Grip On Lock Water-Based 12-Hour Face Primer
SUMMARY OF REVIEWS
Hard Candy's Grip On Lock Water-Based 12-Hour Face Primer is a lightweight, hydrating gel that dries down to a tacky grip without stickiness, locking makeup in place. Several creators call it a spot-on dupe for Milk Makeup HydroGrip, with one preferring it over E.L.F.'s formula for its thinner texture and easy application. It leaves a dewy, healthy glow and works well for combo or dry skin, though only one creator's perspective is represented here.
FULL REVIEWS
POSITIVE
- “Spot-on dupe for the Milk Makeup HydroGrip”19:23–19:30
- “I actually like this formula better than E.L.F.'s formula”19:35–19:41
- “It leaves my skin feeling hydrated. It locks my makeup into place so well”19:43–19:50
- “This one's a little bit thinner. It has more of a lightweight gel texture, but again, very, very hydrating. Also locks your makeup into place extremely well”
- “They perform identically”
- “There really is no difference in the way these products apply and wear”21:20–21:24
- “This one's my favorite”
- Source: Drugstore makeup dupes that are better than high end - Oct 26, 2025
- “This one is great because it does hydrate your skin”2:18–2:23
- “If you're someone who has combo skin, you're dealing with some dryness even though the season has changed, but you still want your makeup locked into place, this is great”2:21–2:25
- “I also like this because it's not overly sticky”2:30–2:35
- “It's a little bit thinner, it's not as thick as, you know, the original Milk Makeup Hydro Grip, the ELF Power Grip, it just goes on a little bit easier”2:48–2:52
- Source: Drugstore makeup under $10 that is so good - May 3, 2026
- “Hard Candy is also coming through with the primers for every skin type”8:12–8:18
- “The grip on lock is my personal favorite because you're going to get that nice dewy hydrated skin, but makeup is going to be plastered on your face and it's not going to move because this actually has some good grip”
- Source: Best drugstore makeup top 3 in every category - Jun 6, 2026
- “This feels nice. It definitely goes on like a hydrating kind of thin serum. And then the dry down is a little bit tacky, which I like”5:10–5:16
- “I love how it's not overly tacky and the products applied really nicely over top. Very seamless, not patchy. Gave a little bit of a dewy, hydrated finish without being too greasy or too slippery on the skin”17:54–17:58
- “I am really liking the primer and setting spray so far”17:44–17:47
- Source: New drugstore makeup tested: which products are worth your money - Sep 13, 2025
- “I love a good gripping primer and to be honest, I think out of all the gripping primers ever, Hard Candy always had one of the better ones”13:15–13:19
- “It gives that perfect amount of hydration and grip that's not sticky or patchy. Like makeup applies really nice and smooth and it also gives a healthy glow to the skin”13:21–13:27
- “It's just as good as that other one with the previous packaging”13:38–13:42
- “It just gives a nice glow and then the dry down is the perfect amount of tackiness”13:42–13:46
- Source: Best makeup of 2025 drugstore and high-end favorites - Jan 9, 2026
MIXED / NEGATIVE
No negative reviews yet — creators have only had good things to say.
WHAT CREATORS SAY
- Consensus
- 4.8 / 5 from 5 creator reviewsGrailPeople ratings based on creator reviews.
- Features
- Hydrating (5) · Dewy finish (3) · Long-wearing (3) · Easy to use (3)
Product details
Details
- Type
- face primer
- Finish
- dewy
- Shade
- —
- Key ingredients
- Aloe Vera, Niacinamide
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