If you thought picking the best face primer was a simple tossup between hydrating and matte formulas, sticky primer and grip primer are here to prove you wrong. These two descriptors refer to every face primer’s main job: giving any makeup application long-lasting wear.
Sticky, grip, and even tacky primers fall under the category of hydrating face primer formulas. They extend the wear of your base products, moisturize your skin, and make it look dewy. The major difference is sticky primers tend to have a tacky finish that helps makeup (and various other things) cling to your face, while the latter face primer uses a different, more efficient method to ensure your makeup stays locked in + smooth.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about the difference between sticky makeup primers and grip primers, as well as which face primer comes out on top in our book.
What is a sticky primer?Are face primers supposed to be sticky? Not necessarily, but a handful of hydrating face primers you can find at the drugstore and Sephora often have a viscous, adhesive texture that can feel uncomfortable and heavy on skin, as well as potentially irritating for sensitive and acne-prone skin types. Sure, sticky primers grab ahold of makeup and moisturize dry skin. However, our team doesn’t love how they turn your face into a lint roller. Just think of lip gloss on a windy day, but spread across your entire face—yikes! That’s why we prefer to formulate our hydrating face primer with a grippy texture instead of sticky or tacky one for the smoothest makeup looks. What is a grip primer?If you’ve tried our best-selling Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, you’ve already experienced the only grip primer you’ll ever need. “We worked through many rounds with our formulator to ensure the texture was just right,” says Jessica Blanco, Milk Makeup SVP of Product Development and Packaging. “We wanted to make a universal hydrating primer that you can wear alone or under makeup.” Unlike sticky primers, grip primers adhere to your makeup application without making your skin feel tacky and potentially itchy in the process. Plus, our silicone-free grip primer is made to be applied in a thin, lightweight layer that hydrates all skin types without feeling heavy. You can even glide it onto oily skin, and your face will glow in all the right ways all day long. (However, if you’re concerned about staving off excess oil and creating a matte finish, try our best matte primer—Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer—to help your skin look like it has more of a soft-focus finish.) To maximize the effect of grip primers, skin prep is a must. “The best way to use face primer is right after skincare,” says Sara Wren, Milk Makeup’s Director of Artistry. She likes to hydrate with our Vegan Milk Moisturizer before going in with Hydro Grip. (Never skip moisturizer and SPF, even if you’re dealing with breakouts—trust us.) Because the gel-based formula is thin and lightweight, Hydro Grip Primer glides on easily atop any skincare product in your arsenal without any piling. Sara recommends always spreading grip primers on in “super thin” layers across your skin like frosting a cake rather than rubbing them in like skincare. This makeup application trick allows the illuminating primer formula to activate and form an invisible grippy layer for the rest of your makeup routine to lock onto. |
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How Hydro Grip Primer Grips MakeupOur oil-free, cruelty-free Hydro Grip Primer is so popular that it’s often imitated—but never duplicated. (Sorry, not sorry to the dupes out there.) A foundation primer that gives grip this good while also being incredible for every skin tone and skin type definitely isn’t easy to make. We give full credit to the addition of blue agave extract, which powers tequila and your favorite hydrating primer. Hydro Grip's hero ingredient helps form an invisible layer atop your face to lock in your makeup application for up to 12 hours. According to Jessica, the non-sticky texture also smooths skin and reduces the appearance of pores and fine lines. Blue agave also contains sugars to help hydrate skin, says cosmetic chemist Ginger King. So you can also thank this ingredient for the long-lasting, lightweight hydration you get with every pump. Our team made this plant-based primer even better by pairing blue agave extract with hyaluronic acid, hemp-derived cannabis seed extract, glycerin, niacinamide (vitamin B3), and aloe vera water. Together, they boost hydration for smoother-looking skin and impart that fresh, dewy glow people on TikTok always vie for. Plus, Hydro Grip Primer’s formula has strong film-forming properties, which produces the gripping effect that’s won it awards as the best primer in the game, as well as a ton of five-star reviews. To make sure the only thing that adheres to Hydro Grip Primer is your go-to makeup routine, apply it as recommended. Let your thin layer dry for at least 60 seconds before applying your foundation, concealer, highlighter, and contour, Sara says. This lets the primer formula become just grippy enough to create a smooth canvas for your makeup application without grabbing onto anything else that hits your face throughout the day. And if you want extra insurance? “I love to finish with Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray to double-lock my look,” Sara shares. Don’t worry: Our setting spray also qualifies as an all-grip, no-stick formula. Now, you can go forth with your makeup routine knowing what the perfect primer should feel like. Our Hydro Grip Primer even comes in a jumbo, 5.28 fl oz bottle so your makeup application will never be without it. |
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Meet the Experts
Ginger King (she/her) is the founder & CEO at Grace Kingdom Beauty, a cosmetic product development firm in New Jersey specializing in helping create beauty brands from concept to launch. She has been the keynote speaker for brand launches and has spoken at various trade conferences on product development and In-Cosmetics on product innovation. Ginger is an often-quoted beauty expert and has been on radio and video chat with leading beauty magazines as well as a regular TV appearances on Good Day Sacramento. She has been quoted by over 35 top beauty magazines such as Allure, Self, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Shape, Teen Vogue, and Women’s Health.
Jessica Blanco (she/her) is the SVP of Product Development and Packaging at Milk Makeup. In her role, she seeks out the new, useful, and functional to create our revolutionary and highly innovative Milk Makeup products.
Sara Wren (she/her) is the Director of Artistry at Milk Makeup. In her role, she does all the makeup artistry and direction for our Milk Makeup global campaigns, educates the staff and field team on application methods, stars in the brand’s social media videos, and travels to different markets spreading Milk Makeup’s good vibes. When she’s not on set, Sara loves experimenting with DIY hair colors, eating tacos, watching basketball, and scouring for vintage cosmetics to add to her impressive collection.
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