The 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' hitmaker believes her biracial heritage set her apart as 'other' when she was growing up in a small town on New York's Long Island.
- Nov 5, 2022
AceShowbiz - Mariah Carey has recalled moment when she felt she "didn't fit in" with beauty ideals. The 52-year-old singer admitted her biracial heritage set her apart as "other" when she was growing up in a small town on New York's Long Island.
The "All I Want for Christmas Is You" hitmaker said her family, at the time, didn't have the money for her to spend on looking after her appearance. She reflected to PEOPLE, "That's when I learned I was definitely 'other.' It would've been great to actually be a chameleon, but I didn't have the tools for it, meaning we didn't have money."
"For people in the white neighbourhoods where we lived, it was clear that I was mixed with something. I wasn't, like, the little girl living next door, with the silky long hair and freckles," she shared. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, she's what beauty is supposed to be.' And I didn't fit in with that. I had, like, three shirts, and my hair was textured, honey."
"But it was several textures, and we were not working together. I don't wanna use the word 'neglected,' but it wasn't a fashion show," Mariah added.
If the "Hero" singer, who has 11-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-husband Nick Cannon, could offer some advice to her younger self, it would be to save up her money to buy conditioner, and to leave her eyebrows alone.
Asked what she'd tell her 12-year-old self, she said, " 'Save up your money. Buy some conditioner and a comb, just wet your hair, keep the conditioner on it, and let it air-dry. You'll be okay.' Oh, and I would've said, 'Please don't shave your eyebrows. It's never gonna look good on you.' "
Mariah has channelled her childhood experiences into her new kids' book, "The Christmas Princess", with a positive message at the heart of the story. She said, "It's a lot about surviving the bullies that are making [the main character] feel ashamed of who she is. She survives and finds her destiny. "Her music rescues her. It's not a Prince Charming who comes in. She saves her own day," she said.
