I think I've been in love with Lupita's skin since her light first shined after making her mark in Hollywood.
Who can forget that timeless moment of black girl magic when she glided along the red carpet in her Cinderella blue gown and her headband reminiscent of a crown. She was an absolute vision, with her deep brown skin, full lips, and TWA, unknowingly reminding black girls everywhere of their beauty simply because she was it personified. In the years since and an Academy award later, Lupita Nyong'o has continued to make herself seen, taking on roles in films that challenge her. And in the meantime, she challenges the inclusiveness of the beauty industry as she continues to land brand deal after brand deal for Lancome, Calvin Klein, and the like.
Multifaceted, confident, bold, and beautiful – Lupita is the Nubian Queen we all stan for. And for years, we've wondered how she's managed to wake up so flawless. At 35, her black is nowhere near cracked but we are still at the edge of our seats in question of what her skincare routine is looking like. Lucky for us she recently chatted with ELLE and gave the big reveal.
These are a few of her favorite things, as well as tips and tricks the beauty swears by:
Read the full ELLE feature here.
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Yet, the 49-year-old's background sets her apart from other first ladies. Shaunie brings a unique perspective as a public figure, which stems from her previous marriage to NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and her experience in reality television.
In an interview with xoNecole, while promoting her memoir Undefeated, the Basketball Wives creator discussed what being a first lady means to her and how she has lived her life non-traditionally.
When asked if she had always been nontraditional, Shaunie revealed that throughout her life, she has made it her mission to better herself by learning from experiences and breaking harmful cycles.
Shaunie Henderson and Pastor Keion Henderson
Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images
“I think that's just who I am. I can’t say I intentionally go against the grain. In the book, I talk about things from my childhood, like my dad being late all the time. I was totally opposite with my kids when they were in school. I was always there early. My mother is not affectionate, and she doesn't verbally say, ‘I love you,’ but she does things to let you know. That's the way she shows her love,” she said when describing her relationship with her parents.
“But because I missed that 'I love you' and hugging and kissing, I do that with my kids. I try to always give what I needed myself. There were basketball wives who weren’t very nice to me, so I went out of my way to make sure that once I was a wife that I didn't treat anybody else like that. No one was going to feel like that on my watch.”
Toward the end of the conversation, when discussing her first lady responsibilities and the pressures of upholding that image, the mother of five explained she isn't too hard on herself to fit the mold, given her significantly different background from most first ladies and her relatively new role.
“As far as being first lady, now, I'm not knocking how any first ladies decide to operate but I just knew that the idea of what that usually is was not me. And, to be honest, rightfully so. I'm probably the only first lady that created a reality show that has been on television since 2010. My life is not remotely close to that of most first ladies. We've experienced completely different things. Most of them have been pastor’s wives for a long time, this is all new for me. I come with an entirely different journey; that wouldn’t lend itself to being a traditional first lady,” she stated.
Shaunie's nontraditional approach appears to work in her favor, as she has been welcomed with open arms just as she is.
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Feature image by Marcus Ingram/Getty Images