Wednesday Dupe: NYX -v- Benefit Primers

We all seem to be obsessed with our pores. One thing is certain -they aren't as big, or as noticeable as you think they are, and products that claim to 'shrink pores' are snake oil - you're wasting your money. If you have oily skin, using a lot of alcohol in your skincare routine might make pores more enflamed and oilier, but opening and closing just not something that pores do.

More obvious pores generally tend to be found around the nose or on the chin, and in more mature skin, around the mouth. If they really bother you, then a silicone-based primer will have a polyfilla effect, temporarily filling in your pores, and giving the impression of airbrushed skin. Perhaps the most famous primer of this type is Benefit's the Porefessional.

Generally, your skin gets on with silicone, or it doesn't. If you like the Porefessional, though, it can really add up at €34 for 22mls. You only need to use a tiny amount, but if you can get a pretty much identical product at less than half the price, why on earth wouldn't you?

NYX Pore Filler is a dead ringer for the Porefessional. It's silicone-based, has a near-identical texture (though it is infinitesimally drier than the Benefit version), and is even the same lentilly colour. It also costs €15.95 for 20mls. That isn't cheap, but if you use a pore filler regularly, that's a pretty decent saving. Think what  you can buy with that extra €18.05!

Are you a silicone primer aficionado? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.