Nobody's nose is really, truly straight. But if you're feeling self-conscious, it's easy to balance your shape out with a little contouring. We brought in makeup artist Allie Smith to show us how she creates a more linear look. Just remember—what you consider a flaw right now might also be what makes you look distinctive and memorable later:

The Goods:You'll need three contouring shades—one two shades darker than your skin tone, one only slightly darker than your skin tone, and a highlighting color two shades lighter than your skin tone. A cream or pencil will be the easiest product to use for the intricate application.

The Technique: Using the darkest shade, draw two straight lines down the sides of the nose, and on the outside of those lines, add a line of the medium contouring shade. When tracing these lines, do not follow the natural curve of the bridge—you want them to be straight, parallel, vertical lines to create the illusion of a more aligned bridge. Now, take the highlighting shade, and apply a highlight to the concave area of the curve at the center of the bridge, which will bring that area forward, visually erasing any slight curvature. Highlight the shadows at the nostrils by patting a couple of dots of the lightest shade there, and blend the entire nose by dabbing gently with your ring finger.

—Allie Smith

Follow Allie on Instagram @alliesmithmakeup. Photos by Annie Kreighbaum.