I’m a real fan of the products by Benefit. I can’t pass the cute retro-styled packagings by. I’ve been looking at this product at Sephora for quite a while, as enlarged pores is my number one problem. But it was so pricey, that I just couldn’t buy it. But one day, while walking around the Sephora I saw the mini version of this product and decided to finally buy it. I was such a fool… And now I want to tell you my impressions of using this product.
1. General information about the product
Size - 3.5 ml, 7.5 ml, 22 ml, 45 ml
Made by Benefit (USA)
Price: 10 euros for a tube 7.5 ml in Europe
What it is:
A professional balm that minimizes the appearance of pores.
What it does:
Quickly minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines and help makeup stay put with this priming phenomenon. The silky and lightweight formula can be worn under makeup to create a smoother-than-smooth canvas or used throughout the day to mattify shine and touch up problem areas. It’s so translucent, no one will know you’re wearing anything!
What else you need to know:
The oil-free formula contains vitamin E, which is known to protect skin from free radicals.
Packaging: As usually, best of the best. It’s so cool and cute. The tube is in the cardboard box with a door 
If you open it, inside there’s Mary Poppins waiting to wipe away your pores (photo below). Also inside there’s instruction about how to use the product, which you can also see in the photos below.
Tube: too small for the money I paid for it, I think it’ll be enough for only 10-15 times of use.
Consistency: the product has the color as foundation. It’s thick, to some extent and it doesn’t flow out and can be easily spread on the skin.
2. Result and my impression. So, a few words about my skin. It’s combination, oily in the T-zone and normal on the cheeks. It becomes oily very fast and there are sometimes small blemishes, especially during PMS (as in the photo below). Recently, I visited a cosmetician, but didn’t do peeling, so you can see the efficacy of the product in its usual state. So, at first I cleansed my face and applied the product on the problem areas. In my case it was the nose, forehead and chin.
It’s easy to apply and I felt how quickly the product absorbs the oil on my face. Once I applied it, I quickly ran to the mirror to see how my pores became minimized, but alas, that didn’t happen. My skin was exactly in the same state. I was very upset. But I wasn’t ready to give up so quickly and I decided to apply makeup.
And here’s what I’ve received.
So, you can see that the effect isn’t stunning. Without a makeup on, the effect isn’t seen at all. Only the small pores around my nose disappeared, I think. However the large ones on the chin are still there. In my opinion, the product is effective only on the small or well cleaned pores (I mean the first days after the professional peeling).
The only advantage for me was the good mattifying effect the product provided me with for quite a while, and that the foundation was easier to apply.
Advantages:
+ Good mattifying effect
+ Easy to apply my foundation after
+ Beautiful design
And that’s all
Disadvantages:
- Clogs pores
- Hides the pores on 5-10%
- Terrible list of ingredients
- Very expensive
- My skin doesn’t breathe
Conclusion
For me, I’ve found more minuses than pluses. This was the first (and I hope the last) product by Benefit, which upset me so much. Of course, for the money I paid, I won’t throw it away. But I don’t recommend it for everyday use. I think this product is great only for some special occasions, because of its mattifying properties. And nothing more…
