The make-up aisles of today's pharmacies are a bright spectrum of colour – but there's always that one perfect shade of lipstick no company seems to make. Harvard Business School graduate Grace Choi is eliminating this irritation with Mink – a 3D printer just for make-up.

I Style Myself boasts a level of personal virtual styling that people have only ever dreamed about. But will it make for a seamless experience? And what are the repercussions for physical retailers catering to increasingly busy customers?

Men's clothing store Hointer is out to revolutionise retail. Founded by a senior ex-Amazon employee, it combines the best of physical and digital in a customer-centric real-world experience that's as fast and efficient as buying online.

Nearly 50% of people return clothes bought online, for reasons from the wrong fit to not liking the colour. But what if you could experience owning things without having to buy them first? The GU Fitting service in Japan lets people try an outfit for a day before paying for it.

Combining computer algorithms and real stylists, British menswear brand Thread aims to deliver a truly personalised shopping experience that strips out the distractions and confusion of online shopping.

Brazilians have a long-running love affair with malls. There are currently 503 shopping centres across the nation, earning a total revenue of R$129 billion in 2013. Can an e-commerce platform that promises to be a virtual mall entice Brazilians to spend online?

Israeli start-up Awear Solutions is making awkward 'where did you get that bag?' interactions a thing of the past with an app that lets you scan strangers’ outfits on the go, taking you to the original purchase site. But given that it relies on brand and customer co-operation, does it have growth potential?

Some argue that iBeacon has the potential to completely change the way we interact with environments, from retail outlets to museums – and others even claim that it could “change the world forever”. But what makes it so special?