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post by Katie Runyan
Milk Makeup is probably a brand that you’ve seen floating around the pages of beauty blogs and Instagram feed for some time now. After launching in 2014, Milk Makeup has gone on to create fan-favorite makeup and skincare products that beauty bloggers, YouTubers, and influencers swear by to this day. They’ve even recently become 100% vegan! But does this cult beauty brand live up to the hype? Well, I got my hands on a trial-sized kit of some of the most popular Milk products and I’ll be giving you the low-down on which products are worth it and which ones you can skip. Here is my Milk Makeup review!
The Packaging
If there’s one aspect of Milk makeup products that you’re familiar with, it’s probably the packaging. The sleek, minimalist style instantly draws the eye and makes you think “quality”. Of course, you can’t judge a book by its covers but there’s nothing like great aesthetics to draw the eye and sell your brand’s vision.
The packaging of each individual product is not only attractive but surprisingly sturdy. The mascara in particular is packaged in a metal tube that’s weighty and feels very high-quality. I wasn’t expecting much from trial-size products, but was pleasantly surprised!
KUSH Mascara
First in the bundle is the Kush Mascara. As I said before this product comes in a metal tube that has a nice weight to it. You may either love or hate this, but I think it’s a nice detail, especially for a mini version.
But what’s particularly noteworthy about this product (and most of the others in this bundle) is the ingredient list. With Milk Makeup, you’ll never find filler ingredients like mineral oil. Instead, this mascara uses natural ingredients like hemp-derived cannabis seed oil to give you a clump-free and smooth formula.
With that said, I was a big fan of this mascara! The large brush made my lashes fluffy and voluminous with no flaking or smudging throughout the day (even in the brutal Alabama heat and humidity). One aspect I love about this product is that it gives much more of a natural look as opposed to the “falsies” look that many mascaras offer. This makes it the perfect choice for everyday wear.
KUSH Liquid Eyeliner
Of all of the products included in this bundle, the one I was most excited about was the KUSH eyeliner. I’m a sucker for a great black eyeliner and with good ingredients like nourishing cannabis oil, I figured this product would be next-level amazing. But sadly, I was disappointed!
I’ll make a disclaimer that I could have just gotten a bad or old product (it’s a felt tip pen and I know those can dry out pretty quickly), but this liner is very sheer. As in it appeared light gray on my skin. While this might be okay for some uses, my liner has to be bold, black, and long-lasting for me to enjoy it. Sadly, it’s a no from me!
Watermelon Brightening Serum
This serum might just be my favorite product of the bunch! At first glance, this product looks very similar to Milk’s famous cheek stick, but it’s actually a balm-style serum. You simply swipe the product under your eyes and use your fingertips to massage the product in.
So, while this technically a skincare product, I have been loving this for no-makeup days. This is the perfect way to enhance your natural beauty, while ingredients like watermelon extract and Swiss Garden Cress sprout extract leave you with a more nourished under eye area. Even better, I’ve noticed a huge difference when I do wear makeup – that’s a good sign that your skincare is doing its job!
Vegan Milk Moisturizer
Do you love the skincare benefits that milk offers, but wish it was available in a vegan formula? Then Milk Makeup has the product for you! The Vegan Milk Moisturizer uses vegan milk along with a variety of nourishing oils, hyaluronic acid, and other ingredients to deliver intense hydration.
The first thing I noticed about this product is the thick texture. The product is advertised as “lightweight hydration” but I have to disagree! This is a very thick cream that requires a bit of warming up to properly spread over the skin. Once you do, however, it is a fantastic moisturizer. This is the perfect way to smooth out dry patches and, in the long run, taking care of fine lines. Just remember that a little bit goes a long way!
Hydro Grip Primer
The Hydro Grip Primer is considered by many to be one of Milk Makeup’s best products. We all know that foundation doesn’t apply well on dry skin, so the Hydro Grip primer was designed as a way to give your skin a boost of moisture, while also creating the perfect base for foundation and concealer to stick to.
As the name suggests, this product was very effective in both moisturizing my skin and holding my foundation in place. As I’ve mentioned already, I live in a very hot and humid climate and, when paired with my oily skin, it’s a challenge to get my foundation to stay on for more than a few hours.
But this product succeeded in giving me about 6 hours free of shine and makeup transfer. Like the moisturizer, my only issue with the product is its thickness. The product is incredibly thick and has a sticky feel on the skin. However, this is probably what allows the product to be so effective, so I’ll let it slide.
KUSH Clear Brow Gel
The last product in this set is the KUSH clear brow gel. Since I have relatively thick brows already, I typically just use a clear brow gel to keep them neat and in place throughout the day. This version, like the other Milk products, is filled with clean ingredients and promises a flexible and strong hold.
I have two words to describe the Kush Brow Gel: it’s OK. Let me elaborate. At first impression, this product features a very small brush, which is great for both fuss-free application and fine-tuning your brows perfectly into place.
But when it comes to the actual application, I found that the gel didn’t seem to do much in terms of neatening up my brows. It’s incredibly lightweight, which I usually like, but does not offer that all-day hold that you’d expect from a brow gel.
I’m happy to report that the Milk Makeup Here for the Party Bundle was an overall success! Putting aside my disappointment with the eyeliner, these products are effective, easy to use, innovative, and come at a relatively low price tag.
Clean formulations ensure long-term skincare benefits and are a great departure from the toxic chemicals and filler ingredients present in the majority of cosmetics and skincare products today. I’m looking forward to adding these products to my makeup routine and throwing them into my makeup bag for on-the-go touchups.
Looking for more beauty recommendations? Check out these reviews next!
Dr. Remedy Nail Polish Review | L’Oréal Telescopic Mascara Review | Glossier Stretch Concealer Review
