Visual Merchandising - Model Store

I'm finally back with another post focusing in a bit more detail about the job of a visual merchandiser, it's been a while since I posted any photos of our displays and hard work in store so this is the perfect opportunity to share with you what I've been up to!

So my job these last few weeks has become increasingly hectic due to Model Store judging. 

Model Store for me and my job is when we as a visual team work tirelessly to make our store look the best it possibly can for customers, staff and the like and after many weeks of prep someone from high up within the company comes out and judges us on several criteria.

My job as a visual merchandiser involves presenting well thought out mannequins that were pinned well, dressed appropriately to the stock on the mat, create various hotspots throughout the store at key sightlines to promote stock within the store and change over our windows to designer stock which would encourage customers to come into store. We were also doing general maintenance such as cleaning, painting and touching up mannequins to make them look pristine in condition. 

Aspects such as colour flow, power of three, trends and layout were all key in the process to ensure the customer journey was carried out consistently through the store and looked chic. 

Last year one of our big criticisms was that we went over the top with our displays and as a result they were too busy and detracted more from the stock within the store rather than enhance it. 

Below I have a whole bunch of photos to share with you all, showing you the standard we set this year and I'll describe underneath what we were trying to achieve to explain to you all in better detail because it can sound a little confusing. 

So here you go! My stores model store displays for S/S15! If we've done our job properly you should look at these and immediately think "oooh wheres that stock?!"

Our main Safari tend catwalk 

Priority One window, the blues and stripes trend 

70s hotspot 

Swimwear mannis, note that the blue and red colours flow up to the handbags at the far end of the walkway (colour flow) 

Our Wedding Gifts hotspot. Lots of power of three 

A home hotspot, again lots of power of three and repetition, good colour flow between the products 

A hotspot at out luggage department to promote sales 

One of our bed displays 

Another bed display 

Collection formal first catwalk 

Collection formal second catwalk 

One of the lingerie hotspots 

Ted Baker 

Lingerie pillar with a display on the top 

Another angle of the Safari trend catwalk (notice how the floral print is continued throughout the mannis) 

Rocha manni display, good colour flow through mannis to match back wall merchandising and the height difference creates interest 

A shoe hotspot 

BDL mannis

Blues and stripes hotspot at the top of the escalator (this continues the story from our front window into the store) 

Jasper hotspot (notice all the blue?)

Behind the hotspot at the top of the escalator (rails have been added to the clothes can be shopped immediately after seeing the mannis) 

Toddler boy hotspot

Girls hotspot at height to draw attention 

Swimwear hotspot, good symmetry here 

Young fashion, mannis placed beside each fixture wearing the clothes to promote sales 

Same again 

Same principle but beside a graphic rather than a fixture 

Tropical hotspot 

Henry mannis, situated at various heights to create interest, good colour flow 

Mother day hotspot in the lift area, lots of power of 3 

Hotspot at the bottom of the escalator with shoppable rails 

Side view of the hospot, notice the detail on the catwalk continues up the wall 

Mens catwalk, maroon and blue colour flow 

Mens suits catwalk using staggered height to create interest 

Purple catwalk 

Pale blue young fashion mens display at height 

Mens shoppable hotspot at the back of the escalator for our mac trend 

So you may have realised that a lot of blue was projected around our store this year, Dark blues in womenswear, teals in home and the brighter blues in our young fashion areas. This helps carry a shopper through the store and is pleasing to look at. There was a lot of good merchandising in the store using these colours to enhance the journey as well but I have no photos of them.

If there's a certain display you like or want to comment on leave your thoughts down below!! 

My Top 5 Nude Lipsticks

Recently I've been loving my nude lipsticks, especially for work because I like to try and keep my make up looking nice and clean, nothing too crazy and so I've decided to share with you my current top 5 nude lipsticks. 

Now I didn't follow any kind of criteria when picking these I just picked my favourite 5, the nude lipsticks I find myself reaching for the most in day-to-day life.

The lipsticks aren't listed in order of preference because I love them all so I'll list them how they appear in the photographs and will tell you why I wear them and what I like about them. 

1.

First up in this top 5 is MAC Myth, a lipstick I ended up buying when I was in London at Fashion Week and therefore has a little sentimental value to it. 

This lipstick smells amazing, as does all lipstick from MAC and the colour is fantastic for someone with pale skin like myself. However, when I have a tan this lipstick makes my lips look so much lighter than the rest of my face- the dreaded 'foundation lips'- so in that regard it's not as diverse as the rest of the nude colours on this list.

As for the texture of this lipstick it isn't as smooth as some of the others to apply in this list but it is very durable as a result and I've had no problems with it coming off as the day progresses. 

In terms of cost and packaging I've always had a problem with the canister MAC lipsticks come in. I know a lot of you out there love to collect MAC lippies but something about the packaging seems quite cheap to me, maybe its the matte platic container but it's just never appealed to me in a big way like my YSL lipsticks do. The price of MAC lipsticks is much more affordable though and most importantly they are one brand that is super easy to get a hold of, especially in the UK. 

2.

I have a small obsession with Urban Decay lipsticks and I'm amazed that this particular nude was one of the last I bought instead of one of the first. 

Urban Decay lipsticks have fantastic coverage, each lipstick is smooth and this is no exception. 

Out of all these lipsticks this is one that I reach for more often than the others simply because I think the colour is extremely pretty for a nude, it's less beige and more pinky which makes it really quite feminine and perfect for wearing to work.

The colour itself is bold and stays on really well but remains creamy on the lips unlike MAC myth which is durable because its a drier texture. 

In terms of cost this lipstick is really affordable for a brand that is forever increasing in popularity and the packaging is really sleek and pretty and these lipsticks in particular are the ones I'd recommend to someone getting into make up and wanting to expand into more expensive brands. 

3.

This Estee Lauder lipstick was a free gift as part of a big purchase I done at the Estee Lauder counter for my sister and as it was the first ever one I bought I naturally bought a nude. 

Now this colour is stunning, it's extremely beige and the colour pay off is amazing which is what you'd expect from £24 lipstick. The formula is extremely creamy, probably on par with the YSL lipsticks except this lipstick isn't as durable as a result. I've also found that the lipstick itself moves around in the tube after being used a few times because the formula is so soft and therefore I have to poke at it to move it back into the middle to stop it rubbing off against the sides of the tube. Bad times. 

The packaging for this is stunning, probably my second favourite after the YSL again because it has this lovely sleek navy blue tube and a magnetic clasp that keeps both parts of the canister together. 

4.

Ah YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks, anyone who has followed this blog for a long time will know I am in LOVE with these, in my eyes they just can't do anything wrong and their Nude Beige was my first high end make up purchase. 

YSL lipsticks are super creamy and have this lovely mango smell to them which makes them an absolute dream to apply to the lips. The colour pay off on these lipsticks is also amazing and one coat is really all you need to set you up for the day ahead. 

As for the canister it is honestly one of the prettiest on the market and is a reason why so many people love to collect them. The only downside to a YSL lipstick is the price which can be pretty steep depending on what colour you're getting, if I'm speaking candidly I would think twice before buying these if I didn't have my discount from work and I owe my collection to the fact I'm lucky to get 20% off.

This lipstick doesn't have amazing staying power but to be honest you wouldn't mind because there's something really nice about pulling out your YSL and reapplying it throughout the day. 

5.

And now for the cheapest lipstick on this list.

Well, actually it's not a lipstick but a lip lacquer that is applied to the lips and dries a matte colour but at a mere £3 it is the cheapest nude in the top 5. 

As you can see from the swatch photo below it is the darkest nude and extremely beige in colour but because of this is works well on both tanned skin and pale skin. 

The trick with these lip lacquers is to only apply one layer. The colour pay off with these is brilliant considering the price but with these formulas its natural to want to apply more than one layer to really build up a bold looking lip. However, more than one layer of this product and you could literally pick it off your lips. 

The good news is that just one layer of this on your lips is enough to last all day because it has amazing staying power. 

This product doesn't really have a smell to it but amazingly for the £3 they cost to buy the canister doesn't look particularly cheap. Indeed I have 3 of these now and when they're side by side there is something quite high end about them because of the sleek long tubes and matte black lids, of course it is all made of plastic but still...!

 Starting from left to right: 

mac myth - £15.50

urban decay native - £13.95

estee lauder pure colour envy sculpting lipstick in insatiable ivory - £24

ysl rouge volupte no1 nude beige - £22.50-£26 

mua luxe velvet lip lacquer - £3 

Each of these nude lipsticks has a certain quality about it and different areas in which one will perform better than the other but all in all these nude lipsticks are all stunning shades and a good addition to anyones collection. 

If you have any nudes you are really loyal to feel free to share them in the comments below because I'm always in the market for a new purchase!!