Big Nose Renaissance

From Paul Mescal to Jeremy Allen White, there’s a renaissance of big schnoz’s in Hollywood… but where are the big-nosed women? 

Each night as I drift off to sleep, I close my eyes and conjure up a land of big-nosed men…  

To my left, Timothée Chalamet is snorting Kylie lip kits. At the local tennis courts, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor use their noses as rackets. At the park, I see Paul Mescal's nose running (probably away from a date). Down the street, I pass Owen Wilson and Pedro Pascal practicing their blue steel. And as I look up the rooftops, Jeremy Allen White is jumping across buildings in his Calvin Klein underwear, his grandiose nose leading the way.  

Yet, as I take in this renaissance of prominent profiles, I can’t help but wonder — where are my big nosed women at? 

Believe it or not, big noses have always existed, but they have not always been appreciated. In the past few years, a cultural shift has seen big nose boys become Hollywood’s biggest heartthrobs. Once overlooked in favour of traditional chiselled faces – such as Brad Pitt’s and Liam Hemsworth’s – these men and their noses have redefined desirability. Even Doja Cat admitted her love for big noses in a Cosmopolitan interview in 2020: “I like big noses because, well, because you can kind of like, you can, like, sit on them.” 

With or without evidence, users on social media are preaching that big nose men are the opposite of toxic masculinity.  

Under an edit of Paul Mescal on TikTok, comments read: “I would trust him to hold my drink at a party. He would respect me.” 

And the comment section of a Mike Faist edit reads: “He looks like a cute little mouse that can do no wrong… but in a hot way.” 

It appears that for many, big nosed men are representing something softer, kinder, trustworthy, and therefore, more appealing. 

But for women, beauty standards have always been harsher, particularly for those who look different to the 'Western ideal'.  

Jill Burke, author of How to be a Renaissance Woman, says in her book that the concept of big-nosed or ‘hot rodent’ men perpetuates this idea. “It invites us to praise a kind of non-normative masculine beauty while women continue to be victims of a suffocating aesthetic pressure to fulfil normative canons.” 

Western ideals have historically favoured small, delicate noses due to European genetics. This preference has been reinforced through media, often pressuring women into cosmetic or surgical procedures, like ethnic rhinoplasty. 

In many cultures, strong, prominent noses are a natural and defining feature of an individual’s heritage. According to plastic surgery company, Elite, the rhinoplasty market, valued at $5.5 billion in 2022, is projected to surpass $10.9 billion by 2030. Many are erasing a significant part of their cultural identity. Supermodel and Palestinian activist, Bella Hadid, told Vogue that she wishes she had kept the nose of her ancestors instead of getting a nose job at 14-years-old. And we can never forget Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey infamously losing her career after getting a nose job that left her unrecognisable. 

But in a world that grants you privileges only once you meet its beauty standards, we cannot judge, criticise, or shame other women who pay to make themselves look this way. 

In 2022, Bobbi Brown, a Jewish beauty brand owner and renowned makeup artist, urged young women to stop contouring their noses. In a viral TikTok she shares a personal anecdote: “When I was a kid my mother offered me a nose job. Clearly, I didn’t get it. I embrace who I am, I want everyone to embrace who they are, and use makeup to make you feel better about yourself. Just give yourself a glow. Stop contouring your nose, you don’t need it.” 

Some Hollywood stars prove that a strong nose can make you that much more powerful. Women of the likes of Barbra Streisand, Cher, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and Sarah Jessica Parker. 

And if we are expanding beyond Eurocentric beauty standards for men, women should get the same grace. Until big noses are celebrated equally, the so-called ‘Big Nose Renaissance’ remains incomplete. 

So now, as I look around at my big-nosed land, I decide to add in some more characters.  

To my left, Timothée Chalamet and Cher snort lip kits together. Down the street, Barbra Streisand is seen singing ‘Don't Rain on my Parade’ to the Wilson brothers. Mike Faist and Josh O’Conner play 2 v 1 tennis with Julia Roberts. The boys lose to her triumphant nose racket. Running past is Paul Mescal, followed closely by Meryl Streep yelling, “I thought it was a nice date?!” And look, up there on the rooftops! Jeremy Allen White and Sarah Jessica Parker are leaping across buildings holding cosmopolitans, their magnificent schnoz’s leading the way.