2022: The year of negroni sbagliatos, Bennifer 2.0, and, for us at Milk Makeup, launching a ton of amazing products.
The latter made the year an extra special one. It may be a humble brag, but we have a lot of successes to celebrate. And while we love all the newness we put out this year, you’re probably curious about which ones the folks at HQ swear by. So we asked, and had nine Milk fam members share their fave 2022 launches.
Look back on our highlights and get ready for 2023—we’ve got a lot more great stuff coming down the pipeline.
The Starter Pack
We love a set that’s easy to use, and The Starter Pack is both. It’s a favorite of Zoey Burger, our Social Media Coordinator, who calls it “an awesome introduction to our products.” She’s right–the Pack has several of our roster’s strongest players: A full size Matte Bronzer along with minis of our RISE Mascara, Hydro Grip Primer and Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray. The latter two make the set really worth it for Zoey: “I love using the Hydro Duo together,” she says. The combination of the two ensures your makeup stays on throughout the day.
If you’re getting acquainted with us, The Starter Pack is the easiest way to catch our vibe. If you’ve been down with us for a while, it’s a good way to restock your makeup bag with Milk essentials. It’s a win, no matter how you slice it.
Hydro Ungrip FamA good double cleanse is a must if you’re wearing makeup during the day. It’s why Stephanie Vitello, our Retail Admin Coordinator, has made our Hydro Ungrip Makeup Removing Balm a key part of her nighttime skincare routine. “I love balms to remove my makeup,” she says. “It’s usually my favorite part of my skincare routine, since I get to massage my face for a good five minutes.” The same blue agave extract that makes our Hydro Grip Primer grab on to your makeup, latches onto impurities in our balm. When you rinse, they easily wash down the drain. Your face is cleansed without feeling stripped. Stephanie follows with our Hydro Ungrip Makeup Remover + Cleansing Water for smaller areas with light makeup residue left over. You know the usual suspects: leftover mascara and liner around your eyes, perhaps a little lingering lipstick. Fun fact, Stephanie likes to use Hydro Ungrip at the end of the day, even when she’s only been wearing SPF. “It’s important to double cleanse when wearing makeup, but I also recently learned that it’s important to do that as well even with SPF.” |
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Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer
Our Hydro Grip Primer is already a bonafide hit, but sometimes a look calls for a matte base. So, we released our Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer because sometimes, we just want our makeup to have that soft-focus type of finish.
It’s also a great option for oily skin. Just ask Harmony Boyer, our VP of Retail Accounts, whose “BFF has always been a mattifying primer.” She loves how Pore Eclipse tamps down on oil without making her skin feel suffocated. “Usually, while [matte primers] work, they always tend to make my skin feel like it can't ‘breathe’ (hi, silicone and dimethicone),” she explains. “Pore Eclipse feels like a lightweight moisturizer and it has skincare benefits that are actually doing something, vs. just acting like a barrier. Work smarter and harder.” Harmony uses it on her T-zone after moisturizing to create smooth canvas for her makeup. In short: “Dim your oil, not your shine.”
Bionic GlowOf course, we’re always here for natural-looking radiance and our Allure Best of Beauty award-winning Bionic Glow delivers just that. Editorial Manager Jihan Forbes is such a big fan of the liquid highlighter, it’s now in her regular makeup routine. “I fell off the highlighter train for a bit,” she says. “But Bionic Glow has changed all that and I'm once again a highlighter girlie.” She drapes her fave shade, Virtual (a peachy hue), around her cheekbones in a “C” shape. “When I put it on, it looks as if I've kept up with my skincare routine and drank several glasses of water,” she says. “Doesn't matter if I stayed out past 4:30 the previous evening or forgot to use my serums that day, this stuff always lays down a dewy, healthy-looking finish that makes the glow on my cheekbones seem completely natural.” |
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Infinity Long Wear EyelinerWe love an eyeliner that stays put all day long—so we made one. This summer, we launched our Infinity Long Wear Eyeliner. It comes in three hues: Outer Space (black), Limitless (brown), and Time (navy). Its creamy formula glides on like butter, and stays put for up to 12 hours. Bonus: it’s got a built-in sharpener and smudger.Director of Global Education Kelly Kossakoski is a fan. “I'm always interested in technology or ingredients that can improve the smoothness or ease-of-application for a wider range of ages, eye shapes and skin textures,” she says. “The new Infinity Eyeliners contain ceramides, avocado oil, and aloe so they glide on and never tug or pull.” Beginner or beauty influencer, Infinity is easy as heck to use, no matter how good you are with makeup. It’s designed to glide on without dragging or stopping, which Kelly says “helps all skill levels to feel confident in their own version of makeup artistry.” Her application tip? “Get a good angle as you are applying. If you can get a nice relaxed lid, it is much easier to get the look you are trying to achieve,” Kelly explains. “For me, it helps to tilt my head back while looking slightly downward into the mirror.” Also, be sure to prep your eye area before you apply it for even better wear. Start by blotting away any excess oil from your eye area with a tissue before you start, then, to ensure your liner really lasts, hit it with our Hydro Grip Eye Primer. |
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Bionic Bronzer
Our Bionic Fam clearly had a big year in 2022 with another addition, Bionic Bronzer. The liquid-gel wonder created even more options for Milk devotees looking to add some warmth to their complexion. “Liquid bronzers can be intimidating but this is so easy to use it's crazy,” our Editorial Creative Director Lindsay Schallon says.
Whether or not you’re in the dead of a brutal winter, Bionic Bronzer will give you an effortless sunkissed look—no sun required. "It's an everyday staple for me, especially in the winter when my face hasn't seen the light of day for months," says Lindsay.
The formula’s good for your skin, too. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid, snow mushroom, and reishi mushroom, all of which hydrate your skin to make it look smoother and plumper. It’s “Supercharged Bronze,” a tagline Lindsay herself wrote for the product. “It's all about how you get a gorgeous bronze with a whole lot of extra skincare benefits. Hence, the supercharge."
RISE MascaraWe love the drama KUSH Mascara brings to our lashes, but we’re big believers in having multiple mascaras for many situations. So, we added another one to the arsenal, releasing our RISE Mascara in February 2022.
For special occasions, she bumps it up a bit. “On days that I’m feeling fancy, I'll add a few extra coats to my top lashes and coat my bottom lashes as well,” Hannah explains. “I am not someone who uses mascara on my bottom lashes every day, but when I do, I am always shocked at how long they look after one coat of RISE.” |
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Sunshine Under Eye Tint + Brighten RefillsNobody likes a cakey under eye that looks and feels worn out. Whether you’ve had a full night of sleep or a measly two hours (no judgment here), our Sunshine Under Eye Tint + Brighten will can help you look like you got a little more rest. Juiced up with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid for a hydration, the 99% natural Sunshine Under Eye Tint illuminates and lightly conceals the under-eye area while providing a few skincare benefits, too. It’s like a morning green juice for your face. We’re super conscious about wasteful packaging, so in 2022, we upgraded our Tint + Brighten by creating refillable cartridges.It’s new feature that was inspired by the O.G. component. “We discovered that a cap could be made for the inner barrel and turned it into a refill cartridge,” says Jessica Blanco, SVP of Product Development and Packaging. “The refills are so important because they cut down 60% of plastic waste per piece when you purchase a refill,” she adds. Jessica loves uses Tint + Brighten to achieve a no-makeup makeup look. Here’s why she swears by it: “It’s ultra lightweight and gives just enough sheer coverage to brighten and liven up my under-eye area when I want [to wear minimal makeup].” She’s also a fan of its rollerball applicator, which feels super refreshing with each application. |
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Future Fluid All-Over Cream Concealer
Where Tint + Brighten is the sheer GOAT, our Future Fluid All-Over Cream Concealer is for those who want a little more coverage. One of our biggest launches of 2022, you may recognize her as the star of Hailey Bieber’s date night makeup tutorial, or have seen it on the internet or in other viral videos on social media.
A true your-skin-but-better product, it’s widely loved for its medium-to-full buildable coverage that doesn’t crease or cake. Global Director of Artistry Sara Wren loves Future Fluid for its skincare-first approach. Its formula is spiked with hyaluronic acid and caffeine to help hydrate and brighten your under eye area. “The second skin finish is unreal,” says Sara. “I’m always searching for complexion products that become part of the skin instead of sitting on it or looking cakey.”
And because we made it that way, Sara uses Future Fluid as her all-over complexion product. “I swipe under the eyes and then dot it around my nose or anywhere with discoloration or redness,” she explains. “Spray with Hydro Grip Set + Refresh then blend it with a fluffy foundation brush for an airbrushed look that feels weightless.”
Wow, that was a lot! We can hardly believe we did all those drops in just one lap around the sun. And we’re not stopping anytime soon; 2023 is around the corner, and we’ve already got so many new Milk Makeup products in store. Get ready.
