Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick VS 17 Instant Glow

When it comes to high end vs low end beauty products, the high end brands normally come out on top.

I hate to admit it, I tend to buy higher end products most of the time. I prefer the luxurious packaging and the longevity, but the price tag can really talk a toll on your bank balance. My Fiancé looks at me in disbelief when he see's the price of some of the products I want to buy. When you are trying to save money, lets face it, high end makeup is off limits. 

The other week I was having a quick look through the shelves at boots, I typically skip past brands like Natural Collection and Barry M, but this time something caught my eye from an unexpected brand. I have never tried anything from 17 before, the packing never really appealed to me neither had I heard much about their products, but the Instant Glow shimmer brick caught my attention right away. Minus the plastic packaging, the product looked nearly identical to the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks. Being pleasantly surprised from the swatch at the back of my hand, I ummed and ahhed for a while trying to decide if the £4.99 was really worth it. I decided to give it a try to compare it to the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks and I was very surprised at the outcome!

The 17 Instant Glow shimmer brick is just as pigmented, creamy and beautiful as the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks. There are two shades in the collection, I picked up Gold Bronze but I cannot wait to try out pink bronze. The product has layers of champagne, gold and bronze shades that you can use individually or together to achieve that bronzed goddess glow. If you swatch the 17 & Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks side by side without knowing which was which you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I was incredibly surprised by this as most drugstore highlighters/shimmer bricks tend to be very chunky, lack pigmentation and patchy on the skin. The 17 Instant Glow however is highly pigmented, the shimmer is very finely milled and gives a stunning bronze glow to the skin. Despite the slight difference in the shade range, these products are almost identical. If you are a huge Bobbi fan and can't live without their products, then stick to what you love. But if you can look past the cheap packaging, you'll fall in love with this product. Both are highly pigmented, both are very buttery, however one is the fraction of the price.

Hats off to you, 17. You've exceeded my expectations.