Much to our delight Lupita Nyong’o with her effervescent style has completely energized the natural hair world. Her two talented hairstylists, Ted Gibson and Larry Sims, created jaw-droppingly gorgeous dos throughout red carpet season, transforming a tweeny weeny fro into endlessly varying art.
Lupita’s hair jewelry, a look which culminated in a delicately gorgeous headband at the Oscars, introduced the element of whimsy to natural hair. Her stylist Sims said of the look, “The dress reminded me of gorgeous royalty. But when you think of a princess, there’s a fine line between modern and Disney.” And of course he didn’t want Disney. Hair accessories look dated and too bridal with perfectly prim styles. The key to looking cool Sims says is texture and shape. Which means naturally curly hair is the perfect foil for coiffure glitz. For Lupita’s Oscars look, Sims used Smooth and Shine Go Pro Creme Oil on the sides and back to create a sleek finish. The headband was by Fred Leighton.
To create your own Lupita princess moment, pin hair up, but make sure it’s not too perfect—leave a few curls out nonchalantly, then top with any of the hair accesories shown here.