Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer Has Great Gripping and Hydration

Milk Hydro Grip Primer is like a glue for your face.

Milk Makeup is a hemp infused, clean beauty brand that has some celebrated products. In their award winning lineup is the Hydro Grip Primer, said to blur pores, lock makeup in place for 12 hours, and more. Byrdie Makeup Artists, Allure Editors, and TikTok creators all swear by this face primer. Is it one of my holy grails, too?

Quick Rating Rundown

This Product

(4.4)

:Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

Price: $38.00

1.52 oz

Value

(5)

Finish

(3.9)

Longevity

(4.4)

Extra Benefits

(5)

Industry Standard

(4)

:Benefit POREfessional Primer

Price: $34.00

0.75 oz

Value

(4.1)

Finish

(4.4)

Longevity

(4)

Extra Benefits

(3.2)

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Promises vs. Performance: Silicone free and gripping primer?

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip is a gel primer said to keep makeup in place for up to 12 hours while locking in hydration. It features ingredients such as blue agave extract that forms an invisible layer to lock in makeup, while hyaluronic acid and hemp-derived cannabis seed extract boost hydration and smooth skin. Niacinamide and aloe water work to provide additional moisture for a fresh, dewy glow. With 1000+ 5 star reviews, it’s a fan favorite.

This primer has a gel formula, sort of like a thick serum. Upon application, it is tacky, gripping, and pore blurring. To me, it feels like a lightweight glue on the face. But, much to my surprise, it is silicone free (most gripping primers are silicone-based), yet still creates a grippy canvas for makeup to sit on top of. My makeup lasts a good eight hours while wearing this primer. I love that it adds a boost of hydration to my skin while not making it too dewy.

How It Compares: Porefessional is still the standard pore minimizing primer.

While this primer does live up to its claims, does it beat out the iconic Benefit Porefessional in terms of blurring capabilities? Not quite, but it is a top contender for best face primer in terms of grippy-ness. Benefit Porefessional has a few extra benefits that makes it outperform Milk Hydro Grip. While they both minimize pores and hold makeup in place all day, Porefessional also provides a slight color correction and combats oil. 

I will say, if you are looking for a gripping primer that doesn’t completely mattify the skin and you don’t need any color correction, Hydro Grip would be a good choice.

Comparison To Other Primers

Industry Standard

Benefit POREfessional Primer is widely accepted as the the best primer for both gripping and blurring. Its silicone texture helps diminish the appearance of pores and fine lines, while giving makeup a base to adhere to. What I think sets this primer apart from the rest is its impeccable pore and line filling results. It’s one of the best at helping skin appear smoother.

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer Dupe

elf Power Grip Primer has been dubbed a great dupe for the beloved Milk Makeup Hydro Grip. It has the same jelly consistency and tacky texture, leaving behind a grippy base for makeup. And the newest member of the Power Grip family is the pink primer, which has an addition of 4% niacinamide in the formula making it even more similar to Hydro Grip.

Best Clean Primer (Blurring)

If you want out of this world blurred skin, check out caliray So Blown Primer. This one has a slippy texture similar to Benefit POREfessional, but with a much cleaner formula. It blurs pores, fine lines, and leaves behind an airbrushed finish. It gives makeup a base to adhere to, but doesn’t quite extend the longevity like Milk Hydro Grip does.

Performance Rating

This Product

(4.1)

:Milk Makeup Hydro Grip

Texture

(3.9)

Finish – Texture

(3.9)

Longevity

(4.4)

Best Drugstore

(4.1)

:e.l.f. Power Grip Primer + Niacinamide

Texture

(4)

Finish – Texture

(4.3)

Longevity

(4)

Industry Standard

(4.2)

:Benefit The POREfessional Primer

Texture

(4.4)

Finish – Blurring

(4.4)

Longevity

(4)

Best Clean – Blurring

(4.1)

:caliray So Blown Primer

Texture

(4.4)

Finish – Blurring

(4.3)

Longevity

(3.5)

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