I believe your base is the most important part of your make-up. You can spend hours creating an elaborate eye look or flawlessly blending your bronzer and blusher for a sculpted look, yet if your base becomes dry or cakes throughout the day, your whole look can be ruined. It’s for this reason I put a lot of stock in a great make-up primer as it creates the perfect canvas for everything else that follows.
As someone with oily skin, prone to enlarged pores and fine lines, I need a great smoothing primer that smooths fine lines and minimises shine—something that’s even more important now that the weather’s warming up and we’re moving into spring.
So, picture my excitement when Iconic’s Velvet Smooth Pore Refining Primer arrived, a formula which promises to not only offer all of the above but also leave my skin feeling healthy and hydrated. After testing it for months, I can happily say that my make-up has never looked more flawless, and my skin also looks better than ever.
What’s so good about Iconic’s Velvet Smooth Pore Refining Primer?
Designed to give the illusion of airbrushed skin, Iconic’s Pore Refining Primer is a mattifying primer with a difference. Rather than feeling heavy or claggy, it has a light whipped texture which enables it to sink in quickly and easily, creating an almost weightless veil on the skin. It then uses a combination of emollients and perfecting powders to minimize pores and fine lines so make-up applies and sits smoothly for an even base.
And, it doesn’t stop there. Iconic’s Pore Refining primer works below the surface too, as you’ll also find vitis vita, a grape extract, which helps boost collagen and protects the skin barrier as it primes. After hearing all that, I knew I had to put it to the test and see if it lived up to its claims.
A beauty editors honest review
(Image credit: Jazzria Harris)
I’ll be honest: Although I’d heard the promises surrounding Iconic’s Velvet Smooth Primer, I came to it with relatively low expectations. Call it prejudice, but while I know Iconic London makes incredible highlighters, I didn’t expect their primer to differ vastly from other matte formulas I’d tried in the past. From first use, however, I was hooked, and I’ve already worked my way through one tube, and I’m ready to get my hands on another.
First up, let’s talk about the texture, as it’s unlike any other primer I’ve tried. When it comes to pore-refining primers, they’re usually thick with an almost putty-like consistency. By comparison, Iconic’s offering is airy and light with a texture I’d liken to whipped double cream. This means it spreads easily and feels comfortable on the skin. I actually find myself applying much more of this than my previous primer simply because of how nice it feels to wear.
After applying it with my fingers, I usually follow with my everyday foundation of choice. Over the past few months, I’ve tested it with a range of formulas, from dewy finishes to matte and longwear foundations, and all applied smoothly, didn’t feel drying or pill and flake away. In fact, every foundation I tried looked much more flawless than when worn alone.
When it comes to its smoothing ability, while you could still see some fine lines, I do feel my foundation settled less into them, making them less prominent and noticeable. Will this primer make pores disappear or mean you can cancel your Botox appointments? No, but it will create a smoother canvas for your make-up to sit on and for me that’s a win.