Roxanna Floyd was many many things, but if I start with the basics she was an extraordinary makeup artist.

I worked with in NYC, I contacted Essence mag after a successful cover try for them and true to form they organized a shoot for me so off I went to NYC I was a little kid masquerading as a grown up. The airline had lost my bags and so turned up to the shoot looking like a tomboy, had short little dread locks, before it was vogue, and leggings that I had worn so long they were shiny and had bagged at the knees and men’s shoes on! I think she felt sorry for me, I was out of my depth and she knew it, it underscored a prevalent theme in our relationship. She took me under her wing, first to dinner, and took me all over New York, I especially remember the Schomburg museum I was in awe, she made it her business to inform and educate this little AFRICAN model girl from LONDON, she introduced me to the pride and the fabulousness of being African American I was so unsophisticated. I literally became part of her family, her mother and father embraced me too! I am proud to say I am her little sister for all eternity. See God knew I needed support and he brought it to me in the form of this wonderful Godly woman. She was an only child and her family ran so differently than any family I had witnessed, the parents had been married for many many years. So Roxanna had a secure upbringing, the church was a large part of her world, but I didn’t necessarily attribute that to how well she made it through life, at first. In one year she did eleven out of the twelve Essence magazine covers, at the time of this writing the number is 60 Essence covers. Essence is a black beauty bible and was the first place that endorsed my future, by giving me a cover, and featuring me prominently in their fashion pages over the years. I thank them for my rapid rise on the New York scene. Ironically the only Essence cover that year that Roxanna didn‘t do the make up for was for mine, fortunately she befriended me anyway.

She gave instruction, wisdom and support to me, even backing me when I made mistakes, what 20 something girl doesn’t! I left the fashion industry abruptly one day to seek my fortune in Hollywood, she was honest and caring enough to express concern, she felt I was doing brilliantly as a model so I should stay put. I went anyway but she never let go of me. I am terrible at keeping in touch with people, but she maintained a firm and friendly hold on me no matter what I did, or where I went, who she rubbed shoulders with, she really demonstrated love in action. I have lived all over the globe since we met and she still kept up with me. She was an incredible friend, a lot will be said about her incredible make up artistry skills, I embrace those too because that’s how we met, but I maintain it was her incredible ability to nurture and bring the best out in people, and her love of the Lord that took her and kept her at the top. She worked on the likes of Queen Latifah, Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston’s make up; she owned a lovely condo in New York. She did eleven major motion pictures always at the request of the stars themselves, they knew what an asset and ally she was, and often went to battle to get her on set. She was loyal, profound and had an incredible sense of humour; she was hilarious and had an ability to go much further than skin deep. The most amazing part of her legacy she was just normal, didn’t have all these made up, phoney airs and graces the fashion or entertainment industries can be famous for, to her credit she stayed loyal and grounded no matter what.

This was shot when I was trying for a minute to go back to modeling when the acting game seemed too tough. Roxanna did the make up, we had worked together many times, but we finally got our cover together. I was staying in her condo in NY as I always did when I returned to NYC. Mark Baptiste one of New York’s finest black photographers shot it. She was always better than me at keeping in touch with people, so I think she put this all together. I loved working with her, she had so much energy. She kept up with me no matter where she was or on the globe, or who she was with.

This came at a time when I was bumming around in Hollywood, broke and the acting dream had not materialized for me yet, the only person who had stayed in touch from that glorious time was my sister Roxanna. She always exuded her faith in what God had for me. During this tough time she shared with me her secret, I had watched her excel for years, and thought it was largely due to her family background, but she said it’s through her relationship with Christ. I didn’t know what she was talking about. A relationship? How can you have a relationship with a man that had been dead for over two thousand years? Whilst I visited her home in NYC She was playing a song that I have never heard before but was somehow familiar to me, “No weapon formed against me shall prosper” the singer said over and over again, as I walked around NYC that day, I couldn’t get those words out of my mind. Roxanna was wonderful she gave me a tape and a bible, and I was never the same again. Roxanna led me to my faith in Christ. She discipled me long distance From NYC to LA, she started sending me teaching tapes, from various ministers; her favorites were TD Jakes and Joyce Meyer, so they became mine to!

I thank God for Roxanna, she taught me the word of God, became my prayer partner and yet was fabulous, stylish and on top of her game. Jetted around the world, but still had a wonderful sense of family. I watched her with wonder as she nursed her father to the end, she was an exemplary woman.

I watched her win the fight against breast cancer with the power of the word of God, and diet and chemo, she had dignity at all times, and she is such an inspiration to me.

Her ability to believe in me was absolute because of her faith in the Lord, I am grateful she was able to see her faith bear fruit in my life both in my acting career which finally took off when I came home to Britain, and in my personal life and my happy marriage which she assured me would happen, if I had some patience, which she was long on and I was always lacking.
Recently in London she got to meet my son. I am happy that he got to meet his Aunty Rox. We had an incredible day together, I had no idea it would be our last.

I am flabbergasted with grief by her departure in one sense, but I know she has gone home to be with the Lord.What friend! What a sister! What a legacy.

 

Sister..You changed my life forever you will never be forgotten.

 

I love you Roxanna. I know you will rest in peace.xxx