Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market's most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.
The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors' honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we'll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors can't shut up about. This time around, I'm spotlighting the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip + Glow Illuminating Primer ($30).
I'm in a constant state of wishing I were on vacation. When I'm staring into space, I'm daydreaming about palm trees and frozen cocktails. When I'm commuting to the office, I'm thinking of the perfect beach read. And when I'm doing my makeup, I'm missing the sun-kissed glow I have after a vacation. Are you sensing a theme here? Unfortunately, I can't just book a trip whenever I need a change of scenery (sigh), but I can still get that post-vacation glow. All I need is Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip + Glow Primer and I'll fool everyone into thinking I just returned from a tropical getaway.
Like most beauty enthusiasts, I am not new to Milk Makeup's assortment of makeup products. From the viral Cooling Water Jelly Lip and Cheek Tint that the WWW beauty team loves to the OG Hydro Grip Primer that's become the first step in so many makeup routines, the brand is constantly delivering fresh products for the beauty community to gush over. When I heard about the launch of Milk's Hydro Grip + Glow Primer, I just knew I had to test it out and share my thoughts with you.
This illuminating primer grips makeup for up to 12 hours and contains skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin and create an eye-catching glow. Think golden hour in a bottle. I applied two to three pumps onto the back of my hand and blended it all over my face. I let it sit for a few seconds and then did my typical base routine of foundation and concealer. You could see a difference in how luminous and glowy my skin looked immediately upon application (I have the light-reflecting pearls to thank for that). This luminosity even remained through my full coverage foundation and near-impenetrable setting powder. If that's not impressive, I don't know what is.
If you're a Milk Hydro Grip loyalist who's wondering if you should switch to the Hydro Grip + Glow, this part's for you. As a regular wearer of the OG Hydro Grip, I love the hold it has. The gel formula has a tacky finish that feels a bit like glue once applied (without the stickiness). I could party all night in the sweatiest NYC clubs and my makeup would still be intact when I got home. The Hydro Grip + Glow feels the same—it's almost like it's just the OG Hydro Grip's radiant older sister. In other words, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference if you applied them both with your eyes closed.
The key ingredients in the original Hydro Grip Primer are blue agave extract, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, aloe water, and hemp-derived cannabis seed extract. In the Hydro Grip and Glow, Milk has maintained those same ingredients, but added light-reflecting pearls to impart that glow. Though I'm glowing in both of the photos above, my face is much brighter after using the Hydro Grip + Glow. You know what that means? All winter long, my glow will be so blinding that everyone will be asking me about a vacation that never happened.
What were some nonnegotiables you had when formulating this new iteration of the Hydro Grip Primer?
Dianna Ruth: Hydro Grip Primer is a Milk Makeup icon, with 5 million bottles sold and over 35 million tags to date. It's such a Milk fan-favorite that when we were creating our new Hydro Grip + Glow Primer, we knew [this new product] had a lot to live up to. Our main nonnegotiables for the product were that it had to give the same gripping power and skincare benefits as our original Hydro Grip Primer, while also making skin look surreal. I like to call the Grip + Glow 'Hydro [Grip] in its glow era.' It grips your makeup like only Hydro can, but also gives you the glowy finish of a liquid illuminator.
The OG Hydro Grip Primer is an internet sensation and a cult classic for so many. What made you decide to launch this Hydro Grip + Glow Primer? What's the key difference between these two products?
The key difference between these primers is the warm-toned pearls in Hydro Grip + Glow that create that surreal luminosity! We chose a mix of light-reflecting pearls that meld together to create a lit-from-within glow that won't leave a white cast or cause flashback. Your skin will look like it's bathed in that golden hour light, every hour.
This new primer offers some skincare benefits. Can you walk me through some of the ingredients?
When you use Hydro Grip + Glow Primer, you're getting a surge of skincare in every pump. Our formula is based on the idea that hydration is the secret to makeup that goes on evenly and stays glass-like all day. That's why we made this clean illuminating primer with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to boost hydration, plump the look of skin, and create a smooth base. We also added hemp seed extract and aloe water to give an extra boost of moisture. The formula is 96% natural and non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores or cause breakouts.
Do you have any application tips and tricks, or dos and don'ts, for beginners?
We designed the Hydro Grip + Glow Primer so that a little bit of product goes a long way in giving you that surreal golden-hour glow and making sure your look stays locked all day. Our team has tested it extensively, and you get the best results when you use 1-2 pumps only. After your skincare routine, apply Hydro Grip + Glow Primer onto the back of your hand. Then, blend a thin layer onto the skin before makeup application. Don't apply your makeup right away—let the formula set for 60 seconds to absorb and activate grip for all-day hold. Then you can layer foundation and other makeup on top for a smooth application and a beautiful lit-from-within luminosity that lasts all day. Another pro tip I always like to share is to pair this illuminating primer with a spritz of Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray for extra makeup-gripping insurance.
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