With her flawlessly rendered appearance and dramatic digital narratives, virtual influencer Lil’ Miquela has been challenging ideas of authenticity on Instagram since 2016. Why are brands and social media users embracing these CGI celebrities and could they ever replace their human counterparts?

Beauty is in the throes of revolution. As people move away from the idealised to a celebration of real people, brands have an exciting opportunity to tap into the new beauty wave. With its #SephoraSquad, Sephora is going further, inviting everyday people to become influencers for the brand.

Long has it been hard to quantify the actual influence social media influencers have. But, as recent data suggests, they're making young Britons buy things, with more than half of Gen Y and Gen Z Brits admitting they've bought something an influencer has advertised – more so than a celeb ambassador.

Instagram has crafted a global community of more than 600 million users. By announcing that it'll be launching an standalone shopping app, Instagram is targeting the 98% of Gen Zers who own a smartphone - two-thirds of which are interested in purchasing directly off social media.