Jelly Grip Hydrating Primer
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Essence Jelly Grip Hydrating Primer is a lightweight, hydrating formula that feels like a jelly serum and helps makeup apply seamlessly and wear nicely throughout the day. At $6, it's the most affordable of three dupes tested by Laura Lee, who prefers it over the Milk and ELF versions because it's less tacky. However, em ma notes it contains fragrance, which is a concern for sensitive eyes, and juicyjas says grip is minimal compared to others.
FULL REVIEWS
POSITIVE
- “This is only $5.99”
- “This does have fragrance, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it's not super overwhelming”10:24–10:29
- “As someone with acne-prone, sensitive skin, I don't think that the fragrance has caused any irritation on me”10:36–10:41
- “This is probably the thinnest grippy primer that I've ever tried”10:53–10:58
- “Almost feels like it is kind of sinking in a bit versus just creating that layer on top of your face”10:55–11:03
- “I do feel a bit more of the hydrating feeling from this formula versus the others”11:06–11:12
- “As it dries, it starts to get a bit tacky, but it's not sticky. It doesn't feel like my expression lines are getting stuck together as I move my face around”11:21–11:26
- “This is just a very comfortable product”
- Source: Testing & rating the top 4 drugstore grip primers - Oct 27, 2025
- “When I need a little extra performance and wear time out of my makeup, I use their Jelly Grip Primer”1:47–1:52
- “This outperformed the other three by miles in my opinion”2:01–2:06
- “It is so thin, it really does feel more like a gel moisturizer”2:08–2:14
- “Compared to other grip primers that claim to be hydrating, this one actually feels like it's sinking into the skin just a bit”2:11–2:18
- “When I'm going to have a long day, maybe I'm on shoots all day, or maybe I'm even capturing an event at night, this is definitely the primer I've been grabbing”2:23–2:28
- “Out of all of the grip primers that I've tried from the drugstore, this one doesn't get me as shiny both freshly applied and throughout the day”2:33–2:37
- Source: My New 9-5 Work Makeup Routine (Quick & Long Lasting) - Nov 8, 2025
- “I love this cuz it feels like a jelly serum”4:24–4:28
- “Doesn't have a ton of grip, but makeup applies so nicely and wears nicely throughout the day with it”4:26–4:32
- “Out of both of these, I think the hydrating one is better”4:35–4:38
- “It just makes the makeup and everything look more seamless”4:37–4:42
- “There's something about this that I really like”4:49–4:53
- “I have tested it with my foundation and it does wear really nicely with this primer”4:55–5:00
- “I like the Grip Hydrating Primer, though”
- “This doesn't have any grip. I don't want to say any, but compared to others, it's very minimal”4:26–4:30
- Source: Full face of Essence makeup under $10 - Mar 28, 2026
- “This is $30. This is $10 and Essence comes in at $6”2:22–2:27
- “I think this one is the least bit tacky, but I think it does a fantastic job and it's actually my favorite out of both dupes”2:27–2:32
- “I like both. I think they both do a great job duping, but this one's my favorite cuz I don't like too sticky”2:32–2:37
- Source: Best drugstore dupes ever created - Apr 22, 2026
- “It was lowkey hitting that. I really like this noise”9:45–9:56
- “Oh, it feels way thinner than the Milk and the E.L.F. version”9:51–9:58
- “It also has a fragrance in it, which I don't love cuz I have sensitive eyes”9:58–10:03
- “I don't feel that tacky. Well, it's slowly getting tackier. Let's see. Okay, it's I mean, it's holding on decently”10:16–10:22
- Source: Full face of Essence Cosmetics - Feb 7, 2026
MIXED / NEGATIVE
No negative reviews yet — creators have only had good things to say.
WHAT CREATORS SAY
- Consensus
- 4.3 / 5 from 5 creator reviewsGrailPeople ratings based on creator reviews.
- Features
- Long-wearing (3) · Lightweight (3) · Hydrating (3) · Fast-absorbing (2)
- Value
- Value for money (2)
- ⚠ scent some found off-putting (1)
Product details
Details
- Type
- primer
- Finish
- natural
- Shade
- —
- Key ingredients
- Glycerin, PVP, Xylitylglucoside, Carbomer, Anhydroxylitol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xylitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
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