Proof That Lupita Nyong'o Can Pull Off Any Beauty Trend

"It's an adornment. It's something that can accentuate different aspects of yourself. It's fun, it's expression, it's art on the body," said Lupita Nyong'o, describing what she loves most about makeup. But, even though the Hollywood actress is known for her bold beauty looks now, she wasn't always so experimental with her look.

The Lancôme ambassador remembers when, while working as an assistant in the fashion industry, her boss asked her what she was wearing to an important business meeting. "I said I had a red dress and she looked at me like, Ahhhh! She encouraged me to wear muter colors, so I ended up purchasing all these black and navy items that just weren't me."

Now, Nyong'o is an Oscar-winning actress who wears whatever the hell she wants — and that usually means bright colors. "I like to surprise myself; I don’t want to take myself too seriously. I like beauty that’s bold enough to make me snicker," she said.

Ahead, Lupita takes us through some of her most playful red carpet looks to date.