Review | The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser

My experience with primers hasn't been a wholly positive one so far. I'm yet to come across a primer that feels totally comfortable on my skin and keeps shine at bay for longer than an hour or so, and I really dislike the plastic-y texture of many primers I've tried in the past. I suffer from break-outs and blemishes quite frequently and the thought of layering on another product between moisturiser and foundation hasn't always appealed to me, as rightly or wrongly, it sort of feels like I'm overloading my skin with product. But I've read good things about The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser (£7.50) and as it's targeted towards blemish prone skin I thought I'd give it a go. What with the intense temperatures we're experiencing at the moment in London I'm desperate for something to lock my make-up into place!

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser, £7.50, 30ml

Packaged in a sleek green tube, this fits nicely in my make-up bag without taking up too much room. Although not actually labelled a 'primer' in the product title, it does state on the tube that the Pore Minimiser 'smooths, primes and instantly matifies', which makes it a full blown primer in my book! It has a lovely smooth texture, not at all plastic-y but more of a refreshing cream gel consistency. It smells of soothing tea tree, which I love, and has a slight yellow-green tint to it which, thankfully, doesn't show on the skin at all!

Blob of Tea Tree Pore Minimiser 

Blob fully blended 

I love how cooling it feels on the skin when first applied; it really feels like it's calming my face and it does instantly mattify and create a smoother appearance, blurring pores and blemishes well. Rather than feeling clogging or greasy it feels extremely refreshing and very light weight, and it dries really quickly which is a definite plus. I hate it when primers sit on the skin with a greasy, 'sliding around' feeling for ages after applying. I feel as if this primer is doing good things for my skin with it's antibacterial tea tree goodness, and it works as a brilliant base for make-up. Foundation glides on easily without drying or caking, as does my favourite liquid concealer. 

The question is, does it work? Does it maintain a shine free complexion? Gah! This is where I have mixed feelings, as everything about the application of the Tea Tree Pore Minimiser is perfect! Unfortunately I haven't noticed a huge difference in the longevity of my usual foundations/BB creams. Usually I use Maxfactor's Face Finity 3 in 1 primer, foundation and concealer, which doesn't budge all day, even in the current hot weather, with or without using the Tea Tree primer underneath. But when I substitute Maxfactor for the more lightweight Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation or Maybelline Dream Pure BB cream my base does start to slide after three or four hours having used The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser underneath. I have to use shine control blotting papers and pressed powder to lock in a matt look and I usually end up retouching a couple of times throughout the day, especially my shine prone chin and forehead. 

It's such a shame as I absolutely love everything else about The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser! It's without a doubt my favourite primer in terms of application. From the texture to the cooling sensation to the scent to the immediate matifying and smoothing effect, I really wish this did boost my make-up's longevity a little more. To be fair, it doesn't actually claim to deliver a long lasting base as such, but rather describes itself as being an 'ideal base for make-up', which technically it is. I just wish the effects lasted longer *sobs* However, because of all its other plus points, and especially because it contains spot busting tea tree oil, I'm going to keep on using it regardless of it's unfortunate inability to keep me shine free all day. It just feels so comfortable on the skin and I really like how soothing it is. My break-outs have reduced in redness and my skin feels super soft having been using it every morning for the past week or so. With products like this it always feel like my little beauty loving heart is breaking a little! I'm sure I'll repurchase The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser in the future but I can't help but wish it delivered a little bit more...

Is there a product you love but that doesn't quite do all you'd like it to do? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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