It’s that time again! With January just days away now, what’ll be big in 2017" We already know matte lips and graphic eyeliner have legs for another 12 months, but what about “deeper” trends. Is the Beauty Box reinventing itself…or three steps away from dead" And will this be the year everyone join’s the Green Party" Pantone thinks it will.

Here’s what I think could be among the main trends…what do you think will be big in 2017"

NEW is the newest NEW…or to put it another way, new has never been more sought after. Consumers are so much savvier (and dare I say braver") than five years ago, and beauty’s never been more exciting or eclectic, so it’s all about discovering new hero products and mixing and matching (hello 4-brand beauty routine, goodbye single brand beauty routine). The problem for smaller brands is getting their products into bricks and mortar locations so consumers can try the products – I predict some innovative ideas on this front, but at a more basic level more/different pop-up shops to things like “new beauty Saturdays” in dept stores and more “meet the founder” events where consumers can really get a taste for niche brands, away from the sometimes more bland one-moisturiser-fits-all high street ones. “NICHE” HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER. You need a strong USP, you need great packaging and you need to know how to market your bran...