Normani Says the Only Person She's in Competition With Is Herself
Do I consider myself a beauty queen? I do. When I was younger, I was a Miss Texas contestant, and I think that when talking about pageants, people have a single kind of idea of what beauty is. It should represent all women, to be quite frank. Everyone has a beauty queen within them. And it takes time to tap into that awareness.
So, yes, my answer is yes. I am a beauty queen. Right now, there's beauty in me having the time, even in this pandemic, to be still, to disconnect from the rest of the world, to journal. It's just me getting to know myself, spending time with myself. I love being in my natural state.
I think I learned a lot about myself being in Fifth Harmony. It was obvious — I was the only significantly darker, African-American [member]. Knowing that I looked different sometimes, I think, definitely altered the way that I felt. But honestly, I have such an amazing support system. My mom and my dad and my grandmother always reminded me I was beautiful. I was one of three little Black kids in the whole school and I remember asking my mom to straighten my hair, wishing my eyes were a little bit lighter, because that was the standard. Every Black girl should be able to look at the television screen and see herself as beautiful.
Naomi Campbell was such a huge part of my childhood, and me being able to look at one of the biggest supermodels in the whole entire world — not only being a Black woman but being a woman with a similar complexion to me. Colorism is a whole other thing. Musically, Kelly Rowland is the mother of chocolate girls. I don't know if you saw her latest video, "Coffee" — she looks stunning. And Michelle Obama. The fact that a first lady can be not only a Black woman, but a Black woman that looks like me, that is typically at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of having the conversation about beauty standards.
I think I'm just discovering who I am, to be quite honest. And it's not me in contest with anybody else; it's me in competition with myself. I want to start taking more dance classes and being more physical. Naturally, I'm athletic, because that's who I was at a young age. You'd think I [trained] more, but I probably work out three times a week. I work out at this gym called Dogpound, with my trainer Kevin [Mejia]. If I work out twice within the week, I'll do yoga once.
https://www.allure.com/story/normani-skin-care-beauty-interviewPeriod goddess
