/Make-up/ Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer

this was purchased by me.
Ok, before I do a review on 3CE's Pore Silky Balm, I want to do a review on this Tarte primer. I got this about two months ago (the same time I purchased the eyelash curler) and I've been using it for a while. I've just been forgetting to write about it.

What I like about this primer is that it's cruelty, paraben, mineral oil, and most bad things free. The product comes in a tube and I find it to be rather hygienic. I like the purple packaging, too.

the ingredients


The one major downside is that this primer costs $30 (there's a 15% off year end sale now, though). That's expensive. Since I'm trying to transition into using more natural and cruelty-free cosmetics, I thought this might be a good primer to try. The primer itself is a clear, scentless gel that is supposed to be

"A skin-perfecting, waterproof mattifying base that not only helps keep your makeup in place for up to 12 hours, but it also refines the appearance of pores and diffuses fine lines and imperfections. The natural fruit-and plant-derived extracts deliver anti-aging and skin-restorative benefits to your skin." (as per the website.)

Note that this primer does not say it controls oil. If you have oily skin, you'll still get oily throughout the day, but your pores should be less noticeable. If you look at the ingredients again, oil is actually in the primer. Anyway, let's see how this primer deals with pores. Here is the general area in which I have "pore problems".

I could be obsessive about my skin, but this is where all of my huge pores congregate. This is what it looks like after basic skincare (wash, tone, medication, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen) and before putting on Tarte's primer.

kind of scary...
Here's my face after putting on the primer:

It might be the subtle lighting differences, but my pores are definitely less perceivable. Pretty amazing. Then here's my face after applying a base (I used Missha's Color Coordinating BB Cream), concealer, blush, etc., and setting powder.

poreless!
My pores are almost gone. You can hardly see them in the picture. They're barely detectable. I really like that. I do get oily as the day goes by and this primer doesn't exactly last 12 hours (more like 8) on my skin. Overall, it's a nice primer for concealing pores. My make-up feels like it goes on the same way, but the longevity of it lasts more than usual. At 1 oz./30 ml it's travel friendly and easy to use, but the price is kind of too much for me. I get that it's probably due to the ingredients and manner in which the prime is produced yet...it's just a lot. Luckily, you don't need that much product so a tube should last you a long time, even if you use it daily.

bright young person loves it

this much.