Actress Lupita Nyong'o has been named the new face of cosmetic brand Lancôme and will front the company's September 2014 advertising campaign
The Oscar-winning "12 Years a Slave" actress has just signed up to become the new ambassadress of Lancome. She will appear in the brand's September 2014 campaign, shot by star photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.
"I am truly honored to join the Maison Lancôme, a brand with such a prestigious history and that I have always loved," the actress said according to Entertainment Wise. "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."
After becoming the first black African to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress the 31-year-old Nyong'o has created history again by becoming the first black spokesperson of Lancôme. With this achievement, she joins Penélope Cruz, Kate Winslet and Julia Roberts who have previously represented the cosmetics giant.
"I had to give a speech about beauty right before the Oscars," she told WWD, "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."
A spokesperson of the company confirmed that Nyong'o was chosen to endorse the range because of her unique beauty.
"Her instinctive and sophisticated talent and one-of-a-kind beauty, both delicate and strength-exuding, has taken the world by storm," a spokesperson said in a statement, according to IB Times. "She is an outstanding example of a natural beauty; confident and simply true to herself, she embraces life with freshness, citing happiness as the most attractive form of radiance."
The actress has made quite an impression on the fashion industry with her recent Red Carpet appearances at major award events. She has been praised not only for her beautiful outfits but also her natural beauty that is devoid of artificial "glam up." She's sported outfits from Chanel, Gucci and Ralph Lauren during this year's awards season. Style watchers have dubbed her fashion style as both "deeply elegant" and "elegantly fierce."
Actress Carol Alt was one of the first and youngest brand ambassadors of the brand. She was announced the face of Lancôme at the young age of eighteen in 1978. However, Isabella Rossellini remains the longest Lancôme brand ambassador to date. She served as the spokeswomen of the cosmetic giant for 14 years, beginning 1982.
Clive Owen was the first male spokesperson for Lancôme's Men's skincare range.
Other women that have been spokespersons of the brand include Juliette Binoche, Uma Thurman, Drew Barrymore, Mena Suvari, Laura Morante, Anne Hathaway, Julia Roberts, Penélope Cruz and Emma Watson.
Earlier this year, the Kenyan actress was chosen as one of the faces for Miu Miu's spring campaign, with Elizabeth Olsen, Elle Fanning and Bella Heathcote. Miu Miu is a high fashion brand of women's clothing and accessories from the Prada fashion house.
Apart from that, this is Nyong'o's first big endorsement, though she has lucrative deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She recently launched her own brand of Vodka called "Pure Wondernyong'o - Kenya." She also has a fashion line called "Lupita Nyong'o Seduction".
People With Money listed the actress as the highest-paid actresses for 2014 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings, according to Media Mass.
