There’s a quiet power in the way Roxie Nafousi speaks about transformation. For years, the bestselling author and self-development coach has guided millions through her books Manifest, Manifest: Dive Deeper and Confidence, empowering readers to unlock their potential and embrace change. Now, Nafousi is translating that same ethos into something beautifully tangible, her new fragrance house, Alia.
The name itself feels almost whispered, intimate, elegant, and purposeful. “Alia means ‘to rise higher’ in Arabic,” Roxie told Because of Marketing. “It perfectly captures the ethos of the brand, it’s about becoming the best version of yourself.” The word is also a nod to her Iraqi heritage and a reflection of her desire to create something that feels both deeply rooted and undeniably modern.
“I wanted a name that honoured where I come from, but that also felt modern, elegant and powerful. I’ve always been drawn to one-word brand names that feel strong and intentional, which is why my books are called MANIFEST and CONFIDENCE.”
The Scent of Becoming
After years of building a global community around mindset and manifestation, Roxie was ready for something new, something that fused creativity, emotion, and identity. “Fragrance has always played such a powerful role in my own life; it’s transformative.”
That belief became the foundation of Alia. “I wanted to create a product that people could feel, not just read or listen to, something that could shift energy and emotion in a single spray.” Roxie shared.
“I feel like I was really ready to begin a new venture, to push myself, learn something totally new, step outside my comfort zone and also do something that fulfilled my passion for band building, marketing and creativity. For me, fragrance was the natural next step.”
The Campaign: A Love Letter to the Multi-Hyphenate Woman
For Alia’s debut campaign, the imagery is stripped back yet cinematic, a visual celebration of what Nafousi calls “the modern day multi-hyphenate woman who can be many things.”
That sentiment takes form in Alia’s first drop, The Alter-Ego Collection, a trio of scents “designed to meet you at the edge of who you are and who you’re becoming”, evoking the many sides of modern femininity.
Each fragrance draws inspiration from the many facets of Nafousi’s own personality, the different energies she channels in her daily life.
“Power House is about strength, focus, and drive, the version of you that calls the shots, inspires, leads and motivates those around them. Scene Stealer is magnetic, playful, feminine and sensual. Main Character is grounded, effortlessly cool, confident, and unapologetically herself,” she explains. “Each one represents a different energy we all have within us,” Roxie adds. “They’re like alter egos — identities we can step into depending on how we want to feel that day.”
The launch of Alia unfolded through a series of three curated moments, each designed to embody the spirit of a scent from The Alter-Ego Collection. Rather than one grand reveal, Roxie Nafousi chose an approach as nuanced as the fragrances themselves.
Main Character debuted at Pinna Mayfair, setting the tone with effortless confidence and understated glamour. Power House followed at The Hagen Project, a bold, modern space that reflected its strength and drive. Finally, Scene Stealer came to life over an intimate dinner at 74 Duke Mayfair, celebrating magnetism and sensuality in a setting that felt as captivating as the scent itself. Together, the trilogy of events formed a narrative, a clever, immersive strategy that allowed each fragrance to have its own moment, its own mood, and its own audience to connect with.
Crafted from Emotion, Not Just Notes
Unlike traditional perfumers who begin with ingredients, Roxie Nafousi started with emotion. Selling a scent no one has yet smelt, relies entirely on trust, and storytelling. For Nafousi, fragrance is less about notes and more about feeling. “Each fragrance in the collection began with a feeling I wanted to capture: empowerment, magnetism, self-assurance,” she explains. From there, she worked closely with her perfumers to translate those emotions into scent, turning mood into something tangible, wearable, and deeply personal.
“Every fragrance became its own story, designed to help you embody a different energy and reconnect with a part of yourself you may have forgotten.”
No Founder-Led Marketing
Nowadays, many brands are built around the founder’s image, however Roxie took a more understated approach. Though her name has become synonymous with self-growth, she made a conscious decision to stay behind the scenes for Alia’s launch. “I wanted Alia to be about you, not me… fragrance is such a personal experience, it’s about how you want to feel, who you want to be in that moment,” she explains.
“By staying behind the scenes, it allowed Alia to exist as its own world, not just as an extension of me. It’s a brand that invites people to step into their own story, rather than mine.”
Manifesting in a New Medium
If Manifest was about shifting your mindset, Alia is about embodying it. “Manifest will always be about inner transformation,” Roxie reflects. “Alia is a natural evolution of that journey, but expressed through a different medium.”
“It’s the same message, just told through a new art form.”
Pre-order Alia at www.aliasenses.com
About The Founder
Roxie Nafousi is a self-development coach, inspirational speaker, and three-time Sunday Times bestselling author, widely recognised as a leading voice in modern empowerment. Her MANIFEST series has sold over one million copies worldwide, inspiring a global movement in personal growth. Through her books, sell-out live shows, and collaborations with brands such as Google, META, and Estée Lauder, Roxie continues to help people transform their lives and step into their highest potential.
Photography by Julia Kozhan (@juliakozhan)
