This has been a stellar year for Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. The world has fallen in love with not only her striking beauty, but her natural poise and elegance as well. It’s a no brainer that she would be chosen as one of People magazine’s most beautiful people. “It was exciting and just a major, major compliment,” the 31-year-old actress humbly admits. “And especially, I was happy for all the girls who would see me on [it] and feel a little more seen.” The new face of Lancome also went on to explain her distorted notion of being growing up.  “Light skin and long, flowing, straight hair,” she recalls. “Subconsciously you start to appreciate those things more than what you possess.” Luckily, Nyong’o says her mother, Dorothy, “always said I was beautiful. And I finally believed her at some point.” Now she says the best compliments are “when I have been called beautiful with not one drop of makeup on. And also before I comb my hair or put on a pretty dress.”