How to Contour Your Nose Like a Pro

Ah, the wonders of contouring! In just a few, seamless swipes of your makeup brush, you can magically enhance the look of your face’s natural structure by defining your cheekbones, awakening your eyes or sculpting your jawline. But one of the trickiest features to mark up? The nose. If done correctly, it can do wonders to your face. But if it's done wrong, you can end up with an overly-dark and under-blended mess — in other words, the exact opposite of what you were going for. 

The key to expertly contouring your nose is picking the right shades, using the right makeup tools, and of course, blending, blending, blending. Ready to give it a shot? Keep scrolling for our foolproof step-by-step tutorial on how to contour your nose like a pro.

1. Prep Your Face 

The cardinal rule of applying makeup is always starting with a base. Think of your face as a fresh canvas. It needs to be prepped and primed in order to carry on with your makeup routine. Using a good moisturizer on cleansed skin followed by a primer ensures that every product you apply afterwards goes on smoothly and stays put all day, so you don’t end up wasting all of that time perfecting your look. 

Fortunately, there’s a face primer for just about every skin type. If you’re looking for a breathable formula that delivers a hydrating glow, the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Lock Makeup Primer is your best bet. If you tend to have oily skin, choosing a matte primer — like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Makeup Primer — helps control any excess sheen.

Once you've applied your primer, you can start blending in your favorite foundation and concealer. Need a recommendation? The L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup comes in 45 true-to-you shades that provide medium coverage and a natural finish. Bonus: It's formulated with SPF 17, too. Pair it with our new L'Oréal Paris True Match Eye Cream in a Concealer, 0.5% Hyaluronic Acid for a flawless finish.

2. Pick Your Contour

Now for the fun part: Start with a cream contour that’s one to two shades darker than your skin tone. If you don’t have a contour kit, you can also use a concealer — we love the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer Waterproof  — or a bronzer, such as the L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Bronze It Bronzer.

Using a thin brush, paint a line on both sides of your nose. The closer together you place the lines, the more defined your nose will look. Once you’re happy with your work, use your makeup tool of choice to blend any harsh lines out.

3. Finish Things Off With A Highlighter

Once you’ve finished blending, reach for a luminous highlight to add dimension to your face. Using your favorite highlighter, draw a line directly down the center of your nose and dab a bit on the tip, then blend out with your fingertip. 

Give the L’Oréal Paris True Match Glow Nude Highlighter Palette a try to achieve your ideal illumination. It comes in four blendable shades that you can mix and match to create a customized color made just for you.

4. Set Your Makeup

To keep your contour and highlight in place, sweep the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Sweep & Lock Loose Setting Face Powder over your nose and the rest of your makeup. One swipe adds a soft focus, matte effect as it sets makeup.

Another option you can try is the L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Spray and Set Make-Up Oil-Free Setting Spray. It's a long-lasting makeup extender that keeps makeup in place and prevents it from setting in fine lines.

Next: How to Contour Like a Pro Makeup Artist

Edited by Sophie Dweck, Photo Credit: Chaunte Vaughn