10 Reasons Gugu Mbatha-Raw Is Our New Curly Crush (Sorry, Lupita!)

We've been thinking: Gugu Mbatha-Raw is the sexiest naturally curly actress to hit the red carpet since Lupita Nyong'o rocked her Afro puffs. This month she is starring in the film Beyond the Lights, which has actually brought her to the forefront of the beauty scene (she's rocking purple hair for most of the movie). With a British mother and South African father, Gugu represents multicultural beauty in the best way — her full first name, Gugulethu, means "our pride" in Zulu.

We caught our first glimpse of Gugu in Belle last year, but before that, the Brit spent time acting in theater and on TV. Since then, she's been slowly gaining momentum among the red carpet celebrities to watch, and here's why. One: her caramel complexion is flawless. Two: she's not afraid to try bold makeup combinations. Three: she often proves how versatile natural hair can be, rocking it in ringlets and straight strands. We have 10 more reasons Gugu should be your new beauty love, so keep reading to get the full story.