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Lupita Nyong’o sprung into action when her high school banned make-up

Lupita Nyong’o rallied against her high school’s no make-up rule by starting a petition to let girls wear cosmetics.

The Black Panther actress is no stranger to bold make-up looks, and regularly stuns on the red carpet with bright colours on her eyes and lips.

When she was a student in Kenya, a young Lupita had little interest in beauty, however, she saw the injustice when her school dictated that none of the girls could wear make-up.

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“I went to an all-boys school for high school, and they had girls in the last two classes. This is a school with 700 boys and a handful of girls,” she told InStyle. “At one point, there was an archaic rule that said that girls could not wear make-up to school. I was angry that the powers that be were trying to basically oppress and control the small female population. It infuriated me to the point that I started a petition.

“I said to myself, ‘Look, if a woman wants to wear make-up to school to feel confident in an environment where she’s a minority, why not? It doesn’t actually change whether or not she’s able to take in the information being given to her in the classroom.’ I personally had no interest in wearing make-up, but I just did not think it was right.”

She continued to explain that she now views cosmetics as an accessory, and is something she enjoys but does not rely on to feel beautiful.

The 35-year-old Oscar winner also shared her definition of beauty to the magazine.

“Magnetism and happiness. It’s about what brings you joy,” she smiled. “That’s it, really. ‘Does this bring me joy?’ If the answer is yes, then I’m pretty sure it makes you feel beautiful.

“At the end of the day, though, make-up should never take the place of self-love.”

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