Rare Beauty, the cosmetics empire spearheaded by global superstar Selena Gomez, has once again disrupted the beauty landscape with the highly anticipated launch of its True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation. Arriving on April 2, this new complexion offering marks a significant evolution for the six-year-old brand, which, despite its meteoric rise to fame with its viral liquid blushes, has been strategically building its presence in the foundation category. This launch follows a three-year intensive development period, with Gomez herself working closely with Chief Brand Officer Joyce Kim to perfect the innovative formula. Notably, Gomez provided a real-world, high-stakes test for the foundation, wearing it discreetly throughout the awards season in early 2025 and even on her wedding day to Benny Blanco in September 2025, a testament to her confidence in its performance.
"I got to test it toward the end of Oscars season [2025], and then I started wearing it for everything after that," Gomez shared from her El Segundo, California, office. "It was really hard to keep it a secret because even on my wedding day, I was like, Oh, I want to tell people that I’m wearing it." This intimate reveal underscores the personal investment and belief Gomez has in the product’s capabilities.
The journey to the True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation is not Rare Beauty’s first foray into complexion products. The brand initially launched its Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation in 2020, coinciding with the brand’s debut. While this initial offering garnered a mixed reception, with some users noting it could be drying and challenging to build coverage without settling into fine lines, the brand has evidently learned from this feedback. The new True to Myself foundation is not a mere reformulation but an entirely distinct product. The Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation is being phased out, evidenced by its removal from major retail platforms like Sephora’s website, signaling a clear strategic shift.
Innovation in Packaging and Accessibility
A key highlight of the True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation is its thoughtfully designed packaging, a core tenet of Rare Beauty’s product development philosophy. Gomez and Kim have prioritized accessibility, ensuring the packaging is user-friendly for a wide range of consumers. The foundation features a pump mechanism, a deliberate choice to provide precise product dispensing.
"Every year, we have a dedicated new launch that’s really custom-built around accessibility in terms of packaging," Gomez explained. This commitment extends beyond just the pump. The brand has previously implemented features like adding a matte spray finish to bottles to improve grip for those with dexterity challenges. For the True to Myself foundation, the absence of a traditional cap was a conscious design decision. "Gomez hates caps," Kim humorously noted, revealing the inspiration behind the bottle’s unique lock feature, which mirrors the innovative design of the brand’s popular eau de parfum.
This focus on inclusive design is deeply personal for Gomez. "People who have dexterity challenges like myself… I want my products to feel comfortable for people who have any sort of challenges that way," she stated. "I think it makes our brand a little bit of what we wanted it to be, which is that everyone feels included and seen." This sentiment aligns with Rare Beauty’s overarching mission to promote self-acceptance and mental well-being through its products.
Formula Breakdown: The Science Behind the Matte Finish
The True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation is engineered as a 3-in-1 product, boasting self-priming and self-setting capabilities, designed to streamline the makeup application process. Chief Brand Officer Joyce Kim acknowledged that while the brand’s initial foundation offered a "beautiful serum quality" and a "professional blowout kind of look," the team actively listened to consumer feedback. This led to the development of a product that is "easy to use [with] not as many steps."
Selena Gomez demonstrates a minimalist approach to application, using a single pump of the foundation blended across her entire face with the new Soft Touch Makeup Blending Sponge. Kim elaborated on the formula’s versatility, noting it can be sheered out for a lighter finish or built up to medium-to-full coverage with a brush.
The choice of a matte finish, rather than the dewy, luminous finishes that have dominated recent beauty trends, is a strategic move informed by evolving market dynamics. Kim observed a shift in makeup trends beginning around three years prior, with an increasing preference for breathable, natural-looking matte finishes and fuller coverage compared to the "no-makeup makeup" aesthetic. "We’re seeing so many matte, full-beat faces and we’re excited for that," Kim stated. "But a lot of our customers are also experiencing Rare for the first time, wearing makeup for the first time, and you can still use this and really sheer it out." Furthermore, matte formulas generally offer superior longevity, supporting the foundation’s "self-setting" claims.
According to a press release, the foundation’s performance is attributed to "advanced film formers acting as a primer to extend wear and keep the finish fresh, while finely milled powders lock in coverage all day." Gomez herself vouches for its impressive staying power. "On my wedding day, I was sweating like a pig," she recalled. "I was so excited, so nervous… My hair was having little curls come out from the sweat, but my makeup was flawless."
Ingredient Analysis and Skin Type Considerations
The formula incorporates Rare Beauty’s proprietary True Comfort Complex, a blend of sodium hyaluronate, ginger root, and algae extract, designed to maintain skin hydration and prevent the foundation from settling into fine lines. However, Kim advises that proper skin preparation is still crucial, especially for individuals with dry skin. "If it has a matte finish, inherently, it’s better for a little bit more of a combo/oily skin," she noted. For those with normal or dry skin, applying a moisturizer beforehand is recommended, with sunscreen being a daily essential.
To gain a deeper understanding of the formula’s performance, cosmetic chemist and product developer Ramón Pagán provided an expert analysis. He highlighted the presence of dimethicone as the first ingredient, a common component in blurring primers. "Dimethicone itself denotes a wide range of ingredients that can be used, but this is generally the main ingredient we see in blurring primers, since it helps to smooth the canvas and diffuse light to help blur," Pagán explained. This suggests the foundation’s initial application behaves more like a smoothing primer than a traditional water-based foundation, promising a refined base. "I think it could really get the job done in creating a smooth, even base on application," he added.
Regarding its setting claims, Pagán pointed to isododecane, a volatile hydrocarbon that evaporates quickly, creating a "setting" effect. While suitable for dry skin, he suggests that "you want true longwear or have oily skin" might benefit from additional powder setting. The silicones within the formula also contribute to preventing the foundation from settling into fine lines, acting as "super lightweight and versatile" ingredients that diffuse light and create a smooth canvas.
Long-wear foundations, Pagán explained, rely on a strategic combination of components: a pigment-suspending base, volatile ingredients for setting, and film-forming agents for durability and resistance to transfer, sweat, and water. Silicones are instrumental in achieving this balance, providing sweat and sebum resistance while maintaining flexibility. The skin-care ingredients, such as sodium hyaluronate for hydration and ginger root and algae extract for their antioxidant, soothing, or skin-regenerating properties, further enhance the formula’s feel and finish, contributing to a plumper appearance.
Expanding the Shade Range: Inclusivity at its Core
A significant improvement with the True to Myself foundation lies in its expanded and refined shade range. Rare Beauty has meticulously addressed feedback from its community, focusing on undertone accuracy across various skin tones. "We listened to our community, and there were some undertones that we definitely had to work on," Kim stated. The brand has developed a comprehensive range featuring cool, warm, and neutral tones, organized into six distinct color families. The collection comprises 48 shades, spanning light, light-medium, medium, medium-deep, and deep categories.
To ensure precision, the team engaged models for shade testing, revising formulations until the undertones were deemed correct. They are confident that an online tool, alongside in-store matching, will help consumers find their ideal shade. Gomez herself admits to using multiple shades depending on her desired look and seasonal skin tone variations.
Editor and Influencer Reviews: Real-World Performance
The True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation was put to the test by a panel of beauty editors and writers, offering diverse perspectives on its performance across various skin types and concerns.
Liz Denton, Beauty Writer: Denton, a 41-year-old with drier skin and hyperpigmentation, typically favors tinted sunscreens or dewy formulas, wary of matte foundations accentuating fine lines. She found shade 9N, a light neutral, to be a good match. After moisturizing and applying one pump of the creamy foundation with her hands and the new sponge, she cautiously added a second pump for more coverage. While initially nervous, the blended result was "pretty seamless," representing a significant improvement over the brand’s previous foundation. She noted receiving numerous compliments and found it to be a satisfactory full-coverage option for specific occasions.
Annie Blay-Tettey, Associate Beauty Editor: With oily skin, Blay-Tettey embraced the matte resurgence. She found the foundation’s velvety finish comfortable, especially with thorough skin prep. Shades 41 and 42 were near-perfect matches. She appreciated the formula’s blendability and the subtle glow it left, even after setting with powder. She anticipates using it on low-key makeup days without powder for all-day wear.
Alessandra Foresto, Managing Editor: Foresto, whose skin has become drier with age, typically opts for skin tints. However, she found the foundation (shade 24) effective for covering a persistent eczema breakout around her lips, providing much-needed coverage. While it performed well, she noted a slight tightness in the affected area after a full day. She also commented on the packaging, finding the off-white top prone to staining.
Jesa Marie Calaor, Senior Beauty Editor: Calaor, who has dry, dehydrated, and sensitive skin, usually prefers dewy foundations but sought a matte option for events. Shade 32 was a good match. After diligent skin prep with moisturizer and hydrating sunscreen, she applied one pump with a dense brush. While the initial application felt thick and highly pigmented, colleagues praised her "red carpet-ready" look.
Jenny Bailly, Executive Beauty Director: Acknowledging her preference for dewier finishes, Bailly, a ’70s baby, approached the matte foundation with skepticism. Using shade 5 and applying it with a damp Beautyblender, she found a little went a long way. She achieved impressive, non-cakey coverage but found the finish "too flat" for her liking, feeling a bit "dusty" after a few hours.
Dianna Singh, Features Director: Singh, who rarely uses matte foundation unless for specific events, was initially unimpressed. However, on a second attempt with more rigorous skin preparation (exfoliation and richer moisturizer), she found the foundation much more agreeable. She highlighted the impressive shade selection (shade 2 being her match) and the satisfying lock-and-unlock mechanism of the packaging.
Conclusion: A Refined Approach to Complexion
The Rare Beauty True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation represents a considered evolution for Selena Gomez’s brand. It addresses previous critiques, innovates in packaging accessibility, and offers a sophisticated matte formula designed for longevity and performance. While matte finishes may not suit every skin type or preference, the brand’s commitment to shade inclusivity, user experience, and the underlying science of its formulation positions this foundation as a significant contender in the competitive beauty market. The positive feedback from a diverse group of editors suggests that Rare Beauty has indeed honed its approach to complexion, offering a product that caters to both trend-driven consumers and those seeking reliable, high-performance makeup.
