Lupita Nyong’o named as the new face, brand ambassador of Maison Lancôme

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I called this months ago! As soon as Lupita Nyong’o became the “woman to watch” on the red carpet during the awards season, and as soon as we got The Full Lupita (meaning we saw her grace, beauty, humor and all-around loveliness), I knew the beauty companies would be calling her. And Lupita didn’t start off with some small brand either – she’s signed on to be the new face of Lancome (Lancome released the glamour shot of Lupita above). WOW.

Lupita Nyong’o’s next big role has been revealed! The 12 Years a Slave Oscar winner was named the newest Lancome brand ambassador on Friday, April 4. In her new role, Nyong’o, 31, joins current brand spokeswomen Kate Winslet, Julia Roberts, and Penelope Cruz.

“I am truly honored to join the Maison Lancôme, a brand with such a prestigious history and that I have always loved,” Nyong’o said in a statement. “I am particularly proud to represent its unique vision for women and the idea that beauty should not be dictated, but should instead be an expression of a woman’s freedom to be herself.”

Since taking the world by storm during the 2014 awards show season, Nyong’o has kept a relatively low profile. In February the Non-Stop star attended the Calvin Klein fashion show in New York before jetting off to Paris in early March to take in the Miu Miu collection.

The Kenyan actress has also been dating Somali-born rapper K’Naan since September. “She loves his humanitarianism,” a source told Us Weekly. “They’re both passionate about African issues.”

[From Us Weekly]

Lupita also put a little video announcement on her Instagram, which I’ve included below. “Maison Lancome” means that her ads will focus mostly with makeup and skincare products, correct? She’s not representing a Lancome fragrance, that’s my point. Which means another endorsement might be in the works for some fragrance too. But for now, we don’t have to worry about Lupita disappearing post-Oscar-win. She’s in-demand as a model, which brings in money. And there will be a handful of producers (perhaps even Brad Pitt) who will “think outside the [white] box” and hire her for interesting parts in quality films. Anyway, congrats to Lupita! And as a bonus, there will be so many little girls and young women who now have a beauty icon who has skin like theirs, you know?

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Photos courtesy of Lancome, WENN.

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70 Responses to “Lupita Nyong’o named as the new face, brand ambassador of Maison Lancôme”

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  1. vic says:

    Perfect choice for Lancome.

    • bns says:

      Totally.

    • flutters says:

      Couldn’t agree more. Well chosen by Lancome, and I’m happy we’ll be seeing and hearing more from Lupita Nyong’o!

      Goodness gracious that glamour shot of Lupita is radiant.

      • LadyMTL says:

        Seriously, she’s so stunning in that first pic. I think Lancôme has made a fantastic choice.

      • doofus says:

        agree…she IS stunning, and her skin is fab. I know that photo is ‘shopped, but the untouched red carpet and pap shots show that it’s great even without touching it up. plus her eyes, her lips…she’s SO pretty.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I just LOVE her face. Glad to know I will be seeing it more often! 🙂

  2. Patricia says:

    Gorgeous promo shot. She’s so lovely and yes I hope she gets more work. I don’t like when women who are very “ethnic” looking become popular just as a flash in the pan, like they are the coolest fad for the season and then they are “over”. I feel like this happens in Hollywood.
    She’s not a fad, she’s not a trend. She’s a woman who represent the way many women look and she’s also her own person.

    • AlmondJoy says:

      +1 Patricia, your comment is total perfection. I have nothing more to add.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      I read a fuller bit they released about her, and I really love how they describe her beauty. They use words like grace, intelligent, serene, authentic, strong. I look forward to being entertained by her for many years.

    • Kate says:

      well said Patricia

      • homegrrrl says:

        I’m so ready for less dumbed down cinema, and I really hope she doesn’t sign on for some “iron man” type sequel. Not to blame an actor, because that is real security, financially speaking. But after TYAS, I want deeper cinematic art, I can’t abide the special effects infinisequels ever again. We are never ever ever getting back together with crapcinema, even from Hollywood, so I am wondering what her next project could be?

  3. Kim1 says:

    Congrats Lupita

  4. aims says:

    She’s stunning. Very good choice.

  5. BendyWindy says:

    Sigh. I love Lancome foundation – they’re one of the only brands that have a perfect shade for me – but it just melts off of my oily face. Good for Lupita.

    ETA: But am I the only person that hates frosted lipstick on dark skin tones? Probably.

    • wonderwoman21 says:

      Seems like most people just hate frosted lipstick in general. Personally i like it in some cases.

    • AlmondJoy says:

      I love it! As long as its not too light. My mom is dark skinned and she looks beautiful in frosted lipstick. It just takes her awhile to find the right shade and tone.

      • BendyWindy says:

        I’m medium brown and it just makes me look like a hooker. Lol.

      • AlmondJoy says:

        @Bendy Lol! I’m medium brown as well and it doesn’t look great on me either. I do like Golden Sand by Black Radiance, though. It’s a frosted gloss and I get tons of compliments when I wear it.

    • Tessy says:

      The second thing I thought when I saw the picture was how nice that lipstick looks on her. The first thing was how very pretty she is.
      Nothing is going to make me like her Oscar dress though.

  6. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    She has SUCH glowing, beautiful skin. Great choice, and I hope the money will help her to chose roles she really wants.

  7. V says:

    I was really hoping she’d come through with an acting gig instead of a modeling one….sigh.

    • Myrto says:

      Hopefully she’ll get both? Being the face of a high-end brand brings a lot of exposure (and money). So that’s a good thing for her acting career as well.
      Great choice for Lancôme by the way.

    • HHazel says:

      So was I, i’m kind of dissapointed.

    • mercy says:

      Me too, but hopefully endorsements like this will only serve to raise her profile even higher and lead to more acting gigs. It’s a good foundation for any young actress to have major cosmetic, fragrance, and fashion house contracts. It introduces them to a wider audience, and shows the money people that they are marketable. It also keeps their faces out there in between roles, not to mention more money in the bank, and affords them the opportunity to be more selective with their projects. Lancôme is a high profile brand and Lupita is at a point in her career where she could use the extra exposure. I’m happy for her and looking forward to seeing more of her beautiful face. 🙂

      • T.C. says:

        Mercy,

        Exactly what I was trying to say below but you said it a hundred times better. This will help her career.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        As she was unknown in SYAS, I am guessing she didn’t make much money from it. It makes me very happy to think that she got paid well for this.

    • Kimmy says:

      cB is right…Plan B will definitely keep her on their roster. Brad Pitt knows she can deliver, so does Steve McQueen. Others do too, they just don’t know what todo with her. Lancôme is a great gig to make some $$ and stay relevant.

      • LL2 says:

        “Don’t know what to do with her?” She’s an actress, they should give her a role to perform. That’s what all actresses do regardless of their skin color. “Don’t know what to do with her” sounds like code for, I’m not comfortable working with people of color.

  8. Ian says:

    What she needed was a role in a movie. Instead she goes to be lancome face. Well girl you should start doing something for your movie career if not you will soon be completly forgotten. Taraji P. Henson 2.0. And Taraji is a better actress IMO. Just saying

    • Andrea1 says:

      I Couldn’t agree more

    • lucy2 says:

      I’d like to see Taraji in more stuff too. She was on Person of Interest for a few seasons and was really great on it. I think she left the series to do more films, so I hope she is able to get some good roles.

      • Ian says:

        Unfortunately there are only 2 or 3 actresses that can do everything they want. Jolie, Lawrence and Streep (the later because she is just offered every single role of woman at her age). Lawarence is a phenomenon and Jolie is the most powerfull actress in the World. She can be out for 4 consecutive years, refuse some of the most iconic roles ( Gravity, Silver Linnings Playbook , Serena etc) and still can return and be paid 20 millions for Maleficent. The indies go to Adams, Chastain, Blanchett and a few more.

    • Alexis says:

      I’m sure she’s working on that too, but she can’t hire herself or dictate the announcement schedule of work she may already have. Chill out.

      • Jen2 says:

        Thank you. If she does not have a job it is Hollywood’s failure, not hers. She is smart, talented, beautiful,…all the things that should make her successful.. However, she is also older (yikes 31), dark skinned (yes, it does matter) and does not have delicate features (thin lips, small nose etc. etc. etc). She should take her time, not get type cast or do something for a check (which she might have to do, but hope it is a good part). But for now, a high end contract like this is also great.

    • AlmondJoy says:

      @Ian With all due respect, where were you when we discussed the lack of roles being offered to darker skinned actresses? I’m sure she wants to be in another movie and I’m also sure that many of us would like to see her take on another nice, meaty role. Sadly, though, sometimes a black actress has to take what she’s offered (which may not be much.) This can be a good thing for her. The Lancome endorsement will give her more exposure.

    • T.C. says:

      How would she soon be forgotten when she is representing a high end brand with her face all over the place? A brand represented by other Oscar winner? Taraji P. Henson did not get anywhere as high profile media attention as Lupita has being getting. Sometimes in Hollywood a WOC has to be seen as model material like in Halle Berry to be considered for leading lady roles.

      Jennifer Lawrence said she was not getting any romantic roles after Winter’s Bone until she did the controvesial wet in a swimsuit pictorial for a men’s magazine. That’s when things changed in getting more diverse scripts.

    • KA says:

      @Ian, I’m sure if Lupita had the choice she would have chosen to be in a movie rather than be the face of a cosmetic line. But it isn’t up to her. It’s up to the powers that be. In the mean time, Lupita has her rent and bills to pay. She has to eat while she’s shuffling around doing auditions. So, instead of waiting around for someone to see past her skin-color and take notice of her true talent, she is out there hustling. Plus, most successful actresses eventually land a beauty endorsement. Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Jennifer Anistan. Yes, I would have loved to see Lupita land her next major role, but with this, I am equally happy. I take her to be an actor that goes for well-written acting gigs, not high paying, big budget movies. I don’t want her to take the first movie role that comes along. I want her to be selective and go for the quality roles, rather than be desperate for any acting job. With this campaign, she now has the financial comfortability to do that. I also think it’s kind of badass for Lupita to be not even a year in the game and already has accomplished what a lot of actresses have not. A beauty campaign bring in the dollars! Brava, Lupita.

    • Ahot says:

      IDK how being the face of a prestigious company among other oscar winning actresses can be considered a failure. It pretty much solidify her position in the industry, big brands only sign big celebs. It takes newcomers years to achieve this. Now all we need is a report from Lancôme publishing how big her impact is on their sales. It’ll let Hollywood understand how appealing a black actress can be. A win win situation for everyone . 🙂

      • KA says:

        Yes. I’ve never bought anything from Lancome before, but with their commitment to Lupita and women who look like her, I most certainly will. In addition, Lupita as their models means more suitable colors for women of color with darker shades. I’m very excited about this.

      • LL2 says:

        @Ahot
        Another great point! I don’t know if Lupita’s team made a deliberate decision to focus on her beauty and/or commercial appeal or if it happened by accident but its a brillant move. With Lupita’s success, Hollywood can no longer use a lack of commercial appeal as a legitimate excuse for not casting black actresses in non-stereotypical roles. Like you said a win-win situation for everyone. Lupita is doing things her way, not the way everyone else expects her to and I’m loving it. I’ve always been a think outside of the box kind of person.

  9. Kiddo says:

    Very very pretty. I like the light touch with the make-up overall.

  10. freebunny says:

    Good for her but she’s slowly becoming a one hit wonder.

  11. Talie says:

    Thank God. I was worried she was on the verge of disappearing completely. Next Up: A Splashy Film role!

  12. PunkyMomma says:

    She’s gorgeous. Hope this helps her snag some more movie roles.

  13. wonderwoman21 says:

    I love Lancome’s eyeshadows and liquid liner. I also have a wonderful (discontinued) tinted moisturizer by Lancome.

    • megs283 says:

      I love Lancome! So expensive for my no-frills makeup budget, but I indulge when I can. I just bought their cleanser, toner, and waterproof eyeliner.

  14. pretty says:

    I would LOVE to see her billboard in here S.Korea. there are only blonde blue eyed white models’ faces when you go to department stores and look around the make up&skincare section. I’ve seen Emma Watson’s Lancome billboard many times for example. even korean brands hire white models to represent their products because that sells. it would be amazing to see her dark skin in huge billboard lol of course would never happen.

  15. ldub says:

    YASSSSSSSSSS$$$$$$$$

  16. lucy2 says:

    Congrats to her – what a perfect choice for Lancome too, she is radiant and beautiful.

  17. BooBooLaRue says:

    GORGEOUS!

  18. GeeMoney says:

    I was wondering when a fashion house would snap her up… she’s got the perfect look for a modeling campaign. YAY!

  19. name du jour says:

    I’m curious, would people feel that she’d be lowering her standards if she took a TV role?

    • Happy21 says:

      I totally would not! She’s a fantastic actress and with TV comes a regular pay cheque and recognition on a different level of entertainment. Some TV actresses have gone on to be major stars and some major movie stars (Sally Field, Chevy Chase, Whoopi Goldberg) have gone on to do TV. I think she should do whatever is right for her and the idea the offers aren’t coming in is ridiculous. We don’t know what she has going on. She could have a bunch of stuff coming up. I can’t see that she won’t be getting roles. She gorgeous, she’s talented and she’s the ‘it’ girl of the moment. I really loathe that term and I hope she has a long and full Hollywood career whatever way she makes it happen 🙂

      • name du jour says:

        That’s exactly what I was thinking y’all – TV is different these days and I think it might actually have better opportunities for great roles. I’m hoping that she considers it if she’s offered anything.

      • LL2 says:

        @Happy21

        “The idea the offers aren’t coming in is ridiculous”. I absolutely agree with this statement. That Hollywood Reporter article that suggested Lupita might not be able to have a successful career in Hollywood because she is not light-skinned like Halle Berry or Beyonce was absolute bull. Has no one working at the Hollywood Reporter ever heard of Whoopi Goldberg? Whoopi Goldberg is dark-skinned with dreads and is one of the few actresses to have ever won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Whoopi Goldberg has had a far more successful Hollywood career than Halle Berry. Halle Berry wishes she had as many successful movies and awards as Whoopi Goldberg. Unlike Halle, Whoopi has actually carried a movie that made $100+ million at the box office. Halle’s box office hits tend to be films like X-men and James Bond that don’t depend on her star-power. By the way, Whoopi Goldberg is one of the women who inspired Lupita to become an actress. Not saying it will be easy for Lupita as a dark-skinned woman of color to have a successful Hollywood career but its not unheard of or impossible. Whoopi Goldberg has already shown it can be done so I don’t see why a talented, beautiful and intelligent actress like Lupita can’t follow in her footsteps. It makes me wonder about the writer’s true motives for writing such an article. Was it to encourage or discourage Lupita from pursuing her dreams of a Hollywood career?

    • AG-UK says:

      NO I think TV is different today than it was 20 years ago. You have great shows on cable as well. I mean not all on TV is great but there are some good things.

    • Maria says:

      TV is becoming the place to go to reinvigorate your career and have a blast while doing it: Jessica Lange, Angela Bassett- AHS, True Detective, Game of Thrones, and the list goes on. There is some seriously good work on tv right now.

    • jaye says:

      TV is not the same kiss of death it used to be. I think more and more actors and actresses see it as a viable way to up their visibility. If she appeared in a mini series I wouldn’t be mad at her.

  20. Rice says:

    Thank you for this story, Kaiser. As a black woman, I honestly didn’t have the faith that we’d see Lupita in anything substantial again.

    • Ahot says:

      Thou shall not doubt. Things might be slow, but they are happening. State of mind is everything. This gal has a plan & she is here for a reason. Trust & wait for it to happen. Lupita got more momentum than any black actress out there ever had. She’ll succeed for sure. 🙂

      • LL2 says:

        @Ahot

        Thank you so much for your comment. Lupita is here to change the game for black actresses and how its been played previously. That’s why I don’t pay attention to those, “what will Lupita do? articles”. They accuse Hollywood of being narrow-minded but so are the articles. If you are asking “what will Lupita do questions” you are clearly not forward-thinking. Things about to change for actresses of color in a major way.

  21. Lucy says:

    Yaaaaayyyy go Lupita!!! She looks beautiful!!!

  22. Reece says:

    Good for her! Good/Great choice for Lancome.
    That promo picture is GORGEOUS!

  23. Nana says:

    ‘oh and she’s going to disappear just like the others’. Really happy for this beauty. Can’t wait for her to land a movie gig too.

  24. Karen says:

    Anyone know what happened to Lily Collins as the face of this brand? Geez, how many “faces” does one brand need?

  25. Maria says:

    Fantastic!

  26. Damaris says:

    Congrats to her! I can’t wait to hear what work she’ll be doing next.

  27. Camille (The Original) says:

    Fantastic news! She’s so pretty, I love that top photo, gorgeous.