Commanding attention at this year’s 92nd Academy Awards came easy for Cynthia Erivo, who performed a touching version “Stand Up” from her film Harriet.
The performance Sunday (Feb 9) was special for Ervio as she is the third artist to be nominated for Best Actress and Best Original Song. Although Erivo didn’t take home an award, she did earn a standing ovation for her performance that was filled with emotion and heartfelt falsettos. During her performance, Erivo is surrounded by singers complementing her gorgeous gold gown.
At the end of her performance, the audience sees an iconic black and white photo of Tubman, who Erivo portrayed in the Kasi Lemmons biopic. While fans seemed to be enthralled by her performance, the Oscar for Best Original Song went to “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again) by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Speaking with VIBE at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala, the actress pointed out the need for more representation and diversity in Hollywood. The Academy played true to the growing #OscarsSoWhite movement as Ervio was the only black actor to receive a nomination in the acting categories.
“To not be the only one means to have everyone celebrated,” she said. “We need to learn that people should be celebrated when they’re here; there’s so much good work going on and beautiful work being made that if we don’t pay attention to it, it will pass us by and we will suffer a great loss from it.”
In addition to dropping major gems and divine high notes, Erivo also slayed on the Oscars red carpet, as well as the carpet for Vanity Fair’s Oscars celebration.
“Cynthia’s look was simple fairytale glam,” celebrity hairstylist Coree Moreno shared with VIBE. Moreno teamed up with Dove to use their upcoming Dove Amplified Textured hair products for Erivo’s perfect crop. “I was inspired by the custom Versace gown and the way it sparkles and wanted to recreate a hair moment to compliment the gown.”
“We started the morning with a double process color leaving her hair pearly white. The key to the perfect color is having a well-moisturized base, so I was excited to use Dove Amplified Textures Hydrating Cleanse Shampoo ($6.99) and Dove Amplified Textures Moisture Spa Recovery Mask ($6.99) oh her hair during our color session to ensure her hair is off to a healthy start.”
Following a wash, Moreno shared how a recovery mask is always the wave for textured hair. “After shampooing, I let the Dove Amplified Textures Moisture Spa Recovery Mask ($6.99) sit on her hair for 10 minutes before rinsing it out to begin our style,” he said. “I love how this line was made specifically for textured hair, so the moisturizing ingredients were perfect to hydrate Cynthia’s coils post process. Once the mask had been fully rinsed out, I applied Dove Amplified Textures Moisture Lock Leave-in Conditioner ($6.99) on damp hair and combed through evenly for an added layer of protection.”
To close out the look, Moreno used a palm-sized mound of Dove Style + Care Volume & Fullness Mousse ($4.88), to formulate the style before adding Dove’s Amplified Textures Shine & Moisture Finishing Gel ($6.99). “The slick shiny texture of the product allowed me the flexibility to mold her hair and refine details adding glitter-infused gel to amp up the glitz and glam,” he said. To make her pearly look complete, Moreno provided a generous blast of Dove Style + Care Micro Mist Extra Hold Hairspray ($4.89) to keep the structure perfectly in place all night without flaking.
Check out Erivo’s performance up top.
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