For Goldfinger's Jill Masterson, being slathered in gold didn't end too well.

But a beauty company has promised that the precious metal has many benefits, leaving customers looking younger and banishing their wrinkles.

A gold-leaf facial is the latest beauty craze among ladies of a certain age.

 Luxury: A customer enjoys the ￡180 facial, which uses 24-carat gold

The Luxe 24 Karat Gold Facial uses the highest grade of gold leaf in an 80-minute procedure which costs 180. The flakes of gold leaf are laid on the face, before being massaged in.

UMO - the company behind the facial - claimed that the procedure will result in firmer, brighter and more supple skin.

The treatment's use of the metal follows a strong historical tradition. It is said that Cleopatra slept in a gold mask every night, and Chinese empresses supposedly used gold rollers to massage their faces.

However, the precious metal has not been commonly used for modern day treatments because it is very difficult to make it penetrate the skin.