Not everything in life is easily smoothed over, but if you’re seeking a flawless complexion, the best pore-minimising primers can do the trick in helping you achieve the illusion of a seemingly poreless face. “Larger pores tend to make skin appear more textured and oily after hours of make-up,” explains celebrity make-up artist Brittany Whitfield. “A pore-minimising primer creates a film over the porous areas, ensuring the foundation can lay smoothly across the skin.”
After chatting with Whitfield, I couldn’t help but wonder – do I need a pore-minimising primer? The short answer is, yes, if I want to smooth over the larger pores on my nose. Aside from giving the illusion of baby-smooth skin, my foray into trying the best pore-minimising primers also happened to reduce the oily skin in my T-zone – it turns out using skin-concern-specific make-up products improved the overall look (and longevity) of my make-up.
If you’re thinking, “but I already have a primer!,” there’s a difference between blurring primers (aka pore-minimising primers) and standard ones: “Generally speaking, a traditional primer’s core mission is to boost the staying power of the make-up,” Whitfield says, explaining that a pore-minimising 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 make-up artist Glenn Brownell tells adding that many pore-minimising primers include these ingredients to treat the appearance of enlarged pores and excess oil production over time.
Below, shop the best primers tested by editors – no matter which you pick, all blur, smooth, and airbrush away pores and imperfections.
The POREfessional Face Primer
- Why it’s -approved: Can you believe Benefit’s POREfessional was my first make-up primer ? Back in the early 2010s, this pick was my holy grail – and it remains a bestseller for the brand. Revisiting this formula 15 years later, it still boasts that velvety-to-the-touch, creamy texture which dries down translucent to instantly smooth over the appearance of pores and fine lines. Lightweight and mattifying, it can be used on its own to blur out unwanted shine or act as a first layer before make-up
- Key ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer
- How to apply: For best results, Benefit suggests getting targeted with application – apply to problem areas and tap gently to blend. Note to self: The product itself appears peach-toned from the tube, but dries down clear.
- Works with all skin tones
- Mattifying formula helps control oily skin types
- A classic, fail-proof choice
- Not suitable for dry skin, as the texture can cling to rough patches
- Fragrance in formula may be irritating to sensitive skin types
- Why it’s -approved: As the name suggests, this Hourglass primer looks to create a photo-ready finish (no TikTok or Instagram filters necessary), all while providing broad-spectrum sun protection. A mainstay in professional make-up artist El DeBratto’s kit, they regularly apply it on clients with oily to combination skin and enlarged pores – plus, it’s the exact primer they use on me when doing my make-up before camera-ready events. “It’s fast-absorbing, and the silicone-based gel formulation has a stunning blurring effect on the skin,” they told , adding that not only is it the perfect priming canvas before a full glam, but it is also excellent on its own for use in men’s grooming. When adding this pick into my routine, the primer texture is so lightweight that it sits on the skin more like a serum with an extra layer of cream.
- Key ingredients: Titanium dioxide 2.45 per cent, zinc oxide 4.20 per cent, dimethicone, glycerin, silica
- How to apply: Rather than using it on the entirety of your face, DeBratto suggests applying it only to areas where necessary (on me, they applied it to my nose and T-Zone), then waiting for the primer to dry down thoroughly before moving on to colour cosmetics.
- Lightweight formula works well under make-up or solo for men’s grooming
- Translucent formula is suitable for all skin tones
- Contains a few comedogenic ingredients – only two!
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e.l.f.
- Why it’s -approved: With more than 44,000 rave reviews on Amazon backing this pick as the ultimate pore-vanishing primer, I had to get my hands on it, too. A drugstore alternative for a long-lasting balmy primer, this applies with a velvety finish, filling in and smoothing over enlarged pores. Rice bran wax and dimethicone work in tandem to keep unwanted shine at bay. Meanwhile, squalene, green tea extract, and glycerin keep your complexion supple and hydrated to prevent flakey, dried-out patches. While putties aren’t my preferred texture (as an oily skin girly, these feel a bit too emollient for me) there’s no doubt this affordable pick delivers on its pore-minimising promise.
- Key ingredients: Dimethicone, glycerin, green tea leaf extract. squalane, rice bran wax, silica, talc
- How to apply: E.l.f. recommends scooping out a pea-size amount of product and rubbing it between your fingers to warm it up before applying. Then, gently press the product into skin, starting from the center of your face and pressing outward.
- An incredibly popular primer pick, at a super affordable price point
- Lightweight, velvety feel
- Long-wearing formula
- The formula isn’t completely non-comedogenic—only one potential pore clogging ingredient!
- Oily skin? Perhaps not the pick for you, since putties work best on normal, dry, and combination skin types.
- Why it’s -approved: Within Make Up For Ever’s trio of high-performing primers, of course, there’s a pore-minimising option. Powered by polymers and silica, this smooths over textured skin and boasts up to 24 hours of wear; ginseng in the formula helps maintain the skin’s natural balance. Not to mention, a little goes a long way – the recommended rice-grain amount of product was more than enough to target my nose and T-zone. The translucent texture will appeal to all skin tones, gliding on and blending with ease while smoothing out imperfections.
- Key ingredients: Dimethicone, ginseng extract, tocopherol
- How to apply: For best results, the brand recommends targeted application, patting on a rice-grain-sized amount to areas with visibly enlarged pores.
- Longest-wearing formula
- Suitable for all skin tones
- Some find that this formula can pill by the end of day
- Some find the fragrance to be a bit strong
- Why it’s -approved: Prada Beauty’s primer is your all-in-one solution for a flawless, shine-free complexion with instantly blurred pores. As someone with acne-prone skin, I’m positively obsessed with using non-comedogenic make-up in my daily routine. Aside from being totally free from pore-clogging ingredients, this beauty pick takes it a step further by treating congestion-prone skin with liquid exfoliants in the formula, making it my favourite pick of the bunch. How? The skincare-make-up hybrid, with its blend of AHAs, BHAs, LHAs, and mandelic acid, helps me control excess oil in my T-zone (which, when left unchecked, can exaggerate the appearance of pores – take it from my first hand experience.). At the same time, panthenol’s humectant properties lock in moisture for a supple feel.
- Key ingredients: Panthenol, liquid exfoliants (AHA, BHA, LHA, and mandelic acids)
- How to apply: Apply a pea-sized amount of product only to targeted areas with enlarged pores or oily skin. For optimal results, allow the primer to fully dry for 2-3 minutes before applying other products.
- Translucent finish is suitable for all skin types
- Completely non-comedogenic formula makes this a safe pick for ance-prone skin
- The blend of liquid exfoliants may be intense for those with sensitive skin
- If you’re lazy about applying your daily SPF, move along—liquid exfoliants can cause sun sensitivity.
Invisible UV Flawless Poreless Primer
- Why it’s -approved: If you’re looking to make your makeup routine a lot quicker, this Charlotte Tilbury primer is the ultimate multipurpose product – equal parts pore-minimising, make-up priming, and SPF 50 protection (yes, that’s UVA UVB ray defence). While I expected this product to feel heavy due to its combination of benefits, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the opposite – the satiny texture glides on with ease, leaving behind a lightweight, non-greasy feel. Pores? Out of sight. Skin? Protected from harmful sun rays. The dewy finish adds to overall complexion radiance (though if you have more oily-prone skin like me, you may need something a bit more mattifying).
- Key ingredients: Broad Spectrum UVA/UCV filters, hyaluronic acid, copolymers, marrubium vulgare extract, khaya senegalensis bark extract, tocopherol
- How to apply: According to the brand, apply an even layer of the primer all over your face – start blending from the centre of your face, outward. Ensure it’s blended in well before applying foundation or other make-up.
- A two-in-one pore minimising primer and SPF 50 sunscreen
- Hydrating formulation
- A lightweight feel that works best for normal to dry skin types
- Not suited for those with acne-prone skin, as the formula isn’t non-comedogenic
- Not ideal for controlling excess shine on oily skin
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Another drugstore favourite, this NYX primer offers a silky-to-the-touch feel. Infused with vitamin E, the vegan formula leaves your complexion feeling softer and smoother throughout the day, boasting up to 12 hours of wear without ever feeling dry. While a little goes a long way to create a smooth canvas for make-up, it’s worth noting that this doesn’t have the most lightweight feel. Knowing this, I’d consider this a solid choice for cooler months, and skip during summer.
- Key ingredients: Dimethicone, silica, dimethicone crosspolymer, glycerin, vitamin E, titanium dioxide
- How to apply: Just a pea-sized amount of product should cover a full-face application. Be sure to wait a few minutes for the product to fully dry before moving on to make-up.
- Affordable price point
- A little product goes a long way – meaning one purchase will last a long time!
- Provides up to 12 hours of make-up wear
- Some report pilling when pairing this silicone-based primer with a water-based foundation
- Not as lightweight
- Why it’s -approved: Tatcha’s multitasking primer isn’t just called “the silk canvas” for its smooth-to-the-touch feel – silk powder and silk extract are also key ingredients. Another pick I anticipated to feel heavy on my skin, but was actually surprisingly lightweight. It paints onto skin, targeting more than just pores, but also smoothing out texture and fine lines thanks to the brand’s Japanese superfood complex, Hadasei-3 which provides a barrier between make-up, environmental stressors, and skin. Plus, the antioxidant-rich ingredients make it an excellent choice for nourishing mature skin types.
- Key ingredients: Silk powder, silk extract, rice ferment filtrate, Hadasei-3
- How to apply: Use this pick after SPF, and before make-up. Tatcha recommends using the spatula to scoop a pea-sized amount. Warm the balm between your fingertips, then press it into your skin in upward strokes.
- Features a skincare-make-up hybrid formula with antioxidant-rich ingredients
- While the brand itself is cruelty-free, this pick isn’t vegan because of silk extract in the formula
- Those with acne-prone skin should avoid, as it’s not non-comedogenic
How to choose a pore minimising primer
“Primers that help with masking pore size are usually marketed specifically to do so on the packaging,” explains Whitfield. “Look out for key words like blurring, poreless, airbrushed, and skin perfecting – those are typically the main buzzwords used on packaging for pore-minimising primers.” In other words: Read the label.
On the technical side of things, Brownell breaks down what separates a primer for enlarged pores versus a standard primer – unsurprisingly, the difference lies in the formulation. “Pore refining primers are typically silicone-based and have a smooth, velvety feel to them and to the touch while applying. Silicones provide a blurring effect of imperfections,” Brownell says. “A standard primer is exclusively for make-up longevity with a gripping effect – like double-sided tape for make-up.”
Can a pore minimising primer actually clog pores?
Long story short, the pro make-up artists say no – primers aren’t the root of your unwanted breakouts and skin congestion. “Make-up or primers don’t clog pores of their own volition. Clogged pores result from people not taking the proper steps to remove make-up,” Whitfield tells Vogue. “Some make-up products nowadays are marketed to last up to 24 hours, yet folks assume their rushed 60-second nighttime skincare routine (or skipping skin care altogether) isn’t the culprit to clogging pores.” The solution? Whitfield ensures a nighttime skincare routine will ensure your pores remain clear, no matter what make-up products are used during the day.
For added reassurance, Brownell suggests purchasing a non-comedogenic primer. “If you have larger pores, you likely also have more oily and acne-prone skin. Non-comedogenic primers go through specific testing to ensure their formulas don’t clog pores or trigger breakouts,” he explains.
Are pore-minimising primers the same as blurring primers?
“Primers for large pores are the same as blurring primers unless stated otherwise,” explains Whitfield, encouraging us not to overthink terminology. “A blurring primer creates a film over the porous areas, ensuring the foundation can lay smoothly across the skin.”
How to apply a pore minimising primer
“Work in primers like you would a moisturiser; think of it as the last step in your skincare routine before you start your make-up,” explains Brownell. “If you’re particularly oily, you can skip moisturiser and opt for using a primer solo instead, as most have hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid that will offer enough hydration.”
Whitfield agrees, adding that application of a pore-minimising primer can also be targeted. “I always suggest using the pore-filling primers only on problematic areas. You can leave the rest of the skin as is or use a separate primer that targets the needs of the other areas of your face,” she tells . “For example, if you have large pores on your cheeks but dry patches on your jawline or forehead, use a hydrating primer on the perimeters and the pore-filling on the cheeks and T-zone.
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