July 1, 2010

Benefit The Porefessional Review and Swatches

Selecting just the right facial primer can be a damn daunting task. I’m still on the fence about my fav facial primers. Benefit The Porefessional is the latest to arrive in the primer world. I wasn’t sure I wanted to try this one but after some debate I thought, eh, what the heck, especially considering so many of you wanted to hear about it!

Jump!


A facial that can be used over or under makeup to reduce the appearance of pores and give you smoother, softer skin!


Yes, Porefessional does contain my least favorite ingredient in the world, silicone. Silicone does not agree with my skin and in many cases I end up breaking out like a teenager when it touches my face and in some cases it feels like my skin is itchy or like a hundred little ants are crawling around under my skin…no likey.

After braving the Porefessional I’m happy to say I didn’t experience any itchiness or breaking out. It’s a very soothing, smooth balm that has a velvety texture. Count me surprised as I expected to be a tad itchy after use but nope, works fine all around here.

Now this is more of a spot treatment and Benefit suggests using it on problem areas but not smoothing it all over your face. I think it’s best to concentrate on key locations as well since it won’t pill or roll off your face. I used it on my jaw line to minimize evil oiliness, down the sides of my nose (another oily location), and under my eyes to fade out fine lines. It worked great on these problem areas as it kept oil down for around four hours of use and it blurred the fine lines under my lines well enough but nothing too dramatic that I was jumping around blessing the makeup gods for making my old age disappear.

I think the product blurs pores and fine lines however doesn’t necessarily fill them. I think it’s best used under makeup rather than over it as I always find it unusual to pat primer on over my foundation, blush, etc…..

The finish of the product is a matte, powdery dry down that begins as a velvety balm that has a traditional silicone feel.


Won’t completely erase pores but will blur them and make them less noticeable. I’d recommend it for those with smaller pores or fine lines but not anyone who has huge pores that need extra filling power.

  • Benefit fans (If you’ve wanted a silicone primer from Benefit or just a primer other than That Gal to indulge in, this should appeal).
  • Anyone who wants something to give the illusion of smoother skin.
  • Anyone with smaller, less than outrageous pores (large pores will need something more to fill and conceal them as the Porefessional prob won’t do the job).
  • Anyone with combination skin that needs a spot treatment for oily spots on their face!

  • Anyone with larger pores.
  • Anyone with super oily skin that wants to mattify it!


If you have combination skin with smaller pores, Benefit Porefessional may be one to indulge in as it’ll do a fine job of treating oily spots on your face and blurring finer lines and smaller pores for a more flawless, smoother appearance. However, anyone with bigger woes such as larger pores on their cheeks, face, or nose and older women with lines or those with super oily skin may want to look else where to take on the job. I thought Benefit The Porefessional was a good prep and prime for those who have smaller problems in and around their face rather than larger jobs.

Available now from Benefit.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Ali

    What facial primer would you recommend for big pores? I have pretty obvious ones on my cheeks and nose that range from medium to large in size.

  • Jessica

    Hi!

    So what do you recommend for girls with large pores? ‘cuz that would be moi. Thanks!

  • knownever

    Does this product come in other shades or does it blend in translucent? A primer that could be used over makeup (for the touch ups you didn’t know you needed until you get under flourescent light…) sounds very interesting but I’m worried about it matching my skintone.

  • Janine

    Sounds good! What one would you recommend for larger pores though? Unfortunately I’m one of the unlucky ones with oily skin and gigantic pores. 🙁

    • the Muse

      I’m really not an expert on larger pores Janine but I hear Instant Smooth from Clarins is fab.

  • Kate

    Hi Muse,
    do you know of any products that are good for filling/smoothing large pores? thanx 🙂

    • the Muse

      hey kate I don’t have large pores so I’m not the best person to ask but alot of people swear by clarins instant smooth 🙂

  • jenna

    i’ve always wondered what all this pore business was about. i understand what a pimple is but confused about what large pores look like! i google-imaged “large pores” and am now traumatized but still confused! do they look like black heads?

    • the Muse

      hi jenna it’s just a smallish hole on the surface of the skin. black head? Not really no?

  • savannah

    muse what good asian peels that pill would you recommend? i think they work way better than the other peels out there.

    • the Muse

      savannah I’m a little confused. What did you think worked better than other peels out there? Were you recommending me a peel or did you want a recommendation for a peel? This is a primer review so a little confused if it’s a peel you wanted to know about or a primer or if you are telling me about one 🙂

  • Lorena Emerson

    Great review! I’ve been wondering about this primer — I do love a good primer! I might have to check this out. Thanks!

  • Kristina

    I’ve been on a primer kick lately. I’ve recently tried That Gal, Dior’s SkinFlash, YSL’s Touch Eclat, and Perricone MD Ceramic. I was excited about this one but I think I’ll skip it. Hoping you review the new CG and Olay serum primer!

    On a side note, I thought of you when I got an email from my video store about a summer sale and saw Dr. Who Sets in it. 🙂

    • the Muse

      ha kristina so flattered you thought of me and who together haha 😀 very flattering!

  • Mina

    Thank you so much for everything you do. I find your reviews and advices VERY helpful. I hope you’re having a lovely weekend – just as lovely as you are. Kisses and Hugs, Mina.

    • the Muse

      aw thanks mina you’re lovely. Hope you had a great weekend as well! *hugs*

  • Rachel

    Thanks so much for this review Muse 🙂 I was debating on this one, and I think you’ve convinced me to splurge…

    • the Muse

      hiya rachel 😀 that’s great, LMK how it works out for u!

  • Shanghainese Dumpling

    Thanks for the review 🙂 I might go into benefit one day and have a test on this product.

  • http://hopeinablog.wordpress.com/

    have u tried Etude House Dr Oil primer? i did a review it and it did a wonderful job for oil control. i saw the ingredient list for this and i was shocked, all silicones and the only beneficial thing was vitamin E!