After weeks of living in sweatpants and a claw clip, there often comes a moment when you finally feel like getting ready again. Instead of running errands in pajama bottoms or dashing to work with wet hair, it suddenly sounds fun to put on a nicer outfit and step outside feeling cute.
For many, the easiest way to accomplish this goal is with the viral “2/3 rule” from TikTok. Creator @itschelseanicole, a law student, says she follows it almost every day. “The rule basically says that at any given moment you should have two out of three of these polished: your hair, your makeup, or your outfit,” she says in her video.
When her hair is slicked back and her makeup is done, she feels better about wearing a chill outfit. When her outfit is nice and her hair done, she doesn’t feel the need to go as hard on the makeup. “The rule of 2/3 helps me stay looking put together without doing the absolute most every single day,” she said in the clip. “If you’re trying to look polished on limited time, I highly recommend it.”
Here’s what to know about this rule, and why it’s the most low-effort way to get ready.
The “2/3 Rule” Is So Chic
Think about how much time it can take to get ready when you want to pull out all of the stops. It starts with an everything shower, followed by skin care. Then you have to wrestle with styling tools, standing around for an extended period of time while your hair dries. Makeup can take ages, too, especially if you’re contouring or applying lashes. And let’s not even get started on choosing an outfit.
It’s why the 2/3 rule is getting so much attention. As @itschelseanicole said, it’s the perfect go-to method when you want to feel polished without spending half your day in the bathroom. By just choosing two things to focus on — hair, makeup, outfit — you waste less time and preserve your mental energy for whatever your day has in store.
For many, this rule is also a guaranteed way to feel chic. When you think about it, the style icons of the world are rarely in full glam 24/7. Instead, they always have something slightly “undone” about them, and it gives off the most relaxed, model-off-duty vibe.
Creator @tinableszynski said she lives by the 2/3 rule for this reason. She showed off her look as an example. In the TikTok, she was wearing a nice black top and loads of jewelry; her makeup was flawless, but her hair was tousled. “My hair really needs to be brushed, but I will not be doing that, because two out of three,” she said in the clip.” In the end, it became an effortless part of her look.
This is also the ideal rule to lean into when you want to break out of a rut and feel better about yourself without going zero to 100. On the app, creator @cocotakes says the 2/3 rule boosts her self-esteem, especially living in a city where she never knows who she’ll run into.
Instead of risking an awkward encounter by going out without getting ready — because why is it always then that you run into your ex? — she follows the viral rule. In her video, she opted for a cute outfit, some tinted moisturizer, but then forgot about her hair, which she pulled back out of the way. “Sunglasses also count as makeup,” she says.
Then there’s @ridamedia, who notes that the 2/3 rule is ideal for the corporate world where you need to look put together for meetings and presentations, but don’t want to take away from your precious sleep or risk being late to work because you were perfecting your curls.
She even says that the rule has helped her be taken more seriously in the office. In her comments, someone agreed, “It’s sadly true. I work at a Fortune 100 company. The moment I started dressing better, I literally had people coming up to me.”
If you want to feel powerful, it wouldn’t hurt to work the system and follow the 2/3 rule so you can walk into the room and command attention.
Of course, the viral hack is also a quick way to exit an extended period of bed rotting, like the rut you might be in after the holidays, when you didn’t get dressed, do your makeup, or wear real clothes for two straight weeks. “I’m wearing sweats, but I did my hair and my makeup, and I feel so much better,” said creator @sonias.22 in a recent video. “This is your reminder, if you’re feeling a little gremlin, to do two out of the three.”
To lean into this rule, think about which two of the three are easiest in the given moment, or which ones mean the most to you. Many people rank the importance of each. Some prioritize a blowout and a cute outfit. Others make sure their makeup is glowing, and then don’t feel so bad about wearing something comfy or boring, like jeans and an old t-shirt.
Whichever two you choose, the 2/3 rule will make it easier — and more fun — to get ready, so you can step out into the world feeling your best.
