Lupita Nyong'o On Cover of PEOPLE Magazine's Most Beautiful Issue

The 2014 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood honoree and Oscar winner covers the legendary Most Beautiful issue of PEOPLE.

Nyong’o, whose speech on beauty went viral a few months ago, says of the cover: “It was exciting and just a major, major compliment…I was happy for all the girls who would see me on [it] and feel a little more seen.”

VIDEO: Lupita Nyong’o’s Speech on Beauty at ESSENCE Event

The 31-year-old actress, whose powerful portrayal of Patsey in 12 Years A Slave had Hollywood buzzing, became the 2014 red carpet season’s “It” girl. And, although she was recently named the latest Lancome ambassador, Nyong’o prefers “when I have been called beautiful without one drop of makeup on.”

PHOTOS: Lupita Nyong’o’s Best Red Carpet Looks

PEOPLE’s annual Most Beautiful issue includes Most Beautiful Women: Then & Now, From Child Stars to Grown-Up Beauties and Most Beautiful at Every Age features.

Click here for more of PEOPLE’s Lupita Nyong’o article.