Rooney Mara rocking the rule of three
by Lora Condon “The Beauty Buster”
Award Winning Esthetician and Makeup artist for GMA, Film and Print
The ultimate night for elegant and classic beauty is the Academy Awards. The Oscars is the one night where celebrities go all out in making sure everything is perfect. They’re stitched into their dresses with millions of dollars in diamonds around their neck, perfectly coiffed hair, and of course flawless makeup over glowing skin.
Let’s face it, the average woman does not have a team of well paid professionals putting them together every time they step out of their front door. Achieving an Academy Award winning look for beauty, may be much easier than you think, with a few easy steps.
I like to call it the Rule of 3. There are 3 major points on the face that people notice first and make your face look balanced and beautiful. The 3 major points are brows, eyes and lips. Correctly accentuating these 3 points can easily give you a va-va voom look.
Strong brows are a must to frame your face, make you look younger, give you an instant eye lift as well as give expression to your whole face. I suggest getting a professional opinion, take before and after pictures after they’re filled in because it’s almost impossible to see yourself objectively in the mirror. It may take a while to get used to having your brows filled in, but once you do, you’ll feel naked without them! Google celebrity brows and get a good laugh over some of the really bad brows.
The second point is of course eyes. Long eyelashes and strategically placed liner will captivate your audience. If you use lashes, I recommend eyelash extensions for the most natural but glamorous look that can work just as well for everyday glam. Using cluster lashes instead of strip lashes is my favorite natural false lash look. They’re more natural, no poking or coming off at the corners of the eyes.
A dark green or royal blue THIN eyeliner extended a little bit past the corner of the eye will make eyes pop and pretty much go with any outfit and skin color. Use an angle brush and press the liner into the base of the lash line so you can let the lashes do the talking for your eyes.
Viola Davis worked thin green eyeliner right
The lips can be the most difficult because it is imperative to choose a color that has the right undertone. Bold is better when going for award winning lips and it’s all about the undertone of the color you choose. Take into consideration the natural color of your lips and how the lipstick may change after an hour. With darker colors, I like to fill in my lips with a lip pencil and put a gloss over it. Many times the lip liner lasts longer and is the perfect color.
Anne Hathaway's famous bold red lip
Always remember the rule of 3 and experiment! Take pictures and have friends give suggestions. Find a pretty dress and start writing your acceptance speech for Most Beautiful!
Milla Jovovich, working all her angles and the rule of three