Not everything in life is easily smoothed over, but if you’re seeking a flawless complexion, the best pore-minimizing 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 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.”

After chatting with Whitfield, I couldn’t help but wonder—do I need a pore-minimizing 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-minimizing primers also happened to reduce the oily skin in my T-zone—it turns out using skin-concern-specific makeup products improved the overall look (and longevity) of my makeup.

If you’re thinking, “but I already have a primer!,” 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.

Best TikTok Viral: Dr. Brandt Skincare Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer

• 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. This is my go-to pick for no-makeup makeup days, where a quick swipe before tinted SPF makes my skin appear totally flawless.
• Key Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone crosspolymer, lavender oil, tea tree leaf oil, clover flower extract, titanium dioxide
• Finish: Natural
• Fragrance-free: Yes
• How To Apply: Dab a small amount of product onto clean, moisturized skin. Dot onto targeted areas, blending with your finger tips.
• Type: Cream

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