Has Benefit Created The Answer To All Our Pore Problems?

Finding the right foundation can seem like a big beauty dilemma, especially if you’re dealing with large pores. Being a long-time fangirl of Benefit everything (I’m obsessed with their KA-brow) and a fellow hunny with visible pores, I have to say I LOVE the fact Benefit has extended their existing POREfessional range. The great thing about Benefit is it’s not just a makeup brand; I find it really impressive that they have an in-house skincare line too, so when it comes to creating foundations and solutions for pores, they know what they’re doing. Their POREfessional range has been one of my FAV products for a long time, and when I heard they were adding to it, I was psyched to try the all-new Pore Minimizing Makeup.

What it is: A weightless, long-wear liquid formula that provides completely matte coverage and controls excess surface oil for up to 8 hours. It comes with a mini pore-blurring sponge for application and uses mushroom extract to blur the appearance of pores.

What it does: Provides lightweight, buildable coverage that covers imperfections without settling into pores.

What we liked: The first thing to note is the consistency is very liquid! You’re meant to apply just a couple of drops of foundation to the buffer sponge and apply with sweeping, dabbing motions – it’s kind of strange to work with at first. It creates quite a sheer, natural look, and it dries really quickly, making it perfect for layering, (because I like a full-coverage finish, I applied two layers, which looked really beautiful). I actually like that it’s sheer but buildable, as it makes it really customizable so you can choose light or medium coverage. It also sets very matte, so you don’t need to use a powder with it, which combined with the removable sponge makes it really useful and super efficient for when you’re on-the-go.

What we didn’t like: When it comes to foundation shades, more is better, and I think Benefit could have definitely offered a more diverse color spectrum as there are only five shades (I had to mix shades three and four to match my complexion). It’s an unusual container: it’s hard, but it has this soft rubberized button that you press to dispense the foundation. Though it looks cute, I wish it was in a softer container that you could just squeeze to get the product out. I personally didn’t notice a huge difference in my pores, and although it doesn’t say you need to use it with the POREfessional primer, I think the final result would have been smoother if I had.

It does flashback a bit (as you can see in the photo, I look a little whiter in places), but it provides really beautiful, subtle coverage, so I would recommend this as a daytime foundation – in which case flashback wouldn’t be a problem.

Price: $38

Available: BenefitCosmetics.com