Interior And Still Life Styling For Balance Me, A Natural Skincare Brand

Today I’m so thrilled to finally reveal a shoot I planned and styled for natural skincare brand, Balance Me. When I was approached about this project, I was super excited to contribute to the rebrand along with photographer, Adam Gasson. The concept was about bringing two contrasting elements together to create a moment of balance; Clare + Rebecca (the founders), science + nature, work + life and finally, physical + mental wellbeing. Working on this shoot was a dream because the contemporary style the brand were heading in aligned so well with my aesthetics. I hope you enjoy this project as much as I did!

THE BRIEF

With the Balance Me concept in mind, my brief was to style two parts - The skincare products themselves and a couple of bedroom lifestyle shots with all images intended for the brand's website and social channels.

PLANNING

I began the planning phase by searching for inspiration on Pinterest, browsing the web for potential props and then filtering through dozens of saved images to compile the creative direction boards. I then digitally 'sketched' the interior sets to visually communicate my ideas to my client. My intention was for each dressing table area to be a tranquil space to get ready and apply your skincare.

I've said this before and I'll say this again - Moodboards and sketches are an integral part of planning a shoot, not only to get clear on the overall look and feel (essentially so you know what you're doing on shoot day) but also to ensure all people involved in the project are on the same page. It's all in the prep work for a smooth-running shoot day! I then did prop shopping, I even made some props - I just love getting all creative like that! Finally, I organised all props to go to the photographer' studio for our shoot. I'll share the interior shots with you first...

Pictured: Balance Me night time dressing table digital sketch by Melissa Selmin. Inspiration image (top left) via September Edit.

Pictured: Balance Me, nighttime routine featuring: Dulux Spiced Honey wall paint, IKEA Lisabo desk, Odger chair, Matalan, Stella Glass Opal Touch Lamp, double sided mirror, and tumbler, John Lewis tall vase, H&M wooden tray, Artwork stylist's own ;) (client request), linen canvas - a DIY job!

INTERIOR LIFESTYLE SHOTS

For the bedroom shots, I presented two dressing table ideas in a minimalist, Scandinavian style. You only have to look at who I'm following on Instagram to see that I'm an advocate of Scandinavian design - The simplicity and understated aesthetic is timeless and has a sense of calm about it which was a great fit for the Balance Me rebrand.

I created a warm and a cool color story, each to reflect the skincare routine - A 'warm' dressing table area for the nighttime routine (featuring yellow and pink skincare products) and a 'cool' dressing table space for the morning routine (featuring blue skincare products). Keeping the colors harmonious I think makes for a visually pleasing image and less 'busy' too, especially if you're opting for a minimalist look. To inject a little warmth into the grey space, I included walnut brown accents such as the wooden bowl and vase and added texture with the bouclé blanket.

Pictured: Balance Me morning dressing table digital sketch by Melissa Selmin. Inspiration image (top left) by Jennifer Hagler.

You'll notice that the final shots differ slightly from my original sketches. We shot a couple of options for each dressing table set giving our client options - In this case I switched out the mirror since both looked great. Sometimes you just have to figure out and ‘feel your way through’ what works best on the day when styling (or at least I do). I'm all about the details and I'm quite intuitive when I style. It’s all about creating a balanced image.

Pictured: Balance Me, daytime routine. Features: Dulux Dove Slate wall paint, IKEA Lisabo desk, Menu Pepe Marble Mirror in brass/white, Ferm Living Ripple Carafe from Nest, Ferm Living Bendum Vase from Nunido, New Works small Kizu Table Lamp in white marble, Cooee Ball Vase in white and Karotek Copenhagen Goals Journal.

Whilst I’m here, I'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all contributing brands who kindly provided the props I requested, some at short notice which helped bring my vision to life. So a special thank you goes out to:

Dulux (Spiced Honey & Dove Slate paint)

Kartotek Copenhagen (Goals Journal)

Menu (Pepe Mirror & Stackable Glass)

Nest (Ferm Living Carafe)

New Works (Small Kizu Lamp & Aura Table Mirror)

Nunido (Ferm Living Bendum Vase)

SKINCARE PRODUCT SHOTS

Planning for the skincare shots was a much simpler task since the products were small enough to mock up the styling in real life. With the key words ‘balance’ and ‘natural’ in mind, our aim was to translate these concepts through use of texture (the pebbles/stones and handmade spheres) and through playfully balancing the products in an understated, contemporary aesthetic. I think the final shots have a sense of wellbeing, calm and balance about them - that was the intention. I'll share a selection of my favourites...

So there we have it, a successful rebrand! Do you have a favourite shot?

And, if you’re a brand looking to update your website with new imagery or working on a new campaign, I can work with you from concept to completion to create product and lifestyle shots in-line with your brand’s aesthetic. I’m passionate about interiors, still life, beauty and fashion accessories. Shoot me an email at hello@melissaselmin.com to discuss your project.

Did you enjoy this post? If you have any questions please comment below. Styling by Melissa Selmin, photography by Adam Gasson. To learn more about Balance Me, visit balanceme.com.