Actor Lupita Nyong'o says she broke down when she wore foundation for the first time.

The "Black Panther" star says she cried when her aunt ended up using the shade of foundation that did not compliment her skintone.

"I wasn't allowed to wear make-up growing up, but when I was about 18, my mother let my aunt give me a makeover. She had lighter skin than me and didn't have my foundation shade.

"I actually don't remember my shade existing, or at least I didn't see it. She applied this lighter foundation to my face and just caked it on. I cried," Nyong'o, 35, told InStyle magazine.

The Oscar-winning actor added she imagined the makeover would be how it is shown in the films but the end result was "far from that".