Personally, I think primers are an amazing invention. They are a staple in my daily makeup routine. Having excessively oily skin, large pores and generally problematic skin, primers are an essential if I want my makeup to stay on throughout the day.
There are so many primers out there at the moment, high end and high street, that aim to minimise pores and give you a super smooth, airbrushed base for your makeup. I'm always on the look out for the perfect primer, so I've definitely tried a fair few. I wanted to compare a few different ones that vary in price, and put them to the test to decide which performs the best, as well as considering value for money!
Benefit POREfessional face primer - £24.50 (22ml) from Boots
In the world of primers, this is definitely one to splurge on! The tube photographed is a small, 7.5ml tube which I got for Christmas in a Benefit gift set. If you don't want to buy a full size tube, you can also buy this mini one separately for £9.95... Total rip off, I know. To be fair, this has lasted me a few months, using it a few times a week, and I'm only just coming to the end.
VERDICT
In short, this primer is pretty fabulous. When applied, it gives you the silkiest feeling to your skin, and as you can see from the pictures above, pores are instantly smaller. (I haven't edit these photos at all, FYI).
I also really like the texture. It's a lot creamier than your standard silicone kind of primer. It does mattify straight away, but I wouldn't say it's amazing at keeping me matte throughout the day though. If staying matte isn't a big issue, you will totally love this. I love how easily my foundation applies on top as well!
Online, it states that you can use this on top of your makeup as well if your pores suddenly reappear... I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I may give it a try to see how it works!
Overall score: 7.5/10
(I would have easily given it a 9 if it wasn't so damn expensive!)
All-In-One Instablur Universal - £14 (25ml) from The Body Shop
The Body Shop's Instablur isn't ridiculously expensive, but does require a little spend! You can buy this for £14 for a 25ml tube, so you're getting a bit more product than the POREfessional, and it's about £10 cheaper. A little of this also goes a long way, so a tube will last you a good few months. I think it's quite good value for money.
VERDICT
As you can see from the photos, this does an amazing job at filling my pores. Obviously, you can still see where I have some blackheads, but it blurs my acne scars and definitely flattens my skin, reducing the crazy shine. This is perfect for instagram selfies and such (as the name suggests!)
The only thing I'm not a fan of is the consistency of this primer. It's really dry, and quite thick as well. When you squeeze the tube you have to be careful because it shoots out in little balls that often end up on my bedroom floor :(
If you have dry skin, stay well clear of this one. However, it applies so well on top of my oily skin. This also keeps me matte for such a long time, at least 4-5 hours before my T-zone starts to get oily. I find that blending foundation on top of this with a brush is a bit difficult though, probably because it does have quite a dry texture. I just tend to use a beauty blender instead, which is much easier!!
Overall score: 9/10
Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser - £7.99 (22ml) from Boots
For a pore minimising primer, this will make sure you're saving your pennies! This is available for a mere £7.99 for a 22ml size tube (the same amount as the POREfessional). As with the other two, you only need to use this sparingly.
VERDICT
When I first tried this, I was quite impressed at how it blurred my pores quite well, considering it's so affordable. I don't feel it blurs my imperfections as well as the Instablur and the POREfessional, but the appearance is still pretty good.
However, this stuff is so greasy! It has a more gel-like texture compared to the other two, which is really easy to blend into the skin, but it doesn't feel good at all. My makeup became very oily after only an hour or two at the most, although my makeup did apply very well on top of it.
I used it on its own the other day when I was at home, just because my pores looked gross, but it was just sliding all over my face after a short while. It also caused itching and I had loads of little red bumps around my nose :(
This may be better for someone who has much drier skin, but wants to minimise their pores slightly. Oily skinned gals, stay away! This one is not great, which is sad because the price point is such a benefit.
Overall score: 4/10
All in all, I've come to the conclusion that the Instablur is just my favourite! In terms of value for money and actual performance, it's fantastic. I do love the POREfessional as well, but personally, I don't feel I can justify spending that much on a primer, when there is something out there that works just as well, if not better!
I have been using the Instablur for about a year now, and even after trying others, I will definitely repurchase this every time. Well done Body Shop, you did good! I'd love to know if any of you have tried other similar primers that you love!!
Hannah x
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