Whether you’re the contouring queen or a minimalistic gal, a lot of women aren’t prepared to spend more than five minutes putting their face on in the morning. And there are more products than ever that offer time-saving shortcuts to help women feel beauty-rich, even when they're time-poor.

France has long been a leading country when it comes to beauty, but online sales are low compared to other countries. Europe's largest beauty e-tailer, Feel Unique, has made a move to capitalise on this, having acquired upmarket French perfumery chain Parfumeries Rive Droite.

Beauty discounters are entering the traditionally high-end market of France. Launched in 2010, Kiko now has over 100 outlets, while beauty retailer Nocibé's range of boutiques offers cut-price beauty treatments using only own-brand products.

How can the beauty world better cater to older women and men? Will social media ‘it girls’ continue maintain their influence over consumers? And are niche brands set to break into the mainstream? Three health and beauty experts give their views on where the sector is heading over the next year.