NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation: a Guru Score of 67%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Excess oil and shine1 expert

“I've never been able to skip setting powder with any other foundation without feeling super greasy at the end of the day, so this is a win for me.”

Allie Glines, watch at 16:01

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Skin Obsessed Mary

33k subs

~Yay

"This is the one that finally solved the problem. It is the Nars Natural Matte Longwear Foundation in the color Patagonia. It's not flat, and it's not matte. [...] It just looks like skin, but better. It's got that nice sort of satin finish to it. And generally, I don't even need to seal this in with a powder. Another great thing about it is that instead of going patchy as it wears throughout the days, it just sort of subtly fades away."

Top Pick: longest-wearing foundation

All 3 takes from Skin Obsessed Mary

Fast, Forgiving Makeup at 55

"My favorite foundation these days is still the NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation. This is the longest-wearing foundation I own, and I love the finish. It's not too matte, despite its name -- I don't know why they called it that -- but it's also not too glowy. It's just this really natural satin finish, which is surprisingly difficult to find. The only issue is that it's just too light for me right now."

I Know Better. I'm Doing It Anyway

"I am going to bring what I consider my holy grail makeup duo, and one half of it is the Nars Natural Matte Longwear Foundation. [...] I might wear it, I might wear both pieces of the duo, or I might wear neither."

If I Lost My Makeup Bag Tomorrow, Here's What I'd Buy First

"This is the one that finally solved the problem. It is the Nars Natural Matte Longwear Foundation in the color Patagonia. It's not flat, and it's not matte. [...] It just looks like skin, but better. It's got that nice sort of satin finish to it. And generally, I don't even need to seal this in with a powder. Another great thing about it is that instead of going patchy as it wears throughout the days, it just sort of subtly fades away."

Abbey Yung

886k subs

~Nay

"Wear is inconsistent for me, [...] mostly not great, [...] it can break down and cling and look dry in places, and it's even given me an orange, oxidized foundation mustache. [...] I feel like there are way too many cons to justify the high price point when there are amazing drugstore options [...] that don't give me any of these issues, so this is just not for me."

All 2 takes from Abbey Yung

Sephora VIB Sale Haul (The 20 New Launches I’m Testing)

"Oh my gosh, am I going to be obsessed with this? I could see this being more of a skin-like matte. I do see that it's starting to get a little more matte. I feel like I'm going to enjoy putting this on my skin more than Rare Beauty, but we'll obviously see."

I Tried 20 New Viral Beauty Products... Don't Waste Your Money

"Wear is inconsistent for me, [...] mostly not great, [...] it can break down and cling and look dry in places, and it's even given me an orange, oxidized foundation mustache. [...] I feel like there are way too many cons to justify the high price point when there are amazing drugstore options [...] that don't give me any of these issues, so this is just not for me."

Allie Glines

829k subs

~Yay

"Nars make some of the best foundations I feel like and this new one is no exception. It's the shade Mont Blanc, which is honestly a little bit deep for me. I feel like I could go for a shade lighter than this, but it's seriously so beautiful. [...] Even though this is technically a matte foundation, it's not like a flat matte though. Like, it doesn't look lifeless. It still has a really beautiful natural finish."

All 4 takes from Allie Glines

Did the NEW NARS Foundation Just Take First Place?! (Wear Test)

"I really like this because it looks fresh, very skin-like, very healthy. It gave great coverage, it's weightless. I have no notes and it looks really pretty on the skin. There's a little tiny bit of settling in my pores, but with no setting powder, for that to happen [...] is honestly crazy. [...] I've never been able to skip setting powder with any other foundation without feeling super greasy at the end of the day, so this is a win for me."

NEW Rare Beauty Eye Collection... Better This Time?!

"I've been loving this NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation. I'm going to [...] buff it all over the skin and press it in with my sponge."

My Unexpected FAVORITES from Last Month!!

"I tried this in my video without any powder and it looked glorious all day long. I have since tried it with powder the way that I normally do in my T-zone and it looks just as good, just with a little more control in the T-zone for me. It's a really innovative, high quality foundation with really nice glass packaging, weighted, with a red pump."

Umm.. Testing NEW Makeup!!

"Nars make some of the best foundations I feel like and this new one is no exception. It's the shade Mont Blanc, which is honestly a little bit deep for me. I feel like I could go for a shade lighter than this, but it's seriously so beautiful. [...] Even though this is technically a matte foundation, it's not like a flat matte though. Like, it doesn't look lifeless. It still has a really beautiful natural finish."

Alexandra Anele

1.45M subs

~Mixed

"I loved the finish. Problem is my skin congestion prone, acne prone. Heavier matte foundations like this tend to make me break out. And guess what? This one did exactly that. Loved the finish. I loved it. But like at the end of the day, I ended up with two big breakouts that weren't there in the morning. I tested it a couple times and the same thing happened."

All 2 takes from Alexandra Anele

Oh wow. I think this is it.

"I loved the finish. Problem is my skin congestion prone, acne prone. Heavier matte foundations like this tend to make me break out. And guess what? This one did exactly that. Loved the finish. I loved it. But like at the end of the day, I ended up with two big breakouts that weren't there in the morning. I tested it a couple times and the same thing happened."

So NARS has a new foundation…

"Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the finish. I don't know if it's necessarily worth $55, because that's an expensive foundation, especially considering the tone is not right. [...] I do think that we were able to balance it a bit with a concealer trick -- using a slightly lighter concealer that's a little more on the yellowy side. I don't think that if you're just looking at me you'd be like, 'Her foundation is so not the match,' but I can see that it's not right."

Robert Welsh

1.11M subs

~Nay

"I like some Nars products, I like a lot of Nars products, but the foundation... let's not judge the foundation, let's not talk about it, let's ignore that product."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

Source: DermNet

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Sunscreen filters

Sun protection is the best evidenced way to slow visible ageing, and the filters are what does the work. Mineral and chemical filters both protect when a product is applied thickly enough and often enough, which is where most people fall short rather than on the choice of filter.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation?

A full-coverage liquid foundation in a glass bottle with a pump, designed to give long-lasting, natural-looking coverage with a matte-leaning finish.

Is NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation worth it?

The gurus are split. 2 of the 5 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 67%.

What is NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation's Guru Score?

NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation holds a Guru Score of 67%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 5 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.