Are these compacts not just a thing of extreme beauty? The gold compact (phyto-touches ‘sun glow’) looks like a sleek, vintage cigarette case and the funky leopard-print (phyto-poudre compacte) is like something you’d have found in Marilyn Monroe’s clutch bag!

I have got really into compacts over the last few months; after seeing on video what a touch of powder could do for oily, shiny foreheads and noses, I haven’t looked back. I powder all the time! Although I have always championed the ‘sheer, radiant, glowing’ look, there’s a point of no return when ‘glowing’ becomes ‘oily’, and I am now very aware when that boundary has been crossed.

You have to be careful with powdering though; I think that it’s worth paying the extra for an amazing-quality, fine-milled powder with outstanding ingredients. A few of the cheap-cheap powders that I’ve tested have looked cakey and dry, and we want our powder invisible, thanks very much!

If you want ultimate luxe, then Sisley’s your man. Or woman, probably. I imagine she would be a woman. The phyto-touches is a bronzing pressed powder with two shades – the ‘sun glow’ has a light, peachy-beige powder in the larger section and a darker bronzer with added shimmer in the smaller section. I sweep a large brush over both sections, shake off the excess and apply just below my cheekbones for a healthy tan!

The phyto-poudre compacte is a pressed powder with extracts of Camellia; it extracts oiliness, banishes shine and helps to even out skintone whilst remaining pretty much invisible! The powder is very, very fine and soft. Even if it wasn’t I’d use any excuse to whip out this leopard compact!

You may have noticed that the title of this post began with a wittily contrived bit of alliteration; Moneybags Monday. I wanted it to be ‘Luxury’ something, but there are no days of the week beginning with ‘L’ unless you’re in La France, so it has to be the rather crude British version. Anyway, the point is that these are little (or big!) luxuries that you could splash out on if you’re feeling frisky and in need of a little retail relief! I’ll be bringing you one every week, if I remember – I’ve been pretty good so far with the Friday Flash Review, so here’s hoping!

The Sisley Compacts are £56 for the Phyto-Poudre and £58 for the Phyto-Touches, available from Selfridges or call 0207 591 6380 for stockists.