Yes I am very late to the ELF hype train, but ELF is just one of those brands that takes a while to become available here. In fact, this product is listed on a Dutch website but it’s out of stock 99% of the time. So it took me some time to get my hands on the ELF Power Grip primer and try it out. Only to find out it is terrible for my sensitive skin.
Let me preface this review by saying that I have dry skin that can be quite sensitive at times. I am also in my late 30s and I did try and quite enjoyed the Milk Hydro Grip primer that people say this dupes. Right of the bat I can say: I don’t think this is a dupe and this certainly isn’t worth the hype. Let me explain.
Review: ELF Power Grip primer
First things first, this primer is a good drugstore primer in terms of making my makeup last. At €11 I find it quite steep though in its price point. Granted, it isn’t as expensive as the Milk one, but that’s 35 euros for twice as much product. This primer only comes with 24 mls of product which is less than most regular primers. So while it may seem cheap, if you have to repurchase it constantly, it is still expensive. I have tried Essence primers that cost less than half this ELF one, come with more product and that I like better.
What does this primer have to offer?
The ELF Power Grip’s to fame is mainly the claim that it is a dupe for the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip. And I feel it is not. The Milk Makeup is far more hydrating than this is. This feels sticky on the skin and just has a very unpleasant texture. In fact, I think that the only reason why people compare the two is because ELF was clever enough to make the product look like the Milk one, but the formulas are quite different.
Above you can see the product in a swatch and you can just see how shiny that primer is. While I don’t mind a bit of glow, with this I felt it just didn’t do much for my skin in the end. Does it make my makeup last longer? Yes, but I have other primer that are cheaper that do that too. The thing I liked about the Milk Makeup one was that it was hydrating enough for me to skip a step in my skincare routine. This certainly doesn’t do that.
What does the primer look like on the face?
But the real issue with this primer is that fact that my skin does not like this at all. Since I don’t know what my skin reacts to, it’s usually a bit of a gamble and in recent years I am fine 99% of the time. With this I am not. When I tried this for the first time, my skin felt itchy after a while and many people commented on the video saying how my skin went red after applying this. Now this isn’t something unusual as my skin does that sometimes anyway, but it made me hesitant to try it again.
However, I really wanted to give it more of a chance so I decided to put it on again and I don’t think I have ever tried a primer that made my skin look worse. There is no glow to speak of once applied and as you can see in the pictures above the redness intensifies. Now that I have used it several times I can attest to the fact that this is not down to rubbing my face (which it usually is) but because my skin does not like this primer.
Should you buy the ELF Power Grip primer?
I think this review goes to show just how subjective makeup testing is. Especially with base products, what your skin needs and likes is such a big factor in whether something will work for you or not. In my case, this sadly didn’t work. But it’s gone viral for a reason right?!
And I think that’s where the issue lies with this product. If you have near perfect 20-year-old skin like all the Tiktok girlies that seem to be going viral in the makeup space, I think you might like this. However, the minute your skin needs a bit more loving and care, this primer my just not be right.
For people with dry or sensitive skin I would certainly not recommend this, no matter how hyped up it is. Consider this review one where I took one for the team and the end result just wasn’t great.
You can buy the product here *.
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