Here it is: my verdict on the Victoria Beckham makeup collaboration with Estée Lauder. What I like, what I don’t – what I’d spend cash on and, importantly, how I’d wear it all. There’s a video at the bottom of the page, which is possibly the key element of this feature – I demonstrate the bronzer, eyeshadow (or “eye metallic”) and kajal as well as both lipsticks from the range. If you’re in any doubt as to whether you’d get on with the shades you’ve seen in images online then watch the video and pay close attention!

So, the collection. Let’s start with the packaging. Sleek and sexy with reassuringly heavy compacts and lots of fluting going on. There’s more fluting than a school orchestra. More fluting than a medieval banquet. You get the picture. The Morning Dew moisturiser-primer (here), which has a hint of shimmer to brighten and perkify* the skin, has a completely fluted bottle in gold and black. The lipsticks have ribbed cases (sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to type the f-word again) and the liquid eyeliners have lids to match.

It’s all very sexy. Understated, luxurious and sleek. I think that the whole look and feel of the collection has been pitched perfectly – though it’s definitely priced to reflect this vibe! The Java bronzer compact (with its absolutely gorgeous leather covering, find it here) comes in at £48 – the Morning Dew is a whopping £68.

But nothing disappoints – if you’re buying into this luxe collection then you can be safe in the knowledge that the quality is top-notch. Nothing is completely mind-blowing, in terms of ingenuity or innovation, but everything is wearable and flattering and high-perfomance. It’s a clever, capsule-wardrobe sort of collection that makes you think “I’d wear all of that”.

And because you can see yourself wearing every single item, it all becomes massively appealing, regardless of the price. You probably don’t need anything, because you’ll already have a good bronzer and a vivid orange-red lipstick and the perfect black smudgy eye pencil, but by Jove do you want it!

Oh – I said there were no disappointments. I lied. The Eye Foil, which is a sort of clumsy-foam-applicator liquid eye thing, completely failed to amuse me. Perhaps I applied it in the wrong way, but whether I tried it as an eyeliner or sort of sheer, glittery eyeshadow, it was wishy-washy and not that appealing. Apologies if I’ve missed the secret trick, but this one was not for me. I much preferred the traditional eye kajal (here) and the eyeshadow, pictured above and below…

As I said before, there’s nothing showstopping or magically new about an eyeshadow, but the shades are beautiful and easy to wear and add an instant spot of glamour if you’re looking for a bit of grown-up glitz. And that ribbed leather casing! Be still my beating heart…

Here’s the video – notebooks at the ready, because I pick my number one “what to buy” right at the end. You can find  the collection (except the highlighter) at Selfridges.com here.

*new word, it’s a keeper.