In the fight to be the most beautful, the ugly face of bohemian Paris is revealed When sixteen-year-old Maude runs away to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Maude finds that academic Isabelle is equally disenchanted with the Parisian social scene, and the girls form a tight bond.

In the search for perfect beauty, the ugly face of Paris will be revealed... When sixteen-year-old Maude runs away to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Increasingly desperate for money, she turns to the mysterious Durandeau Agency, who convince Maude to become a repussoir - an unattractive young woman hired by Parisian socialites to enhance their beauty. Maude is humiliated - but what choice does she have? Thrown into a world of parties, glamour and astonishing cruelty, Maude discovers that a disturbing ugliness lurks beneath bohemian Paris's glittering facade. This is a story of fate, love, friendship and the true meaning of being beautiful...