Part of being a #beautyobsessive is coveting iconic products that everyone loves, and TikTokers have hailed a £8.99 foundation as a NARS foundation dupe. What's the other part? Being too skint to afford the real deal because you blew all of your money on the best beauty dupes.
We all know how show-stopping NARS' Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation is. After all, it's an award-winning foundation that offers both long-lasting coverage and a gentle glow for your base. But can we afford to shell out up to £39 every time we need to top up? Unless it's for a special occasion, we're keeping our best foundations firmly under lock and key.
The original NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation
www.lookfantastic.com
NARS have claimed this product is a '16-hour foundation' with medium-to-full coverage and a naturally radiant finish. It's supposedly breathable with a fade-resistant formula that's infused with raspberry, apple, and watermelon extracts to improve the look of skin instantly and over time.
Customer review: "Honestly I could cry at how beautiful this foundation is I’ve spent so much money on others before and really wanted to try this but kept putting it off and now I’m kicking myself that I never brought it sooner. It’s a must have! 😍"
Pros
- Highly rated
- Award-winning
- Infused with natural extracts
Cons
- A more premium product
Best NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation dupes at a glance:
Best viral NARS foundation dupe: Makeup Revolution IRL Filter Longwear Foundation, £9.99 at LookFantastic
Best budget NARS foundation dupe: Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Hydrating Foundation, £8,99 at Boots
That's where the humble dupe comes in. Giving us almost the same pay-off as our favourite spenny brands but for a fraction of the cost, you don't feel bad for using them every day and replenishing them as often as needed. If you're looking for a good foundation dupe, not only have we managed to find the best Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation dupes, but we've also found the best NARS foundation dupes with the help of TikTok.
As with all dupes, a bit like NARS Orgasm dupes that were all over the social media platform, we found ourselves officially #influenced. So, when Amelia Olivia posted the viral video of her favourite dupe for the NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation, we just knew this foundation meant business. As well as that, we've put together some of the best NARS foundation dupes, including one for just £8.99. Here's the best dupes that we could find.
SHOP: The best NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation dupes
Best viral NARS foundation dupe
www.boots.com
A medium to full buildable foundation with a breathable matte formula, it's available in 30 shades. Most likely suit normal to oily skin types best, as it's a demi-matte formula enriched with niacinamide. It should give you a long wear time without much chance of creasing or smudging.
Customer review: "I'm so happy I tried this new foundation. The coverage is flawless and breathable. It lasts much longer than my other Revolution Define Matte Foundation without creasing or caking. No need to touch up for hours even if you have oily skin. When you do get oily, the foundation doesn't slip off like others and does stay put. I am really impressed with this product."
Pros
- Long-lasting wear
- Fantastic coverage
- Vegan and cruelty-free
Cons
- A lot more matte than the NARS foundation
| Best for oily skin |
Best budget NARS foundation dupe
www.boots.com
A fab budget buy for a NARS foundation dupe is the Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Hydrating Foundation. There have been so many side-by-side comparisons of this product on TikTok with beauty enthusiasts calling the dupe 'a dry girl's best friend.' Like the NARS foundation, this hydrating base offers a glowy, dewy and radiant finish with light-reflecting pigments that just glide on. Highly rated at such an affordable price, we cannot resist this one.
Customer review: "Def a Nars dupe! Perfect for everyday wear, can layer on for more coverage."
Pros
- Hydrating formula
- Natural dewy finish
- Contains hyaluronic acid and collagen
Cons
- May not be as longwear as others
| Best for dry skin |
Best highly rated NARS foundation dupe
The L'Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation claims to have a 32-hour wear time, making it the longest-lasting foundation on the list. One to even rival NARS with its long wear potential, we've also heard it's a pretty close dupe for the Radiant Longwear Foundation due to its weightless, breathable finish and fantastic buildable coverage. As the most highly rated product on our list, the L'Oréal Foundation is a real contender.
Customer review: "I’ve used Nars, Giorgio Amarni, Estée Lauder, Mac & more! Don’t get me wrong Nars is an amazing one too, but this is so much cheaper and is amazing. I’ve added it to my subscribe and save! This foundation is dewy, natural and glowing, the best thing is that it is buildable! I have dry and acne prone skin, I have been suffering with some acne around my chin and cheek area and honestly it’s a nightmare finding a foundation. Matte is way too dry and makes cracks in my skin, as-well as looks super cake-y and the acne just looks horrible! I tried this on a whim, but it’s ended up being my favourite foundation!"
Pros
- SPF 25
- Long-lasting wear
- Enriched with vitamin C
Cons
- Can be drying
| Best for oily skin |
Best highly recommended NARS foundation dupe
www.lookfantastic.com
This True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum from L'Oreal offers lightweight coverage while naturally illuminating the skin. Containing hyaluronic acid, this breathable foundation is a gorgeous dewy hydrating base. Truly bringing the glow, the affordable serum had TikTok raving about its similarities to the NARS foundation, so it's more than highly recommended as a dupe. You may want to build up a few layers for fuller coverage.
Customer review: "I love this. It's perfect for my rather dry skin and gives my face a dewy, even, healthy glow (which is all I want from a foundation.) I have a collection of high-end foundations which claim to offer light to medium coverage but I have to say I prefer this L'Oreal tinted serum which far exceeds my expectations."
Pros
- Non-comedogenic
- Suitable for sensitive skin
- Infused with hyaluronic acid
Cons
- Shades are limited
| Best for dry skin |
FAQs
Where to find the best NARS dupes?
If you're living for NARS at the moment, but looking for some affordable dupes then you'll be pleased to know there are definitely a few out there. As well as dupes for NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation, we've also managed to find the best Glossier dupes, too. Including a £9.95 dupe for the dewy Glossier Skin Tint Foundation. Of course, some of the best places to look for dupes include TikTok, YouTube and Twitter.
How to find my NARS foundation shade?
NARS have a shade matching service, although reviews say it gives varying levels of reliability. Matching online can be tricky at the best of times. Try and match as closely to your skin or even to an existing shade in your other favourite foundation. Don't forget to take your undertone into account, too.
If you do end up buying the wrong shade, the best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop Dupes can deepen or add warmth to your tone by mixing in with your foundation. If the shade you've bought is too dark, lighten it up with a lighter shade concealer applied to the highlights of your face.
Of course, matching in store is always the best option. Apply a swatch to the inner part of your wrist to match it to your skin. NARS can be bought at most high street stores such as Boots, John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and more. Although we love a good ALDI make-up dupe, you won't be finding NARS on an ALDI shelf, sorry!
Jade Moscrop is the Commercial Content Editor for heat, specialising in lifestyle topics. When she’s not writing about moisturisers, lipstick dupes and gym leggings, you’ll usually find her on a hot girl walk, buying houseplants or listening to female-fronted rock bands.