Like a soft-focus filter for your face, Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional Primer has a blurring effect that’s very welcome if you’re looking to hide pores. It’s a long-beloved product for good reason—Allure editors and makeup artists have reached for it for years to fill in uneven texture, in a way that doesn’t feel heavy on skin. Makeup wears more smoothly on top and gets staying power: “A little goes a long way. Just a teeny-tiny dollop of this silky stuff smooths texture, fills in pores, and grips onto makeup for dear life,” says Allure’s Sarah Kinonen. It’s got a sheer peachy tint and uncanny ability to make skin look more even, so some editors have even been able to use it in place of foundation in a pinch—you can smooth it on wherever you want skin to look more even as easily as you would apply moisturizer, no mirror or blending needed, so it’s great for times when you’re on-the-go or on rushed mornings. One cool makeup artist trick for getting more out of the primer is mixing it with concealer (you can make the blend on the back of your hand) to diffuse fine lines and wrinkles. Or you can squeeze out a small dollop (you probably don’t even need a pea-size amount) and smooth it on over your skin care with your fingers wherever you’d like to minimize lines or pores, like spreading it across your cheeks, around your nose, and over your chin before you apply your makeup—it’s like an artist would prime their canvas, but instead of watercolors you’re putting makeup on next, which is much more fun.

Benefit Cosmetics Porefessional Primer is a part of our Allure Beauty Box product lineup for July. Subscribe to Allure Beauty Box and get editor-approved picks in makeup, skincare, hair care, and fragrance delivered right to your door every month.