Introduction
Fourth Ray Beauty has quietly become the cool kid of the affordable skincare crowd, turning heads with playful formulas that often overdeliver on results. If the name has slipped under your radar, think of it as ColourPop’s skincare savvy sibling: fun, ingredient forward and refreshingly budget friendly.
Enter the Selfie Ready Pore-Refining Serum Stick, a mouthful of a name that practically begs for a spot in your flat-lay. According to the brand it is a lightweight solid that glides on to blur pores, soak up midday shine and leave skin matte yet fresh. Niacinamide leads the charge for refinement, pineapple extract lends a gentle resurfacing touch and oil-absorbing powders promise a soft focus finish perfect for makeup or bare faced days. The scent is a subtle whisper of pineapple, the feel is glide and melt, and you can swipe it morning or night whenever pores need a quick disguise.
I spent two full weeks putting this stick through real life tests: morning commutes, gym sessions, late night deadlines. The goal was simple: find out if the blurring claims stack up and whether it deserves a permanent place in your routine or just a fleeting cameo in your camera roll.
What is Selfie Ready Pore-Refining Serum Stick?
At its core this is a pore treatment, a type of product designed to make enlarged or congested pores look less noticeable by absorbing excess oil and creating a smoother surface. Pore treatments can be helpful for anyone whose skin looks shiny by midday or whose foundation tends to collect around the nose and cheeks. Instead of using a liquid or cream formula Fourth Ray Beauty chose a solid serum texture that glides over skin and then melts on contact, leaving behind a thin veil of oil absorbing powders.
The formula leans on niacinamide to support balanced sebum production and even tone, while pineapple extract supplies mild enzymatic exfoliation. Silicone derivatives give the instant blur effect you can actually see in the mirror and silica helps mop up oil so makeup sits more evenly. The brand positions it as the last skincare step before makeup but it can also work solo whenever you want skin to look a touch more refined without layering additional coverage. Suitable for morning or evening use it is free of added fragrance parabens gluten SLS/SLES phthalates and formaldehyde which will matter to ingredient watchers even if your skin is not particularly reactive.
Did it work?
In the name of science I benched my usual pore treatment for three days before the trial began, a small sacrifice that made me feel like a very serious lab technician with a bathroom mirror for a microscope. Fourteen days felt like a fair window to watch for both quick optical blurring and any longer term changes in oil flow and texture.
I used the serum twice a day, morning and evening, gliding a thin layer over my nose, cheeks and the middle of my forehead after moisturizer and before sunscreen or makeup. The very first swipe delivered exactly what it promised: a clean matte finish and a soft focus haze that dulled the shine on my T-zone within seconds. Foundation laid down smoothly on top and, impressively, did not break apart around the nose until roughly the four hour mark — a win on busy office mornings.
Midday touch ups were necessary on warmer days. A second application revived the blur but also began to feel slightly waxy by late afternoon if I had reapplied more than once. I did appreciate that even with multiple layers my skin never felt suffocated and I experienced zero tingling or redness, which speaks well to the gentle ingredient list.
By the end of week one I hoped to see a small reduction in overall oil production or at least in the size of the pores on my cheeks. What I actually observed was more subtle: a mild decrease in midday shine and a slight improvement in makeup longevity, yet my pores looked the same once the product was fully cleansed off. Into week two the pattern held. The niacinamide may well be doing quiet background work but any lasting refinement was too faint for the naked eye.
After fourteen days my verdict is that Selfie Ready Pore-Refining Serum Stick does deliver instant blurring and temporary mattification, making it a handy cosmetic quick fix before photos or meetings. However it did not move the needle enough on sebum control or pore size for me to retire my longtime acid toner or clay mask. I will finish this tube on travel days when I want fuss free touch ups but I will not be purchasing a backup. Still, if you are seeking a friendly price point mattifier that plays nicely with makeup and sensitive skin this is one of the better options on the shelf.
Main ingredients explained
The star player is niacinamide at a mid-range percentage that aims to dial down excess oil while brightening post-blemish marks. Dermatologists love this B3 derivative because it strengthens the skin barrier and reduces redness with very little irritation risk. Used consistently it can help pores look tighter over time, although in this stick the quick mattifying effect comes more from other ingredients.
Pineapple fruit extract brings a hint of bromelain, an enzyme that can dissolve surface dead cells for a smoother texture. The concentration feels gentle enough for daily wear so you are unlikely to experience the tingling common with stronger exfoliants, yet you still get a slow-and-steady polishing benefit. Supporting fruit extracts like apple, lime and strawberry supply antioxidants that mop up environmental stress though their impact is subtle given they sit lower on the list.
Instant blur is delivered by a blend of silicone elastomers such as phenyl trimethicone and dimethicone crosspolymers plus oil-absorbing silica and potato starch. These form a breathable mesh that scatters light so pores and fine lines look softened. Caprylic/capric triglyceride, rice bran wax and sunflower seed wax give the stick its glide and cushion. While these emollients feel featherweight they do show up on some comedogenicity charts; anyone prone to clogged pores might patch test first because a comedogenic ingredient is one that can block follicles and trigger bumps in susceptible skin.
The formula is free of added fragrance yet the pineapple note comes through courtesy of the fruit extract, so sensitive noses get a soft scent without synthetic parfum. No animal-derived components appear in the INCI so the product is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. It is also paraben, phthalate and gluten free which will matter to ingredient purists.
Pregnancy safety is a nuanced subject and although niacinamide and the mild fruit enzymes are generally considered low risk, the inclusion of hexylresorcinol and a handful of essential oil extracts means expecting or nursing users should run the full list past their healthcare provider before swiping. Lastly those yellow lake pigments that tint the stick are certified cosmetic colorants, but if you have a known sensitivity to dyes keep the possibility of irritation in mind.
What I liked/didn’t like
After two weeks of steady use these are the points that stood out most clearly.
What works well:
- Delivers an immediate soft focus blur that tones down shine without making skin feel tight
- Lightweight glide layers smoothly under makeup and extends foundation wear by a few hours
- Gentle niacinamide based formula caused no stinging or redness and skips common irritants like parabens and phthalates
- Price sits comfortably in the accessible range for a specialty pore product
What to consider:
- Results are cosmetic and short term so pores look unchanged once the product is removed
- Multiple touch ups can leave a slightly waxy film that may bother those who dislike any residue
- Contains a few emollients that may not suit skin extremely prone to clogging
My final thoughts
Skincare is a marathon, not a quick sprint to blurry perfection, and the Selfie Ready Pore-Refining Serum Stick lands comfortably in the middle of the pack. It nails the instant mattifying brief, feels gentle and sits well under makeup, yet never quite graduates from cosmetic helper to true pore rehab. On balance I give it 7.5/10. I would recommend it to friends who struggle with midday shine, enjoy a fuss-free swipe-and-go step and are not expecting miracles once the cleanser hits at night. If your goal is a long-term reduction in pore visibility you may need to double-team it with chemical exfoliants or retinoids.
For context, I have rotated through more pore treatments than coffee mugs and feel I gave this stick a fair run. Those with combination to oily skin looking for a quick blur will likely be pleased. Dry or very texture-focused users might find the payoff too fleeting, and anyone extremely prone to congestion should patch test first thanks to the emollients inside.
If you are curious about alternatives I have had solid results with a few other formulas. Deascal’s Poreless Perfection Serum is an excellent all-rounder that noticeably tightens the look of pores over a month of use and plays nicely with every skin type at a sensible price. Paula’s Choice Pore-Reducing Toner brings niacinamide plus soothing antioxidants in a watery base that layers effortlessly and steadily refines texture. StriVectin’s Super Shrink Pore Minimizing Serum offers a gentle retinol spin for those comfortable with an active night regimen. Finally Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow PHA+BHA Pore-tight Toner pairs mild acids with hydrating actives to keep flakes at bay while it smooths out the T-zone. Each of these has earned a repeat spot in my cabinet and gives a different route to the same goal of quieter, less flashy pores.
Before adding anything new remember the basics: cleanse well, hydrate appropriately and protect with SPF because no pore serum can outshine sun damage. Please do a patch test on a small area first (I know, I sound like an over-protective parent) and keep expectations realistic. Results only stick around with consistent use and even then pores will never vanish completely. That said a dependable mattifier like this one can make the daily mirror check a little kinder which, in my book, is always worth the swipe.