Is It Worth It? - Breast alternative

Breast enhancers are silicone lumps you stuff down your bra to give instant cleavage. Lucy Williams enjoyed the boost

DO YOU want your confidence to grow along with your cleavage, but don't have the finances to match? Fear not, help is on hand in the form of Monique silicone breast enhancers. If you are prepared to pay pounds 150-pounds 350 for a pair, you too can have the figure you've always yearned for.

While breast enhancers as fashion accessory are a relatively new phenomenon, originally only available to the elite, it seems that even mere mortals can now embrace the dizzy heights of bounce and uplift. Compared to implants, enhancers come without health risks and can be worn whenever the mood takes you. They may be expensive when compared to the padded Wonderbra, or ever faithful rolled-up-socks, but they are durable, easy to wear, waterproof and won't burst.

Monique enhancers mimic your breast using hypo-allergenic, dermatologically tested medical-grade silicone. What is more, they are covered in a silky film which looks, bounces and - importantly for those first-date blunders -- feels like real breast tissue. However, in a clinch d'amour, it is worth remembering that when the bra comes off, so do the "breasts".

Of course, we're not all looking to make it to DD, and Monique has cleverly provided four distinct shapes, 27 sizes and two colours (and a variety of comedy names) including Push 'N' Up, Push 'N' Out, You Plus (one-and- a-half cup increase) and Push 'N' Plus (three cup increase).

The Push 'N' Up and Push 'N' Out are pink, diamond and oval shaped. In contrast, the You Plus and Push 'N' Plus mimic real breasts with added nipple and aureole. I tested out the You Plus and was surprised by how comfortable they were, and also the way they warmed to my body temperature. In fact, I forgot I was wearing them.

Jill Kenton, the manager at Rigby and Peller, believes Monique's enhancers "are worth the cost because they look so real. Padded bras fade into insignificance, because they look fake." Beneficial for women who need to boost their confidence, and those who want to experience being Pamela Anderson... even if it is just for the day.

Monique is at Victoria Court, 7 Holybrook Place, Glasgow G42 7HB, tel. 0141 424 4042