Beauty review: Rare Beauty True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation

Despite my obsession with all things new, I have to say that when it comes to foundation I’m a shocking creature of habit. I almost always wear my Erborian CC Cream by day with a little Jane Iredale pressed base if I need to polish things up a little, and by night, I reach for NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare formula or Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk. And yes, I did lose it a little when the latter was reformulated, but I needn’t have worried as the new version is beyond elite.
As a result of all of the above, it takes a lot for a foundation to really impress me enough that it gets added to my weekly rotation. I’ve also largely eschewed matte formulas of late due my increasingly dry skin, so it was a huge surprise to me when I was sent the new True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation by Rare Beauty and fell head over heels in love.

An innovative 3-in-1 product that primes, covers, and sets, Rare Beauty founder, Selena Gomez and chief brand officer Joyce Kim worked on the formula for three years, and Gomez even wore it for her wedding to Benny Blanco (see above) in September 2025. It’s matte but not as you know it, with an incredibly flattering, ultra soft finish that lasts and lasts.
Designed for buildable medium-to-full coverage, it has the most delicious airy, whipped texture that blurs pores and controls shine with a natural, non-drying matte finish, and also promises to be sweat-, humidity-, and smudge-proof without powder. It’s the latter that I think will appeal to so many with skin that’s on the more mature side like myself, as powder is the number one setting product that really settles into fine lines and dulls your glow.

Key to all of the above is the brand’s True Comfort Complex, a blend of sodium hyaluronate, ginger root, and algae extract that keeps skin hydrated and stops the formula from settling into fine lines. I always start my makeup routine with a rich moisturiser too, which is essential under any foundation but especially matte and semi-matte ones.
Special mention also has to made of the formula’s ability to act as a self-priming and self-setting product with built-in film formers and finely milled powders to lock in coverage, which makes it a great choice for travel and if you’re short on time. It also has comes in a sleek, travel-friendly bottle with a convenient twist-lock pump, which also gets two thumbs up.
I’ve found that it’s best to apply this with a damp beauty blender sponge, rather than a brush. Bouncing and pressing it onto the skin this way creates the most uniform, even finish, blending thinly section-by-section, and building up coverage only where needed. And little of this formula goes a long way, so it’s easy to dispense too much. Start with one pump on the back of your hand and apply from there, as it blends out further than you would think!

Available in 48 diverse shades, I have truly fallen hard for Rare Beauty’s True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation, which I think will really come into its considerable power once Aotearoa’s humid summer days return. Its natural, comfortable matte finish that blurs, smooths, and minimises shine without caking will appeal to so many, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Rare Beauty is available at Sephora.