Shade Guide

NARS to Rare Beauty Foundation Shade Guide

Find your Rare Beauty Liquid Touch shade if you know your NARS Natural Radiant shade.

20NARS shades
21Rare Beauty shades
18Exact matches

Complete Shade Conversion Table

NARS ShadeDepthUndertoneRare Beauty MatchConfidence
Oslo1/12cool110Napproximate
Gobi2/12warm130Wexact
Deauville2/12neutral130Wapproximate
Mont Blanc2/12cool150Cexact
Ceylan3/12warm170Wexact
Salzburg3/12neutral190Nexact
Barcelona4/12warm210Wexact
Punjab4/12neutral210Nexact
Stromboli5/12warm230Wexact
Syracuse6/12warm270Wexact
Vallauris6/12neutral280Nexact
Vanuatu7/12warm310Wexact
Tahoe7/12neutral310Nexact
Cadiz8/12warm330Wexact
Macao8/12neutral350Nexact
New Guinea9/12warm370Wexact
Marquises10/12warm410Wexact
Zambie10/12neutral430Nexact
Trinidad11/12warm460Wexact
Khartoum12/12warm490Wexact

How We Match Shades

Our shade matching system works by comparing two key properties of each foundation shade:

📊

Shade Depth

Each shade is mapped to a universal depth scale from 1 (very fair) to 12 (very deep). Shades with the same depth number are the closest match.

🎨

Undertone

We match warm, cool, neutral, and olive undertones. An exact undertone match plus same depth gives the highest confidence rating.

Confidence Ratings

exactSame depth and undertone — closest possible match
closeWithin 1 shade depth, same undertone
approximateSimilar range, different undertone or 2+ depth difference

Want more precise matching?

Use our full Foundation Shade Matcher to compare across all 13+ brands, or take the Skin Tone Finder quiz first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rare Beauty a good alternative to NARS?

Rare Beauty (Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation) offers comparable shade coverage to NARS (Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation). Both brands provide shades across a wide range of depths and undertones. The best match depends on your specific shade — check the table above for your conversion.

Why doesn't my NARS shade have an exact match in Rare Beauty?

Not all brands use the same depth/undertone combinations. If your shade shows "close" or "approximate", it means Rare Beauty doesn't have a shade with the exact same depth + undertone, but the suggested match is the nearest available option.

Should I go lighter or darker if the match is approximate?

If the match is approximate, we recommend testing the suggested shade in natural daylight. If it looks slightly off, try one shade lighter for a more natural look or one shade darker for more coverage. Many stores in India (like Nykaa, Sephora) offer testers.

How accurate is this shade matching?

Our matching system uses a universal depth (1-12) and undertone (warm/cool/neutral) scale to map shades across brands. "Exact" matches are typically very accurate. "Close" matches are good starting points. Always test on your jawline in natural light for the best result.