, fluffy feathered brows and flushed skin – the clean make-up trend has taken our TikTok For You page by storm over the past few months. And with summer here, the look is set to stay (along with some good weather, hopefully). While skincare plays a big part in getting that lit-from-within glow, the good news is that you can fake it with the right make-up. Although at first glance it looks simple, it can be surprisingly hard to achieve. Here, make-up content creator William Grande (@snatchedbywill) shares the secrets and shows us how it can be more affordable than perhaps originally thought.
Recreate the look
Step 1: A glow-boosting prebase, such as 17. Base Glow Illuminating Primer, provides the illusion of moisturised skin when you need it most. The light-reflective pearls in its formula offer a subtle blurring effect, too.
Step 2: Next, use a foundation brush to apply a light, buildable layer of 17. Second Skin Enhancing Foundation. As the name suggests, it’s built to enhance rather than mask, so no need to fear a spackle effect.
Step 3: If you’re looking for more coverage around the eyes and nose, a few swipes of 17. Second Skin Enhancing Concealer, should do the trick.
Step 4: Set your base with a light dusting of 17. Perfecting Finish Translucent Powder, under the eyes. Try to avoid applying it anywhere else to ensure your glow isn’t dulled.
Step 5: Liquid or cream blushes are perfect for this look, thanks to their more moisturising formulas. Apply a few dots of 17. Color Glow Cream Blush in Soft Pink, and blend out with a damp sponge for a natural-looking finish. It also doubles up as a lip tint for those who love a multitasker (raises hand).
Step 6: No glowy look is complete without a cleverly positioned streak of highlighter. Apply 17. Light Reflect Liquid Highlighter in Champagne, on the upper parts of the cheekbones to showcase features in the most flattering of lights.
Step 7: When it comes to brows and lashes, go low maintenance with a quick slick of 17. Brow + Lash Lamination Clear Mascara.
Step 8: Keep your look on lockdown while maintaining its newfound lustre with a few spritzes of 17. Dewy Prep Setting Spray. As Will says, ‘It’s the glow for me.’ Us too, Will.
Looking for more natural make-up inspiration? Five beauty insiders show us how to master the no make-up make-up look.
