NARS Samoa Matte Bronzing Powder Review & Swatches

Samoa

NARS Samoa Matte Bronzing Powder ($38.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark brown with subtle, warm red undertones and a matte finish. It’s a “cooler” toned bronzer in the sense that it doesn’t lean orange or golden. It had semi-opaque, buildable coverage, which is a little higher coverage than described but not that far off.

The texture felt incredibly smooth and silky with light glide, which helped keep it from being too powdery or dry, so the powder applied evenly and sat well on bare skin. It didn’t seem to darken as much as I’ve seen with other matte bronzers from the brand in the past, and it was much more blendable and easy to work with. It lasted nicely for eight and a half hours before fading noticeably.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

View Swatches View All Dupes

Marc Jacobs Beauty Tantalize (106) (P, ) is darker (95% similar).
Tarte Sweet Tea (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
Urban Decay Jawbone (LE, $26.00) is warmer (95% similar).
Urban Decay Nooner (Bronzer) (PiP, ) is lighter (95% similar).
NARS Falaises (LE, $40.00) is darker (95% similar).
Cover FX Suntan Bronze (Left) (PiP, ) is warmer (95% similar).
Kevyn Aucoin Capri (Right) (P, $58.00) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
NARS Casino (LE, $40.00) is warmer (90% similar).
Tarte Crown (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
Fenty Beauty Coco Naughty (P, $30.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).

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Formula Overview

$38.00/0.28 oz. - $135.71 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be "buildable" and "long-lasting." The pigmentation was more semi-opaque to opaque rather than truly buildable, but the texture was forgiving so it could be used with a lighter hand or a less-dense brush for more buildable coverage if desired.

The consistency was smooth, velvety, and had some glide to it, which helped the powder apply and blend out exceptionally on bare skin without darkening too noticeably (as matte powders often can). There was a slight bit of powderiness in the pan, but it wasn't too softly pressed, just the right balance to make it blendable and yielding but not messy to work with. The formula also sat well on skin without looking dry but still kept its matte finish. They wore between eight and nine hours on me before fading noticeably.

Browse all of our NARS Matte Bronzing Powder swatches.

Ingredients

Talc, Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Zinc Stearate, Polybutene, Magnesium Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Oleate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, [+/- (May Contain/Peut Contenir): Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499), Mica, Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850)].