Beauty is in the eye of the Instagram follower. A new wave of social media-savvy start-ups are making their mark in the Australian market, and Poni Cosmetics is leading the way. How has the e-tailer used social know-how and an obsession with brows to stand out in this competitive space?

Schwarzkopf has beaten leading beauty brands like Dove and L’Oréal to be named Australia’s most trusted hair care brand. The survey – carried out by Reader’s Digest – found that 2,400 people voted the brand as their most trusted, due to its offering of ‘quality and substance’.

Women over 45 account for 41% of spending on cosmetics and toiletries. For these women, beauty is an investment, and they are prepared to pay for it. But the majority of products fail to target the issues women face as they grow older. So just what are beauty brands missing?

"You know what?" says 86-year-old Baddie Winkle, "I'm like the world's Granna." The octogenarian Instagram sensation gained 200,000 followers in just three months for a fearless feed of selfies – whether on her way to church or donning a t-shirt emblazoned with Beyoncé's face.