A daily hit of the most stupendously brilliant things to land on the beauty desk. This is survival of the fittest

If something has the word 'pretty' in its title, I am lured from the word go, thoroughly believing the premise that it might make you a bit, well, prettier.

Except, this looks beautiful (part trophy, part treasured family heirloom you place high on your mantel piece) but the contents work wonders too. Honestly. It’s really nailed the powder ratio perfectly: enough shimmer to make you glisten and glow but not too much that you look like you’ve just wondered off a beach in Magaluf. And the softest of soft brush ends too, that dispenses the formula evenly and delicately without depositing unsightly stray brush hairs across your face during the application (which is completely and absolutely unacceptable, really).  

One swoosh across temples, brow bone and cheeks transforms sallow, ‘I haven’t had my eight hours of sleep’ skin into a glowing, radiant base.

Aerin Pretty Bronze Portable Illuminating Powder, £45 at Selfridges