You probably know at least one person (if not half a dozen) who opted to get their nose done and still sings the praise of the surgery and their surgeon. There’s no denying the power that rhinoplasty holds. By transforming one feature on your face, it can also transform your entire face and eliminate everything you’ve always hated about your nose to make, well in a word, perfect.
You May Also Like: Are News Anchors Encouraged to Surgically Alter Their Look to Meet a Certain Standard?
But not everyone is game for a nose job, nor is everyone a candidate. And, for those who want to make their nose look smaller, less humpy or bumpy, or even lift the tip, there are some tricks of the trade that can be used to make your nose look better. Full disclosure: In no way, shape or form do these secrets work the same as rhinoplasty nor do they offer long-term, permanent results like surgery can, but they do a really good job.
Using Makeup…
Contouring your face with makeup is one trend that’s here to stay because it gives the face a more sculpted look. When done right, it can almost mimic the effects of plastic surgery. Using a mix of light and dark colors allows you to highlight the features you want to call attention to and downplay the ones you don’t. The nose is one feature that can look drastically different—thinner, longer, smaller and more refined—simply by applying and blending makeup in the right areas.
Here’s what you’ll need to do it:
A flat, square-angled concealer brush, like Sigma F70 Concealer Brush ($15), is a must-have because the flat head lets you apply the product just right.
Cream or liquid contouring makeup such as Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate ($90). Anything that’s creamy or dewy is good for dry skin because it lends a bit of moisture.
Powder contouring makeup—we like Illamasqua Sculpting Powder Duo ($36), which helps to absorb excess oil and doesn’t slip off the skin easily.
A blending tool—our pick is a beautyblender ($20).
Setting powder, which is the last step in the makeup. Use a translucent one, like UrbanDecay NAKED Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder ($34) to keep the contour from shifting and smearing.
With your products in tow, celebrity makeup Mario Dedivanovic, who basically put contouring back on the map along with the help of the famous faces he works with like Kim Kardashian West, Kate Bosworth and Gabrielle Union, says that the first step is to establish the areas in need of correction. “Next, select the formula you want to use—cream, liquid, powder or a combination—which comes down to personal preference,” he adds. Choose a shade with a slightly cooler undertone that mimics a natural shadow, then lightly apply it to your problem areas and blend well. Place a highlighting shade (either matte or shimmery) down the center of your nose, which will emphasize the contour and bring attention to its most flattering parts. Essentially, you’re going to follow the same steps regardless of what you’re trying to achieve, but apply the contour in different areas depending on the problem you are attempting to conceal. “With contouring, you can correct concerns like width, length, symmetry and even pronounced bumps,” explains Dedivanovic.
You May Also Like: “Focused Concealing”: The Newest Trend That Makeup Artists Are All About
With Fillers…
If fixing your nose with makeup isn’t your thing, you can also try the injectable nose job. Ever since it (fillers like Restylane, Juvéderm and Radiesse are injected into the nose to correct certain nasal issues) became a regular procedure, patients have been clamoring for it. “Over the past five years, the availability of FDA-approved fillers has expanded so we can do much more with them, especially when it domes to the nose,” says New York plastic surgeon Daniel Maman, MD. Unlike a nose job, which physically and permanently alters the nasal structure and positioning of the bone, cartilage and tissue, an injectable nose job uses fillers to enhance the shape of the nose by adding volume, to contour and correct (to some degree) the nose. For those who want to tweak their nose but don’t want surgery, the injectable nose job is a great alternative—it can strengthen the bridge, define the tip, hide humps and add contours to a flat or broad nose.
San Francisco facial plastic surgeon David C. Mabrie, MD, says, “By strategically adding filler, the nose can appear smaller to improve facial harmony and balance.” If you don’t like the way your nose looks after the injections, it is reversible by injecting it with hyaluronidase, which breaks down the filler to “erase” the results. “I’ve had a number of patients experience tears of joy after their nonsurgical rhinoplasty. They just can’t believe the results,” adds Dr. Mabrie.
The best thing about an injectable nose job is that it’s fast—30 minutes tops—the results are instant and it’s pretty painless (you may be minimally swollen for a few days and your nose may feel a bit strange as it adjusts to the filler). Plus, the filler can last a year or longer due to the face that there’s not much movement in the nose. But, you’ll have to repeat the procedure about once a year (some patients can go two year) to maintain your results.
