Hey Beauties, as promised in my February Favourites today’s post is going to be a full review of Benefit’s The PoreFessional.
I’ve mentioned before how much I love a lot of Benefit’s products. They were the first higher end beauty brand that I really got into and although I’ve discovered (and love!) a lot of other brands I’m still quite loyal to Benefit and can regularly be found at one of their counters just checking out whats new. Ridiculously visible pores has been something I’ve battled with for years. They’re a lot worse in the winter but are noticeable on my forehead and cheeks whatever the time of year. When Benefit first released The PoreFessional I debated a purchase straightaway but it was before I really knew much about primers and before they had become quite so widely available. The main reason I held of buying it was the price tag. At £23.50 for just 22ml of product, I quite simply felt that it was ridiculously overpriced. Because of that, I walked away and continued my search for moisturisers and foundations that would disguise my pores.
Fast forward a few months and I knew a bit more about makeup. I’d been busily sampling different primers and foundations but in typical beauty blogger style there were still some niggling ‘I need that product’ thoughts in the back of my head. PoreFessional was one of them. I was in House of Fraser just after Xmas and they were selling off some of their Christmas gift boxes at reduced prices. One of these was a box containing a full size PoreFessional and a full size Benetint. This box was priced at £23.50 so I was effectively getting Benetint for free which was a good enough deal for me to cave and finally buy it!
I couldn’t wait to give it a go and it was love at first use. I’ve used a lot of primers from brands such as Murad, RMK, MUA, Vivo, L’oreal. The PoreFessional blew them all out of the water! It’s an odd consistency in that it’s quite thick when you dispense it from the tube and looks a bit like a foundation. However, as soon as you apply it it becomes invisible so it’s a completely universal product.
Benefit advise you to pat the product rather then rub it into the skin, working from the inside to the outer edges. Once applied my skin feels silky smooth and velvety. Applying my foundation is easier and quicker and leaves my skin looking flawless. It works wonders at covering my pores and although its not a ‘miracle cure’ I’d say my pores are about 90% reduced which is the best I’ve seen from any primer and good enough for me! Not only does this keep my pores hidden throughout the day, it also makes my makeup last and manages to control shine. I feel like my makeup looks freshly applied all day!
I still feel that £23.50 is a lot for this product, particularly because the tube is quite small. That being said you only need a pea sized amount and so it will last a long time. I will say though, if you don’t like silicone based products this probably isn’t for you because the silicone type ingredients are quite noticeable. However, I’m quite sensitive skinned and prone to breakouts but (touch wood!) this hasn’t beem a problem for me with this product.
What do other people think of The PoreFessional? I’d love to hear if anyone is a fan to or if you’ve found a cheaper ‘dupe’ out there! I’ve looked but I can’t find anything even close! (Link to Benefit UK)
