Lupita Nyong'o shaved her head because she was tired of going to the hair salon.

The '12 Years A Slave' star has revealed she chopped off her longer locks when she grew sick of visiting stylists and decided it was more important to concern herself with her ''craft'' rather than the way she looks.

She said: ''Shaving my head wasn't a conscious thing - I was just tired of going to the hair salon. When I began acting, I thought it was more important to hone my craft and spirit rather than concern myself with my appearance.''

When it comes to showing off her natural beauty, the 32-year-old actress, who is also the face of Lancôme, loves experimenting with makeup and uses bright colours to highlight her flawless skin.

She said: ''I like to experiment. In terms of lipstick, I like bright colours like Lancôme L'Absolu in Rouge Rayonnant, especially for the red carpet.

''I'm in a place of privilege. I'm honoured to be an image that young girls of my skin colour will see and help them feel more beautiful and validated.''

Lupita also went on to share the best beauty advice she's ever been given.

She told Stylist magazine: ''Protect your skin from the sun. As my skin is dark, it's harder to detect a problem, but it can burn.''