sensation play

Good Clean Love – Caribbean Rose Love Oil Review

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It’s no secret that I love massages. In fact, one of the ways that my partner first won me over was by enthusiastically offering a complete, whole-body lotion massage after my shower one day. Five years later, it still plays a large role in our foreplay — and although our favorite products are usually massage candles (for the added wax play element), we also enjoy experimenting with various oils, bars, and creams.

description textgcl oil frontIn addition to their organic Almost Naked lubricant and their health-conscious Bio-Match products, Good Clean Love also offers a line of “Love Oils.” There are 3 scents to choose from: Caribbean Rose (which I will be reviewing here), Indian Spice, & Origins (a blend of black pepper, sage, & sandalwood). Each oil is 100% vegan and free of all petrochemicals, parabens, & glycerin. Ingredients are limited, but include prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, tocopherol, and various essential oils.

There are 2 packaging options for each scent: a 4 oz. frosted glass bottle with a metal screw-on top and a 1/3 oz. travel-friendly cylinder with a rollerball. You can even purchase all 3 scents in these smaller sizes as a gift set.

It’s important to note that because this is a product made from oil, it is NOT safe for contact with any latex contraception methods, such as condoms. (Oil causes latex to degrade and weaken, increasing the risk of breakage.) Before using latex barriers, please make sure to wash your hands, genitals, and any other body parts that may encounter both products. 

experience textWe’ve encountered some pretty horrible massage oils over the years; watery liquids that dry out in a mere matter of minutes and leave your skin feeling sticky for hours. A quality massage oil should make it easier for your hands to glide over your partner’s body, removing any of the natural drag of skin-on-skin contact. It should also make you feel relaxed and sexy — not give you the sudden, overwhelming urge to jump in the shower.

gcl oil backLet me be the first to say that Good Clean Love has done an admirable job with the quality and consistency of their Love Oil. One application easily gives you 5-10 minutes of massage time, slowly absorbing into the skin so that there’s no evidence of oil residue once you’re done. Honestly, it’s the least sticky/tacky massage oil that we’ve ever tried. My skin even feels softer and more moisturized afterwards.

While my partner & I easily agree on how great the oil quality is, we do have mixed emotions on the packaging. It’s beautiful (there’s no denying that), but there is a plastic flow regulator that has caused some disagreement. My partner argues that this makes it needlessly difficult to pour an adequate amount into your hands or onto your partner’s body. I’m rather clumsy, so my opinion is that it actually makes application easier by preventing spills and excessive pouring. But he’s right, you do have to shake the bottle around a bit.

Personally, my only complaint is one that’s totally subjective — and that’s the smell. In fact, it’s such a turn-off that I don’t think I will continue to use this particular oil, even though I love how it feels.

When I first requested Caribbean Rose, it was because I thought it sounded like the most “gentle” option. My partner and I tend to go for warm & subdued scents: vanilla and buttery, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies, for example. For me, Caribbean Rose is just way too strong… and not very appealing either. My partner and I have tried to come up with accurate ways to describe the scent and we’ve settled on things like “your hippie grandma’s perfume” and “an entire store of potpourri.” Its supposed aphrodisiac properties are completely lost on me because I’m too busy worrying that I’ll still smell like this the next day at work.

bottom line textNormally, my advice would be to order the travel-sized option in order to test it out and decide if the smell is right for you. But the thrifty shopper in me simply can’t justify that; a single 1/3 oz. rollerball is a whopping $10 — when you can purchase the full 4 oz bottle for only $20. (Although my partner notes that the rollerball might make application easier.)

You can always try finding a brick & mortar store that carries Good Clean Love and has testers on the sales floor. (Unfortunately, I know that this is impossible for many of you. I too live in an area without any quality sex shops.) Or you can simply risk it. If you’re not very sensitive to smells, it may not bother you at all. But if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself wishing that you could enjoy this wonderful, high-quality massage oil…while trying to find a friend to pawn it off on.

2star

Pros: long-lasting, no sticky/tacky residue, limited ingredients, may make skin feel moisturized, beautiful packaging

Cons: extremely strong smell that may bother some individuals, flow regulator can make pouring difficult

Special thanks to Good Clean Love for providing me with this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 

goodcleanlove

If you’d like to purchase a Love Oil of your own, please consider ordering from my affiliate, SheVibe. 

Sensation Play: Blindfolds, Hot Wax, and Feathers, Oh My!

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You hear a high-pitched ping to your right, a sound that reminds you of glasses being clinked together at a party. Instinctively, you turn your head, but you can’t see through the blackness of the blindfold. You wait, straining to hear something more, but nothing more comes. The bed shifts under the weight of your partner. As more time passes, you can feel your muscles tense in apprehension. A splash of ice-cold liquid falls onto your nipple. You inhale quickly and jump in alarm as the liquid rolls off your side. More drops fall onto your chest, along your sternum, and onto your stomach. Suddenly something feels different. You realize that the last one stings — not from intense cold, but from heat. More drops land on your skin as you struggle to distinguish hot from cold, doubting yourself as the sensation from the next drop begs for your attention.

Sensation play refers to a cluster of sexual activities that are focused on the exploration of physical sensation. Most often, sensation play is thought of as a BDSM activity. However, while it certainly can include pain for the masochistically inclined, sensation play can also just be soft and sensual. It’s a way to slow down and enjoy the different effects that you and your partner can have on each other’s bodies. It can also lead to creative experimentation with household items that are not normally sexualized.

Perhaps the easiest way to begin a journey into sensation play is simply by exploring touch. Consider the range of pleasurable sensations that you have felt — not only those that were sexual. Maybe you have an obsession with cashmere or fur, or you love the way that a chain necklace feels when lightly moved against your skin. Of course, there are also several sex toys made for sensation play, like ticklers made from chain or rubber. But the great thing about sensation play is that common items can be incorporated into foreplay. Feathers, makeup brushes, loofahs…take a quick run through your home and you’ll see that the possibilities are endless!

For those that may want to experiment with combining pain and pleasure, there are even more options. You may want to consider abrasive materials, like sandpaper or hard-bristled brushes. Sex toys for this sort of play include a wide variety of pinwheels (the most common being the Wartenberg), and clawed gloves, like these impressive bear paws. Impact toys like paddles and whips can also fall into the realm of sensation play. (A separate post on impact play safety tips is soon to come.)

Another commonly explored sensation, as described in my opening paragraph, is extremes in temperature. (This is sometimes specifically referred to as temperature play.) Cold water, ice cubes, and metal objects chilled in ice water are common ways to provide your partner with cold sensations. For the hot side of the spectrum, many people turn to melted wax. Be sure to do plenty of research into wax play safety before beginning. (Nobody wants nasty burns.) White paraffin candles are generally a good choice for beginners — as they burn at lower temperatures. However, for an even lower melting point, you can use massage candles. If those are still too hot for your enjoyment, there are also warming massage oils that barely get above body temperature.

The reverse side of sensation play, sensory deprivation or the absence of sensation, can also be fun. Some individuals enjoy total deprivation of their senses, while others prefer the impairment of one sense in order to enhance the experience of others. Blindfolds, earplugs, and/or earphones with music playing can all be deprivation tools. This places a person in a sort of bubble where they are solely focused on sensations of touch. Because blindfolds are a very successful crossover from BDSM to vanilla sex, sensory deprivation can be a great way to break into sensation play without feeling too intimidated.

No matter the type or intensity of sensations that you are comfortable exploring, sensation play can be considered as one more tool in your sexual repertoire — and an opportunity to spend an hour or two figuring out how to make your partner tremble.