Today we’d like to introduce you to Raksana Samokhvalova.
Hi Raksana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a self-made woman. And this phrase probably describes my journey better than anything else.
My story in blogging began around 10 years ago, when I created an Instagram account simply to share beauty recommendations with my close girlfriends. At that time, I was living in Saint Petersburg, and my life was nothing like the one people see today.
I was working several jobs at once, barely sleeping, and at one point I was literally surviving. There were periods when I didn’t even have money for food. At the same time, I was dealing with serious health problems and disability. Back then, Instagram was not about career or money for me. It was the only place where I felt alive. The only space where I could create, dream, and at least for a moment forget everything that was happening in my real life.
I truly loved makeup and creative artistry. At some point, I became one of the first beauty bloggers in Russia to create lip art — artistic work on lips where makeup transformed into miniature art. That was the moment when people started noticing not only my content, but also my story.
During my first year of blogging, I gained 10,000 followers. Today it may sound like a small number, but back then it was a huge achievement for me. Especially because I never expected that so many people would connect with my journey.
But together with growth came brutal hate. People humiliated me because of my appearance, my body, and the fact that I didn’t fit the beauty industry standards. I was told I was “too fat,” “not beautiful enough,” and “not suitable for media.” And the hardest part was that at that time I was already a very broken person internally. But that was exactly when I realized something important: if you want to change your life, you must keep moving forward even when nobody believes in you except yourself.
That was also the period when the first international brands started reaching out to me. Among my first collaborations were Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, Sephora, Yves Rocher, and Pixi Beauty. Later, I worked with international companies such as Guerlain, Givenchy, L’Oréal, LG, Xiaomi, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, as well as luxury hotels and lifestyle projects including Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Rixos Hotels, and Atlantis The Royal.
That was the moment when I realized my hobby had turned into a profession and opened an entirely new world for me.
Over time, my blog became about much more than beauty. I started sharing travel, lifestyle content, and my personal story. And honestly, the first serious money I earned through blogging went into my health, education, and travel.
Later, I began working not only as a blogger, but also as a TV host, speaker, and organizer of international projects. I graduated from the Ostankino Higher School of Television and the Channel One Television School.
I hosted masterclasses, interviews, international events, business forums, and award ceremonies. I was the host of the Women of the World Award in Dubai, and later became the co-founder and partner of the People of the Future Award. I worked on creating international shows and events almost entirely from scratch — from concepts and scripts to attracting partners, investors, and media. Guests at our events included diplomats, entrepreneurs, representatives of international businesses, and media professionals.
Later, I also became the Editor-in-Chief of the international media portal Topbrand Magazine World, an international speaker, and a fear expert — helping people overcome fears and internal limitations.
But the biggest challenge of my life became my health.
At some point, my condition started rapidly getting worse. I began losing my vision and coordination. There were periods when my limbs stopped functioning, when I could barely walk, and even times when I lost my speech. Later, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — an incurable autoimmune disease.
For many people, a diagnosis like this becomes the end of the life they imagined. For me, it became a moment of absolute internal choice: either give up, or prove to myself that even illness would not be able to steal my life, my dreams, or my future.
Even during that period, I continued working, creating projects, hosting events, and building my career. And that was exactly when I fully realized my mission.
My mission is to show people, especially women, that no pain, no poverty, no bullying, no disability, no violence, and no illness can destroy a dream if a person continues moving forward.
I grew up in very difficult circumstances. I was raised by my mother — an incredibly strong woman and an Afghanistan war veteran. I know what it feels like to live in poverty, to not have money even for food, to experience bullying, to feel unwanted, and to hear from the world that you are “not enough.” And that is exactly why I always wanted so desperately to prove that a person is not defined by money, diagnoses, or other people’s opinions.
On December 1st, 2023, I fulfilled one of my biggest childhood dreams — I flew to America and saw Manhattan for the first time. I came here not only for a new life, but also with hope: hope for new opportunities, new projects, and most importantly, treatments that could help me preserve my quality of life.
America became a completely new chapter for me. Today, I live in Manhattan and continue building my life and career here. I continued working with international brands in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. My American audience started growing rapidly, and new opportunities, collaborations, and projects entered my life.
Today, my audience includes more than three million people on Instagram on my main page alone. And already in America, I created a second separate page specifically for the local audience, which now has more than 150,000 followers.
On this page, I share my life in New York, travels, new discoveries, and more personal and romantic content. Because New York gave me not only hope for a new chapter in my life, but also incredible people who became part of that chapter. And it was here that I met my husband.
Over the years, I was named Best International Blogger 2023 in the UAE, received the title Woman of the Year 2020 according to Glamour readers, entered the list of Top 100 Most Beautiful Women in Russia 2022, became a two-time Best Beauty Blogger winner according to the international Nevsky Bereg festival, and was also recognized as Best International Expert in Creating and Scaling a Personal Brand 2023.
But for me, awards were never the most important thing. What matters most to me is seeing the response from people. I know that my story, my journey, and my growth inspire millions of people — especially women — to stay strong, believe in themselves, and keep moving forward even when it feels like the whole world is against them.
My story was never only about blogging, beauty, or social media. It is the story of a woman who was told many times that she would never make it. But every single time, she kept moving forward because she believed.
And I sincerely believe that the human spirit is far stronger than the body, stronger than any difficulty, and stronger than any circumstances.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My path was never easy or smooth. Honestly, it was incredibly difficult.
I think the biggest struggles in my life were not even connected to work itself. Most of them came from much deeper places – from childhood trauma, fears, and the constant feeling that I had to prove I deserved a place in this world.
As I mentioned before, I was raised by a single mother – an incredibly strong woman and an Afghanistan war veteran. At the same time, I grew up in a very strict and conservative environment, and financially we struggled a lot. Because of that, school became one of the most painful periods of my life.
I was bullied by teachers, the school administration, and other children because I had a disability, because I was overweight, and because I was poor. All of that left a very deep emotional scar on me.
And that became one of the first major challenges when I started blogging. People often think influencers are naturally confident, loud, and extroverted, but I was the complete opposite. I was a true introvert. In the beginning, it was incredibly difficult for me even to speak on camera.
And when I finally forced myself to start doing it, I immediately faced hate online. People called me fat, ugly, and said I would never succeed. At the same time, I was still working regular jobs, trying to survive financially, while emotionally I was already completely exhausted.
But at some point, I made a very important decision.
I realized that I had dreams. I dreamed about a completely different life. And I understood that if achieving those dreams required paying a high emotional, psychological, and physical price – then I was ready to pay it.
And that price became daily work on myself.
I had to overcome my inner introvert. I had to learn confidence. I had to stop constantly doubting myself. I had to teach myself to keep moving forward despite fear, criticism, and rejection.
And honestly, one of the hardest things is learning how to survive hate. Especially when that hate comes not from strangers, but from people close to you.
One of the first painful experiences for me was realizing that many people around me did not support me at all. Some were extremely toxic, laughed at my dreams, didn’t believe in me, or considered blogging something unserious and stupid.
Over time, I learned one very important rule: our environment has an enormous impact on our lives. And while we cannot choose our family, we absolutely can choose the people around us.
That was when I started building a completely different environment for myself – one filled with strong, ambitious, inspiring people who genuinely support one another.
Because I truly believe that queens fix each other’s crowns instead of competing with each other.
I honestly do not believe in female competition. I think women are naturally empathetic and capable of truly supporting one another. And I believe that every person in this world has their own unique place that nobody else can take.
Another huge struggle throughout my life was fear.
Fear appears at every stage of growth. Every new level brings new fears, new internal limitations, and new doubts that you have to overcome again and again.
Over time, after working through countless fears and vulnerabilities within myself, I became a fear expert and started helping other people overcome their internal limitations. I began working with entrepreneurs, creators, and public figures, helping them move through fears that were stopping them from growing.
Because very often, a person’s biggest problem is not lack of talent. It is fear.
And after learning how to work through my own pain and vulnerabilities, helping others became deeply meaningful to me.
But the biggest challenge of my life was, without any doubt, my health.
I became disabled at 14 years old. After years of stress and emotional trauma, doctors discovered a cyst in my brain. But later things became much worse.
In 2019, when I returned from a press trip to France with Yves Rocher – which at the time was one of my biggest dreams – my leg suddenly stopped functioning for the first time. Completely. I could barely walk for almost a month.
It terrified me, and at first nobody understood what was happening.
Then my vision started getting worse. I lost fine motor skills. Periodically, I lost my speech. There were periods when my legs stopped functioning and I literally could not get out of bed for days. My body started developing multiple cysts. I developed severe mental health issues, anxiety-depressive disorder, and depression, while my overall condition rapidly deteriorated.
Sometimes the attacks became so severe that doctors were literally pulling me back from the edge of death, but nobody could diagnose me.
And only in 2022, almost by accident, after another MRI, I heard the words “multiple sclerosis” for the first time.
An incurable disease.
And then the doctor said a sentence that completely changed my life.
She told me: “You have about two years before your condition becomes critically severe.”
She explained that because of the serious damage to my brain and spinal cord, combined with the aggressive progression of the disease, the probability of ending up in a wheelchair was becoming almost inevitable.
That news completely destroyed me emotionally.
But at the same time, it became one of the greatest motivations of my life. Because in that moment, I realized very clearly: I no longer wanted to postpone my life for later.
I started fighting for myself.
I found incredible doctors. I underwent surgeries. I completely changed my lifestyle. I started practicing Pilates, yoga, stretching, rehabilitation, meditation, and seriously focused on my mental health.
I do not drink alcohol, I do not smoke, and I do not use drugs. I became extremely careful and mindful about my physical and emotional condition.
And by the way, those two years have already passed.
American doctors confirmed my diagnosis, and unfortunately medicine still cannot truly help me. But despite the fact that every single day is a certain kind of battle with myself and my health, I honestly think I am holding on very well.
And I believe that it is exactly my inner strength, mindset, and faith that help me continue moving forward.
It was also during this period that I began actively fulfilling my dreams instead of waiting for the “perfect moment.”
We organized major events and awards. I scaled my projects. I started constantly traveling because I realized that I no longer wanted to live in ожидание.
For the last six years, my life has essentially turned into one long journey around the world.
But then, after certain events that happened in Russia, I faced another extremely difficult choice.
I had to decide whether I was willing to support what was happening or not.
And I made my choice.
I stand for peace. I am a pacifist.
That decision cost me almost everything.
I lost a long-term career, my previous lifestyle, my apartments, stability, and the life I had spent years building. But I chose to remain human and stay true to my values.
And during that same period, my health continued getting worse.
So I left.
And my life of constant travel continued because at some point, I simply no longer had a place that truly felt like home.
For some time, I lived in Dubai. And it was during that period that I fulfilled the biggest dream of my childhood.
When I was a little girl lying in a dark room, not understanding how I would buy bread and tea for the next day, I used to dream about a very distant, almost impossible America.
And especially about Manhattan.
I had absolutely no idea how it could ever happen. But somewhere deep inside, I sincerely believed that one day it would become reality.
And today, I am literally living inside the dream that once seemed impossible.
Now I live in Manhattan, and I regularly fly to Miami to enjoy the ocean. And for the first time in a very long time, I truly feel that this is my home.
And this experience taught me one very important thing: absolutely everything is possible if you truly believe in it and are willing to fight for it.
Today, I continue building new projects, moving toward even bigger dreams, and bringing my biggest creative ambitions to life.
My path was never easy or smooth.
It was incredibly difficult.
But I believe I walked through it with dignity.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Today, I can no longer describe myself as just a blogger or simply an influencer, because over the years my work has grown into something much bigger.
Today, I work in media, personal branding, international projects, and public communications. I am the Editor-in-Chief of the international media portal Topbrand Magazine World, an international speaker, TV host, fear expert, event and brand event organizer, as well as the co-founder and partner of the People of the Future Award. Over the years, I have worked with international brands, luxury projects, major media outlets, and companies around the world. Among the brands I have collaborated with are Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, Sephora, Guerlain, Givenchy, L’Oréal, Yves Rocher, Pixi Beauty, LG, Xiaomi, Jeffree Star Cosmetics, as well as international hotel chains and lifestyle projects.
I have hosted international events, business forums, brand presentations, masterclasses, interviews, and award ceremonies. I was also the host of the Women of the World Award in Dubai and a co-organizer of international projects in different countries. But honestly, today my work is no longer only about media, beauty, or popularity. Above all, my work is about influencing people through my own story.
I work a lot with themes such as fears, internal limitations, self-worth, personal branding, and personal transformation, because I personally went through enormous amounts of pain, fear, bullying, hate, losses, and difficult life challenges. And probably what I am most proud of is not awards, numbers, or popularity. I am proud that I survived the test of hate, survived the test of illness, and most importantly, survived the test of popularity, influence, and money without losing myself or losing my humanity. For me, that is truly very important.
Because today my voice carries weight. And I am deeply grateful that I now have the opportunity to help people, inspire them, support them, and become the kind of person I once desperately needed myself. I think that is exactly what sets me apart from many other people in this industry.
Despite having an incurable illness and despite everything I have been through, I am not simply refusing to give up – I continue living as brightly, boldly, and fully as possible. I continue building projects, traveling the world, inspiring people, creating new ideas, and proving – first of all to myself – that absolutely anything is possible in this world.
And I sincerely believe that kindness is always stronger than fear. I truly believe that beauty can save this world. But for me, beauty is not primarily about appearance. It is about a person’s soul, their inner light, and their ability to remain human even after everything they have been through.
What were you like growing up?
As a child and teenager, I was a very complex, deep, and emotional person. From the outside, I actually seemed very bright, loud, charismatic, and full of energy. I was a leader in my class, the captain of an intellectual games team, an activist, and someone who was always in the center of attention. I rarely had problems with my peers, but inside me there was always an enormous inner world, incredible sensitivity, imagination, and a constant feeling that I wanted something much bigger from life.
At the same time, there was an enormous amount of pain inside me that I hid behind a smile for years. As I mentioned before, my mother is an Afghanistan war veteran, and I was raised to be a fighter. I was taught never to cry, never to complain, and essentially never to show negative emotions. And for a very long time, that was tearing me apart internally, because outwardly I looked like a very cheerful and positive person, while inside I was going through extremely тяжелые emotional states.
My childhood was quite difficult. At 14 years old, I officially became a disabled child because of a cyst in my brain, and later I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. My physical and emotional condition was extremely difficult, but at the same time I continued smiling and pretending that everything was okay. And by the age of eighteen, I already had thoughts that “Plan B” and the “Club 27” could become the best way out of the situation I was living in.
But I think it was exactly all of those experiences that made me a fighter. Despite everything that was happening, somewhere deep inside I always had a feeling that I had to survive, grow, and build a completely different life for myself. I never wanted to accept circumstances or live in constant pain and limitations. And I think that inner feeling was exactly what kept pushing me forward even when I almost had no strength left.
Unfortunately, the challenges did not stop there. At 20 years old, I literally left my hometown of Kursk because I simply could not stay there anymore. I could not fight against the system, I could not handle the amount of pressure I constantly felt around me, and I understood that if I stayed there, I would eventually break completely. By that point, I had already been fully supporting myself since I was 17 years old and working almost nonstop simply to survive.
I moved to Saint Petersburg – the city of my dreams. I had only enough money left to pay one month of rent and buy a little food. And almost immediately, I started working several jobs at once again. I worked in a private kindergarten focused on English language education, worked as a promoter handing out flyers on the street dressed in a pig costume for a Czech restaurant, worked as a marketer, and overall worked around 16-17 hours a day.
With my health condition, it was unbelievably difficult because my body was getting weaker and weaker. But I simply had no other choice. I needed to survive because I had no support, and essentially the only person I could rely on was myself. And it was exactly during that time that I started my blog as an emotional escape, as a place where I could feel alive and happy, even if only for a short moment.
Since childhood, I had always been deeply interested in beauty, creativity, fashion, and visual art. Later, I professionally studied makeup artistry, and one of my biggest creative passions became lip art makeup – artistic designs on lips where makeup transforms into actual art. I absolutely love bold, creative looks and projects where you can be completely free in your creativity and self-expression. I have always loved creating something unusual, emotional, and visually beautiful.
I also graduated from two art schools. I truly love drawing, and creativity was never just a hobby for me – it was a real form of emotional survival. Through creativity, I processed my emotions, fears, pain, and inner conflicts. I honestly think that art helped keep me alive during the hardest periods of my life.
But probably my greatest passion has always been media and television. I was always fascinated by cameras, filming, photoshoots, interviews, the atmosphere of creative projects, and everything connected to the media industry. And although because of bullying, extra weight, and insecurities about my appearance I was internally very shy and insecure for a long time, I still looked at that world with enormous admiration and constantly tried to work on myself. And every single time I had even the smallest opportunity to be in front of a camera, I felt an incredible sense of freedom. I often joke that I truly love the camera, and the camera loves me back.
Since childhood, I have always been a huge dreamer. The only thing that saved me from the harsh reality around me was the fact that every evening, when I went to bed and closed my eyes, I created my own magical worlds before falling asleep. In those worlds, I traveled constantly, wore beautiful dresses, created bright makeup looks, received beautiful flowers, had my own home and a dog, worked in creative industries, and was happy. In those worlds, I did not have to survive. I could buy any food I wanted and simply walk into Starbucks for a cup of coffee without spending a week and a half trying to save money for it.
And honestly, I had absolutely no idea how any of that could ever become real. But I believed in it so deeply that despite everything, it eventually became my reality. Yes, it became reality because of enormous hard work, pain, and constant work on myself. But it also became reality because of belief. Because every single time I fell, I got back up again. Again. And again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/love.life.travels/ and https://www.instagram.com/roxys_choice/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Roxyschoice
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raksana-samokhvalova-b560522a6/
