Like most millennials, the first evidence of nose contouring I saw came courtesy of Kim Kardashian and her make-up artist Scott Barnes in 2015. The grainy image uploaded to Instagram caught the SKKN By Kim founder mid-glam with a paint-by-numbers-style arrangement of contour streaks all over her face, which, even before being blended out, proved how effective light and shadow trickery could be when creating a sculpted look. Kardashian and Barnes weren't inventing the wheel here, this artful face contouring hack is steeped in history - it was once most closely associated with stage performers. Ballet make-up in particular has long drawn on the art of contouring to emphasise character traits in productions.
Nonetheless, a decade ago that candid snap spread like wildfire, igniting a whole new generation of beauty buffs intent on snatching everything from their cheekbones to their décolletages, legs and noses. Nose contouring especially is enjoying a revival at the moment, with 34.2K TikTok tutorials dedicated to mastering the art. The latest viral nose contouring video to blow up our feeds is all about lifting - so can you really paint on a nose job in seconds?
With a cool 5.4 million views and counting, the video sees beauty content creator @velabeauty draw up what she calls a 'lifted nose contour'. Inspired by TikToker @kittyprincessgat, using the E.l.f Cosmetics Halo Glow Contour Beauty Wand, £9, the lifted look begins with two dots of contour at the base of the nose near the nostrils, followed by a horizontal line over the tip of the nose and two lines painted down the bridge, before everything is carefully and thoroughly blended out with fingertips. The results are impressive and @kittyprincessgat even questions, 'is this nose catfishing?'
From lines to dots, circles and crosses, in the last few years we've seen a real evolution of nose contouring hacks crafted to alter the look of our noses with a few quick swipes. Some rather niche methods - presumably produced to pick up views on TikTok - have promoted using tweezers, bobby pins and forks to take the guesswork out of product placement.
As someone who contours her nose every day, I can attest to its transformative powers. Before getting a liquid nose job, I looked to contouring to help me define and lift my nose shape. Even thought I unapologetically adore my post-filler nose, I still never consider my make-up routine complete without a little Kim-Kardashian-style contouring.
What is nose contour?
'Nose contouring is all about defining the nose,' says make-up artist and Grazia Beauty Panel member, Lan Nguyen-Grealis. 'You can create the illusion of more symmetry (if that's your MO) with make-up. It’s standard practice with a lot of my clients and it's a long-practiced way of balancing features where there's the desire to do so.'
When picking the right products to contour with, Nguyen-Grealis advises sticking to cream sticks and powder that are 'no more than two shades darker than your skin tone and they should have taupe undertones rather than orange'. As for highlighting, again use a cream stick or powder that is one to two shades lighter than your skin tone.
How do you contour your nose?
It's easy to get this hack wrong because the placement is pretty precise. To avoid mistakes, Nguyen-Grealis recommends being light-handed when it comes to application. 'Using a small brush to apply will help give a more natural and accurate finish as you'll end up with less product build-up and it affords greater precision. Sometimes applying the contour direct to skin delivers a look that's too harsh and obvious, because the resultant streak is more difficult to blend out, especially if you're a beginner.' Nguyen-Grealis warns against using shimmery products, 'they reflect too much light to look like a natural contour,' she adds.
Now for the fun part, Nguyen-Grealis explains her three steps to the perfect nose contour:
How to contour your nose in three simple steps
-
Base: Start off with your usual base and ensure everything is blended in well.
-
Contour: Using your contour stick or with a straight edge or angled brush, draw two straight lines down the sides of the nose. Start from the inner corner or your eyes following the side of the natural bone structure. Add some shadow under the tip of your nose to lift it and blend.
-
Highlight: Using a concealer or highlighter apply straight down your nose bone in the centre and dot it at the highest point of the tip of your nose. Then evenly blend with a small fluffy brush or beauty blender sponge.
Shop: The best contour products
www.charlottetilbury.com
What the brand says: This creamy liquid formula that is both buildable and blendable, and provides a natural-looking sculpted finish.
What we know: Viral and frequently duped for good reason, the wand is enriched with treated pigments that lend a natural, uniform contour, and siloxanes that give the product its light and breathable consistency.
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'I havent been able to part with this since I was first introduced to it last year. Having always favoured cream compacts, this wand offers a featherweight yet seriously pigmented formula that is easy to apply just about everywhere thanks to its sponge applicator. Importantly, the shades on offer are rich and cool, so I was easily able to find my match with Tan, which offers up a medium-deep hue that chisels while lending my skin some glow.'
Pros
- Easy to use wand appliator
- Shades are cool not orange
Cons
- Packaging can leak
victoriabeckhambeauty.com
What the brand says: 'A slim, targeted sculpting stick that takes the guesswork out of contouring, for smooth, controlled application.'
What we know: Victoria Beckham certainly knows how to set a trend and her beauty brand's take on contouring has just done that. Pulling away from chunky contour sticks that don't allow much room for precision, this Contour Stylus fashions as the antidote with a blendable, nifty stick that allows you to get really precise.
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'As a nose contouring obsessive, this product has been a real game-changer. I can forgo brushes and beauty blenders completely and rely on this stick and my finger tips alone. I especially love being able to create precise lines around the tip of my nose for a more believable, lifted look.'
Pros
- Small and precise
- Super blendable
Cons
- Won't cover larger areas easily
www.elfcosmetics.co.uk
What the brand says: This contour wand features a cushion-tip applicator that helps to create a natural-looking sculpted and radiant complexion. With a liquid texture, the formula is easy to work into the skin and blends with ease.
What we know: Another viral beauty buy, this is the same product used by TikTokers @velabeauty and @kittyprincessgat, and we can see why. Its foolproof applicator and easy to blend formula means you can contour your nose in 30 seconds flat, plus the formula is enriched with 2% skin-loving and hydrating squalene to make you glow.
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'With an easy-to-use applicator, blendable glow-giving formula and accessible price point, it is hard not to love this product. It provides natural definition that can be built up and always leaves my skin with covetable radiance.'
Pros
- Affordable
- Small and easy to carry
Cons
- Shades can appear more warm than cool
Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia's beauty writer, covering all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).