Get Behind-The-Scenes Details of Lupita Nyong'o's Black Panther Premiere Beauty Look

When Lupita wants to create an impactful moment on the red carpet, she dials up hairstylist Vernon François, and makeup artist Nick Barose. Together, the trio have collaborated on countless gorgeous moments; among them the time she stepped out with striking “Africa-inspired” eye makeup, and when the actress paid homage to her film Queen of Katwe with a series of head scarves. We could go on, and on, which is exactly why we tracked down the pros ourselves to get the story behind her statement-making style at the Black Panther premiere. Scroll through to get behind-the-scenes details of her breathtaking look. 

“For the world premiere of Black Panther, I wanted Lupita’s makeup to feel glamorous and fierce to compliment her opulent, custom Atelier Versace Gown,” Barose explains. “With a high neckline and a lot of face-framing embellishments, it’s important to draw attention to the eyes and lips. For such a strong dress, I live by Gianni Versace’s words: ‘Less is a Snore!’” 

Barose prepped the Lancôme Ambassador’s skin with the brand’s Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate Serum. After it absorbed into her skin, he applied a primer, followed by Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Wear Liquid Foundation in 550 and concealer under her eyes, pressing the formulas into the skin with a damp Beautyblender “for a flawless finish.” Next, he dusted a little powder on her T-zone, then dabbed Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Custom Glow Drops in Bronze Glow (the brand’s newly launched highlighter, that’s already heading for cult-classic status) on the top of her cheekbones and down the bridge of her nose. “The right highlighter applied sparingly catches the light without looking too shiny,” he says. A little blush completed her base.

Moving on to her eyes, Barose lined her upper and lower water line with a deep black pencil, then he smudged a matte black shadow stick along her top and bottom lash line. He defined her lashes with two coats of mascara, then it was time to perfect her lips. First he sketched along the edges of her lips using Lancôme’s Le Lipstique in Sheer Chocolate, then he applied Lancôme Color Design Lipstick in Fashion Forward. “I had Lupita tap it with her fingers so it felt more like a wine stain and wasn’t too dark.” He finished with a touch of the brand’s body cream.

Francois arrived to a somewhat of a surprise: The back of Lupita’s hair was shaved a few days earlier. The hairstylist (who founded his own hair care line, the Vernon François Collection) swept into action to mold her look. (Check out some of his staples, above).

To create her look, François prepped Lupita’s hair with his Nourishing Water, and then blow-dried using a medium size round brush. Then for sleekness, he used the Aveda’s Anti-Humectant Pomade and Göt2b’s Ultra Glued Styling Gel. Next, he attached loc extensions towards the center of Lupita’s scalp and wrapped them upward to create his desired height before tucking in the ends using U-pins. Lastly, he added a very fine gold string “for a touch of opulence“ and applied his serum for a natural shine.

Sharing that his inspiration was “images from Nigerian photographer J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, who was known for his beautiful pictures of West African women,” the pro reveals “it was quite simple” to sculpt Lupita’s style. 

With their client on the carpet, the pros got to soak up another special moment — and start dreaming up their next big idea, an experience Nick is counting down the minutes to relive. “The fun part about collaborating with Lupita is that we know each other so well so there’s a lot of trust and she’s not afraid to try and push it with makeup. It’s fun and not formulaic.”