As someone who naturally gravitates towards hydrating, luminous foundation formulas, I have to admit I approached the new NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation with a healthy dose of scepticism. Matte foundations have never really been my first choice. With normal-to-dry, mature skin, I usually find they can emphasise texture or leave my complexion looking flatter than I’d like. Give me a radiant, dewy finish any day.
That said, I’ve long been a fan of NARS and have always admired the brand’s ability to create beautifully wearable complexion products. And since winter is often the season when a matte, velvety finish works, I was more than happy to set my reservations aside and experience the new launch for myself.
The event took place at the absolutely beautiful NARS boutique at the V&A Waterfront, where we were introduced to the brand’s latest complexion innovation. Designed as a pore-perfecting, serum-like liquid foundation, the formula promises breathable comfort and up to 24 hours of wear without feeling heavy or mask-like on the skin.
Leading the presentation was Marco Luis, NARS’ Head of Makeup Artistry for South Africa, who shared his expert tips on getting the best results from the foundation. His top piece of advice? Apply it with your fingers rather than a brush or sponge. The warmth of your hands helps the lightweight formula melt seamlessly into the skin, creating an incredibly natural-looking finish.
The foundation offers medium-to-full buildable coverage with a soft natural matte finish that never looks chalky or overly flat. It’s formulated to control excess oil while remaining breathable, and is designed to resist transfer, sweat, humidity, creasing and water for up to 24 hours—ideal for long days when you need your makeup to work as hard as you do.
What also caught my attention was the skincare-inspired ingredient list. The formula features what NARS calls its Pore-Refining Trio: niacinamide helps smooth the skin’s appearance, peptides work to balance sebum, and Instant Filter Powders create an optical blurring effect that softens the look of pores and imperfections. While it’s important to remember that no topical ingredient can physically shrink pores, clinical studies found that the formula visibly improves the appearance of pores and overall skin texture after just two weeks of continued use.
Full day wear trial using the NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation in shade M2 Santa Fe
My biggest takeaway, however, was the texture. It is simply beautiful. Despite being a matte foundation, it feels incredibly lightweight, almost like a serum, and glides effortlessly onto the skin. Rather than leaving my complexion looking dry or over-powdered, it delivered a refined, velvety finish that still looked like real skin—something I wasn’t expecting at all.
What a spoil! The press gift included three Natural Matte Longwear shades closest to our skintone.
Has this converted me into a lifelong matte foundation wearer? Probably not. But it has certainly changed my perception of what a matte formula can be, and how great it can feel on the skin. If you’ve been hesitant for the same reasons I have, this is one that’s well worth experiencing for yourself.
NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation retails for R1,205 (BUY) and is available from NARS boutiques in Sandton and the V&A Waterfront, as well as ARC stores nationwide and online.
“Foundation should hold up and never let you down.” — François Nars, Founder & Creative Director.
