How to Create Poreless Makeup, According to MUAs

Everyone has pores, but that doesn’t mean everyone wants them to be visible. And while pores can’t magically disappear (or even get smaller, for that matter), plenty can be done to reduce their appearance, especially with your makeup routine. We’ve asked professional makeup artists Daniel Martin and Randall Intrabartola for their tips on how to achieve smooth, poreless-looking skin, including the best foundation for large pores—here’s what they had to say.

How Do You Disguise Big Pores With Makeup?

Prep Your Skin Correctly

The key to a poreless, airbrushed look starts before you even apply foundation. (Trust us—trying to buff foundation into dry, dull, or flaking skin is an uphill battle). A consistent skincare routine that includes exfoliation and hydration is the best way to pave a smooth canvas, but not necessarily right before applying your makeup. Instead, it’s a good idea to cleanse the skin thoroughly and follow up with a lightweight moisturizer ahead of your makeup application.

“If I’m dealing with a client who has large pores, I try to neutralize the skin as much as possible so that whatever foundation I use doesn’t ‘sit’ on the skin after hours of wear,” says Martin. His general rule of thumb? No matter what you use on top of your skin to refine your pores, nothing will work unless your skin is properly hydrated first. (And as always, sunscreen should be applied, too.) To prevent pilling, let your moisturizer seep into your skin for a minute before you start layering on sunscreen and makeup.

Tap in a Primer

Silicone is the ingredient that gives some of your makeup and skincare products that slippery, smooth-as-silk feel. Primers that contain silicone will “fill in” your pores and create a smooth canvas for your foundation, but make sure you’re applying them correctly—as in tapping, not rubbing. “Silicone can break up with too much rubbing or tugging, which will cause the product to roll and peel off the skin,” Martin says. “Tapping stabilizes the area.” He says you can do this with a small Beautyblender makeup sponge, or even just your ring finger. The same goes for concealer—tap, never rub.

Intrabartola recommends Huda Beauty’s Easy Blur Silicone-Free Smoothing & Pore-Minimizing Primer.

Buff-In Your Foundation for a Blurring Effect

When it comes to covering pores, the key is to buff your foundation in a circular motion—Martin says this is a great technique to blur the appearance of larger pores. Use a large, fluffy brush with a slightly rounded head for best application. Martin says he swears by IT Cosmetics’s Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7.

Always Set With Powder

A sheer wash of powder will finish off your newly poreless complexion—just avoid HD powders if you’re going to be photographed or in a well-lit place. Why? They can reflect light, especially with flash used in a dark room. Stick to translucent formulas that have subtle radiance-boosting properties and give you a soft-focus finish. Intrabartola likes Laura Mercier’s Ultra-Blur Talc-Free Translucent Loose Setting Powder.

What Kind of Foundation Is Best for Large Pores?

“Avoid concealers and foundations with a pearlescent finish,” says Intrabartola. These will emphasize large pores. She recommends Huda Beauty’s Easy Blur Natural Airbrush Foundation with Niacinamide along with their Easy Blur Primer. “It gives the smoothest pore-free finish to the skin; better than any foundation I’ve ever tried.”

Our editors like Haus Lab’s Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation with Fermented Arnica and Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation.