Lupita Nyong’o for Lancome: See All Her Ads Thus Far

For weeks following the Oscars, legions of Lupita fans waited anxiously for news of the starlet to snag a beauty contract (we’ve been waiting to hear if Nyong’o had any major movie roles lined up, but we’ll gladly have our dessert now before the main course). And thanks to WWD, she has a new role: the newest face for French makeup and skin care monolith Lancôme. Since Lancôme is such a lucrative deal for the striking Academy Award winning-actress, this will keep us satiated until we hear more promising updates about her blossoming acting career.

I checked out celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose’s Instagram feed to see if he participated in this glorious announcement. Of course, he did! Here are some beauty details from the official Lancôme Instagram:

Products used: Teint Idole Ultra 24H in 550 Suede C, Dual Finish in 550 Suede C, Blush Subtil in Shimmer Violet Sunrise, Hypnose Mascara in Black, Le Crayon Poudre in Brunet, Artliner in Noir, Color Design Eyeshadow in Bronze Amour, and L’Absolu Rouge in Amande Sucree.

First, there was the endearing #LupitaForMAC campaign, which was spearheaded by Dr. Yaba Blay and Joan Morgan. #LupitaForMAC inspired blog posts about the five items we would like to see in her makeup collection. Even a Change.org petition (now deleted) materialized, detailing why Nyong’o deserved to join MAC’s past spokeswomen Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Azealia Banks with her own MAC campaign.

While I could see the hype for a #LupitaForMAC collection, I did not think it would be the best fit as MAC does not complement the timeless and elegant aesthetic that Lupita exudes. Nor would I think the partnership would have been genuine, organic even. For now, I think Lancôme is an appropriate match. Nyong’o expressed her goals for partnering with the brand, stating:

What appealed to me about Lancôme is that they’re not dictating what beauty is. What they do supports something that already is — and that was appealing to me, too. It’s what drew me to them. Hopefully, it’s a symbiotic relationship — that I benefit from being associated with them, and they benefit from being associated with me, as well. And for the consumer at large, I think Lancôme has a range of products for every woman, and I think having me will expand people’s understanding of, hopefully, what Lancôme stands for, who Lancôme is for.

Nyong’o continued, sharing her definition on what beauty is and how honored she is to be Lancôme’s first black ambassadress:

I had to give a speech about beauty right before the Oscars, and for me, beauty is a compassion for yourself and those around you. And I think that in focusing on that, the light inside illuminates the beauty outside. The idea that Lancôme now has a few actor ambassadors is significant because actors are not just faces, they are spirits that people enjoy and relate to more than in an aesthetic way. We have the privilege of standing for something other than just looks.

The word is that Lupita’s ads are to debut this September. She joins models Arlenis Sosa and Jasmine Tookes and ambassadresses Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, and Lily Collins. What do you think about this cosmetics collaboration between Lupita and Lancôme?