At the end of WWII, Marjoline, a pretty adolescent, arrives in Paris. She becomes a manicurist in a luxurious beauty salon and marries Daniel, a young horticultural researcher. True happiness is hers when they receive the gift of an apartment with all the modern comforts. To furnish it, she progressively gets into debt, despite Daniel's opposition. Her obsessive desire to consume will put their new happiness in danger.