Twelve dollars, actually. That is the cost of a travel size bottle of Phyto Phytodefrisant Botanical Hair Relaxing Balm.

A couple of weekends ago I was having what can only be described as a low self-esteem day. On that day, the mirror was my enemy. No clothes looked good on me. My hair was both frizzy and flat.  And the ceaseless summer heat was turning my face into a red, sweaty mess.

After throwing the mother of all “I’m too ugly to live” tantrums, I decided to do something about my many beauty woes. So I went about my day, scrubbing my face and applying a generous amount of Queen Helene. I gave myself a pedicure, a manicure, reshaped my eyebrows, and decided it was time to try something new – Phytodefrisant.

Now, long ago, back when I was too lazy to use a hair dryer on a daily basis, I had heard about Phytodefrisant. It’s supposed to be the greatest thing to happen to hair since conditioner. The balm is applied to damp hair and worked down the strands. When blowed dry, it turns your hair into soft, glossy strands that are frizz-resistant and, surprisingly, not flat or greasy. Magical stuff.

So I showered, shampooed, and replaced my usual hair cream with the Phytodefrisant. When I looked in the mirror, a smile crept across my face. Wow, I thought happily, that is some great hair.

I walked out to ask my boyfriend if he could see any difference, but before I could say a word he looked at me and said “Wow, you look gorgeous.”

Not bad for twelve bucks.