Does The New Milk Makeup Hydro Gel Tint Have The Wow Factor?

Shawnee's Review

• Skin type: Dry/combination

• Skin tone: Fair neutral

• Shade reviewed: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint in Shade 1, £34.00

As a long-time lover of Milk Makeup, I was VERY excited to get the chance to try the new Hydro Grip Gel Tint! I have combination leaning towards dry skin, and it's very sensitive – which means finding the right base can be a tricky task. I tried shade 1 and I found the colour to be very complimentary. I'm fair and neutral, but I do experience redness on my cheeks – shade 1 was a great match for my complexion and didn't look artificial on my skin.

I was really impressed by this product! I much prefer wearing a skin tint over a foundation, and I found this formula to be a perfect hybrid of both. It feels lightweight and comfortable to wear, but offers more coverage than I had anticipated – which is the perfect blend for me!

For me, the best way to apply it was with a buffing foundation brush. It left a smooth finish and didn’t go patchy at all. I use a cream contour and blush and they melted in with my base perfectly – the whole look came together really nicely. Of course, it paired perfectly with the Milk Hydro Grip Primer and Milk Hydro Setting Spray – the latter of which provided a really nice glow and hydration boost.

In terms of wear, I felt this product lasted very well. I tend to touch my face a lot during the day and didn't notice any transfer or signs of wear. I will say the formula of this tint was slightly dryer than I expected, so on a particularly dry skin day, I did see a slight accentuation of my texture. However, it was very minimal and hasn't put me off it.

I will absolutely be incorporating this product into my daily routine. I received a lot of compliments on my makeup during this wear test, and I felt really confident wearing it. I'm looking forward to mixing it with a liquid illuminator in the summer, and I can definitely see it being a complexion favourite for the long run.

Charlotte's Review

• Skin type: Overall balanced, sometimes dry

• Skin tone: Light neutral

• Shade reviewed: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint in Shade 2, £34.00

I love a lightweight base that can blend into the skin seamlessly. I want it to "perfect" my skin but not feel too heavy, cling to drier patches or settle into pores. I lean more towards skin tints because I find the coverage looks more natural and they're more comfortable to wear.

I'm a fan of the Hydro Grip Primer, it's my go-to for when I need my makeup to last all day long – and this feels like a real hybrid of a foundation and the Hydro Grip Primer! It's got that slightly "tacky" feeling to it, which means blending it out can be a little tricky. I found working in smaller areas and using a brush was the best way to build up coverage but still have a natural and seamless finish.

I applied it all over my face, starting with my chin, the centre of my face and working out. Blending with a beauty sponge gave a much more natural and light finish, and I felt like it blended into my skin a bit better. The lasting power was good alone, but it really stuck around when paired with the primer. It did feel slightly "heavier" and more tacky when I combined the primer and the tint – but if I were in a very hot climate or needed my makeup to last for a special occasion, this pairing would be my go-to! In fact, I'm looking forward to using it for summer events when I want a really reliable base.

Overall, I was really happy with the coverage and finish – I still needed some concealer to cover blemishes and dark marks, but the gel tint definitely gave a more even finish. After a few hours of wear, my skin still looked hydrated, plumped and well covered. Some of my natural oils had started to seep through on my nose and forehead but I experience this with every foundation and skin tint, so it's not something I'm worried about.

Yasmin’s Review

• Skin type: Oily with a bit of redness

• Skin tone: Light with pink undertones

• Shade reviewed: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint in Shade 4, £34.00

I like a ‘my skin but better’ look, so I keep things really natural and undetectable. Additionally, I only apply my base product on the parts of my face where I get some redness, which are my nose, chin and in between my eyebrows. I was so excited to try this product! I instantly loved the packaging – it's vibrant and eye-catching. I was also intrigued by the gel format; it’s not a base format I’ve tried before so I was interested to see how it would work for me. My body's skin tone has a yellow undertone, and my face's skin tone has slightly pink undertones. Because I like to counteract this and match my face to my body's skin tone, I tried shade 4 – it turns out it's the exact undertone I look for in a complexion product.

When I first swatched it, it felt very hydrating and really light on the skin. I applied it straight after my SPF and over the aforementioned areas. I start by blending out my base with my fingers and then use a brush to make sure it's really blended in and get that undetectable finish. This product is super easy to blend, it’s really hydrating so it easily moves around the skin and doesn’t cling to any patches.

I was happy with how it looked initially, as it’s the kind of light, natural coverage I look for that covers my skin's redness. It has a very dewy finish and although I love dewy skin, unfortunately I think it was slightly too dewy for my oily skin. I looked very oily quite quickly and found myself needing to powder more often throughout the day than I usually would. It also didn’t last as long as I would have liked it to. All in all, I don't think this base is compatible with my skin type!

Hanitra's Review

• Skin type: Oily and acne-prone

• Skin tone: Medium tan

• Shade reviewed: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint in Shade 10, £34.00

I’ve been into skin tints and lighter formulas lately, I like how they often have skincare ingredients, feel light yet provide a good amount of coverage, and are often buildable. I always use a concealer on problematic areas, so when it comes to the skin tint or foundation, I like a light to medium coverage. I would only go for a high-coverage foundation on special occasions, and definitely not for my day-to-day.

Unsurprisingly, the texture of this reminded me a lot of the primer, you can tell the products were meant to be used together and have similar properties. I thought it felt a sticky, which is not my preferred texture for a skin tint. I applied it with a dense foundation brush, and while I found it very easy to blend, it took longer than I expected for it to dry, so I don’t think this product should be used in a hurry. I applied it on top of my concealer, which worked really well and gave an even complexion.

As the day went on, the product hadn’t moved – however, my skin looked oilier than usual, which probably comes from the emollients in its formula. I would recommend powdering if you have oilier skin like me. I don’t think I'll be reaching out often for this formula. Despite lasting well, it felt quite sticky on the skin, and ultimately I don’t think it’s the best match for my skin type.

Tanya's Review

• Skin type: Normal

• Skin tone: Deep

• Shade reviewed: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint in Shade 13, £34.00

I keep things simple when it comes to foundations and skin tints. If I'm out for the evening or a special event, I'll opt for full coverage, which has to be a liquid base. For my day-to-day life and work I prefer minimal coverage – and I couldn't wait to see if I would like this new product!

The first time I used it, I applied it with a sponge, whereas the next time I used a brush. In all honesty, I don't think the application methods made much of a difference, it was just so easy to blend. I found this shade to be an exact match for my skin tone and didn’t feel like I needed to do much to make it work. I applied it straight after my skincare – I never use primer, I'm just not yet fully convinced by it!

I couldn't be happier with this base – every single time I wore it I got so many compliments. In terms of longevity, it looked great up until it was time for me to remove my makeup. I even went to the gym and it still looked great afterwards! I already loved Milk Makeup's lip and cheek sticks, but I think this gel tint has fully sold Milk to me – everything just feels rich on my skin and I love it.

The team's verdict on Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Tint

While Charlotte, Tanya and Shawnee absolutely loved Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip Gel Tint, Yasmin and Hanitra did feel the formula clashed with their oilier skin types. However, both Hanitra and Yasmin did appreciate the coverage and finish. If you like VIEVE Skin Nova Complexion Balm, £34.00 or Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint, £49.00, you will love the coverage of this product," says Hanitra.

• The Pros: All of our colleagues found the product easy to blend, as well as the level of coverage. "It’s a very nice low to medium coverage, perfect for everyday," says Hanitra.

• The Cons: Because of its dewy finish, it might not be the best option for those with oily skin. Additionally, Charlotte would have preferred a pump dispenser. "Personally I just think you get a better idea of how much you should use when a foundation or skin tint has a pump," she says. "But, you get used to it quickly, and I suppose it does give you more flexibility when applying."

More from Milk Makeup

It's fair to say Milk Makeup excels at complexion products, with Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, £18.00 being a favourite amongst many of our colleagues. "I’m a big fan, especially on days when I want my makeup to last extra long," says Hanitra. "It hydrates the skin and truly grips on to your makeup. Yasmin rates Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Makeup Setting Spray, £20.00. "It's become a staple for me – it's totally worth the hype," she says. For further complexion perfection, we love Milk Makeup Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer, £26.00.

We couldn't not mention Milk Makeup Bronzer - Baked, £22.00 and, of course, Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek, £22.00. "I own pretty much every shade," says Hanitra. Love a glossy lip? We'd recommend you add Milk Makeup Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss, £24.00 straight to your basket. And for the prettiest lashes, Milk Makeup Kush High Roll Mascara, £28.00 won't disappoint.