How to Contour Your Nose in 5 Steps (2024)

There are lots of crazy contouring tutorials out there, but if marking up your face like an art project doesn’t appeal to you, don’t fret—you can still get a sculpted look with a more natural, real-life finish. One of the trickiest features to get right? The nose. Go too far, and it can look like you tried to contour your nose, which is the opposite of what you’re going for.

There is no one-size-fits-all technique since it depends on the shape of your nose and what your desired result is, but there are a few general tips you can keep in mind. To help us avoid joining the ranks of contour casualties, we asked celebrity makeup artists to show us exactly how it’s done.

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Learn How to Contour Your Nose From Makeup Artist Matin

Meet the Expert

Matinis a celebrity makeup artist and non-toxic beauty advocate, with clients among the likes of Angelina Jolie, Rebel Wilson, Awkwafina, and more.
Mario Dedivanovic is a renowned celebrity makeup artist and founder and CEO of Makeup By Mario. He is also Kim Kardashian's trusted friend and beauty guru.

What Is Contouring?

Before you dive into YouTube videos on how to make your nose look like Kim K's, it's important to know what contouring does for the face. "Nose contouring cinches the most pronounced feature of the face and for some people, it can make them feel more confident if they’re insecure about the shape or size of their nose," says Dedivanovic. "Be careful in the daylight, however, as a contoured nose really looks best under lights or for photos."

Choosing the Right Contour

Surprisingly, Matin advises against contouring with bronzer, since bronzer is often formulated with a warmer hue, which may not look like a natural shadow on all skin tones. Instead, when shopping for contour, look for something with a more neutral, grayish hue (which looks more like a natural shadow than a bronzer).

However, Dedivanovic recommends a cool-toned or neutral bronzer that’s one to two shades darker than your skin to help create a softly sculpted shadow. "My SoftSculpt Bronzer and E 3 Makeup Brush, will help achieve a natural-looking result. The bronzer formula is super lightweight and buildable and won’t require a lot of blending or fussing, making it easier to perfect this technique," he says.

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Map Out Your Lines

For contouring, you can draw some dots or shorter lines down the side of the nose and connect them by blending them with a brush. Depending on the shape of the nose, place the lines where you want to add a slimming effect. Start at the inner brow and work your way down, "Apply right below the inner brow. The closer you are to the bridge of the nose with the bronzer, the more cinched the effect will be," adds Dedivanovic. "A small fluffy brush made for targeted areas will ensure that there aren’t dark, harsh lines running down the nose."

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Contour the Tip

Noses come in all shapes and sizes, and while the tip of your nose is an important part to include in the contouring process, the best practice is to apply a light amount of contouring product so it looks natural. "To make the tip look more sculpted, add a little contour [to the tip of the nose]. Think of contour as a shadow, not a color or a bronzer," says Matin. "You should not be able to see lines or redness." Applying a small line of contour over the nose's bridge allows for the contouring process's next step, the highlight, to stand out more. Dedivanovic likes to blend out the contour on the tip of the nose with a translucent powder to diffuse the product further.

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Highlight the Bridge of the Nose

For his final step, Dedivanovic uses a highlighter down the bridge of the nose and blends it with a smaller brush to thin out the center and contrast against the shadows. This can be done with a lighter concealer that has a matte finish. Avoid using shimmery highlighting powder, as it can be more of a distraction.

No matter your skin tone, Dedivanovic says that anyone can contour their nose. "If you have super deep skin, focus on highlighting the bridge versus creating depth with contour along the sides, and you’ll achieve a similar result," he says. Haven't mastered the art of contouring just yet? Practice, practice, practice. "I don’t think nose contouring should necessarily be an everyday technique since it takes a bit of practice to achieve a more natural, softly sculpted look," says Dedivanovic.

FAQ

How do you blend contour makeup?

Once you've applied the makeup to your face, you can blend using a foundation brush or a blending sponge, patting until the two shades blend together and the look isn't quite so severe.
What kind of makeup should you use to contour?

You can either use a contour palette or a light foundation or concealer paired with a darker (i.e. bronzer-like) shade for definition. Contour kits make the job very easy and there are several high-quality versions we love.
What parts of the face can you contour with makeup?

You can really contour your entire face, from the forehead to the neck. Makeup artists most often use the contour technique to shape the nose, cheeks and forehead.