We curate our Instagram feeds to highlight life's brightest moments and our most photogenic selves. And when that fails? Well, there's always a filter for that (shoutout to Mayfair!).
But when it's time to dupe the insta-filter effect—the kind that Jennifer Lopez has mastered—IRL?
Turn to blurring lotions—moisturizer-primer hybrids typically applied under makeup (or alone) that use light-bending cross polymers to smooth skin and diffuse the appearance of large pores and fine lines.
Think of it as a primer upgrade that everyone can benefit from. "Because of the priming aspect, they give a flawless base for foundation," E! Style Collective Member and celebrity makeup artist Ashley Rebecca said.
Some formulas are paste-like and are equipped to absorb excess oil. Others, better suited for drier skin, have the consistency of a light body lotion.
Not sure which blurring lotion is right for you? Read on to meet your match.
Leave it to San Francisco's biotech-meets-beauty company to create a blurring product with powerful anti-aging ingredients; squalene, glycerin and SPF 30 hydrate and protect, algaes are included to help fight burgeoning wrinkles and polymers create the blur.
Algenist Sublime Defense Anti-Aging Blurring Moisturizer, $75
Look closely: This primer is formulated with a slight green tint, which helps counteract redness while smoothing skin.
Maybelline Face Studio Master Prime Blur + Redness Control, $10
Our pick for dry skin is also ethical: This burring cream goes on matte, but delivers hydration thanks to glycerin and a cocktail of oils including organic, community fair trade babassu oil.
The Body Shop Drops of Youth Wonderblur, $25
This fragranced cream, best for those who don't suffer from sensitive skin, is a great option for side sleepers who wake with a complexion marked with weird creases; the lotion can act as a mild filler to help smooth lines formed overnight.
L'Oreal Paris RevitaLift Moisture Blur, $25
Leave it to MAC to create a blurring lotion that is particularly makeup friendly. This liquid lotion not only plays well with a variety of foundation types, it goes on smoothly and dries to a matte finish that doesn't minimize glow.
MAC Cosmetics Remineralize Timecheck Lotion, $44
Pro tip: Not all blurring products are stamped with the word "blur." This tinted lotion, which hit the market long before blurring lotions saturated the scene, can double as tinted moisturizer in a pinch and goes a long way to buffing away the appearance of pores and excess oil. We particularly like the consistency, which turns into a powder-like finish when blending.
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer, $45
This paste falls on the dryer side of the blurring lotion spectrum and is a great choice for oily skin types looking to smooth the appearance of skin before applying daily makeup. The best way to apply blurring lotions, no matter what their consistancy? Sparingly and with the fingers, said ESC member Julianne Kaye, "so the product warms up and works into the face."
Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer, $39