THANK the Lord for the DS range, the one consistently bright spot in the Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) firmament these past few years. It’s no secret that the French giant has had its problems ever since the recession began in 2008.

But all those headaches are behind it now, thanks to a life-saving £2.5bn cash injection from China’s Dongfeng Motor Group.

And, to celebrate, PSA is cranking out special editions of its most popular cars.

Step forward the Citroen DS3 by Benefit…

Benefit? Does that mean it’s a special edition for people who need state handouts? Apparently not, although I’d agree the name isn’t the new model’s best attribute. It’s a tie-up with Benefit Cosmetics.

Who? Founded by twins Jean and Jane Ford in 1976, California-based Benefit Cosmetics is a global “beauty brand” sold in more than 30 countries. Apparently.

What’s make-up got to do with a car? Not much, to be brutally honest, but PSA has form in this area. Anyone remember the Peugeot 205 Roland Garros edition?

That’s a daft name for a car. And there have been lots of others. How about the Daihatsu Terios Kid Aerodown? The Lexus Coach? The Nissan Sylvia Almighty? The Imperial Frank Sinatra? Or the Chevrolet Venture Warner Brothers? There’s also a (possibly apocryphal) story that the Nissan Laurel was named after Stan of Laurel and Hardy fame…

But back to the DS3 Benefit. There are two versions (with a third on the way) based on the DSign and DStyle trim levels but with extra kit. The DSign model's body is finished in Ruby Red metallic paint with a white roof and door mirrors, along with dark tinted rear windows, chrome detailing and 17” white alloy wheels. This colour combo has been inspired by the "world renowned" (it says here) Benetint - a "red lip and cheek stain". If my daughter applied some "cheek stain" I'd spit on my hankie and rub it off immediately.

Still, the good news continues inside with a white dashboard, air vent surrounds and gear stick cap; bespoke black velour carpet mats with red piping and red Benefit logo, and aluminium pedals. The kit list runs to air conditioning, Bluetooth wireless connection and USB connectivity plus sports seats trimmed in posh Alcantara faux suede.

And the DStyle? Inspired by the UK's best-selling mascara - called They're Real - the colour scheme for this one is metallic grey with Benefit Orange paint on the roof, door mirrors and wheel centres. The cabin gets the same colour co-ordinated treatment and there's the Alcantara on the seats. A City Signature pack includes automatic digital air conditioning, automatically illuminating headlamps, automatic rain sensitive wipers, rear parking sensors, electrically heated and folding door mirrors, an electrochrome rear view mirror, interior mood lighting and a front central armrest. The Citroen Connecting Box system (Bluetooth and USB) is also fitted.

So is there more to this link up than a splash of paint? Why certainly. Every model comes with a special make-up bag designed to fit in the glove box.

Okay, they sound like just the ticket. What's a girl got to come up with to buy one? DS3 DSign and DStyle by Benefit are available from £14,795 and £16,795 respectively.

Why it's great

The perfect marketing tie-up for trendy young gals.

Why it ain't

Blokes won't want to be seen dead in one.

VERDICT: Joking aside, these two offer a useful equipment upgrade over the standard DStyle and DSign models. And, I have to admit, the grey and orange colour combo does look rather good.