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Milk Makeup

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer.

#3 in PrimerSee the ranking →
About this product

A hydrating, gel-style face primer designed to grip makeup and help it go on smoothly and last. It is formulated with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide for a dewy finish.

More from Milk Makeup 15 products · Guru Score 77% →

Guru Score

74%

Mixed

6 experts · Moderate agreement

What the gurus are saying

Grip is the whole point here: a tacky, dewy primer with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide that fans say keeps makeup put through hours of dancing, once it's locked down with setting spray and powder. The split is over how much grab you want. Others found it a little too grippy, and e.l.f.'s version wins out for them.
Synthesized from 6 expert reviews · most recent take September 2026

What they liked

  • Grippy texture that holds makeup
  • Adds moisture without heaviness

What they flagged

  • Not universally liked across skin types

Type

PrimerGel

Where to buy

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Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Excess oil and shine1 expert

“As an oily skin gal this primer was a GameChanger.”

Allie Glines, watch at 8:38

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
AliceintheRabbitHole
AliceintheRabbitHole
59k subs
~Nay
"It's so funny that I like the Hydrogrip Gel Tint so much, because I really did not like their primer."
All 2 takes from AliceintheRabbitHole
ULTA 21 Days of Beauty: What to AVOID & My Top Picks!
"It's so funny that I like the Hydrogrip Gel Tint so much, because I really did not like their primer."
Ulta 21 Days of Beauty RANT & Week 2...
"The Milk Hydro Grip, and elf also has a dupe of it, those never worked for me because it was just a little too grippy. I feel like those have oily skin in mind."
Dr Dray
Dr Dray
2.69M subs
~Yay
"I've never tried any Milk products, but I've heard about this Hydrogrip primer. And I went in here and let me tell you, I had the best time chatting with the folks in this booth. They were so friendly. They watched my videos and they let me test out the Hydrogrip primer and I really appreciated the information that they gave on the fact that when they designed it..."
Allie Glines
Allie Glines
829k subs
~Yay
"As an oily skin gal this primer was a GameChanger. I often go to raves where I dance all night in the middle of a very hot crowd and I always do incredibly fun makeup usually rainbows, and with this primer in combination with the all niter setting spray and the stay matte powder, that's like a budge proof combo it doesn't budge at all. I regularly have people ask me how my makeup looks so great after dancing for hours and the answer is always this combo."
Robert Welsh
Robert Welsh
1.11M subs
~Yay
"Hydro Grip really love as well. So hydro grip is going to be the opposite from the pore eclipse. It's got dewy finish with hyaluronic acid. [...] Hydro Grip [...] Primer is a hydrating primer that boosts hydration with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. Both help your makeup go on smoother, look better, and last up to 12 hours. [...] As an oily person, I don't want my skin to be greasy or shiny, but I do like to have a glow."
All 2 takes from Robert Welsh
The Worst Primer I've Ever Used | Milk Cloud Glow Foam Brightening Primer oily skin wear test
"Hydro Grip really love as well. So hydro grip is going to be the opposite from the pore eclipse. It's got dewy finish with hyaluronic acid. [...] Hydro Grip [...] Primer is a hydrating primer that boosts hydration with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. Both help your makeup go on smoother, look better, and last up to 12 hours. [...] As an oily person, I don't want my skin to be greasy or shiny, but I do like to have a glow."
This Makeup CEO Is Insufferable! | MCO beauty Takes Things WAY TOO FAR!
"I like e.l.f's grip primer over the Milk one."
AA
Alexandra Anele
1.45M subs
~Yay
"I'll go in with a more hydrating primer today. I use the Milk Hydro Grip, something that's like grippy that gives me a little bit extra moisture depending on how my skin is feeling."
AY
Abbey Yung
887k subs
~Yay
"The Milk Makeup Hydrogrip Primer is the only primer I noticed on sale. I haven't been reaching for it nearly as often lately since I've been testing new foundations without primer for a fair test, but it's still one I know is really great and gives me great results every time I use it."
Sponsored
All 12 takes from Abbey Yung
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"The Milk Makeup Hydrogrip Primer is the only primer I noticed on sale. I haven't been reaching for it nearly as often lately since I've been testing new foundations without primer for a fair test, but it's still one I know is really great and gives me great results every time I use it."
The BEST Amazon Prime Day Sale 2025 Beauty Deals!
"I seriously love this stuff. I've tried a lot of grippy primers, and what I enjoy about this one is that it feels nice to apply, not too stiff or overly sticky, and it settles onto my skin naturally without making it look oilier or matte. [...] It's a really good neutral option to mix with any complexion products you don't want to alter the finish of."
Sephora VIB Sale 2024 Top Picks! *what’s really worth it*
"I use the Milk Hydro Grip Primer every single time I do my makeup. I love this for makeup longevity, I can't do my makeup without this."
Beauty Empties 2024! Haircare, Skincare, Bodycare & Makeup Products I've Used Up
"The Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer is now something I know works well for me at helping my makeup last all day without moving, so I feel like I'm not going to be able to do my makeup without something like this. It really is just great, and it's totally worth it. I've already repurchased it."
My Travel Beauty Essentials! Skincare, Haircare, Makeup & Bodycare I Bring On Vacation
"Primer, Milk Makeup Hydrogrip Primer, especially helpful for a hot sweaty vacation because this really does prevent my makeup from breaking up."
My Favorite Makeup Products In EVERY Category... Part 1!
"I've tried a few different tacky primers at this point and this one wins, it's my favorite out of everything I have tried, hands down. [...] The texture is perfect, it gives me just enough grip to allow my makeup to last all day long but it's not too stiff to the point of disrupting any skincare or sunscreen I have underneath it. It has a little bit of fluidity so I'm able to easily blend it onto my skin."
Black Friday Beauty Deals 2025: What’s ACTUALLY Worth It (Amazon + More) *UPDATED DAILY*
"This is one of my favorites for long wear. [...] What I love is that it's super light, with a more cosmetically elegant texture than others. [...] If you want a longevity-boosting, grippy primer with that jelly texture but lighter and more serumy on the skin, that's the one."
My Top 10 2023 Makeup Favorites!
"For me this was a game changer. Prior to introducing this into my makeup routine I was not using any makeup primer at all, I was relying on sunscreen to act as a primer instead. I was running into issues especially on my forehead with my makeup starting to break up and go splotchy within a few hours of wear, and once I linked that back to my sunscreen I felt more excited to try this out, hoping it would help fix that problem, and it 100% did."
Sephora VIB Sale Recommendations 2023 PART TWO! Best Skincare & Makeup At Sephora
"I've just been using it basically every single time I do my makeup because I know that it will hold my makeup in place all day long no matter what. [...] I often have issues with cream products going splotchy and breaking up on my forehead, so when I have this primer on I know that's not going to happen. [...] I also love that this is really easy to layer on top of my skincare without peeling whatsoever."
Skincare, Haircare, Makeup, Bodycare & Lifestyle Products I'm LOVING! Current Beauty Favorites 2023
"I love that it doesn't do anything different to my complexion in terms of altering the level of glow or making it look more matte or even blurring or anything. It simply grips onto my makeup without changing anything else, and it layers really well on top of my other skincare products, which is an absolute must for me. So I get it, it's worth the hype."
My Favorite Makeup Products In EVERY Category! Current Makeup Favorites 2023
"I really love the fact that this is super lightweight and gel-like and hydrating, and it does not mess up my skincare underneath it. That is definitely a must for me. Of course, if I have to choose between a primer and skincare, I'm obviously choosing skincare, so in order for me to use a primer it has to be something I can layer on top of all of the other skincare products I am using, and this works great for that."
Beauty Empties 2026! Haircare, Skincare, Bodycare, & Makeup Products I've Used Up
"I've used it consistently for at least a couple of years. [...] It's really lightweight and definitely helps with makeup wear, [...] and I do think it's worth the hype. But I just don't feel like I'm reaching for primer all that much anymore to where I need to splurge on something like this over a drugstore option. When it comes to grippy wear, [...] the E.L.F. primers work just as well for me for less money, though they're not as cosmetically elegant."

Frequently asked.

What is Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer?

A hydrating, gel-style face primer designed to grip makeup and help it go on smoothly and last. It is formulated with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide for a dewy finish.

Is Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 74%.

What is Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer's Guru Score?

Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer holds a Guru Score of 74%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 6 expert reviewers we have collected.

What is Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer is good for excess oil and shine (1 expert).

Cheaper alternatives the gurus rate.

Lower-priced primers the gurus still rate highly, versus this mid-range pick.

See how they stack up →

Similar products worth a look.

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