How to Get A Pore-Less Finish | How to Vanish Large Pores with Skincare and Make-up

Pores are a fact of life and a natural, important part of our face. As we get older, pores lose their elasticity and can grow in size, making them more noticeable. It’s also far more common in oily skin types, as oils that are trapped in pores increase their size. Pores are also more likely to appear larger in hormonal cycles, which means we’re likely to be feeling more oily at that time of the month. Pores are dermatologically treated by infrared radiation (which can reduce up to 30%), but this is typically reserved in anti-aging treatments when pores no longer have the elasticity to shrink on their own. Instead, there’s a few techniques we can use at home – to help balance oils, reduce pore size and blend with make-up well for a perfect finish every time. 

A lot of oil-based skincare is designed to help reduce, but balance oils on our face. Pore masks are a longtime favourite to help reduce sebum in a short period of time. These are once a week treatments (usually during a relaxing point of the weekend) to help withdraw excess oils from deep within pores – normally using kaolin clay, charcoal or ‘bubbling’ formulas. There’s a large variety and all are suitable for oily skin – to help refresh and shrink pores. 

Our recommendations include soothing, cooling formulas that won’t dry out your skin too much:

Another vital step is preparing our face for make-up. Exfoliation is a must-do, especially for combination skin. The trick is not to reach for something too aggressive – even a gauze toning pad used to gently scrub your face is a great way to exfoliate. A K-Beauty favourite is, of course, the reliable AHA/BHA/PHAs as these can gently melt away dead skin cells without requiring a deep scrub. 

Our favorites for a gentle, but refreshing exfoliation for oily skin include:

1. Axis-Y PHA Resurfacing Glow Peel 50ml 
2. Heimish Rx AHA BHA Enzyme Scrub 130ml 
3. Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Tea-Trica Mild Peeling Gel 125ml 

The day before your special event, we recommend a good exfoliator the night before – as this gives your skin time to rebalance. You never want to use an exfoliator right before, as this residual irritation can create unpredictable results on the day. 

When you’re ready to begin applying make-up, having good skin prep is vital! Now that we’ve helped balance excess oils and deep-clean with exfoliation; start your morning with a good double cleanse (or cleanser that you trust and love) - which should leave your skin feeling dry to the touch but not dehydrated. If you want to shrink pores – it's time to add ingredients that are astringent (which help tighten pores, shrinking their appearance).

This includes products that contain: 
- witch hazel (helps soothe redness and tighten pores) 
- salicylic acid (deep cleanse pores and dries oil) 
- vitamin C (helps boost skin glow, healing and tightens pores) 
- green tea (a big-time favourite – in a moisturizer is amazing for oily skin) 
- eucalyptus (moisturizing and soothing, whilst tightening pores) 
- tea tree oil (in small quantities helps cool redness, eliminate acne-causing bacteria and reduces pores). 

A combination of 1-2 of any of the above can help reduce pore size and also has the extra bonus of balancing oils, hydrating and soothing skin. What you choose should reflect your skin’s needs – for example, witch hazel is ideal for sensitive or irritated skin, whereas vitamin C is great to balance hyperpigmentation, whilst boosting pore care. You can balance them across toners or serums – but this gives your skin good prep for minimizing pores. 

It’s vital to always remember your SPF+ protection, as well as ensure you have moisturized any dry spots on your face. Foundation will cling to any dry patches and make your application patchy. After applying both moisturizer and sunscreen – give your skin a moment to dry and after a few minutes – carefully examine for any dry spots. You need to have a great base, before you start applying foundation; which should be dewy, but not oily and never dry. Read our article on Sunscreen Pilling if that’s something you struggle with! 

Once your skin is prepped, sun-safe and glowing – it's time to start make-up application. Our secret weapon is a blurring primer – which helps ‘fill in’ pores slightly, creating an even and smooth canvas. There’s a variety of great K-Beauty primers – but our favourites include:

Remember to not ‘smudge’ your primer – we're trying to gently fill in the cracks, so apply your primer to a sponge (no more than a pea) and gently apply to areas of pores (normally cheeks, chin and forehead), by lightly tapping against your skin. Ensure a light and even layer – then leave to set for 30 seconds.

The best foundation for a blurry look will be lightweight and well suited for your skin type and shade. A cushion is generally better for oily skin (as a rough rule) and cream foundations are better for dry skin – as a cushion provides better oil control and cream foundations help keep dry skin hydrated. If you notice a cushion creates a patchy dryness – try out a nice BB cream – where a lot of them come prepackaged with a primer, SPF+ protection and more! 
 
Our favourites for a blurry finish include:

Start close to the center of your face and gently apply as a light buff. Work your way in light, circular motions to the outside of your face and provide a good cover. Once you have a great, even layer – there should be minimal cracks, missing gaps and dry spots. If so, think back on your prep and what areas you might have missed, whether you used enough moisturizer etc. But with good skin prep, primer and a skin-matched foundation – you should see a perfect, soft and lightweight finish. 

Follow your foundation layer with contouring (with highlighters, concealer, and final touch-ups to have you glowing and flawless). Finish with a great setting spray (ideally a non-reflective and gentle radiance powder). Extra shiny finishing products can re-accentuate your pores – and ruin all your hard work; so keep things matte, but dewy and glowy. 

Our favourite finishing products for oily skin include:

1. TIRTIR Mask Fit Make Up Fixer 80ml 
2. Etude House Sebum Soak Blur Pact 8.5g 

It’s vital to finish strong, keep everything in place and help prevent oily break-throughs which can compromise your look! And there, you’ll have a flawless and perfect blurred finish every time. 

What causes pores in make-up? 
Pores are a natural part of our face and are generally hard to define. They form small pits and include clusters of pilosebaceous units, which produce sebum and oils. Although natural, they can become larger when oil builds-up and be accentuated by foundation and highlighters. Thus, it’s important to prep skin well, limit oil build-up and use a good primer to create a flat canvas for makeup. 

How do you create a blurry make-up effect? 
Blurring effect refers to a careful application of make-up that helps blend away impurities and scars for a perfect, flat sheen. It is best produced by creating a strong, clean base before putting on make-up, using a good primer and creating light, buffed layers of foundation. Complete with a light hand of highlighters, concealers and contouring – before finishing with a light sebum-blurring powder. Avoid shiny makeup or pearlescent finishes, as this can deposit in pores and accentuate them. 

What is the best skincare prep for blurry makeup? 
It’s best to start the day previous with a good pore mask or exfoliator, to help strip away excess oils, control blackheads and importantly remove dry and flaking skin. Then, morning of – begin preparation with a good double cleansing routine, before toning and hydrating skin with serums. Choose ‘astringent’ ingredients, as these help tighten pores before applying other skincare and creates a better, blurry look. Astringent ingredients include; vitamin C, eucalyptus oil, niacinamide, witch-hazel, green tea, salicylic acid or tee tree. Finish up with a balancing moisturizer and sunscreen and make sure you aren’t overly ‘shiny’ and don’t have dry spots – for a perfect, smooth canvas.