TUTORIAL: How to contour your nose to make it look smaller

Even if I had the money and pain threshold for a nose job, I still wouldn't get one because this contouring tutorial to make your nose look smaller is so easy!

Now that everyone's contouring everything from their boobs to their butts (err, I ain't got no time for that, but props to those who do!), I thought I'd share a couple of tips on how to make your nose appear slimmer - all thanks to the power of makeup and no needles required. 

This tutorial is great if you want to make the bridge of your nose appear higher and slimmer, or if you're like me, just to add a bit of depth and dimension to your makeup. I usually do this for events when I know I'm getting my photo taken, rather than for everyday. Whenever I've done my foundation, my nose used to kind of disappear in flash photos, so this quick contour job helps it not get lost!

Read on for the tutorial!

For reference, here's a before shot of me with my makeup on and nose un-contoured. My nose is fairly straight, but it's a bit round at the bottom and wide along the bridge. A little contouring just helps it look more defined in pictures. 

First up, let's create the illusion of a little more height. With a powder highlighter - choose something shimmery but not too high impact, I like the Hourglass ones for this - and a dense, fluffy eyeshadow brush, apply along the bridge of your nose.

For a little extra glow, also apply on the tip of your nose. 

Now to define. With a matte brown powder - you can use a bronzer or an eyeshadow for this, I like to use the shade Naked from the Urban Decay Naked 1 palette - and the same brush as before, start gently buffing in the colour in the hollow of where the top of your nose meets your eyebrow. This will deepen the natural shadow here, which is what contouring is all about!

Then bring the matte brown shade down along the sides of your nose and just underneath the tip of your nose. Kind of like you're creating a 'J' shape! Then repeat for the other side.

And that's it! You'll notice compared to the before photo that my nose looks slimmer and higher. While it's a subtle difference, it really does add that little extra something in photos! 

Is contouring part of your everyday makeup routine? Let me know in the comments!