The little known secret for getting a natural-looking flawless complexion is to put on tons of stuff in your face. I have enormous crater-deep pores and it’s hard for me to get the smooth look, so I’m constantly checking on pore minimizers and decided to compare several brands.

My test consisted on using different brands of pore minimizers, then applying Lancome Teint Idole Fresh Wear 18 hour shine-free makeup and a dab of Nars Powder Foundation, the end result I’m looking for is a smooth complexion with a clean matte finish so I can pretend I was born that way.

Lancome Teint Idole Makeup

Nars Powder Foundation

The first product I tried on was Raw Skincare Andiroba Botanical Face Primer.

Raw Skincare Primer

This primer is a light cream that gives you a fresh feeling when applied. The makeup just glides on and from a foot away my skin looks smooth, but I could still see medium size pores when I take a close look. I give it a rating of 8.5 out of 10.

The next one I tried was Smashbox Photo Finish Targeted Pore & Line Primer.

Smashbox Pore Line Primer

The cool thing about this primer is that its made to give heavy duty coverage for huge pores in the nose area as well cover fine lines. The product itself is a very heavy cream and I could immediately see the coverage on my pores. What I didn’t like was how hard it was to apply the foundation; because of the texture of the primer the foundation looked uneven, although the powder foundation worked well. My pores were greatly minimized but it took more effort to get the flawless look, I shudder to think how I would look if I was in a hurry. My rating is 8 out of 10.

Next it was Tarte Clean Slate

Tarte Clean Slate Primer

This one comes as a clear gel; when you first put it on you can’t see a difference on your face, but as soon as you glide on the foundation you can really tell. The final result is a very smooth finish that feels very light, I really like using this product. My rating is 9 out of 10.

Finally, I used Clinique Pore Minimizer t-zone shine control.

Clinique Pore Minimizer

This is a light and fluffy cream and the first time I applied it, I almost gasped. My pores were almost gone and with the application of makeup I looked amazing. This pore minimizer is designed to be applied under or over makeup in order to prevent shine. My favorite thing about this product is that you don’t have to add foundation to see a difference. If you need to go out for a quick errand, just add some pore minimizer, lip gloss, quick dash of mascara and you’re off. Clinique is the clear winner with a 9.5 out of 10.