How Lupita Nyong'o's Lip Balm Became an Oscar Night Winner

As more celebrities become brand ambassadors, paid handsomely to endorse beauty products, it becomes that much more fascinating to see which can't-live-without items are really lurking in their handbags. On Sunday night, the world got to see what the newly crowned best supporting actress Lupita Nyong'o had in hers when she took her lip balm out of her purse as the cameras rolled. During a bit where Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres walked through the audience, using Pharrell Williams's hat to collect money for her spur-of-the-moment pizza party, A-listers from Brad Pitt to Kevin Spacey plunked down some cash. But Nyong'o, who didn't have any bills on her, handed off a small blue tube of Clarins HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm. DeGeneres took it, saying, "Lupita's lip balm! That's worth something!" And she had no idea how right she was.

More on Shine: Lupita Nyong'o's Killer Style

According to the (very happy) cosmetics company Clarins, Nyong'o's favorite balm, which retails for $24, quickly became a star in its own right — complete with its own animated GIF — and began flying off shelves immediately. "This hilarious exchange became an instant social media hit, trending on Twitter as #lupitaslipbalm, and has sold out almost across the country overnight," a Clarins spokesperson told Yahoo Shine via an email statement. The company's retail locations, other retail chains, and websites like Nordstrom.com and Macys.com, were totally cleaned out by Monday morning. While Clarins says it has restocked its website, the supply may not last long.

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Nyong'o herself has became an overnight style sensation known for her colorful wardrobe and radiant-but-understated makeup, so many woman might be picking up a tube for themselves to get a tactile piece of that glamour, despite the fact that it's priced far higher than your average drugstore lip balm. (As a longtime user of the balm, I can attest that the unscented, non-greasy product is indeed very hydrating and works wonders on chapped lips during the winter.)

It's far from the first time a lip product has made waves at an award show. Back in 2011, Angelina Jolie was spotted giving herself a touch-up at the Golden Globes using Chantecaille's Brilliant Gloss in Love ($33). Touted by her makeup artist as her go-to gloss, tubes of the exact same shade Jolie swiped on her lips instantly sold out everywhere and were on backorder for months.

Not surprisingly, modern-day style icon Kate Middleton has been the reason behind many brands selling out certain styles of dresses, shoes, and even her signature fragrance. When she wore White Gardina Petals by UK perfumer Illuminum ($150) on her wedding day, and it sold out worldwide.

Rihanna, who partnered with MAC cosmetics last year, launched a signature matte red lipstick called RiRi Woo in May. While it was a paid endorsement, Rihanna has been known to sport the shade off-duty and onstage, so it's no shock that the lipstick sold out in a mere three hours when it was first released. Upon re-releases it sold out within 15 minutes. 

And let's not forget the hype of Chanel's Black Satin nail polish ($27). The luxury brand's seasonal shades often fly off shelves thanks to enduring demand — Chanel's lacquers are always ahead of the trend and top quality, but who could have predicted such hype over black nail polish? Back in July 2006 there was a virtual feeding frenzy over the pearly dark shade. According to The New York Times, "The company says interest in Black Satin grew after Jessica Alba and other young celebrities were spotted wearing it this summer. Soon, Chanel executives said, it was selling a thousand bottles a week." And it wasn't long before bottles were selling on eBay for a whopping $100 a pop. After all the hype, Chanel eventually decided to make the popular shade part of its permanent collection.

Perhaps instead of hiring celebrities to be the face of their campaigns, beauty brands should be paying them to pull out their products when the world is watching. Because no matter how many commercials a company pays for, there's no endorsement quite like an impromptu swipe of lipgloss at the Academy Awards.

For more on Lupita Nyong'o's incredible Oscar night, check out the video below:

Related links:

Lupita Nyong'o's Killer Style

Oscars Red Carpet: Best and Worst Looks

Angelina Jolie's Favorite Lip Balm