As some of you may know from my previous reviews, I am a big fan of the Boots brand No. 7, especially when they are doing the £5 off vouchers, or 3 for 2 across the range.

I recently purchased No 7 Pore Refining Serum, as I have quite visible pores. The 30ml bottle costs £13, or £7 with the voucher. The bottle is the same as the one used for their foundation which I like as they look good together. It is a pump action bottle so easy to just get out the small amount that you need.

The blurb on the back of the bottle reads 'Instantly reduces the appearance of pores with out clever skin perfector. The cooling, hydrating serum gets to work straight away, improving skin condition day by day. With willow bark to clear pores, your complexion looks healthier, brighter and more even, making a great base for make-up'.

Willow bark extract is a well known treatment for people with acne and is also good for sensitive skin.

The directions are to apply to clean skin, so I do this morning and evening after cleansing and toning, and to gently blend in to the areas where your pores are most visible. I apply to my nose as this is my problem area and then moisturiser afterwards. I try to leave it for a couple of minutes to ensure that the serum has a chance to sink in first.


I found the product incredibly fast working - I am sure I could see a difference immediately. Previously I found that make up would cover up my pores to some extent, but it never tended to last and would need retouching, but using the Pore Refining Serum underneath has made the effect longer lasting. I have been using the product now for about 2 months and wish I had found it sooner. It is still not perfect, but there is a definite improvement which has boosted my confidence and reduced the need for make up to cover up.

According to the bottle, 76% of people said that their pores were less visible after 2 weeks, and I am definitely in that 76%.

Thanks for reading. Rachy