Lupita Nyong’o covers Lucky magazine. Outfitted in a neon Novis dress, Christian Louboutin “Riri” pumps and an Ela clutch, the 12 Years a Slave actress details her strict upbringing as a child and how being raised in the public eye helps her cope with fame today.
“My mother has never ever worn a drop of makeup in her life — not even at her wedding,” she recalls. As a girl, Nyong’o’s only real exposure to the world of creams, sticks and shadows came via an aunt who would occasionally visit with the contraband materials and paint her face while her mother was out. “Honestly, my mother’s outlook was hard for me to take when I was a teenager and I wanted to experiment. But in the end I appreciated it, because today I can look in a mirror with no makeup on and love myself.” Nyongo’ remain makeup free until she was nearly
“All of my life, my father was a high-profile person,” said the 31-year-old Hollywood A-lister, whose dad, Peter, a professor and political activist, is now a senator in the Kenyan parliament. Her mother, Dorothy, is on the board of the Africa Cancer Foundation; while her cousin, Isis, is a technology executive who was voted one of the most powerful young women in Africa. Another cousin, Tavia, is a respected cultural critic. “Being brought up in the family that I was brought up in, we were always in a position of example. So it’s something I don’t wrestle with. I don’t question it. I accept it.”
If you ask us, with a hardworking family like Nyong’o’s she was destined for fame. What a great example of overall beauty. To top it off, the Oscar winner definitely knows how to pull off some designer duds. For a sneak peek at Nyong’o’s gorgeous spring-ready spread featuring pieces from designers Michael Kors, Victoria Beckham and Juan Carlos Obando, check out the gallery below.
