Life and Work with Roxanne Saffaie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roxanne Saffaie.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Roxanne. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As far as I can remember, I have always danced on the line of a love for athleticism/sport and beauty. I have always been able to naturally express them in equality which allowed both to co-exist in my life. Ultimately, living both expressions would shape a lot of who of I am, what I love to do and what I am able to share with the world.

I’m a sibling of 5 kids – with three brothers and one sister; all of whom, I am extremely close to and have been influencers in the evolution of who I am today.

From the age of 7 into my mid teens, I completive runner which allowed me to express my love for movement and offered me the discipline that would inevitably help me shape habits that support a life of wellness and high performance. My athletic expression was matched with equal passion by my creative expression for art. I was a lover of color and was constantly drawing and painting as a young girl. I eventually discovered my ability to create a connection through makeup, which is what became the driver behind pursuing it as my career. I loved my ability to positively effect the way a woman felt about herself through my creativity with makeup. It was a pathway to elevate another – a feeling I loved offering and experiencing greatly.

My story is a way to complex to encapsulate with the reverence it deserves in a few paragraphs. What I can express is that I have always remained true to myself and what I have been passionate about. Never following anyone else’s ways but instead creating my own unique path. It’s a path that I’ve lived and continue to live out authentically and courageously, irrespective of the adversities that naturally come with being a PATH CREATOR.

I learned A LOT about who I am, what I love to express, and what I feel my purpose in this life is upon moving from the Southbay in my early teenage years to live within the robust, raw nature of Hawaii and then switch it all up by eventually moving to the diverse, busy cosmopolitan, character building cities of New York and Paris.

Within those formative years, I invested much of my life deeply exploring, learning and living these passions of health and beauty. The investments paid off as I created an exciting career as a celebrity makeup artist and developed my lifestyle brand and podcast BlackBeltBeauty/BlackBeltBeauty Radio.

My immense passion to continue learning, creating and sharing my knowledge of wellness (mind, body + spirit) and beauty in support of others living with the aim to create their most high performing, feel great selves in this life, is a passion that is only growing as I also continue to grow from my expression of it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As a freelance artist, you have to hunt for your work, you have NO “secured” income until you start to generate clients who come with lucrative work. To start a career path that offers no security outside of your confidence to succeed within it is one of the most difficult paths to pursue – I’ve had MANY scary moments of uncertainty throughout the process of establishing myself within my career and ultimately my life.

The greatest tool I discovered through all of my complexes, diverse years of creating the woman I am today with a career I deeply love and lifestyle that supports all of my passions, is through the profound effects of self-love and appreciation.

To really embrace the feeling of “being on your team” and appreciate all of your efforts regardless of how much “progress” is visible, is an energy that fortifies your strongest most capable self to carry you into your successes. Its one of the most powerful and accessible forms of support because it relies on nothing outside of YOU.

I’ve been writing for a majority of my life which has had a profound effect on my personal growth and connection to myself. It’s allowed me to observe myself without judging myself, learning so much from my actions and experiences as I ventured through all of the twists and turns of my life. I highly recommend journaling for this reason. It keeps you honest with yourself. When we operate from a place of honesty within ourselves, we are able to constantly learn and to grow.

In my opinion, there is NOTHING more beautiful than a woman who displays the courage to authentically love and support herself while creating the greatest version herself and a life that reflects it.

Please tell us about BlackBeltBeauty.
I am a celebrity makeup artist by profession and an athlete by way of lifestyle. I am a wellness advocate with a deep passion for mindset coaching which is the core of my what my lifestyle brand and podcast BlackBeltBeauty/BlackBeltBeauty Radio expresses and shares with the world. I love having a creative career and brand that allows me to connect with so many wonderful people in this world, to travel the world, to keep learning, keep growing and to be contributing to the elevated state of others.

My makeup work can be seen on some of the most prestigious red carpeted events to covers of magazines. I love the diversity in projects my makeup career lends to me. I think what my clients love most about me is that the first application of beauty I start with when working with them is an exchange of calming energy. Skin that is relaxed is skin that reads beautifully. Beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin, so that is a MAJOR focus for me when getting my clients ready for shoots and events.

I’m proud to be a positive influence in this life, inspiring and contributing to the wellbeing of so many that stems from my 360degree perspective of beauty – feeling great, looking great and performing great.

There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I am an advocate for networking with those you truly feel connected to vs. just trying to connect because of what you may gain from it. Authenticity is important.

Always think about how what you are able to offer a relationship vs just what the relationship can offer to you – that is HUGE. Be real. It’s felt and when you’re real with your approach to networking, you offer yourself the opportunities for REAL connections. I think social media has made it easier than ever before to connect with others. As for finding a mentor, I think it comes down to reaching out and respecting their time. If you have questions, make them EASY for the person to address – direct questions that are SPECIFIC to that person’s experience – not things you can get an answer from via the internet. Example: if you want to become a celebrity makeup artist, a great question to me would be “what are the 3 most important things you learned as you started your career?” vs. “how do you become a celebrity makeup artist.

Keep it direct, honest, respectful and simple. And, keep reaching to connect with those that INSPIRE you, not just ones that could be “good for you” to know.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.roxylook.com
• Instagram: @roxylook @blackbeltbeauty
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/blackbeltbeauty
• Twitter: @roxylook

Image Credit:
IMAGE OF GIRL (CLEOPATRA COLEMAN) ON COUCH: Ashley Barrett Photography

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