Beauty has provided a means of self-expression for generations. In the past, the industry dictated the trends people adopted, but today the conversation goes both ways. Now, our messages of beauty not only come from runways and glossy magazine spreads but from peers, networks and influencers. Inspiration is pieced together from a friend’s selfie, a blog on this season’s hot look or a “how to” on the latest make-up trick. Mobile devices and the visual web are making beauty more transparent and accessible than ever before—and the once linear path to purchase, is much more complicated.