Contouring Nose: Definitive Guide From Pros

Almost every third girl in the world dreams of making her nose refined and aristocratic. And if there is no money, time, or just a desire to go under the surgical knife, you can resort to small tricks like shade correction. Narrow, shorten or straighten – all these problems can be solved not surgically but cosmetically, with the help of nose contouring makeup.

Nose contouring may seem daunting, but it can accentuate your features when done correctly. This post will give you a guide from the pros on how to contour your nose perfectly. I’ve also included tips on matching the contour to different nose shapes. So if you’re looking to give your nose a bit of a makeover, read our tips next!

Things To Consider

Before proceeding directly to the nose contouring makeup, choosing the right shade and format of the sculpting product is essential.

• Ideally, nose contouring makeup should be two shades darker than your natural skin tone;
• If your skin is tanned now, I recommend choosing a contouring product one shade darker than your tanned skin tone. You can use the product even when your tan is gone;
• The nose contouring will look as natural as possible if you prefer a corrector with a cool undertone to create a natural shadow effect;
• Warm brown shades will work for tanned skin with a golden undertone;
• Light sculpting products should be two or three shades lighter than your skin.

Dry Or Cream Corrector: How To Choose The Best For The Nose Contour

Choosing a cosmetic product that suits this is necessary for a good nose correction.

• The cream corrector allows you to line more precisely, is easier to blend, and perfectly blends with the foundation. That’s why it is better suited for everyday makeup;
• The dry concealer is suitable for a softer and quicker contouring nose. It is easy to overdo it, making the shade too saturated and intense. To avoid this, before darkening the sides of your nose, use a brush to remove the excess product on the back of your hand;
• If you do not have dry concealer, use a matte brown eyeshadow, a bronzer, or a brown blush. It is an excellent life hack, but do not overuse it because these products are designed for other purposes.

How To Contour The Nose: Instruction

Read our step-by-step instructions on how to contour your nose properly:

1. Apply Primer And Foundation To The Nose

The first and essential step in nose contouring makeup is primer application. The primer is needed to give a smooth texture to the pores on the nose and more persistence to the makeup as a whole.

Then, apply the foundation as you do in your everyday makeup. The foundation should be the same on the rest of your face. Using a corrector on “bare” skin without foundation and primer can look unnatural, as dark corrector particles will get “stuck” in pores or not blend well, leaving blemishes.

2. Apply Concealer To The Wings Of The Nose

Use a small, flat, faux fleece brush for contouring the nose. In doing so, don’t replicate the natural curves of your nose by tracing around them – this will make your nose look larger and less straight. Instead, resist the natural relief of the nose by drawing straight lines along the “back” of the nose.

3. Use A Light Concealer To Trace Along The Back Of The Nose

Do not make this line too wide; otherwise, the nose will look wider than it is after the correction. Make sure that during nose contouring makeup, all lines are as neat and straight as possible, even before blurring. Uneven lines can give the impression of a crooked nose, but straight lines, on the contrary, can visually make the nose look smoother.

4. Use A Wet Sponge/Dry Brush To Go All Over The Nose

This step is necessary to blur the contour boundaries. If you are using cream concealers, take a damp sponge and tap to blur the borders of the lighter concealer and then move on to the darker. In the case of dry nose contouring, use a fluffy brush to blend the light and then the dark concealer.

Tip! If you want to achieve the most natural effect, apply a small amount of your foundation (if you use a cream contour) or powder of the same shade as the foundation (if you use a dry contouring method) to a sponge/brush before blurring.

5. Apply A Dry Highlighter On The Back Of Your Nose

Brush the dry highlighter along your nose with a small, fluffy eyeshadow brush. Keep a straight line, as any uneven application can make your nose look visually crooked. If you have a long nose, don’t emphasize the tip of your nose with a highlighter, as it will visually make it look even more forward.

Correcting Different Nose Shapes With Contouring

As I have already discussed, it is possible to make the nose wider or narrower, shorter or longer with the help of a correcting agent. It all depends on the task at hand and the application scheme. To change the shape of the nose cosmetically, follow our recommendations:

1. Wide Nose

To make the nose narrower in the area of its “back,” draw the borders of the nose closer to the middle than they are. The lines should start at the frontal bone and go to the end of your nose. 

Draw a thin line along the center with a light corrector and blend it in. If you have wide-nose wings, apply a dark corrector on them and gently blot them out with a sponge. Check in the mirror to see how the correction looks from the side. Make sure you don’t see any clear lines. Do not apply a highlighter to the back of the nose; the makeup contouring a wide nose will be more successful.

2. Long Nose

Visually shorten the nose by darkening the tip and the bridge under the nose. Apply dark concealer to the area and blend it gently. Do not apply a highlighter on the tip of the nose; add it only on the central part of the back.

3. Short Nose

To make the nose visually longer, contouring the nose should be performed as follows: extend the lines of dark correction on the sides of the nose up – to the frontal bone and the orbital line. Don’t forget to shade the darkening in the eye area in the same pattern as the nose contours. And always start moving from the bottom upwards: the most saturated shade should be in the area of the eyebrows, not on the bridge of the nose.

4. Bulbous Nose

How to contour the nose to make the tip of the nose more accurate? A darker shade of creamy concealer will help. Darken the sides of the back of the nose and then draw straight lines to the very tip, disobeying its natural curves. Gently blur the edges.

5. Curved Nose

To hide a hump on your nose from prying eyes, apply a dark corrector on the hump itself. You should do the same in the case of asymmetry: distribute the corrector directly on the area that needs to be corrected. But do not forget to shrink the borders! It is the main secret of natural correction.

Bottom Line

The contouring of the nose is ready! Now you can conquer the world with your beauty without worrying that you have an imperfect nose. But remember, everyone is unique and beautiful in their way.

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