How to Contour Your Nose in 5 Steps

Contouring is a technique for sculpting and adding dimension to your face by using makeup slightly darker or lighter than your skin color. Unlike everyday foundation and concealer, which typically matches your skin color, contouring involves blending too-dark and too-light shades to create the effect of shadow and light.

Makeup artists will use contouring techniques to enhance the cheekbones, slim the nose, and chisel the jaw.

Incorporating nose contour into your makeup routine allows you to create the illusion that it is slimmer, longer, or straighter. Follow these makeup tips to contour your nose like a pro.

1. 1. Apply after base makeup. Apply primer, foundation, and concealer to your face before starting your nose contour. If you apply your contour lines before this, the effects will not be as visible underneath the rest of your face makeup.
2. 2. Blend with high-quality tools. Blending well is the key to contouring. You’ll use a small, angled makeup brush to create the contour lines on the sides of the nose and a small, fluffy blending brush to blend the lines. Use a clean makeup sponge to blend the contour into the rest of your foundation, which will keep the edges of your nose from looking too dark compared to the rest of your face. Use a fan brush to apply highlighter to the high points of your nose.
3. 3. Choose the right shade. Choose a contour shade a few shades darker than your natural skin tone. A too-light contour color will not yield enough shadow for the desired effect. On the other hand, choosing a too-dark contour color may look less natural and be challenging to blend. Many brands offer contour palettes with various colors suiting different skin tones to make it easy.
4. 4. Consider the formula. Contour products are available in both cream and powder form; the former works best for small, concentrated areas, and the latter is better for blending. Remember that cream contour is more likely to smudge on oily skin. If you have an oily T-zone or skin type, contour powder may be a better option for your needs.
5. 5. Use contour makeup. Some people may use bronzer to contour in a pinch, but a dedicated contour palette will yield the best results. Contour products contain a range of tones dark enough to create shadows on your face. Conversely, bronzer products give the wearer more of a glow and often contain shimmer, which won’t produce the best shadowing effect.

Follow these step-by-step instructions for contouring your nose.

1. 1. Gather your products. Lay your makeup brushes and products out on your work surface. Apply your skincare and the rest of your face makeup—like concealer and foundation—as you usually would. Learn how to apply under-eye concealer.
2. 2. Draw contour lines. Using the darkest shade in your contour palette, draw two parallel, thin lines down the bridge of your nose with your small, angled makeup brush. Tailor the width between the lines to the right look for your face shape. For the appearance of a slimmer nose shape, draw the lines close together but leave some space between them. At the tip of the nose, draw a line to connect the two parallel lines. For a button nose effect, make another horizontal line above the previous one to create a small box on the end of your nose, which you’ll blend in later.
3. 3. Blend the lines. Dragging the powder down the sides of your nose, away from the bridge, blend each line in with a small fluffy brush. Do not blend over the bridge of your nose. Continue blending until the harsh lines of your contour disappear.
4. 4. Add highlighter. Once blended, use a fan brush to apply highlighter down the center of your nose (or the bridge). Add more highlighter to the tip of your nose to finish.
5. 5. Set and blend the contour. Blend any remaining product on the sides of your nose into your foundation and concealer using your makeup sponge to create a natural look. If you’re using cream contour, seal the product with translucent setting powder for a deeper, longer-lasting effect. If you’re using contour powder and the lines are still visible, dust over it with a small amount of the lightest shade to soften.

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