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Smashbox has a bunch of different Photo Finish Primers since their original one. And two of them sound insanely similar: Smooth & Blur Primer and Pore Minimizing. Cause when I think Pore Minimizing, I think making my face look smooth underneath the foundation. Both primers have two sizes, the full size ($39 for 1.0 oz of product) and the travel size ($15 for 0.41 oz of product). But what is the difference between the two is what I was wondering. So I decided to do a primer battle by using one on each side then applying the same foundation over top and seeing the difference in application and longevity.

Before we get into my findings, let’s go over the claims of each primer.

Smashbox Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer

This primer is a transparent primer gel that smoothes skin and blurs flaws according to Smashbox while also helping the makeup applied overtop to look better and last longer. According to Smashbox this primer is perfect for all skin types. Other features of this primer include:

• Fills in fine lines & pores instantly
• Glides on to give you a flawless finish
• Lightweight & oil-free
• Protects skin from environmental pollutants, damage & stress with antioxidants vitamin A, E and peptides

Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer

This oil-free, mattifying face primer instantly blurs flaws, reduces the appearance of pores, and controls oil for up to 8 hours according to Smashbox. Unlike the Smooth & Blur Primer, this one is ideal only for oily and combination skin types. Other features of this primer include:

• Smooths & preps skin for makeup
• Won’t clog pores or cause breakouts
• Water-resistant, smooth-glide texture
• Leaves a soft, even finish

Comparison

So for this wear test to see which primer performs better for myself as well as which has a stronger blurring effect, I applied the Photo Finish Smooth & Blur Primer on the right side of my face and the Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer on the left side of my face. Since I wanted this to be a fair test between both primers I used the same foundation over top. That being the ColourPop Fair No Filter Foundation in Fair 35 since I have a bit of self tanner on the rest of my body so I wanted it to blend in better.

Smashbox Pore Minimizing Primer.

Smashbox Smooth & Blur Primer

The Pore Minimizing Primer reminds me of the consistency of the Benefit Pore-fessional while the Smooth & Blur Primer reminds me more of a moisturizer or lotion. The first makes me skin feel like velvet while the other makes it feel hydrated. However, I think the Smooth & Blur Primer works better for me since it gives me hydration that my skin is now craving since switching back to it’s “normal” state. As for the blurring, they both are the same on the skin but I would take into consideration what your skin type is before purchasing either of these primers. The Smooth & Blur is better for those with drier skin while Pore Minimizing is great for those with oily skin.

Love ya,

Mae Polzine

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