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Queen Naija

Source: Capitol Records / Capitol Records

Queen Naija, who started her journey in entertainment as a YouTuber, is not only a chart-topping singer-songwriter who pushed out arguably one of the best debut R&B albums. She is also a mother to two beautiful sons CJ and Legend, whom she flaunts on Instagram and on her new YouTube channel, “The Royal Family.”

Her debut album Missunderstood received critical acclaim, Queen Naija decided to bless her fans with some bonus vibes including the new original song, “Supa Vibe.” In partnership with Burlington, the 25-year-old singer collaborated with the national retailer to record the exclusive track which premiered on Tik Tok last month. After the April premiere, the Burlington Deals Dance Challenge was born and she was grateful that the brand saw something in her music to want to amplify it to a larger audience.

Queen Naija is an advocate for ‘look good, feel good,’ whether it be chilling at home in some sweats and a hoodie or her elegant album release dress. “Cute clothes to make you feel good. You don’t have to be the fanciest person to look cute,” Queen told HelloBeautiful. “Burlington has a variety of things in there, so make sure you all go in there, shop, and get your deals. If you ball on a budget, go right into Burlington and you’ll look cute.”

Ahead of Mother’s Day, the “Passionate” singer caught up with us to talk about self-care, mental health, her pregnancy body adjustment, and advice she has for new mothers. Check out the conversation below.

HB: What is the beauty of being misunderstood?

Queen Naija: The beauty of being missing a city is that everyone doesn’t have to understand you for you to be happy with yourself. A lot of people may think that it’s harder to get through life when you’re misunderstood, but as long as you just understand yourself and accept that you’re misunderstood, you should be fine.

HB: As a mother, how do you make sure to implement self-care and managing your health as a priority?

Queen Naija: I just make sure I don’t wait too long to get pamper days and make certain dates to just go be alone and to think. Part of getting my toes and nails done is time to just sit and having peace of mind. I sometimes even just go in the parking lot and eat a burger.

HB: Do you have a beauty routine and has it changed over the years?

Queen Naija: I used to never have one. I just used some store-bought products, like Clean & Clear. My skin always had ups and downs. A lot of times I would break out, but I have a friend who has a great skin line, and when I used it my skin was actually a lot better. It’s an acne kit by Underneath Skincare. It’s helped me tremendously with my acne. That’s my skincare line now. In the morning I use a cleanser, and then I do an acne day cream, and then I’ll put a … Over it, it gets my skin really moist. It’s like sunscreen. At night, I use organic bar soap, and acne oil, and night lotion. It’s not complicated.

HB: You’ve been open by your post-pregnancy body. What was the experience like for you after your pregnancy to readjust to your new body?

Queen Naija: I know I’d just had a baby, so I knew it wasn’t going to snap back perfectly. I had planned in my head that I was going to go get a mommy makeover, so I was just happy about that because I had something to look forward to. I’d been wanting to get surgery way before when I had my first child. I used to be a stick. I was so skinny, I had a perfect belly and everything. After my first child, my body drastically changed and I had a very hard time accepting it.

From that moment I knew I was broke, but I knew I wanted to get a mommy makeover. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. To each his own. Some people choose to embrace it and let it all hang out but especially with me being in the public eye, I knew that I had to do something to be comfortable with wearing more things when I’m singing on stage or content on Instagram, I just wanted to be comfortable.

HB: What would you say to women who aren’t so comfortable with their snapback?

Queen Naija: First of all, give it a little time. It’s not going to change the next day. It might take three months, but give it some time and figure out what you want to do – whether you want to get surgery or you want to invest in a gym membership and get a trainer. Working out does help. It was just me. I had loose skin, I had fibrosis, I had a lot of other things going on that I just wanted to fix.

The best part about it is that it can change. It’s not something that is permanent. It can definitely change, whether you take the surgery way out or the working out. You’re never going to be completely perfect. Even now after my surgery, I’m not perfect, but I’m happier than I was. Never expect to be perfect.

HB: What advice would you give to new moms?

Queen Naija: Don’t beat yourself up. Having a baby don’t come with instructions. Whether you planned this or you didn’t, it’s a blessing. It’s not just about having a baby. You’re raising a whole ‘nother human being to be a good person in this world, so make sure you raise them from a good foundation of love. Make sure you give them everything that they don’t have to need. I’m talking about their needs, mentally and emotionally. Make sure they don’t have to recover from their childhood. All the little moments that you think probably don’t matter, answer their questions, and even if it gets annoying, just shower them with love and hugs and kisses. Teach them how to love from a young age, and invest in your kids.

Even if you don’t have a lot of money, just invest your time in them. Whether it’s going to a park, having a picnic, just to show them good qualities from youth. You will make mistakes. It gets hard being a mom. You start to forget about yourself, you feel like you let yourself go, but make sure you take care of yourself too because you can’t be the best mom to them if you’re not the best you. Really take time to love yourself, and love on your kid. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s a very rewarding thing to do.

HB: What are some beauty hacks that helped you keep a natural glow during your pregnancy and after your pregnancy?

Queen Naija: I always got my lashes done because when you wear lashes, you literally don’t have to wear anything but some lip gloss and moisturizer on your face. Lashes do a lot for your face. Keep your eyebrows threaded or waxed to keep a clean look on your face. Make sure you’re washing your face. You could do a little concealer to just keep your skin an even tone and to look good throughout the days. Use a rosewater spray to keep your face looking and feeling hydrated, and drink lots of water so it could show through your skin.

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