Lupita Nyong’o Wore "Afro Clouds" To The 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards

Award season is in full swing, and celebrities are officially turning up the volume on the red carpet, from their gowns to their glam. Need proof? Just take a look at Lupita Nyong'o's 2020 Critics' Choice Awards hair. The star, whose chilling role in Us snagged her a Best Actress nomination, arrived on Sunday, Jan. 13, in a stunning, vintage-inspired gown from Michael Kors and an updo that quite literally took the traditional hairstyle to new heights.

Crafted by master hairstylist Vernon François — who, in addition to Nyong'o, counts Amandla Sternberg and Serena Williams as clients — the sky-grazing, high-rise bun was adorned with minimal gold wire as if to mimic a crown or halo (both of which Nyong'o would be deserving of). The look, dubbed by François as "afro clouds" for its multi-dimensional volume, was achieved using products from professional hair brand Matrix.

In a breakdown of the look posted to Instagram, François listed the Matrix Total Results Miracle Creator Multi-Tasking Hair Treatment as the versatile product used to lock moisture into the hair before heat styling. He then went on to use the brand's Flexible Hold Hairspray, Length Goals Perfector Multi-Benefit Styling Spray, and High Amplify Proforma Hairspray to keep Nyong'o's hair high and bodied all night long.

This isn't the first time that Nyong'o and Francois made hair magic together in recent memory. For the New York Film Critics Circle Awards in December, where Nyong'o took home the Best Actress award for her role in Us, Francois sent the star down the carpet with her natural hair in yet another stunning, braided updo.

See Nyong'o's full look from the Critics' Choice Awards, below.