Born and bred in Liverpool, Portia-Valis Volkova (commonly known as Valis) trained as an opera singer at The Royal Northern College of Music from the age of 12. After her studies at the RNCM, she trained in musical theatre at Bill Kenwright’s Elliott-Clarke Theatre School, where she developed her acting and dance skills.
Who is Valis? What is your background?
Alongside studying and performing, I started doing some photo shoots as a model. Originally it was only supposed to be a little hobby to help pay college bills, but somehow it turned into a full blown career. That was over 10 years ago now! Within my decade in the industry, I have been internationally published and have done many shoots, shows and educational master-classes with well known beauty brands including: Vidal Sassoon, L’Oreal, Wella, Toni & Guy and Balmain.
Why did you decide to work with Satura UK?
Despite my past working for huge corporate companies, these days I’m only interested in promoting sustainability! I now only buy and promote products if they: are cruelty-free (not tested on animals), have vegan ingredients and toxicology certificates*, proving that they are safe to use. Brownie points if they are all natural products, handmade and from an independent business.
Satura UK reached out to me asking if I fancied collaborating and after trying out their products, I fell in love! The products literally tick all of my boxes and have done wonders for my skin and hair!
Recently I stumbled across a tanning brand, selling nasal tanning products, using influencers to promote. When I did my own research, I found out that their products contain a lab-made chemical that is not only illegal to sell in the UK, but also comes with many health warnings, including links to skin cancer. There was absolutely no mention of this on the brand’s website and in fact they claimed that their products are “side-effect free”. I now know that ‘side-effect free’ is a pointless label, that does not take into consideration health warnings for long term use.
What products from the Satura range do you depend upon?
Satura® Pro Lotion
£69.00Improves the hair structure and stimulates hair growth
Satura® Prime Condition
£64.00Strengthens hair shafts and split ends
I love these products as a duo: The Satura Pro Lotion stimulates new hair growth, meanwhile the Prime Condition Lotion acts as a conditioning treatment for existing hair: alleviating static electricity and making your hair look and feel healthier. As a bonus, it acts as a anti-frizz serum, so you probably will find that your hair becomes easier to style with continued use!
The Prime Condition Lotion also protects your hair against pollution (and other environmental factors), so as I live in London, this is perfect for me!
FINALLY there is a product on the market designed specifically for porcelain people, who are sick to death of being asked if we’re feeling unwell, every time we leave the house without makeup on. Since using this product, nobody has asked me that and I have found that my skin is looking much more refreshed, with a nice, healthy glow. No more tired skin thank you! I took these photos only the other day, with very minimal editing!
EOS Ruby Lotion
£44.00Improves the complexion, and texture, of pale and tired skin