Insta’famous
with Olyria Roy / @olyria_roy
This June is going to be extra juicy as we get candid with the fabulous content creator and self-love advocate.
Photography by Amer Mohamad / @shootmeamer
Model Olyria Roy / @olyria_roy
Makeup by Oksana Laskino
Hair by Max / @max_rokitski
Firstly, it’s a pleasure to have you feature in FHM Olyria, for those readers that may not already know who you are, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you’re from? It’s an honor for me to be featured in FHM, thank you so much for having me! I am from Russia, I was born in St. Petersburg, the city of Dostoyevsky. I find this world fascinating and I have always been interested in diverse subjects. I studied political science and psychology, can speak five languages, and I trained for a time for the diplomatic corps. I also spent many years living in the beautiful cosmopolitan Spanish city of Barcelona. For me, however, my real interest has always been women’s empowerment – and in my view, part of being liberated is the freedom to show and to celebrate our bodies. I interned with the UN and planned to continue to work with them in the department specializing in women’s issues. But I came to realize I could actually have a stronger, clearer voice and greater impact on my own, pursuing my own path, and creating my own unique brand and message. That message is: all women’s bodies are beautiful and we should be proud of our bodies. The media and fashion industry tends to promote just one narrow vision of beauty – I hope to show through my own example that physical beauty comes in different shapes and qualities. We should not be afraid to show ourselves physically and intellectually, and we should not be scared to speak out. I approach each modeling project – whether photos or videos — with the belief that our bodies are most attractive when infused with our personalities and our spirit. I use social media to express this message and am extremely gratified that I have been so well received on so many platforms. I am a model, obviously, but I am also a self-care advocate, an influencer, a singer, a visual artist, and a brand ambassador. Over the past four years I have built a social media presence to amplify all of these things, and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
You’ve achieved so much so quickly, could you tell us a bit more about what got you started on your modeling journey and what have been some of the highlights of your career so far? Thank you for the kind words. I’ve been dreaming about becoming a model since the age of six. But I have always been pretty shy, so it took me quite a bit of time until I became more sure of myself and comfortable with my body. I was a little nervous of the unknown at the beginning. But with great risk often comes great reward, and overcoming all obstacles provides a sense of empowerment like no other! I was lucky to be on the cover of Playboy in February, and Maxim France. Now I have my Instagram page, where I share my art, my vibes and my thoughts. I am very aligned with my work. I feel that it’s always evolving and always progressing.
If you could work with any celebrity in the world who would it be and why? There are so many talented artists with whom I would love to work, it’s hard to name them all! If I were to choose only one, it would be James Franco. I find him to be a profoundly talented individual and his work inspires me greatly! I would not call him a celebrity, he is a great artist!
When you’re not hard at work or looking totally stunning in front of the camera what are some of the things you absolutely love to do for fun? I adore traveling, meeting new people, seeing new places, and learning more about myself and the world around me. I love to swim and go to the cinema.
We noticed you have such gorgeous eyes and an amazing smile, but guys will be guys… what’s the one compliment you get the most from men? Thank you so much! The most common thing I hear is, “You are such a beautiful woman.“ It always makes me smile. On social media guys go more into detail and compliment my eyes, breasts and legs.
What part of your body do you feel is the sexiest, and why? You know for me, it’s hard to choose a particular part of the body. I am sexy as a whole. Haha. Why? Because sexuality is a complex subject and act. You cannot make love with one body part, all your body will be excited and involved in the process, as well as the soul.
Wow, you’re sporting over three million followers on Instagram, 3.1m to be exact. How did you manage that and what has your social media experience been like up until this point? The overall experience with social media has been absolutely fantastic for me! I have the best fans, I get inspired when I see the positive feedback I receive from my followers. I get energy from it. Of course, like in all instances where one puts oneself and one’s creativity into the public domain, there are negative moments, haters or Instagram algorithms that could be tricky. I try only to focus on the positive comments and energy I receive.
On Instagram you can be sure there are plenty of guys sending random DMs. Could you share one of the sweetest and one of the weirdest DMs you’ve ever got? I don’t go into Dm all that often to be honest, but sometimes it’s fun to just look at random messages on those rare occasions when I have time. The strangest one that I can remember was the guy who had a fetish for being kicked in the balls! The sweetest are all the messages I get from people who compliment me on my artistry, aesthetic, and even my spiritual presence, rather than just on my looks. I have many fans who take the time to comment under every single one of my posts, and I really appreciate that a lot!
In today’s world social media has changed how we do things. Do you think it’s an acceptable way to meet your next partner on social media, and what advice would you give a guy hoping to make a good first impression when he slides into a girl’s DMs? I absolutely believe that yes, we can meet our soul mate anywhere, including online! But it’s important to start seeing a person you like in real life as soon as possible. It’s important to feel the real, authentic human energy of that person. To give a good first impression a guy has to show a real interest in a lady, be fun, polite, and have an interesting profile. Boasting about achievements or sexual prowess is a real turnoff.
With all this talk of guys, we’ve got to ask, is there a special somebody in your life and if not, what do you look for in a guy? Haha girls LOVE to talk about guys! I am single darling! And I enjoy it immensely! If I decide to date someone, he must be handsome, fun, and profoundly spiritual. Our values need to match!
What would you say are your biggest turn-ons and turnoffs? My biggest turn-on is a spiritually aware man who is truly in touch with that aspect of himself. My biggest turnoff is insecurity and cowardice.
For the girls looking up to you and your success, what advice can you give them to better themselves and to keep motivated on their own personal journey? An important thing you can do is to learn to be motivated and inspired by the success of others, and push all the negativity you encounter out of your mind. It’s a highly competitive business, but it’s erroneous to see the whole world as a battlefield and overestimate the value of physical appearance alone. Beauty is important, and you have to take care of your physical appearance, but beauty is a relative thing. What REALLY matters is your spirit and unique energy, which will come through in the photos and videos you create. Spend some time answering the question, “Who am I? What is special and unique about me that I want to share with others?” There are hundreds of thousands of beautiful girls out of there, but only some of them become successful. What matters here is your enthusiasm, your unique personality, your work ethic, and the level of genuine love you have for yourself. Believe in yourself, work hard, get inspired by others. Don’t overthink, know your worth and everything really is possible for you!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? To be honest, I always live where I want to be in the moment. I find beauty everywhere, I feel happy equally in a remote village in Russia and in the middle of New York City with all the commotion and activity. Recently I have been working too hard and I feel the need to give myself some rest. I want to take some time for meditation, some time to refocus, recenter, and recharge my batteries mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Are you working on any new and exciting projects this year and could you tell us more about that? The 2020 pandemic put many of my music and video projects on hold. This year I plan to make it all happen! There will be an entirely new sound and style coming from me that you will not want to miss! I have been developing this for some time and I promise it will be the most exciting phase of my career so far!
Well thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us Olyria, it was a pleasure speaking to you!