Long before Roxie Nafousi was teaching the nation how to “live their best lives” in seven simple steps, she was something of a bon vivant.
by NATALIE SALMON
In partnership with HADA LABO TOKYO
Self-care is still popular in 2023, and you can thank this best-selling author
Self-care
isn't selfish
ack in the late 2000’s and throughout the 2010’s - the peak era of Indie Sleaze - there was
nothing cooler than roaming around your favourite festival, blurry eyed, pack of cigs in hand. And now the culture has shifted, you’ve probably experienced it first hand. “Times have changed so much,” says Roxie, “10 years ago when we were growing up, our role models were falling out of nightclubs, drinking was cool and there was a very different culture. We didn't have role models that we looked up to who were into drinking green juices, looking after themselves and being healthy. And now that is so much more the case.”
Roxie admits that it was her partying ways that led her to completely changing her lifestyle. In her first book ‘Manifest’ she tells readers, “I had no job, no direction and no sense of purpose. I had been in a battle with depression for over a decade, and in the grip of addiction for almost as long. I was overwhelmingly sad for much of the time, my self-worth was non-existent and, after a string of failed relationships, I was very much alone.”
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“I really am not a fan of the Lucky Girl trend because I think it's very damaging to associate Manifesting with luck”
In an age of microscopic social media attention, where most people don’t dare put a foot wrong, she is refreshingly candid about her battles with substance abuse and about the unsavoury relationships which led her to discovering the power of Manifesting. It’s an approach which has gained her a loyal army of followers, sell-out workshops, live shows at Alexandra Palace and two-best selling books.
Roxie, who is HELLO! Fashion’s first digital cover star, powered by Hada Labo Tokyo, is a big part of the movement, at least in the UK, for a more conscious way of living. One that focuses on ‘being your best self’ and on introspection. “It's actually trendy to care, care about yourself and to invest in feeling your best,” says Roxie. She’s not wrong, Even Gen-Z’s most revered trendsetter, supermodel Bella Hadid, has been photographed with a copy of Roxie’s book. (Try to think of what ‘it-girl’ would be comfortable being photographed with a self-care book back in 2004... I’ll wait.) Manifesting and self-care is officially the hottest ‘trend’ of the 2020s. It seems as though we’ve all swapped Arctic Monkey EPs for Jay Shetty podcasts and Perez Hilton for Goop. Staying in is the new going out.
think that during that time [the
pandemic] we all found this or we had this kind of unprecedented space to self reflect to, you know, look at our lives,” explains Roxie, “I think that kind of created this really unique time for us all to reflect on our lives and what made us happy; on how we were spending our time and how we were investing our energy. We didn't have all those usual distractions. We all went inwards and we had to find ways to look after our mental health because we were trapped inside for so long. If we didn't look after ourselves, if we didn't take care of ourselves, if we didn't find self-care, then our mental health would seriously deteriorate.
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Aside from a refreshed attitude towards mental health, we also collectively discovered the power of a holistic glow up with #SelfCare accruing 43.6 Billion views on TikTok to date and 73.1 Million Instagram posts.
uring lockdown Roxie became so
passionate about skincare that she admits to actually going a little ‘overboard’, resulting in skin sensitivity. “I overdid it in lockdown and I was probably doing too much, too many steps, too many at-home facials,” she explained, “My skin became so over sensitive and I started getting rosacea and it was just breaking out, as well as getting really bad sensitivity. I actually get really dry skin, which I feel like people are always surprised by because I'm Iraqi.”
Fast forward to 2023 she has stripped down her routine, “Now it is literally just cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser. And at night I'll do cleanser, serum and night oil. My number one skin ingredient, I have actually used it for years, is Hyaluronic Acid. My skin, when I'm using it, is so much better. It's so much brighter, smoother, and it's so much more hydrated. I would say it's the best skincare ingredient.”
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“We're in constant dialogue with the universe. So we are always showing it through our actions and behaviour and in the way that we speak to ourselves, how worthy we think that we are in everything that you do. All the habits you engage in. Everything you commit to day-to-day is a reflection of how worthy you feel. So if you are going to the gym, moving your body, drinking enough water, getting good sleep, eating nutritious food, that is a sign that you respect yourself, that you feel that you deserve to look after yourself. That sends a message to the universe that ‘I believe I am worthy of receiving’ and it [the universe] will provide, it will match that belief. It's about making your life the best it can be and making you the most empowered version of yourself that exists. And a big part of that is of course, the way that you treat yourself day-to-day. You all know that feeling like when you have washed your face and you know, [you have] clean skin and you can feel it and you're towelling it dry, you absolutely feel like you just reset.”
We were all doing the best we could to feel as good as possible during such a strange period. I definitely found a new sense of excitement and appreciation for skincare and at-home facials, taking care of myself. I’m moving towards less makeup and looking after my skin,” says Roxie, “but I also think that in general people are appreciating and understanding that self-care is integral to our overall quality of life and wellbeing.
Whenever I'm doing my skincare routine, morning and night, it's really about having this kind of mindful moment. I love doing self facial massages, draining my puffiness and repeating affirmations as I'm doing it.” Affirmations are one of the key manifesting tools in Roxie’s book. It refers to the practice of positive thinking and self-empowerment, fostering a belief that a positive mental attitude supported by affirmative words can achieve success in achieving your goals. “It's just a really easy way to use one of my manifesting tools twice a day,” she says of her hybrid self-care skincare ritual.
The ‘Lucky Girl’ is one of such strands of self-actualisation which has received the most backlash. A hyper-intense version of the popular Manifesting practice, ‘Lucky Girl’ is the belief that if you think good things happen to you they will. Many believe it can lead some into the realms of toxic positivity, where one avoids anything that could be negative including not facing up to, acknowledging or dealing with negative emotions. Anyone who wants to become a Lucky Girl will simply say the phrase, "I am so lucky; everything works out for me." And then the ‘Universe’ will give the desired results.
“I really am not a fan of the Lucky Girl trend because I think it's very damaging to associate Manifesting with luck because then people think that firstly, they can either just say, ‘oh, I'm just not lucky.’ And then they just accept that that's their truth and they refuse to try, or they might even put themselves down when something good doesn't happen for them, thinking ‘You know, it's because they're not lucky’.” says Roxie, “But manifesting isn't about luck. It's about taking action, believing in yourself. There's so much more to it. You can't just go around saying I am lucky and then your life is going to transform before your eyes.”
While we wait for it to come out, it won't hurt to have a green juice and add some skincare affirmations to our routine…
ven with Roxie debunking the
notion of the Lucky Girl, there are still many sceptics, “Manifesting is not a fad. It's been around for centuries and all the greatest philosophers and thinkers have spoken about the power of it and know that it is absolutely something that works. It's been so misinterpreted and explained in ways that don't really actually get to its essence. I think the reason my book has probably been popular is because it actually comes back to its entirety.”
If you haven’t read it yet, Roxie’s book breaks down the concept of Manifesting in seven practical steps, and goes into much more detail than just visualisation, “It's showing that it is absolutely for everyone and you don't have to be spiritual. You don't even believe in Manifesting before you read it.”
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wouldn't say that going to the gym and making healthy choices is about physical appearance. The secret of manifesting is that you manifest what you subconsciously believe you're worthy of receiving.
On Instagram, Roxie’s legions of fans aspire to her every word not just when it comes to Manifesting but also when it comes to her aforementioned skincare routine and healthy lifestyle, which leads me to ask what the link is between the way we look and ‘Manifesting’ .
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It makes sense to me, but there are many who have felt that the Manifesting practice can be delusional or lead to negative outcomes.
ometimes when I meet people, I say I'm an author and they say,’ what do you write about?’ And as soon as I say Manifesting, I cringe because I know they're thinking, ‘oh that load of shit, right?’ Because it's got such a bad rep. Sometimes I feel like I'm the PR of Manifesting trying to do damage control,
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Following the success of her first two books, Roxie has a third book on its way, “Literally about five minutes before this call just sent my final draft to the publishers. I'm so excited. It was a really huge challenge to write this one but I'm so excited for people to read it and I think people might be surprised what this one is about.”
Roxie's skin was prepped for the shoot using Hada Labo Tokyo products
Trench coat, £410, The Frankie Shop
Mules, £895, Malone Souliers
Roxie's skin was prepped for the shoot using Hada Labo Tokyo products
Dress, £610, Anna October
Mules, £895, Malone Souliers
Jacket, £1,295, jeans, £895, both Huishan Zhang
Shoes, £650, Christian Louboutin
Top, £410, Skirt, £515, Leggings, £825, all Tory Burch
Blazer, POA, skirt, £750, Lanvin, Boots, £510, By Far
Dress, £1,375, Frame
Trench coat, £410, The Frankie Shop
Mules, £895, Malone Souliers
Dress, £610, Anna October
Mules, £895, Malone Souliers
Following the success of her first two books, Roxie has a third book on its way, “Literally about five minutes before this call just sent my final draft to the publishers. I'm so excited. It was a really huge challenge to write this one but I'm so excited for people to read it and I think people might be surprised what this one is about.”