Behind the Scenes: How to Get Odeya Rush's Bold Makeup Look

Look at that face! She doesn't even need makeup!" said Style Director Melissa Rubini, when her eyes landed on 17-year-old actress Odeya Rush. And the first to agree with that sentiment was makeup extraordinaire Pati Dubroff, who crafted six Bauhaus-inspired beauty looks for Rush's “Fall's Honor Roll” fashion feature in the August issue of InStyle. "I wanted to make sure Odeya still looked like a young lady," Dubroff told us, "So I was conscious of keeping the eye makeup at a minimum." The end result is like a piece of contemporary art itself, but don't be intimidated. The insider tips we picked up from Dubroff make it as easy to execute as a color-by-number painting:

1. Start with a blank, hydrated canvas."First, I used Lucas Papaw Ointment ($12; net-a-porter.com) to moisturize the skin and create a base. I swear by this stuff!"

2. Calculate just how much you want to blush."You have to be careful with blush—if applied incorrectly it can age a person. For Odeya, I applied the blush straight across her cheeks, which creates a young, sweet, flushed effect," says Dubroff. "I used a trio of cream-based blushes very delicately and sparsely: Tarte's Flush Cheek Stain ($30; tartecosmetics.com), Le Blush Crème de Chanel ($38; chanel.com), and Kevyn Aucoin's The Creamy Glow Duo ($28; net-a-porter.com)."

3. Three words: Less is more."I didn't use any eyeliner, just one coat of Lancôme's Definicils Mascara ($27.50; lancome-usa.com). To make the eyes appear a little brighter and larger, I mixed the Papaw Ointment with Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre shadow in Fantasme 81 ($36; chanel.com). This combination is an easy way to subtly highlight the brow bone and make the eyes appear a little deeper."

4. Go bold, but do your research first.In between takes, Dubroff tested multiple shades of bright reds, pinks and purples on her hand alongside the clothing. "There was a lot of color present in the props and styling, so using vibrant shades on Odeya's lips was a way for me to tie the makeup into the graphic theme." To compliment the Fendi dress and fox fur embellished baguette (above), Dubroff selected Nars's Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella ($25; narscosmetics.com).

5. Details make the difference.Every last visual detail—even the actress's topcoat of polish was calculated. "I needed something versatile but unexpected," manicurist April Foreman told us of the Essie grey-green polish, Power Clutch ($8.50; essie.com) and the matte finish ($10; ulta.com). Foreman's advice? "Let your manicure dry at least 1o minutes before applying the matte topcoat—it doesn't have a quick-dry effect like some of its glossy counterparts."

To see more from Odeya Rush's fashion shoot and to read our exclusive interview with the star, pick upInStyle’s August issue, available on newsstands and for digital download now.