Lupita Nyong’o has opened up on her love for makeup and beauty, explaining that she has always been interested in its ability to transform and she began to experiment from an early age. Her first beauty experiment was plucking her eyebrows at 16 and she says it hurt:
“My mother never wore it, so make-up always fascinated me. I was always trying to add more! I started experimenting – brows were first, and it hurt – at 16.”
She comments that she then tried out a black lipstick for the first time and it was so successful that she carries one with her to this day still. She loves how dramatic a bold lip can look and admits she used to tell her mother her makeup stash was for school plays:
”From brows I moved on to black lipstick, which I still wear. I’ve had black lipstick in my bag since I was 17 – I’ve even worn it on the red carpet. I’d tell my mother, ‘It’s for the play!’ We’re a big performative family, so we were always putting on shows for each other, make-believe. Black lipstick is just instant drama. I always sought out drama – I played Juliet at 14 – though I don’t like it in my personal life. It’s more for the stage and screen.”
Lupita has also slowly been trying out different skincare products and likes to try out new things slowly so she can see how well they work. She explained her method:
”I experiment with skin care gradually, so I learn the effects. I love Genifique serum and eye cream, and avocado and kukui nut oil – when your skin feels good, you feel good.”
