Kerry Washington has learned to "honour make-up artistry" because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 'Little Fires Everywhere' actress has been applying her own cosmetics for public events after FaceTime consultations with her regular make-up artist Carola Gonzalez and she's admitted she's got a newfound appreciation for how much of a skill it is to creature the right look.

She told Refinery29: "I've learned to honour make-up artistry. There are so many things I've never paid attention to — like brushes — and doing it myself makes me appreciate the art while still having fun."

And having more time out of the spotlight has made Kerry realise she needs to prioritise looking good for herself, not for other people.

She explained: "During this pandemic, I've learned that many of my beauty rituals are attached to showing up for other people. Because of the nature of my job, I was moisturising and putting on mascara for the red carpet, but not for Kerry."

As a result, the 43-year-old star has been able to enjoy dressing up for herself.

She said: "It's been good to let stuff go, to let my skin breathe, to focus on caring for me on the inside out.

"It feels good to paint my nails or throw on red lipstick because I want to and not because someone will write about it or for a character."

And Kerry has urged Black women to celebrate their natural beauty.

She said: "To acknowledge our beauty right now is important because systemic racism and oppression have long taught us not to.

"We've been taught to reject our skin, our features, and our curls, and saying 'no' to those ideals right now is powerful."