Sigh, beyond beautiful skin. Images © Lancôme
It’s no secret I’m a gushy fanboy when it comes to Lupita Nyong’o, but why all the adulation? The woman’s astounding at her craft – and she has an armload of awards to prove it – but for us beauty people, it's all about that incredibly incandescent skin.
I’m not the only one obsessed with how much light and life there is in her face. Lancôme's besotted with Lupita, too – enough to make her the first black woman to front a campaign for the brand.
Happily, Lancôme loves us enough to give us a virtual back-and-forth with the newly minted Hollywood hottie. Here’s what I’ve discovered about the official new It girl of Tinseltown:
Lupita is a massive chocoholic – but the stuff has to be Japanese. How cool is that!
Ask any starlet for her go-to indulgence and chances are you’ll get bland platitudes like say, time off with the family dog.
Not Lupita. She’s disarmingly charming when it comes to describing her food fetishes, and so very Singaporean at that, too. To wit: “I eat chocolate when I feel like it, and that's often! My favourite right now, and I can't believe I left it in Morocco, is called Meiji Black Chocolate. It's heavenly. Smooth, light, oh my gosh!”
She loves the same women that I do …
Guess who’s a role model for the role model of our generation? Why, only Lady Galadriel herself: “[One of my personal heros is] Cate Blanchett, who’s such a phenomenal actress, a gentle and powerful soul with so much poise and elegance.” We can agree to agree, then. Cate’s awesome – and superb at snapping selfies.
… and odds are she’ll love my dear editor as well.
Asked for fashion advice, Lupita says she’s all for monochromatic chic: “I think you have to be eclectic. I know people who are incredibly stylish who wear only black and do it so well.” That’s practically a witness’ description of my boss at work!
And now, a tantalising tidbit on her role in the hugely hyped Star Wars sequel.
I’m of the opinion that Lupita deserves all the accolades in this world and galaxies far, far away, and evidently George Lucas and J.J Abrams concur. Here’s what she can say about next year’s Star Wars Episode VII: “I'm super excited to be moving to another planet for a while and with such a great group of talented people. My mother used to call me a space cadet, now I ostensibly get to be one!” Ooh, space cadet, huh. Padawans, speculate away.
You have a random photog to thank for Lupita’s preternatural sense of poise.
Confession: I teared up YouTubing Lupita’s very moving account of teenage insecurity over the hue of her skin.
The tipping point? An intervention by an angel in disguise: ‘One particular man came up to me and asked to take my picture. That had never happened to me before. I accepted his offer, and when he was photographing me, he used such delightful words: ‘Oh yes! Perfect! Gorgeous!’ He was so enthralled by me, and I felt so beautiful. I felt like the sun itself. So that process changed how I felt about myself, and I wish that everyone who doesn't feel pretty could have that experience.” All together, now: Aww.
Beauty people, here’s how to nail the "Lupita Luminescence".
Scurry to your nearest Lancôme counter and demand for Blush Subtil in Figue Espiègle. The woman says it’s just about her only makeup must-have: “My makeup artist Nick Barose used it on me at the Toronto Film Festival. I really like it because it brightens my cheeks without making me look overly flushed.”
Her definition of beauty is just the best.
Steal this #QOTD for your new Instagram post or Facebook status update, stat: “Beauty is accepting, acknowledging, and awakening desire. And desire is the fuel for love and aliveness.”
Lupita, if you’re reading this, I’m single and available.
Here’s what she digs in a man: “Honesty, humour and ironed shirts.” Hey, I pass muster on all three fronts!
You can follow Lupita on Twitter and Instagram.
For more information, visit www.lancome.com.sg and follow Lancôme Singapore on Facebook and Instagram.