The Case for Putting Lipstick on Your Nose—Hear Me Out

I’ve long wondered how Emily Ratajkowski always looks perfectly sun-kissed in every single photograph. Sure, I’ve come to accept the fact she’s superhuman. And her naturally olive skin tone doesn’t hurt. But, there’s something about her barely-there makeup look I couldn’t quite put my finger on. So when the model took to Instagram Live last to walk us through every step of her makeup routine, I took notes—and discovered the trick I’ve been waiting for—how to fake that enviable sun-kissed glow.

“I have a Zoom interview this morning, so I want to look halfway decent,” Ratajkowski explained at her bathroom counter as followers amassed. She queued up some throwback jams to accompany her makeup tutorial. She explained that her hands were washed and clean, since she’s had received flak for applying makeup sans brush or blender in her last tutorial.

The Base

Using her fingers, Ratajkowski gently tapped Pat McGrath’s Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer ($32) around her eyes, nose, and mouth—just enough to even out and awaken the skin. The next product in her arsenal was Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze & Glow Contour Duo ($68)—which made several appearances during the tutorial and I swiftly purchased immediately after watching. Ratajkowski brushed the bronzer along her cheekbones, nose, around the perimeter of her face, and in the creases of her eyelids (in lieu of eyeshadow), revisiting these same areas later on to add a touch more.

The Verdict

The trick works to effortlessly elevate both barely-there and full-faced makeup looks, adding a natural warmth to the finish that brings everything together. I’ll admit I added more lipstick to my nose and cheeks than I usually do to ensure the color showed up for this photo (a little goes a long way), but when done with just the right amount of color, you’ll look perfectly sun-kissed. Again, it’s all about layering.

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