From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfollow your nosefollow your noseinformal a) STRAIGHTto go straight forward or continue in the same direction Just follow your nose until you come to a small bridge. b) to go to the place from where there is a particular smell coming I followed my nose to the kitchen, where Marcie was making coffee. c) CHECK/MAKE SUREto do something in the way that you feel is right After a few years in the detective game, you learn to follow your nose. → follow
Examples from the Corpus
follow your nose• I don't really have a career plan - I just follow my nose.• Turn left on 6th Avenue, then just follow your nose.• Finding her was easy enough, I just followed my nose.• I smelled the coffee and followed my nose.• When the rooftop vanished behind a yellow bluff of gorse, you followed your nose.• You are on the right track so follow your nose.• Lucky girl, Ruth thought miserably as she followed her nose to the kitchen, a choice of two men.• She followed her nose, turning into a passage which led to the back of a small bakery.• In search of an answer, you follow your nose, wherever it leads, actively pursuing the mystery. 