If you've got fairly young, oily to combo skin that just needs a dusting of something to even out skin tone and control oil, this might be a good option. However, if you need the coverage of the original you will be disappointed. A single application covers about as well as a tinted moisturizer. And, at least on me, multiple applications are either ashy (Fairly Light) or orange (Medium Beige). I also had difficulty finding the proper shade. I wear Medium Beige in Original, but the same shade in Matte is darker and much warmer. Even custom mixing Fairly Light and Medium Beige doesn't look quite right. And frankly, this is not a "natural" matte on my combo skin. It's out and out MATTE.
My biggest gripe is the longevity. I'm lucky to get 3 hours out of it if I wear it on it's own. And god forbid I sweat at all, or it's gone immediately. On the plus side, if I use the Hydrating Mineral Veil as a primer, conceal any redness or blemishes with Summer Bisque, apply BE Matte, then finish with Skindinavia's 10 Years Younger setting spray I get a nice natural matte look, 6 hours of wear and a nice oil free T Zone.
I'll be sticking with the original. It takes much less product and effort!
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Bottom line: this product is for those with already-perfect china doll skin looking for a mattifying agent. Anyone else? STAY AWAY!

I wanted to love this, but my skin LOATHES IT. Let me begin by warning you that if your skin is dry AT ALL, even COMBINATION, stay away from this foundation! Without some serious moisturizer and primer, it will prominently feature any fine lines, wrinkles, pores, or any other skin imperfection you can consider. I have my holy grail primer and moisturizer, and the regular BE mineral foundation gives me a lovely glow..... this foundation is an ashy mess. Spend your money on the original.

I love this foundation! I have used it since I was in high school. The reasons I love it are:
It has a very natural look. My skin tone is VERY hard to match. I have blonde hair and blue eyes and can tend to get fair in the winter so I use fairly medium in the winter and when my skin darkens in the summer (no matter how much sunscreen I use) switch to medium tan. Both of the colors match my skin perfectly! I really like that there is no shimmer to the matte, but the matte doesn't make your skin look completely flat. It stays on all day and I typically don't reapply it unless I am going out after work for the night. I love this product and I will always stay true to it. I have tried other foundations and nothing holds a flame to it. The only problem I have is that I need to use a different concealer with it because even with the concealer brush I can't hide the plaguing dark circles under my eyes.

I have a love hate relationship with this product.
>I HATE it because: They don't have my exact color!!! It gives me a powdery finish which can make me look ashy which leads to me looking all cakey at times.
>I LOVE it because: Since BE doesnt have my color i was forced to get a color darker which i then purchased medium tan (cool) and golden tan (warm). It gave a me a nice fake tan that looked real as long as i applied it on my neck and chest to match if you know what i mean. It made me look smokin hot. It also did not break me out. continued >>

I have used this foundation for years -- since it came out, even. I have tried every other new foundation as well (I'm definitely THE "consumer" that gets sucked into trying the new stuff), but I always come back to this. It does take some getting used to if you are a newbie, but seriously, it provides as much coverage as you want or need, it lasts for hours (especially if you use a primer, which I do because my skin is so oily -- Smashbox and L'Oreal make great primers IMO), and it washes off completely with soap and water. Not to mention, it has sunscreen in it, which I have put to the test (I burn very easily)! I really like using Benefit's Erase Paste to cover redness, blemishes, or blotchy spots first, then top everything off with this. My only complaint is (as with ANY foundation I have found) that I am super fair, and the lightest shade is still not completely "right" -- so I mix in a little of my favorite transparent loose powder or even the "Mineral Veil" is okay. And I definitely love the new packaging of this foundation, with the twist-top -- a lot less messy and certainly less wasteful! Awesome!

AMAZING. This powder foundation has the nest coverage, skin benefits, and over performance of any foundation I have EVER used. It mostly keeps me shine-free, but I know that 100% shine free all day is impossible for me. The Original Foundation (Powder) is equally as amazing. In fact, I have both. The whole starter set (Foundation, Bronzer, MineralVeil and brushes) are fantastic. I will forever be a fan. <3 continued >>

I have very oily/acne prone skin and this has been a true lifesaver along with my Estee Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer. I highly suggest the new BE Matte Foundation, I wore Bare Minerals about 3 years ago but stopped due to my acne being quite severe and BE not giving me the coverage I needed in addition to continuos blotting with the Tinted Mineral Veil throughout the day. However, this new foundation gives me the coverage I need and I'm in love. Now I have to be honest, if you experienced itching and irritation with the old formulas it may be due to the fact that Bismuth Oxychloride is in the original but not the Matte formula. I started using the new BE Matte about 3weeks ago in addition to the Dermalogica Clean Start line and my skin is in definitely getting better.

I had stopped using Bare Escentuals for a few years. Recently I tried the matte version in fairly light. I fell in love. It has great coverage and does not accentuate lines or pores. It is matte but not flat. I used the original prime time, hydrating mineral veil, well rested as concealer and faux tan as a bronzer. The finish was beautiful. It did not get shiny after sweating. This is my daily foundation now. Truly amazing!

It's a very nice powdered foundation that gives a natural look and at the same time it covers blemishes. But, I found that after a long use, it dried my skin a lot. I would reccomend it for those who have a VERY oily skin, or at least to use it over a nice moisturizing cream.

I tried BE Original several years ago, but the bismuth in it made me itch like crazy by the afternoon, especially in warmer weather.

I recently tried the Matte, thinking the bismuth in the Original formula was the problem. First issue was the color recommended to me, Medium Beige. Too dark/orange. Another SA switched me to Fairly Light. Better, but a bit too yellow for my reddish neutral skin. Also, doesn't cover well and looks flat compared to my usual Clinique Almost Powder makeup.

Second issue started three days into use. It made the skin around my mouth and chin burn and peel. Also, I have two new cystic nodules on my chin, and some mild acne on my cheeks and hairline.

I wanted to like this, but back to the store it goes.