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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.”
Vogue’s Favorite Pore Minimizing Primers
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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. Below, shop the 11 best primers to blur, smooth, and airbrush away pores and imperfections.
Best Overall: Benefit The POREfessional Face Primer
- Why We Love It: It’s easy to see why Benefit’s pore-minimizing primer is such a bestseller. Silky to the touch, this creamy formulation flatters all skin tones—the seemingly peachy-toned product dries down translucent and instantly smooths 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 makeup. For best results, Benefit suggests getting targeted with application—apply to problem areas and tap gently to blend.
- Key Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer
- Finish: Matte
- Type: Cream
Best for Sensitive Skin: BareMinerals Prime Time Pore Minimizing Primer
- Why We Love It: Boasting up to 12 hours of wear, this primer doesn’t just minimize the appearance of pores—the star ingredient, buchu leaf extract, also balances oil production to treat enlarged pores over time. A reformulation of the brand’s original (and our favorite of BareMinerals’s four primer options), the smooth gel texture extends makeup wear while blurring imperfections for a natural filter effect thanks to dimethicone. Meanwhile, willowherb extract and vitamin E soothe skin for a supple complexion. Best of all, this primer is fragrance-free, safe for sensitive skin, and dermatologist-tested.
- Key Ingredients: Buchu leaf extract, dimethicone, willowherb extract, Barosma betulina leaf extract, vitamin E, citric acid
- Finish: Natural
- Type: Gel
Best Balm: Tatcha The Silk Canvas
- Why We Love It: 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. The balmy primer targets uneven texture, fine lines, and pores. Infused with the brand’s Japanese superfood complex, Hadasei-3, the velvety formulation blurs, primes, and provides a barrier between makeup, environmental stressors, and skin.
- Key Ingredients: Silk powder, silk extract, rice ferment filtrate, Hadasei-3
- Finish: Soft matte
- Type: Balm
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Milk Makeup Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer
- Why We Love It: Milk’s Pore Eclipse primer features a lightweight cream texture that will never incite further breakouts. It is formulated to be non-comedogenic with acne-fighting ingredients like niacinamide and bakuchiol. The secret to its super matte results is lentil extract, a plant-derived ingredient known for its oil absorption capabilities.
- Key Ingredients: Lentil extract, niacinamide, bakuchiol, tea tree oil
- Finish: Matte
- Type: Cream
Best Acne Scars: Topicals Sealed Active Scar Filling Primer
- Why We Love It: Transform your skin with Topicals Sealed, a dual-action primer designed to target and smooth the look of indented acne scars and large pores. This unique formula is enriched with medical-grade silicone, a known healer for scars, while biomimetic peptides stimulate skin regeneration. Meanwhile, encapsulated retinol offers gentle resurfacing, leaving your skin smooth without irritation. For best results, simply dab onto affected areas after you moisturize, letting it sit for 30 seconds—remember, it’s meant to fill in acne scars and enlarge pores rather than be blended across the entirety of your face. Best of all, consistent use will not only immediately reduce the appearance of scars, but help to diminish and heal their depth overtime (all while leaving you with a soft-matte makeup look).
- Key Ingredients: Encapsulated Retinol, Biomimetic Peptide, Medical-Grade Silicone
- Finish: Soft matte
- Type: Gel
Best Makeup Artist Pick: Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Mineral Primer
- Why We Love It: As the name suggests, this Hourglass primer looks to create that photo-ready finish (no TikTok or Instagram filters necessary), all while providing broad-spectrum sun protection. A mainstay in professional makeup artist El DeBratto’s kit, they regularly apply it on clients with oily to combination skin and enlarged pores. “It’s fast absorbing, and the silicone-based gel formulation has a stunning blurring effect on the skin,” they tell Vogue, adding that not only is it the perfect priming canvas before a full glam, but also excellent on its own for use in men’s grooming. Rather than using it on the entirety of your face, DeBratto suggest, applying to areas only where necessary, then waiting for the primer to dry down thoroughly before moving on to color cosmetics.
- Key Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 2.45%, Zinc Oxide 4.20%, dimethicone, glycerin, silica
- Finish: Natural
- Type: Gel
Best TikTok Viral: Dr. Brandt Skincare Pores No More
- 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
Best Drugstore Overall: NYX Professional Makeup Pore Filler Blurring Primer
- Why We Love It: A drugstore favorite at an affordable price point. With a silky, lightweight texture, the primer applies evenly—a little goes a long way, so squeezing out a pea size amount is plenty—creating a smooth canvas for makeup. 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.
- Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, silica, dimethicone crosspolymer, glycerin, vitamin E, titanium dioxide
- Finish: Soft matte
- Type: Cream
Best Long-wear: Make Up For Ever Step 1 Primer Pore Minimizer
- Why We Love It: Within Make Up For Ever’s trio of high performing primers, of course there’s a pore minimizing option. Powered by polymers and silica, this smooths over textured skin, and boasts up to 24 hours of wear while ginseng helps maintain skin’s natural balance. The translucent texture is ideal for all skin tones, smoothing out imperfections and prepping your skin for makeup. For best results, the brand recommends targeted application, by patting on a rice grain size amount to areas with visibly enlarged pores.
- Key Ingredients:
- Finish: Matte
- Type: Cream
Best Pathenol: Prada Refine Blurring Extending Primer
- Why We Love It: Prada Beauty’s primer is your all-in-one solution for a flawless, shine-free complexion with instantly blurred pores. With a blend of liquid exfoliants, this primer helps control excess oil in your T zone (which, when left unchecked, amplifies the appearance of pores). At the same time, panthenol’s humectant properties lock in moisture for a supple feel. The result is a soft-focus matte finish that won’t leave your skin feeling dry. For optimal results, allow the primer to fully dry for 2-3 minutes before applying other products.
- Key Ingredients: Panthenol, liquid exfoliants (AHA, BHA, LHA acids)
- Finish: Soft matte
- Type: Gel
Best Drugstore Blam: E.l.f Cosmetics Poreless Putty Primer
- Why We Love It: A drugstore alternative for a long-lasting balmy primer, E.l.f.’s putty 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, ensuring your makeup stays locked in place. Meanwhile, squalene, green tea extract, and glycerin keep your complexion supple and hydrated to prevent flakey, dried-out patches. The result? A seemingly poreless, airbrushed finish.
- Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, glycerin, green tea leaf extract. squalane, rice bran wax, silica, talc
- Finish: Matte
- Type: Putty
Everything You Need To Know
How To Choose a Pore Minimizing 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 minimizing primers.” In other words: read the label.
On the technical size 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 makeup longevity with a gripping effect longevity—like double-sided tape for makeup.”
Can a pore minimizing primer actually clog pores?
Long story short, the pro makeup artists say no—primers aren’t the root of your unwanted breakouts and skin congestion. “Makeup or primers don’t clog pores of their own volition. Clogged pores result from people not taking the proper steps to remove makeup,” Whitfield tells Vogue. “Some makeup products nowadays are marketed to last up to 24 hours, yet folks assume their rushed 60-second nighttime skincare routine (or skipping skincare 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 makeup 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 minimizing 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 Minimizing Primer
“Work in primers like you would a moisturizer; think of it as the last step in your skin-care routine before you start your makeup,” explains Brownell. “If you’re particularly oily, you can skip moisturizer 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 minimizing 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 Vogue. “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.
- Glenn Brownell is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Delilah Belle Hamlin, Awkwafina, and Tommy Dorfman.
- Brittany Whitfield is a celebrity makeup artist, groomer, and esthetician whose clients include Tinashe, Queen Latifah, and Joan Smalls.
- El DeBratto is a non-binary New York-based editorial makeup artist whose clients include Coco Rocha, Flower Beauty, Kristin Ess, and Glamour Magazine.
