How to Make Nose Look Smaller

Our noses come in all shapes and sizes, and each has its own distinct character. If you’re looking for a new look or feel guilty about your big nose, learn some ways to make it appear smaller. You can use contouring and highlighting makeup to correct the shape of your nose, perform facial exercises to make your nose gradually smaller, or use a more radical method to permanently change the size of your nose.

Table of Contents

Distract attention away from the nose

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Apply bold or vibrant lipstick to draw attention away from your nose. ^{[1] X Research Source} Use a lip liner to match your lip color to line your lips, then fill in your lips with the same lip liner. Next, you can apply the lipstick directly to your lips or use a brush to apply the lipstick. Blot excess lipstick on lips with a folded tissue; Apply another layer of lipstick if needed.

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Avoid too dark eye makeup. Eye makeup that is too heavy will draw the eye to the center of the face and focus on the nose. Instead, you should do natural light eye makeup with neutral colors. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Dark circles under the eyes can also draw attention to the center of the face. You can use concealer to hide dark circles under your eyes. ^{[3] X Research Source} Choose a concealer shade that matches your skin tone and apply it with your ring finger. When applying cream, you should blend from the top down, towards the cheekbones.
Try a cat eye for a highlight that draws the eye away from the nose.

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Shaping the eyebrows. Full and sharp eyebrows can help draw people’s eyes away from the nose; Conversely, thin and thin eyebrows can make your nose appear larger. Trim your eyebrows carefully and don’t pluck too much. After that, you can use powder of the same color to highlight the defects of the eyebrow line and use gel to hold the eyebrows in place.

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Use your hair to distract attention away from your nose. Big curls will attract the eye more than a big nose. Another thing to note is how to part the hair. If you part your hair in the middle, you will direct your gaze down to the nose. ^{[4] X Research Sources} A slanted septum helps draw the gaze away from the nose. The following hairstyles may help: ^{[5] X Research Source}

Side parted hair
Staggered haircut that hugs the face
Light curly or wavy hairstyle
Loose bun hairstyle
Try puffing up the hair at the back of your head to make your nose appear shorter. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Know which hairstyles to avoid. Some hairstyles draw attention to the inside and center of the face. For example, wide bangs can obscure your eyes, making it difficult for people to make eye contact with you. Since they can’t look you in the eye, they’ll look at the nearest point around: your nose. Here are some unusual hairstyles that draw attention to the nose: ^{[7] X Research Source}

The middle parted hair leads everyone’s eyes down to the nose
Horizontal haircut
Smooth straight hair
Ponytail tied up

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Choose the right accessories. Try wearing earrings or necklaces, such as a pair of dangling chandelier earrings or a wide necklace. Sparkling things draw attention away from the nose. You can also try wearing a hat. If you wear glasses, you should choose large frames instead of thin frames. Large frames will naturally shorten the nose and make it appear smaller. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Contouring and highlighting makeup

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Understand the effects of contouring and highlighting techniques. You can use cosmetics that are slightly darker/lighter than your natural skin tone to give the illusion of a more delicate nose. However, note that this does not really help to make the nose smaller. Also, if your nose is too long, contouring won’t make your nose look shorter from a side view.

When contouring your nose, think about what you can do to give it the shape you want. For example, if you have a very long nose and you want your nose to be both slimmer and smaller, you can apply highlighter at the tip of the nose and contour the bridge of the nose with a darker color to make the bridge appear shorter. ^{[9] X Franklin Sanderson Research Source . Makeup artist. Personal interview. May 14, 2020.}

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Choose the right cosmetics for contouring and highlighting. Contouring and highlighting cosmetics in powder or cream form work, but many people find the powder form easier to blend and apply. You can use specialized contouring and highlighting cosmetics or choose a matte eyeshadow. Avoid using anything with glitter to keep your skin from looking shiny. ^{[10] X Research Source}

For contouring, you should choose a shade 2-3 tones darker than your natural skin tone. You can use either powder or liquid bronzer. ^{[11] X Franklin Sanderson Research Source . Makeup artist. Personal interview. May 14, 2020.}
For highlighting, choose a shade 2-3 tones lighter than your natural skin tone. For example, you can use a specialized highlighter or a liquid concealer. ^{[12] X Franklin Sanderson Research Source . Makeup artist. Personal interview. May 14, 2020.}
Note your undertone when choosing cosmetics. Some people have warm undertones/yellow undertones, some people have cool undertones/pink undertones. When choosing contouring and highlighting cosmetics, you should try to find one that will work with your undertone as well. Using the wrong product can make the skin appear unnatural.

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Choose the right makeup tools and brushes. You will need some kind of brush to apply makeup. If you choose powder cosmetics, look for a soft-bristled brush. If using cream cosmetics, you should choose a stiffer brush. Here are a few that you will need:

Beveled brush for contouring and highlighting. This brush is the easiest to use.
Soft blending brush to blend two colors together. You can also use a sponge if you find this easier to use.

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Apply primer and foundation. Primer has the effect of shrinking pores, and foundation will create a base for cosmetics to adhere to. It also makes it easier to apply makeup and even out skin tone.

Use your fingers to apply primer and use a makeup sponge or brush to apply foundation.
Make sure the foundation has to match the natural color of your face. Don’t try foundation on your hands or wrists; The skin in these places often has a different tone from the skin on the face.
Wait for the foundation to dry before starting to contour. This step only takes a few minutes.

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Start with the highlight technique. Use a bevelled brush to draw a thin line down the center of the bridge of the nose. Try not to draw too big, or your nose will look even bigger than it really is. Draw from the top and continue to draw to the tip of the nose, but do not circle below the tip of the nose.

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Blend cream and soften highlights. Set the beveled brush aside and grab a concealer brush or makeup sponge. Gently glide the brush over the bridge of the nose from the top down and to the sides of the highlight line. Your goal is to soften hard lines only, not to widen the highlights or blend them out. ^{[13] X Research Source}

The highlight technique helps to elevate the face, drawing attention to the highlights. In addition, it also adds depth to the face.

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Use the contouring technique to slim the big nose. Use a clean beveled brush to apply contour from the tip of the eye down towards the tip of the nose. Use a concealer brush to blend the contour up, towards the highlight line.

If you want to make the nose smaller, you will add more blocks on the sides of the nose.

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Draw a contour line under the tip of the nose to make the long nose appear shorter. Start by drawing contour lines down the sides of the nose. Next, extend the contour line down the nose, just above the nostrils. Remember to blend the word “bottom” up to the tip of the nose. This will “elevate” the nose and make it appear shorter. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Know how to apply makeup for the tip of the big nose, also called the onion nose. Start by drawing a contour line from the tip of the eye down, towards the tip of the nose. Curve the contour line under the tip of the nose into a small “U” shape or a downward arrow shape. Don’t draw too sharp, or your nose will look unnatural. Instead, try to adjust the “U” shape to match the width of the bridge of your nose. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Use contour lines to correct a crooked nose. Use contouring techniques to make a crooked nose look straighter. A crooked nose sometimes looks bigger than it really is, even though it’s not actually that big. You will draw contour lines on both sides of the nose from the top down. Start at the tip of the eye and end at the tip of the nose. Instead of following the line of your nose, try to draw it as straight as possible. ^{[16] X Research Source}

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Use a soft powder brush to blend contours. Glide the brush down the sides of the nose, right between the highlight and contour lines. This step will soften the hard lines. Next, you will apply contouring powder to the sides of your face by brushing the sides of your nose. Start from close to the highlight line towards the sides of the face.

If you’re drawing contour lines at the tip of your nose, be sure to blend in by twirling the brush.
If you draw contour lines on the sides of your nose, you will also need to sweep the powder brush over that area.

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Use a large soft brush or a kabuki brush to apply some powder to your nose and face. This step helps to contour the lines and prevent drift. The powder coating also helps absorb excess oil. Try to find a colorless powder or powder that matches your skin tone. Avoid using anything that contains emulsion so your nose doesn’t look shiny. If you see excess powder on your nose, use a clean brush to brush it off.

Cosmetic Surgery

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Nose correction surgery. If you want a permanent method to make your nose smaller, you can invest in plastic surgery. This is rhinoplasty surgery to correct the size of the nose and the following defects: ^{[17] X Research source}

The nose is wide and horizontal and the wings are flat
Nose is rough or flat
Onion nose tip, beak or upturned
Nose crooked or disproportionate

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Know what will happen. The surgery usually lasts 1-2 hours and is performed by a plastic surgeon while you are under general or local anesthesia. As with most types of cosmetic surgery, your doctor will review your medical history to determine if you are eligible for surgery or if any precautions need to be taken.

Advice

Don’t puff your nose. When angry, people often bulge the nostrils, making the nose appear larger.
If you’re upset about your nose, try to find things you like about it. Your nose may not be as small as you want it to be, but it has a nice angle that you like.
You can find contouring sets that include pre-selected tones so you don’t have to buy them individually.
Learn about family genetics. Sometimes it’s easier to accept if you know where you got that trait from.
Try to be confident about your nose. Sometimes your lack of confidence makes people pay more attention to it.
Ear or lip piercing. These will help distract attention away from the nose, and it’s much less expensive than surgery.
If you find it difficult to draw a straight line when contouring, you can place cotton swabs on either side of your nose so that it touches the tip of your nose and the tip of your nose. ^{[22] X Research Source}
Know that a big nose is no big deal. In fact, some people even wish they had a bigger, more prominent nose. Whether male or female, understand that without a small nose you can still be beautiful or handsome.

Warning

Plastic surgery can be dangerous and has many potential complications. It is important that you discuss with your doctor what you want your nose to look like.

Steps

Distract attention away from the nose

Contouring and highlighting makeup

Cosmetic Surgery

Advice

Warning

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