I have previously spoken at length about my great love for E.l.f.’s Power Grip Primer, one of my favorite affordable makeup products. Ever since I first heard about the Power Grip, I’ve also seen many a review that compares it favorably to the more expensive, but similarly beloved, Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer. “It’s incredibly comparable to the Milk Hydro Grip Primer, but way more budget-friendly,” one review reads. I was curious how true this was — so I decided to test out both.Reviewers even seem to mix up the names of the E.l.f. Power Grip and Milk Hydro Grip, that’s how similar the products are. At first glance, the most major difference is the price: $11 for 0.811 fluid ounces of E.l.f. versus $38 for 1.52 fluid ounces of Milk (that checks out to $13.56 per fluid ounce versus $25 per fluid ounce).Both primers are focused on hydration, with hyaluronic acid as the star of the show. The Milk primer has niacinamide, which is also listed in the Power Grip’s ingredient list, but if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll probably want the pink Power Grip that’s specifically infused with 4% niacinamide. Both are vegan, formulated for all skin types and designed to smooth the skin for a more even makeup application with a natural, dewy finish.There are some notable differences, however. The Milk primer seems a little more skin-care focused, with natural ingredients like blue agave extract, aloe water and hemp seed. The Power Grip, meanwhile, seems to be a little more engineered toward makeup “sticking” in place.After using both for my regular makeup routine and testing them out on a typical eight-hour day of wear, I noticed that my makeup with the E.l.f. Power Grip looked a little smoother perhaps, but not by a huge margin. (I’m excusing the shininess on my nose in the photos below because I was frequently blowing my nose during these days, which were some of the coldest of the year.)Erica Kam/HuffPostThe left side is after eight hours of wear with the E.l.f. Power Grip Primer, while the right side is after eight hours of wear with the Milk Hydro Grip Primer.Both primers had a cooling effect when applied to the skin, which is honestly one of my favorite parts of doing my makeup in the morning. I have pretty dry skin, especially during this harsh New York winter, and can definitely vouch for my skin feeling supple and smoother after both primers have had time to set.The main difference of application is that the Power Grip is far stickier; while the Milk Hydro Grip feels more like your average primer, just cooling, the Power Grip is designed to be tacky (though it dries down!).I can see how some may not like this sensation; however, it makes me feel like it’s actually gripping my makeup in place, and has less of a slippery lotion feeling that I have gotten from other primers in the past. The Milk Hydro Grip markets itself as “grippy, not sticky,” which I think is accurate — it feels more like a skin care buy than a makeup one to me.Overall, I have to agree with reviewers that the two primers are very comparable. I think the main distinction is what you’re using primer for: If you want a primer that’s like an extra layer of skin care in your routine, and you have dry skin that needs a little more care and attention, I would go for the Milk Hydro Grip. However, if you’re on the hunt for a primer that keeps your makeup in place, I think the E.l.f. Power Grip reigns supreme here, especially for that price.Purely in the interest of saving money, I’ll probably stick to my trusty E.l.f. Power Grip. While I think both of these primers have their place, I’m all the more impressed with Power Grip now that I know it’s nearly delivering on the promises of a more expensive product, with improved “gripping” power to boot. Call that a bargain!The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.