Liz Jones: I was six when I first realised how hideous I looked. My older sister Sue and I had our school photo taken together. My eyes are too close together, my skin sallow and my teeth crooked. She is smiling while I just look anxious.

Emma Cook: Oh, the joy of compacts, the flamboyant stars of the party season. Dripping in gold, embossed, bejewelled and gilded, there's something refreshingly honest about their allure.