As someone who has never been big on foundation or BB creams, the new Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint had its work cut out to impress me.
I hate how flat and lifeless most complexion products I’ve tried have made my skin appear, not to mention the irritation and breakouts that can come from covering your skin in a layer of sticky silicone and heavy pigments.
I prefer to elevate my skin with dewy skincare and colourful makeup instead: blushers, highlighters, and bronzers, things that enhance what I already have rather than concealing what I don’t like. So this product, which blends lightweight, tinted coverage with hydrating, skincare-like benefits, piqued my interest.
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint vs Hydro Grip Primer
The original silicone-free Hydro Grip Primer is your base layer underneath foundation and other makeup. It's laced with hydrating hyaluronic acid and ‘grips’ onto makeup with blue agave extract for up to 12 hours to prevent makeup melting and caking.
To avoid any confusion, the Hydro Grip Gel Tint isn't a tinted version of the primer despite sharing similar ingredients – including the blue agave extract. Instead, it sits somewhere between a tinted moisturiser and a lightweight foundation and can be applied over primer.
Its biggest draw, however, is its hydrating properties. The Hydro Grip Gel Tint is powered by three different molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, meaning it plumps up the surface and deeper layers of your skin. There's also a moisture-boosting cocktail of niacinamide, squalane and aloe water.
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint: Need to know
The Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint comes in 15 shades, five light, five medium and five deep tones. I was able to try out shades 8 to 11 to find the best fit for me and to get a sense of how diverse the shade range is.
The first pleasant surprise when swatching the colours was the variety of undertones across the four shades. I have quite golden, yellow undertones. And yet, pink hues are more commonly found in many skin tints, which have made me reluctant to embrace them in the past.
I swatched all four colours and found my perfect match in shade 9. The formula itself feels weightless on the skin, delivering a super glowy yet natural finish that has a lit-from-within look - exactly what I’d want from a base product.
I did, however, notice a jump between shades 10 and 11. Shade 10 is a rich, warm golden brown, whereas 11 is a much deeper, cool tone. A lighter cool-toned shade or a warmer deep shade could have bridged this gap.
Swatching both on my face, the product's blend-ability allowed it to melt seamlessly into my skin despite not quite being my shade. The sheer coverage makes it highly buildable, meaning multiple shades could suit one person depending on their tan and desired look.
The ‘Grip’ in the product's name does just that; the tint melds seamlessly with the skin, staying put throughout the day without settling into fine lines or dry patches.
What stood out most to me, though, was how the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint worked in harmony with the rest of my makeup. It layered beautifully with cream blushers and bronzers, enhancing my skin’s natural glow rather than competing with it.
Unlike traditional foundations, which can sometimes feel like a mask, this gel tint felt breathable and comfortable, making it an ideal choice for those who, like me, usually avoid any sort of coverage.
If you’re someone who prefers a skin-first approach to makeup, letting your freckles, texture and natural radiance shine through, while still evening out skin tone, this might be the product to convert you, too.
The Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint, £34, is available to buy exclusively at Space NK from February 28. Join the waitlist here.
