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The easiest way to make your nose look smaller is by using contouring techniques with makeup. Contouring is an illusion you create with makeup by using light and dark complexion products strategically.
Lighter shades are used to highlight the parts of the face you want to bring forward or bring attention to.
Darker shades will create a shadow effect, causing some features to drop back. Another way to think about dark shades when using contour is the areas you want to cancel out.
The best part about makeup is being able to enhance your facial feature, however, and whenever you want.
Nose contouring is the one makeup technique that everyone wants to learn and perfect. But like with any new skill, practice makes perfect.
Two key elements to making your nose look smaller with contour is knowing your nose shape and its imperfections. Being aware of these two things will help you better understand where to place the product to get your desired results.
What You Need to Contour Your Nose
Concealer that is lighter than your skintone
Cream Contour or Contour Stick
Small Blending Brushes
Translucent Powder
Highlighter (Optional)
Is contour stick or powder better?
Using a contour stick is a better choice for a beginner who’s looking to contour their nose. A contour stick will give you a more precise line to work with. Powder is ideal for a more natural contour look.
How To CONTOUR & HIGHLIGHT YOUR NOSE
Contour
- Take your contour shade and look for the point where the side of your nose bridge meets your eyebrows.
Draw a line down each side of your nose. You can decide how long you want your lines to be. This step will determine how long your nose looks.
Here are a few different shapes you can try to get the nose shape you want:
If you want your nose to look shorter and lifted, add a line of contour underneath your nose.
If you want your nose to look longer, draw both lines come straight down your nostrils.
If you want to create a button nose, draw a line across the tip of the nose creating a box or circle shape
If you want the tip of your nose to look thinner, draw 2 diagonal lines at the crease of your nostrils
Take note of how far apart you draw the contour lines. These lines will determine how thick or thin your nose bridge looks.
Highlight with Concealer
- Use your concealer to fill in the gap between your two contour lines and the side of your nose bridge.
Blend
- Use a beauty blender to start blending out the areas that you applied concealer.
Start by blending the sides of the nose. Then very carefully blend the concealer line down the center of your nose.
- Blend out your contour with a brush or by pinching your beauty blender.
Because you put contour in very specific spots, the goal is to blend and keep the product in place. If you use too big of a brush or sponge your nose can turn out looking muddy.
During this step is when you should really take note of your natural nose shape.
If you have a higher defined nose bridge you can blend the contour into the concealer, by working it slightly down the side of your nose. This will add a stronger definition to the natural shadows of your nose.
If you have a falter nose, you want to do the opposite by making sure your contour stays in place. The concealer will help camouflage the parts of your nose you want to be hidden with your under-eye concealer.
I use the Real Techniques Mini Beauty Blender to get a good blend during this step. I love that the sponge is small enough to help avoid moving some of the contour shade in unwanted areas.
Set with Powder
- To set everything in place, use a translucent powder over the areas where you used concealer. Let it sit for a minute then lightly brush the excess powder away.
Highlight (Optional)
If you want to make your nose bridge pop. Take your favorite highlighter on a small eyeshadow brush and draw a short line down the center. Then shade in a small circle to highlight the tip. You can blend this out with the tips of your finger.
Quickest Way to Contour Your Nose
- Starting with a fully set foundation base, grab your favorite bronzer and pick up some of the powder with a flat eyeshadow brush.
Enthusiast Tip: Just because a brush has a specific name doesn’t mean it has to only be used in that area.
- Starting from the inner brow bone, draw a line going straight down both sides of your nose.
- From here, you can contour the tip of the nose however you would like.
- Instead of using concealer, use a highlighter on a small eyeshadow brush and draw a short line down the middle of the nose bridge.
- Shade in a small dot of highlighter at the tip of the nose.
Using an eyeshadow brush and bronzer creates a more subtle contour. This technique is best for natural everyday makeup looks, no makeup looks, and occasions when you need to get ready quickly.
4 Nose Contour Mistakes To Avoid
- Using too much contour
Keep your contour shade to a minimum. Since contour is usually 2-3 shades darker than your foundation it can very easily overpower the concealer.
- Not bringing your concealer up the sides of your nose
This is a mistake I made when I first started learning how to contour my nose. I would blend my contour too far down the sides of my nose, which created an ugly shadow in profile photos. Try to blend in place and if you do decide to blend downwards make sure it is blended well into your concealer for a nice gradient.
- Not making the nose bridge contour too wide
The goal with contouring is usually a smaller nose, not a wider nose. When you first draw your two lines, key the contour close enough before you start blending. Remember your creating a new nose bridge.
- Blending the contour shade up instead of down
The best way to blend for beginners is in place. If you do end up moving product around you can always go back in to correct with more product but do it gradually.
