Nose shapes, width and height
Nubian nose: what the name means and how to spot the shape
A Nubian nose has a long bridge and a wide base, with full, rounded nostril wings and a tip that usually points forward. In profile the bridge runs a long way from the brow before it reaches the tip; from the front the base is wide, often wider than the space between the eyes. The name comes from Nubia, a historic region of Africa, and it is best used to describe an outline rather than anyone's background.
What is a Nubian nose?
Bridge The top line, brow to tip
Long, running a good way from the brow to the tip, straight or very gently curved.
Tip Its direction and fullness
Full and rounded, usually pointing forward.
Base Across the nostril wings
Wide, with full nostril wings that flare out in a soft curve.
Defines the shape
What the name means, and why it is used with care
Nubia is a historic region along the Nile River in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Nose-shape charts borrowed its name for a long nose with a wide base.
Naming a feature after a people has a history worth knowing: European writers once used noses and profiles to rank peoples, as the Greek nose guide explains, and measured noses do not sort into neat groups by background, as the wide nose guide shows.
So use the word as shorthand for an outline, a long bridge over a wide, flared base, and nothing more. The outline is found in people of many backgrounds, and it says nothing about where any one person is from.
What the name describes, and all it describes
A long bridgeA wide baseFull, flared nostril wingsSpotting a Nubian nose: length and width
A Nubian nose is a combination, so you need both views: the length shows in profile, the width and the flare from the front.
Width and flare, from the front
The view that matters most- Your nostril wings reach past lines dropped straight down from your inner eye corners.
- The wings curve outward in a full, rounded flare.
- The tip is full and sits centered between the wings.
Length, from the side
- Your bridge is long, running a good way from your brow to your tip.
- It runs clearly forward from the face rather than staying low.
- Seen side-on, the nostril wing is broad and curves well forward.
Flare: the part of a Nubian nose that moves
Flare is how far the nostril wings curve out past the point where they join the cheek. On a Nubian nose the wings curve well out in a full, soft arc, and that curve is a big part of the look.
It is also the part that moves. Breathing in hard, laughing and smiling all spread the wings for a moment, which is why the same nose can read narrower in one photo than another. The detector measures flare from a relaxed, straight-on selfie for that reason.
Nubian, wide or flat?
Every Nubian nose is wide
The base of a Nubian nose is always wide, so the question is length and flare; the wide nose guide shows how those separate the two.
Ask your glasses
Frames that slide down and rest on your cheeks point to a low bridge, which is the flat nose pattern. Frames that sit up on a long bridge without help point to Nubian.
Where frames rest on a long bridge
- Saddle bridge
- Keyhole bridge
- Adjustable padsSuits this shape
- Low bridge fit
Find the resting point
A long bridge gives frames plenty of room, so the question is where along it they settle. Frames that sit high, near the brow, put the lenses above the center of your eyes; frames that slide lower leave you looking over the top rim.
Lenses level with your pupils
In the mirror, your pupils should sit near the middle of each lens, a little above center at most. Near the bottom edge, the frame rides too high; near the top, it has slipped.
Pads that hold the height
Adjustable pads on metal frames can be set to hold the frame at the right height on the bridge, and a solid top rim sits well on a long nose.
Defining where a long nose ends
A Nubian nose already has length, a full tip and a soft flare, so makeup here is about where the nose ends rather than how wide it is.
A shadow under the tip
A soft touch of shade on the strip between the nostrils, which marks where the nose ends.
Light that stops at the tip
A long highlight from between the brows to where the bridge rounds into the tip, and no further.
- Run your highlight from between the brows to the point where the bridge starts to round into the tip, and stop there.
- Add a soft shadow beneath the tip, where the nose ends, and blend it until it disappears.
- Leave the nostril wings bare: their curve is part of the shape.
- Press everything together with a damp sponge so no edge shows.
Not needed here
- Heavy shade on the wings: it flattens the curve that gives the shape its character.
- Shimmer on a long bridge: it streaks, where a satin or matte highlight looks smooth.
Measure your nose from a photo
The nose shape detector reads a Nubian nose from the photo alone: a base wider than 1.15 times the gap between your eyes, plus nostril wings that flare out or a nose that measures long for your face. A base that is wide without either reads wide instead.
Frequently asked questions
Is "Nubian nose" an offensive term?
It appears in many nose shape charts as a shape name, but because it borrows the name of a people, some prefer to say "a long, wide nose". Both describe the same outline, and neither says anything about ancestry.
Can a Nubian nose have a bump?
Yes. Nubian describes length and width, so a long, wide nose can still carry a bump high on the bridge; the Roman nose guide covers that part.
