The phrase turn that frown upside down applies when it comes to new brand fleur. Turning period days into pamper days (as owner Cristine says), fleur is on a mission to make those dark days a little lighter. A self-described, eco-luxe femcare brand, fleur came to fruition when COVID-19 hit and essential shops were closed and aisles were scarce thanks to panic buyers. Essentially, it’s a bloody good subscription box (pun absolutely intended), featuring your choice of 10-15 organic pads, tampons or a combination of both, snacks, teas for period pain, chocolates, sweets and 2-3 skin care items. Customers can opt for a one off box or a monthly box. 

We heard all about some seriously horrifying menstrual woes when we interviewed Cat Turner of Period Drama podcast, we’ve chatted through period poverty and even given you some sustainable alternatives to regular period products. Fleur then, by comparison, gives us a revolutionised emphasis on self-care during your period; taking that ‘time of the month’ from an imprisoned glass case of emotion, to a cardboard box of emotional treats. Thankfully I got the full lowdown straight from founder, Cristine.

What made you decide to start fleur?

I started fleur as a result of Coronavirus.

Coronavirus not only changed our worlds forever but changed my period routine. During the first UK lockdown when only essential stores were open and aisles were empty, I was scrambling for period products in my home. I was also experiencing my usual (ab)normal period symptoms like cramps, back ache, throwing up etc. It was awful.

I remember one evening tweeting about my pain and so many women echoed my sentiments. As I waded through the replies, I realised that there was a common theme - women were struggling to manage their periods and all the micro and macro traumas associated with it, and then it came to me. Why do we have to feel this rubbish on our period? Why can't I turn my period days into pamper days? Enter fleur, the concept store for your period and the first product in our range, an organic period subscription box, changing the way you period and most importantly how you feel on your period.

As well as providing women with a subscription box for their period, are you looking to cultivate a community with fleur?

100% at the core of who we are is community. We want to be your go-to community to discuss everything related to periods, women's bodies and sexual health and we aim to achieve that offline as well through events, workshops, hosting yoga sessions etc.

Do you also want fleur to act as a way for women to educate themselves about their own menstrual cycles?

Menstrual self-care is so incredibly important and unfortunately the education around it is still lacking. A lot of us bleed every month but have no idea what is actually happening to our bodies during this process and without proper education, myths and misconceptions will continue to thrive.

Do you think more light should be shed on women and their menstrual issues?

A study I came across found that 80% of women wouldn't visit a doctor if they had unexpected bleeding. That's such a shocking statistic and shows just how much work needs to be done so more women are equipped to notice changes in their cycle and escalate those changes to their medical practitioner. Periods are a good measure of what is happening internally and so more light definitely needs to be shed on menstrual issues.

What other women and females do you admire and take inspiration from?

I admire and take inspiration from my mum. I'm sure everyone says this about this but my mother is the greatest. She always says it's not just about being entrepreneurial but impacting lives for the better, which is what fleur is built on. I also really admire Victoria Beckham, I think she wears many hats and does so beautifully.

What have been the highs and lows of starting fleur during a pandemic?

I'll end on a high, ha! I think the ultimate low is the paranoia that comes with putting out a product (whatever it is) to the world. You sometimes question if people will like it, but I've learnt to overcome this doubt through the sheer fact that I know that I have a great product and I know I'm doing everything I can for it to be an even greater product. The high has got to be the feedback and reviews from our flower tribe. It makes everything worth it. Fun fact, fleur means flower in French, so we describe our community as flowers.

What kinds of products would our readers expect to find in their fleur box?

Every fleur box is beautifully curated for your period days and features 10-15 organic pads, tampons or both depending on your flow and preference. I'm quite big on personalisation because every period is different and we want to ensure that we're meeting each customer's unique need. Each box also features chocolate bars, sweets, snacks (anything from a huge bag of popcorn to biscuits), teas that actually help manage your period pain and 2-3 skin care or beauty items. Again, we want to personalise your fleur box experience and so we curate gluten-free boxes and well as vegan boxes. We endeavour to source skin care items that are cruelty-free and vegan too.

Here’s a fun one, what is the one thing you absolutely cannot live without?

Can I say laughter? There's this saying, 'if you don't laugh, you will cry' and so I choose laughter.

_

If you’re interested in getting pampered on your next period, go subscribe on fleur’s website or follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.