Over the last few months, Roslin Petion and CJ Carnot of Fleur have been very, very busy. Since October they have rebuilt the Fleur Sim into a neighborhood reminiscent of Lower Manhattan, released not one, not two, but three new skin lines – Allure, Parfait Trois, and Shoujo Da ni ban, and have designed new clothing and new gloves…whew! And, somehow, they’ve managed to find time to start adding to the Allure line with two new makeups – Winter Nights and the soon-to-be-released Biba.
I think you all know by now that I am addicted to my Fleur Vivant Feline skin. This is the one that I have, over the past year and half, come to recognize as “my” skin. But times they are a-changin’. I am falling in love with Allure. Allure is a hybrid skin, as was the Vivant line, but the refinements Roslin and CJ have made challenge the phrase “you can’t improve upon perfection.” Fellow Fleur Insider, CronoCloud Creeggan, wrote a great article on the history of Fleur skins, which details Roslin and CJ’s quest to create the most unique, versatile and highest-quality skins on the grid.
The skin I’m wearing in the above photo is Fleur Allure Truffle Winter Nights 3. I’m convinced that Roslin does the best smokey eye on the grid and the shading on this green shadow is perfection in the way it fades to the brow line with just a hint of a highlight. The flush of pink on the cheeks is natural and decidedly un-”made-up,” while the vibrant red lips are glossy without being over-powering. The shading and highlight of the nose add depth and a natural feeling, and the quiet sophistication of the color combination makes this skin wearable at any time of day.
When I tried on the Fair Isle dress, I immediately thought of Chakryn Forest, so off I went. The sweater dress comes on all layers so that you can mix and match it into your wardrobe and is available in six colors. It is released along with the turtlenecks and knee-high socks for keeping warm in the winter. In typical Fleur style, it’s the little details that always draw me in. In this case its the metal clasps on the Fair Isle dress and the subtle folds around the knee on the socks. I’ve paired the dress with simple flats that I picked up at Lassitude & Ennui very early in my Second Life. I’ve chosen ETD’s Tiana hair in Chestnut for a warmer look, and the free “brow and kitty pack”, as CronoCloud calls it, made modding the brows to match my hair a snap.
Now on to the newest of nouveau from Fleur, Biba. The original Vivant Biba was inspired by famed makeup artist Kevin Aucoin, Roslin has been working hard to give the old Biba an Allure makeover. This as-yet-unreleased skin has been meticulously refined to show off it’s bold elegance and sultry glamour. The dark, smokey eye shadow has been moved closer to the inner eye and the highlight at the brow softened. The dark red lips have a subtle sheen as opposed to a glossy shine and Roslin has added a bit more color to the cheeks to accentuate the cheekbone a bit. You can see the transformation from Vivant to Allure, as well as the inspiration photograph, here.
While we wait for the remainder of the makeups for Biba to be completed, Roslin and CJ have re-released their line of Leather gloves. The gloves are beatifully textured and come in a range of eight rich colors and three lengths. They are currently available only on OnRez until CJ has a moment to build a place for them in the Fleur clothing boutique. I’ve chosen to pair the Emerald, long-length gloves with the Fitzgerald dress from Cachet, a ring and earrings from Paper Couture and the Vivian hair from ETD in black.
Now is the perfect time to visit Fleur, while there is a frenzy of new activity going on and no signs of that slowing down anytime soon. And, I certainly can’t end this post without telling you how reasonably priced these skins are. The Allure, Parfait and Shoujo Da ni ban lines are all priced at L$1000 per skin and the Vivants are L$500 each. There are a few Vivants in the bargain basement that are L$250. But, and this is the best news ever for a Fleur addict like me, if you buy Fleur gift cards in the larger denominations you will save 33 or 50%. This replaces the old three-skin packs so you can mix and match your own! I’ll see you there!
Great blog and wonderful warm and cozy photos.