Dior Forever Matte Foundation review: a beauty editor tries the luxurious beauty base

It’s fair to expect big things from a Dior Forever Matte Foundation review. 

I’ve tried a lot of makeup in my time, including many of the best foundations on the market. So I was intrigued to see how Dior’s famous matte formula would compare to my other favorites that don't have quite such a high price tag.

It's luxuriously packaged, as you’d expect from makeup by an internationally renowned fashion house. With a predominantly skincare base and promising transfer-resistant, long-lasting wear, it certainly sounds like a dream formula. But does it deliver when it comes to finish and longevity? Let’s get into how this luxe base fared when I put it to the test. 

Our beauty editor's Dior Forever Matte Foundation review

Dior Forever Matte Foundation packaging

This packaging is minimal and chic, really letting the historic designer brand name do a lot of the talking. It’s a lovely frosted bottle, with the only words emblazoned on the front being “Dior” and “Forever”. Other than that, it's got a nice, silver-edged black lid, and that’s about it. Nothing particularly snazzy to shout about here, but a lovely-looking bottle of foundation nonetheless. 

I'd describe the pump dispenser as a plus, as it keeps the application easy, hygienic, and mess-free. It also gives you a little bit of precision when it comes to squeezing out the desired amount of product as opposed to, say, pump-free bottles that require you to pour out your foundation. All in all, a positive user experience. 

The foundation formula

This formula ticks a lot of my boxes. First and foremost, it’s non-comedogenic, so there’ll be no pore-clogging here. Continuing with the skin-loving theme, the base of this foundation is skincare ingredients – 86% of it to be precise – which makes sense because of how comfortable it feels on the skin (but we’ll get to that). Despite the matte finish, it’s noticeably hydrating. 

Once you've mastered how to apply foundation, this one also promises 24 hours of wear, which, although I couldn't say I'd be wearing it for quite that long, did reassure me that it's got some serious staying power. It also includes the addition of SPF15, which can only ever be positive but adds very little for me. Ask any skin expert and they’ll tell you that we don’t apply nearly enough foundation to achieve the level of protection marked on the packaging. So when you take that into consideration, this isn’t much of an added bonus. But, hey, it’s better than nothing!

How does it look and feel on the skin?

As for how Dior Forever Matte Foundation feels to apply, it’s on the thick side but not overly so, and there's no heavy feeling once it's on your face; it's both comfortable and soft. It does contain fragrance, which is noticeable when you apply and while it's not something that bothers me, I know it's a dealbreaker for some. 

The shade I tested, 1N, was a little darker than my skin tone (my ideal match was out of stock), but not to the extent that I couldn’t buff it in. And it was very easy to buff into the skin, yielding a lovely soft matte finish. The brand claims that the mineral pigments adjust to your skin to “ensure true color,” so I suspect that was also at play here.

Looks-wise this foundation is, in a word, flawless. It’s subtly matte to the point that your skin looks like the best version of itself, not at all flat or chalky-looking. The coverage is buildable, sitting in the 'medium to full' category. It might not be the best pick for someone with extremely dry or dehydrated skin, or who wants very light coverage, but for me this was love at first swipe(s).

How about after a day of wear?

By the end of the day on the occasions I wore this foundation, the coverage was intact and it still felt really comfortable on the skin. It hadn't faded significantly, settled into any fine lines, or creased up, and my makeup generally still felt pretty fresh. There were no occasions where I noticed transfer either. 

I did develop the smallest amount of shine on my forehead by the end of the day, but not to the extent that I was disappointed in the foundation, and certainly not anywhere near my skin's maximum possible shine levels. This would be easily avoided with a little translucent setting powder on my problem oil areas (forehead, cheeks, chin), or with the use of the best primer for oil control. 

Dior Forever Matte Foundation review: My verdict

This is a lovely foundation and I really liked wearing it. It feels luxurious, looks really nice on the skin, and lasts brilliantly, particularly when it comes to the no-transfer promise. If it were down to the formula alone, I’d have no complaints. The one thing I grapple with is the price tag; while there are foundations out there that cost considerably more than Dior Forever Matte, there are also foundations whose results I like just as much, if not more, that are cheaper than this one – Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r, for example. Nobody needs to spend upwards of 40 bucks to find a good quality foundation (and lots of people can't).

However, if that kind of price tag isn’t an issue for you when it comes to makeup, it’s hard not to like the results. It falls into my favorite category of 'healthy matte' in that your skin looks flawless and radiant, but not excessively shiny, and it lasted well both during a day working from home and an evening out to dinner and the pub. There's no doubt I'd happily wear this again.