Special editions. Paint, wheels, some kit, a badge and a hopeful price bump. You know the form.

DS hasn’t been around for long enough, at least not as a separate entity to Citroen, to have form when it comes to limited-run models. So it’s taken its own unique approach to this 500-off DS3.

The Givenchy Le Makeup edition does indeed have its own paint and alloys, and indeed a badge or two. But it also has a built-in make-up case, which comes stocked with premium slap from the celebrated French maker of perfume and cosmetics after which the car is named.

We wouldn’t think they’re expecting to sell many to the male of the species.

The vanity mirrors have LED illumination, to help drivers and passengers apply Givenchy’s goodies while stopped at traffic lights. (Dear sir, etc.) While doing so, they’ll be sitting in black leather seats (so no drama if the mascara brush gets away) and basking in the glow of a pink dash panel.

Outside, there’s a unique white paint treatment and 17” alloys, as well as the inevitable badges and a contrasting purple finish on the roof and door mirrors.

And that’s about the long and the short of it. The Givenchy model is offered in hatchback and soft-top form, comes with the 1.2-litre Puretech 110 engine and offers a choice of standard six-speed manual and optional five-speed auto gearboxes. We’ve got the manual unit here, for what it’s worth, in a three-door hatch.

Aside from its special-edition frills, this is exactly the same car as the everyday DS3 Elegance. Yes, the differences are entirely (sis-boom-bah) cosmetic. So driving it is a familiar business – it revs, grips and steers well, but fidgets on bad roads, leans in corners and changes gear awkwardly.

Inside, when you’re not reapplying your lippy there’s a decent cabin to admire. It looks stylish – though when you go looking for substance (aka places to put things), you might find it lacking. No cupholders whatsoever feels like a throwback to a quarter of a century ago.

Post-production : Astuce Productions

Something else there’s not much of is room in the back seats, whether for adults or, in folded mode, luggage. Even by the standards of its dinky size, it’s generous neither with overall space nor the way it’s used.

There’s not a lot of generosity going on in the price tag department, either. It costs £3000 more than the Elegance, which feminists and misogynists alike may see as evidence that a fool and their money are soon parted.

Not that you need to be either of those things to come to that conclusion. But this is one of those cars that will sell simply by dint of being so uniquely quirky – and who’s to say that a self-propelled make-up box isn’t just what the world has been waiting for?

DS 3 1.2 Puretech 110 Givenchy Le Makeup

On sale: Now

Price: £19,395

Engine: 1199cc, petrol

Power: 109bhp

Torque: 151lb ft

Gearbox: 5-spd manual

Kerb weight: 1070kg

0-62mph: 9.6sec

Top speed: 118mph

Economy: 65.7mpg (combined)

CO2/tax band: 100g/km, 17%