If you’re seeking to achieve an airbrushed complexion, the best pore minimizing primers can do the trick, smoothing things over and helping you achieve the illusion of a seemingly poreless face. “Larger pores tend to make skin appear more textured and oily after hours of makeup,” explains celebrity makeup artist Brittany Whitfield. “A pore minimizing primer creates a film over the porous areas, ensuring the foundation can lay smoothly across the skin.”

But there’s a difference between blurring primers (a.k.a. pore minimizing primers) and standard ones: “Generally speaking, a traditional primer’s core mission is to boost the staying power of the makeup,” Whitfield says, explaining that a pore minimizing primer takes matters a step further by using ingredients like silicone and plant-derived waxes to fill in enlarged pores.

“If you have larger pores, your best friends are products with niacinamide, alpha hydroxy acid, beta hydroxy acid, and retinol. These will improve your skin texture and tighten your pores with continued use,” celebrity makeup artist Glenn Brownell tells Vogue, adding that many pore-minimizing primers include these ingredients to treat the appearance of enlarged pores and excess oil production over time. 

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Why We Love It: For those seeking a seemingly natural, flawless matte look, Dr. Brandt’s Pores No More is the answer—one quick swatch on the nose makes pores seemingly vanish (with a number of viral TikTok videos showing exactly that). The product works instantly and over time to minimize the appearance of pores for smoother skin texture thanks to ingredients like silica and salicylic acid that absorb excess oil and clear out clogged pores. Meanwhile, tea tree extract and lavender oil soothe inflammation, while clover flower extract provides antioxidant benefits and neutralizes free radical damage to improve overall skin texture. Use this primer for quick touch-ups during the day on visible pores that absorb oil.

Key Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone crosspolymer, lavender oil, tea tree leaf oil, clover flower extract, titanium dioxide

Finish: Natural

Type: Cream

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URL: https://www.vogue.com/article/best-pore-minimizing-primer