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 basically the opposite of what you’re going for. To help us avoid joining the ranks of contour casualties, we asked celebrity makeup artist Lauren Andersen to show us exactly how it’s done.[contentblock id=1 img=adsense.png]
Step One: Highlight
To fake a perfect nose, you’re first going to highlight the center of your nose, but you don’t want to use a shimmery highlighter (you’ll end up looking shiny, rather than sculpted). Instead, use a luminous concealer (look for one with “radiant” or “brightening” in the name) that’s a shade lighter than your natural skin tone. Start at the bridge of your nose and apply a line of concealer down your nose, stopping before you reach the end. Next, add a little dot at the very tip (like you’re creating an exclamation point!) to give your nose a little upturn.[contentblock id=2 img=adsense.png]
Step Two: Blend
Use a sponge or your ring finger to soften the stripe. First, press the concealer into your skin, and then lightly rub the edges to buff out any harsh lines.[contentblock id=3 img=adsense.png]
Step Three: Shade
To contour noses, Andersen prefers to use powders, like Kevyn Aucoin’s The Sculpting Powder over creams, because the effect is a bit more natural. Using a small blending brush (like what you use in the crease of your eyelid—just be sure it’s clean), tap off any excess powder and then, starting from the inner corner of your eye, shade straight down to the end of your nose. Do the side of your nose. Blend both sides before you decide to add or remove any pigment.
Read More: Nose Piercing After Care Tips
Done!
Do one final blend with your brush, sponge, or finger to ensure your highlight and contour looks as natural as possible, and you’re done!
Source: byrdie