Emily Montila, Senior Buyer in Skincare at Space NK on how she got into beauty buying, the best parts of her job and the new arrivals she’s most excited about …
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How did you become a beauty buyer?
“Like a lot of people in beauty, I never intended to have a career in it – in fact I didn’t really understand how to have a career in beauty. I initially wanted to get into fashion and when everyone around me was off to university, I knew I was finished with studying and googled ‘jobs in fashion’, finding the description of a buyer, which at the time was described as “shopping for a living”! So I went and did a Buying and Range Planning course at the Fashion Retail Academy in London. It was an incredible experience, run by ex-industry people and so their connections are incredible. That was how I got an internship in the Menswear buying office at Harrods. A year or two later, an opportunity came up for a promotion in beauty and I’ve not looked back since! ”
What does your job entail and what are the best parts of the job?
“Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a stretch to describe the role a beauty buyer as ‘shopping for a living’ – it is a lot less glamorous than that! However, each day is extremely different. Especially on branded buying (where I work with fully formed brands), the role of a buyer is much more than just choosing what products Space NK would like to sell. It’s about creating deep, meaningful, long-term partnerships with my brands via relationship building, meetings and consistent communication, to be able to deliver our customer the very best of what is out there on the global market. From deciding where brands sit in new stores, negotiating the latest exclusive product launch to recruiting and onboarding new brands into the mix, every day is different – which is in fact one of the best parts of the job. Obviously, the free samples and forward view on what’s to come is incredible. However, my personal passion is the beauty industry in itself and its people. I love building connections. I love the fast-paced environment and how quickly we evolve to consumer demand. The innovation is incredible!”
How do you choose a new line to take on – what do you base your selection process on?
“It would be impossible to outline a definitive list of what it is we are looking for from a brand or product specifically. However it always starts with the customer. What is the customer asking for and what are we not delivering to them at the moment, what are they going to want next? And from a brand perspective, before we even try the product, we have a meeting with the brand to understand all about them and their universe, what they stand for, what they do, what their mission is and what they want to deliver. In such a crowded space with such amazing products, it’s not enough to just have a good product. It needs to be a great product, it needs to deliver and do what it claims to do. But it also needs to connect with the customer, it needs to speak to them, to be able to show them their brand universe, start a conversation and to be able to build a community – think of Rare Beauty, Sol de Janeiro and, more recently, Starface.”
What are some of the top-performing beauty items in Space NK Dublin this summer? And what you’re excited about in store at the moment …
“Rare Beauty has been absolutely storming, alongside the Laneige Lip Sleeping Masks and Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balms. The Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream is a firm favourite, following Nicola Coughlan’s recent review too! There are so many incredible products and brands to choose from, so it’s hard to nail down just a few, but I am particularly loving Erborian’s CC Water Cream, Youth to the People’s Superfood Cleanser, PHLUR’s amazing fragrance selection and Ultra Violette’s incredible line-up of SPFs (not just for summer!).”
With an eye on beauty trends for AW24, could you highlight your key buys for autumn?
“Novelty and fun in fragrance, with different formats including fragrance paintbrushes, body mists and hair fragrances, all adorned in selfie-worthy packaging. Fragrance notes are also taking on a super unique angle, with a lot of culinary inspired scents, like Dedcool’s MILK, PHLUR’s Tangerine Boy and Maison Margiela’s Matcha Meditation.
A Korean skincare comeback with Korean blockbuster brands is seeing a real uptick in popularity such as Laneige, Erborian and Dr Jart+. And in make-up, fresh bases with skincare benefits aren’t going anywhere as we come into autumn, with skin tints being the preferred format – there are incredible options from Lisa Eldridge, Hourglass and Chantecaille.”
Can you tell us about some exciting new arrivals?
“A personal favourite we just launched is The Nue Co, the first of our ‘wellness’ brands whose brand philosophy believes inner health equals outer beauty, and that really owns ‘the art of feeling well’. Then on August 6, very much speaking to the Korean skincare comeback, Space NK will launch, Then I Met You, founded by beauty powerhouse Charlotte Cho. The Living Cleansing Balm is a must try!”
A lot of children/young teens are buying skincare that’s not suitable for them – any advice for them/their parents?
“This is a super delicate and complex topic, but ultimately it comes down to education. The biggest thing for us at Space NK is to create an environment that encourages customers of all ages to feel comfortable enough to ask questions. My biggest piece of advice would be to go in store, spend time with our incredible team and talk about your needs, goals, skin type, budget and so on. There is a lot of information out there online and quite a difference in opinion, so it’s hard to cut through the noise. Ultimately, the store teams are there to advise you on your skincare journey, no matter your age. We have an incredible line up of age-appropriate skincare including the likes of Byoma – a firm teen favourite!”
Space NK, Grafton Street, Dublin 2 and Dundrum Town Centre; www.spacenk.com.
