My Honest Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer Review
I’ll be honest—I sweat at the drop of a hat. This lovely characteristic, combined with the fact that I have under-eye wrinkles and laugh lines, makes it nearly impossible to find products like setting sprays that lock and smooth my makeup from morning to night. However, Milk Makeup’s Hydro Grip Primer is one of the few that gets the job done.
Most beauty veterans will recognize this name as it is award-winning, extremely viral, and consistently called out as one of the best face primers ever created. Even Simone Biles flashed it in her GRWM-style TikTok for the Paris 2024 Olympics. For good reason, too—it has all the qualities of a good face primer: long-wear, oil control, hydration, and a blurring effect, which is why beauty experts, including our editors, never go without it in their makeup bags.
The Application
This primer acts as a magical barrier between skin and makeup. On the initial application, it had a runny consistency comparable to a gel serum. The formula’s hyaluronic acid and niacinamide instantly add a healthy glow to the skin. This past week, after a stint in Las Vegas, my skin was craving all the moisture it could get, and this primer helped it come back to life.
After one application, my skin felt soft, supple, and tacky to the touch. The gripping properties were noticeable but not overwhelming or uncomfortably sticky. Overall, it felt super lightweight on my skin. I continued my everyday makeup routine, blending my products with a brush and sponge. With both tools, I could feel the product gripping onto my makeup. I usually have to apply two layers of concealer under my eyes when I use other primers. With the Hydro Grip, a singular thin layer is enough. Applying more made my makeup patchy and difficult to blend.
InStyle
Throughout the Day
Usually, makeup begins creasing into my fine lines before I finish my routine. Hours into my day using this primer, my fine lines looked like I had just applied the makeup. I also appreciated the skin-like finish. Despite my skin being dry during testing, my no-makeup makeup was satin and blurred (think the “Paris” Instagram filter IRL). Another highlight? I was able to wear my glasses without any excess movement or separation—glasses-wearers will appreciate not having to choose between a beat face and eyesight.
InStyle
The Verdict
As a beauty writer who tests products for a living, this primer is still one of the best money can buy. It settles makeup into my smile lines and undereye bags and smooths the product for a professional-looking filtered finish. I’m not the only beauty expert who ranks the Hydro Grip as a top contender in the primer category. InStyle senior editor Summer Cartwright can’t get over the time she applied this Milk primer five hours before a concert and how her look stayed intact hours after the show. “The primer essentially glues foundation, blush, and everything else to your face until it’s time to take it off. I was shocked at how well it worked because I was jumping around, sweating, and shedding some very happy tears throughout the night.”
InStyle writer Irene Richardson also swears by this product for music festivals and other outdoor activities where rainy, scalding, or humid weather is a factor. “This primer remains a constant in my everyday life, particularly during sweltering NYC summers,” she says. “I might arrive at the office with haggard hair and sticky clothes, but at least my makeup will look like I just applied it.”
If you’re sick of having your makeup slip and slide off your face before your afternoon meetings (or before the final song of whatever show you’ve got lined up), try out this primer and thank us for the beautiful results later.
Leave feedback about this