5 Ways to Know You’re Buying From an Ethical Sex Toy Shop

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You always remember your first… The first sex shop you went to, that is.

Mine was well-lit and well-stocked. Friendly sales associates checked in with me just enough to make sure I was doing okay. Products were labeled descriptively and helpfully. I felt neither rushed nor judged as I perused the wares, picked out what I wanted, and paid for it.

I don’t recall many details, because what matters is how that shop made me feel. Sex is so tied up in our emotions – everything from shame to joy – that a sex shop needs to not only be good but feel good, too. You are giving these businesses not only your money, but also your vulnerability and your trust. They have to earn that shit.

Here are five ways that sex shops can prove they’ve earned that shit.

They emphasize body-safe products. Despite the known dangers of phthalates and porous toys, some shops continue to sell products that are demonstrably unhealthy. Jelly vibes, rubber dildos, butt plugs that lack a flared base, lubes chock full of glycerine, “numbing” creams for anal sex – none of these things should be present in the stock of a decent sex shop. High-quality shops carry toys made of body-safe materials like silicone, hard plastic, glass, and stainless steel. Your body deserves only the best, and trustworthy shops know that!

They offer plentiful, accurate information about their products. Brick-and-mortar shops should have salespeople who are knowledgeable about toy materials and how their products can be used (both on- and off-label uses). Online shops should list product materials and/or ingredients on each product page, so you can make informed decisions. You shouldn’t have to ask a barrage of questions or click through a zillion pages to find the information you need: good shops want to equip you to make the best sex toy decisions for you. This should be true whether you’re buying something small, like a bullet vibe, or something pricey, like a fancy realistic dildo.

Their language is sex-positive and inclusive. It’s problematic as hell to say (or even just to imply) that only women have vaginas, only men have penises, all couples are cis straight couples, all bodies are thin and mobile, or every member of “x” group likes “y” sex act. Sex is a sensitive topic, full of nuance and variation, and the employees of any good sex shop will be aware of that. Steer clear of shops whose salespeople, marketing copy, or website makes assumptions about what kind of body you have or what kind of sex you have. Also avoid any shop that plays up themes of “naughtiness” or shame around sex – you deserve to get your toys from stores that ensure they’re accessible, joyful and welcoming for everyone.

Sex toy professionals speak well of them. Some shops send products to reviewers (like me!), and our opinions on those shops will tell you a lot about them. Ethical companies treat their reviewers, suppliers, affiliates and colleagues with respect and kindness. You already know we’re a wealth of information about sex toys themselves, but we also know shit about companies and shops. If you’re looking for a quick opinion, ask a sex toy pro who you trust!

They fix their mistakes. I’ve seen sex shops make countless missteps, from partnering with transphobic corporate sponsors to abruptly changing their rewards program to accidentally invoking sexual assault in their newsletter. The measure of a good shop is how they react to these mistakes. It’s no good to sweep errors under the rug, tell complainants they’re overreacting, or shut down the dialogue entirely: shops should step up and take accountability for what they’ve done, express genuine regret, and explain how they’re going to do better in the future. This is about so much more than sex toys; it’s about creating a shopping environment that feels safe and respectful. That is absolutely vital, especially in the sometimes-fraught world of sex.

What are your red flags and green lights when it comes to sex shops?

Sponsored by EdenFantasys.com

5 Mouthwatering Blowjob Porn Scenes

It’s no secret that I have a thing for blowjob porn. It’s been a consistent favorite genre of mine for the past five years or so. While I occasionally scroll through other categories on porn sites, I’ve learned by now that if I want a quick and certain orgasm, I should load up a blowjob scene.

For a long time, this didn’t make sense to me. I wasn’t particularly partial to giving BJs in real life, so I couldn’t figure out why I was so drawn to them in porn. But then I found partners whose dicks were compatible with my mouth, got over some of my old BJ anxieties, and realized I actually love giving head – when the dynamic is right and I’m in the right headspace, so to speak.

And guess what? That realization made me even more obsessed with BJ porn. So I’ve partnered with Pornspot to show you five of my favorite blowjob scenes from their site!

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“Sexy Brunette Gets Fucked During Her Massage” is a nice relaxing clip that depicts what is one of my recurring fantasies: a “happy ending” massage. But because this is mainstream porn, and mainstream porn rarely centers female pleasure, there’s a blowjob too. (Good thing I like those, huh?)

I’d be more into this if there was more dialogue. The reason masseuse-sex is my fantasy jam is that it involves someone who’s otherwise incredibly professional but just can’t resist the carnal pull of their client – so it would have amped up my arousal to have a little more reticence and uncertainty from the masseuse, at least at first. But, y’know… he’s got a great dick, so, s’all good.

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“Slave Fucks His Queen in the Ass and Makes Her Cum” doesn’t sound like a BJ scene, but indeed, the aforementioned Queen blows her slave for a good long while in this clip. I found this scene interesting because it subverted the typical hetero-patriarchal idea that a blowjob is a subservient act of service a woman performs for a man. That’s the dynamic I prefer to inhabit (consensually!) when going down on someone, but it’s not the only option out there, obviously! And that should be reflected more often in porn.

I like that the blowjob in this scene feels like something the “Queen” genuinely wants to do. After all, she’s in power; she gets to call the shots. And indeed, at one point she says, “I need this dick. I want it.” It felt like she was tasting him for her own enjoyment, like a fine hors d’oeuvre at a royal soirée.

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“Busting a Nut in Her Mouth For Her to Swallow”… Man, what a mouthful of a title. (Heyoooo!) This video seems to have been shot by an amateur couple on their old-school webcam, and it’s cute as hell. The lady has fantastic hair that looks fun to pull. There are times when she seems bored or distracted, but to be fair, I was pretty distracted too, by the galloping horse on the wall behind her, so I can’t even talk. And she finishes the beej with aplomb.

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“Jenni Lee Getting a Surprise Cumshot in Mouth During Her Blowjob” is amateurishly shot and badly lit, but it’s still one of the hottest clips in this list, IMO. The giver seems genuinely enthusiastic about what she’s doing, and the receiver actually makes noise – hooray!

Enthusiasm is the main thing that turns me on in any kind of porn, but especially porn involving oral sex. It’s hot to be that enthused about another person’s genitals, and it’s hot to get head from someone who is that enthused. I feel like this clip encapsulates that hotness!

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“Mork Eats Ass and Gets a Blowjob for the First Time” is, indeed, what it sounds like: a scene from a Mork and Mindy porn parody. It features Evan Stone as Mork, and he does an admirable job of channelling Robin Williams’ zany, iconic character while fucking the shit out of his lady-friend.

The highlight of the blowjob is Mork singing operatic notes in pleasure, and then making Mindy sing too. So adorable! And, naturally, he keeps his curly wig and rainbow suspenders on for the whole damn scene.

 

What are your favorite blowjob clips? (No, seriously, tell me. I need BJ porn to survive.)

Thanks to Pornspot for sponsoring this post!

How to Have Anal Sex For the First Time (If You Are Me)

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Begin innocuously enough. Go out for dinner with the crush/bang-buddy/friend to whom you’ve just given a blowjob. Get a little drunk with him, on big pints of locally-brewed beer, and laugh at all the jokes he’s making because weed and BJs make him cheerful.

While talking about your sexual goals for the year, suddenly have a brilliant idea – but the kind of idea that maybe only seems brilliant because you’re drunk. Start to tell him, but think better of it. Cover your mouth with your hand. Blush a lot. Shake your head. Let him pry it out of you, because the more that you keep it inside, the better an idea it seems. Finally: ask him if he wants to be the first person to fuck you in the ass. Because you want it. Because you trust him. Because he’s been on both sides of butt stuff plenty of times before and knows what he’s doing.

Be pleasantly surprised when he immediately agrees, and yet also not surprised at all, because he’s sweet and chill and adventurous and seems to genuinely like you. Concoct a plan with him, involving a hotel room and hours of slow, luxurious warm-up. Nod sagely when he tells you, “Let’s sleep on it and decide tomorrow,” while knowing in your heart of hearts and butt of butts that you’ve already decided and the answer is yes. Pay the cheque and tipsily stumble back to his place together. Give him one more BJ for good measure before saying goodnight.

The day before, text all your friends and tweet to all your followers about your sodomous plans and get their advice. Put your favorite butt plug in and leave it in for hours on end, to re-acclimatize your ass to penetration after a long stretch of none whatsoever. Masturbate idly while the plug is inside you, savoring that weird mix of pleasure and unfamiliarity. Wonder idly if you should’ve invested in an anal thruster for a more realistic warm-up.

Send dude a link to a cheap hotel listing, which is your indirect-and-yet-very-direct way of saying, “Yes, I still want you to fuck my ass.”

Pack a bag full – and I do mean full – of toys and other sexual accoutrements. Two Pure Plugs, the Ryder, and the large Ripple. Two bottles of lube. Black latex gloves. A zillion condoms. A tightly-folded Throe. The Pelt, incase of spanking. Salsa, Tango, and Hitachi. Put the Uncut #1 in there because you’ll want something roughly the same size as the dick that’ll be going in your ass, and when you put the Uncut in your mouth to test its size, you think, “Yeah, that feels about right.” Start getting real fucking excited.

While tipsy at a Valentine’s Day party, hide in the bathroom and sext the dude: “Very much looking forward to doing things to you with my mouth tomorrow.” Because you’re slightly obsessed with blowing him. Squeal when he texts back, “Bring toys.” Later, actually scream, at a totally inappropriate moment during the Valentine’s party, when he sends you a picture of a woman getting DP‘ed with toys. Because, holy shit, he’s going to DP you. Go home and add the Eleven and Double Trouble to your already-bulging toy bag because you suddenly want him to ram you with something big and heavy.

The morning of, do what you usually do when you’re anxious: journal a lot, listen to soothing music, and worry disproportionately about how to do your makeup. Have a breakfast of 3 Oreos and a cup of coffee, because you’re too nervous to eat real food and also because coffee will help clear out your system. Go about your day, running errands and writing and doing chores, while inevitably unable to focus on any of it.

As the sun starts to set, glaze your body in coconut oil so you’ll be nice and soft for him. Get in the shower and shave your legs, your armpits, your vulva, your butt. Like most lengthy femme rituals, this is more about the way it makes you feel than the way it makes you look: eliminate some of your anxiety by eliminating all of your body hair. Wash your body with Lush’s “The Comforter” shower cream, because smelling like berry candy makes you feel like the hottest, beautifulest babe. Fill a bulb syringe with lukewarm water, squirt it into your ass, jump up and down a bit, then let the water flow out of you. Do this a few times, until you feel confident and clean.

Put on some cute underwear, a comfortable outfit that’s easy to remove, and minimal makeup that won’t flake off if you end up face-down on a bed. Take deep, calming breaths and then dance your ass off (no pun intended) to energizing songs for a last-minute burst of confidence.

Walk to the streetcar stop, carrying your heavy-as-fuck toy bag. Ride the streetcar and wonder what the other patrons would think if the bag accidentally spilled open and they saw all your butt plugs and fancy dildos. Get off where Google Maps tells you to, and walk toward the hotel. Start feeling intensely dizzy, partly from anxiety and partly from the exertion of toting sixteen pounds of sex toys through snowy city streets.

Arrive at the hotel, which is small and strange and reminds you of The Shining if it was shot on no budget. Schlep your stuff up to the second floor and find the room number that the dude texted you. Smile when he opens the door for you, because he’s cute and you like him and you’re happy you’re gonna do this with him of all people.

Tell him you’re anxious. He is too. Assuage your nervous hearts with weed for him, gin and chocolate for you, and giggly makeouts for both of you. This is a never-fail prescription.

Give him a beej. For two reasons. One: his dick is excellent, and having it in your mouth turns you on faster than just about anything else. And two: if you get nervous and back out of your buttsex plans, you won’t feel as bad about it if he’s already come. This move is strategic. Or… strabeejic, if you will.

Lube up a Pure Plug and slide it into your ass, while he gives you sage advice on technique and angle, like some kind of butt sherpa. Laugh a lot, because he’s doing silly impressions and voices for your amusement, and think: yeah, I definitely chose the right person to do this with.

Let him do stuff to your nipples and clit and G-spot, because holy fuck, he has talented hands. Do your best to give directions, because sometimes you get too shy to boss people around but you know you’ll need to be a top-notch communicator tonight if he’s gonna fuck your ass. Don’t come yet – you wanna save that for later.

Bend over and let him take out your Pure Plug and switch it for the Ryder. Recall when you first bought your Ryder, years ago, and tried to put it in with no warm-up and not enough lube, and how goddamn awful and stupid that was. Enjoy the contrast between that moment and this one: the slick way he slathers lube on the plug and lines it up just right. The utter ease of taking a big toy when you’re really ready for it. The encouraging words in your ear as you back up onto it and it slides in, pop, no pain, no problem.

Make out some more. Touch each other. Giggle. Play. This isn’t a race. There’s no schedule. No marks to hit. No obligation to follow through. Just do what you feel like. Teach him how to spank you. Show him how you like your clit touched. Tug on his chest hair. Kiss his cute face.

Recognize your readiness by how relaxed you feel. Anxiety dissolved and apprehension bested, grab a condom and some lube and get him hard in your mouth. Pull the plug out, slowly. Bend over the edge of the bed with a Hitachi pinned between your clit and the mattress. Smile against the sheets, because this feels like a game.

As he slides into you, breathe deep, cleansing breaths of calm focus, and then fast, heavy breaths of unexpected pleasure. Moan, writhe, bite your lip, grind against the Hitachi. Think about how easy it was for him to push into you. How hot, hard and slippery he feels inside you. How good this is, how much better it is than you even expected. Feel completely safe, and taken care of, and respected, and filled, and fucked.

Stop him after a couple minutes, because the sensation is… a lot. Curl up beside him and high-five him when he announces, “So, you’ve officially had anal sex now!”

When he asks how he can get you off, let him choose between the Eleven and the Double Trouble. Smile as he weighs each in his hands, taking the decision as seriously as you knew he would. And then lay back and let him fuck you so perfectly with the DT while the Hitachi’s mashed against your clit, until you come in the long and loud and wild way that you only ever come with partners who make you feel unashamed. Kiss his big lubey hands when he wraps his arms around you afterward and says, “That was hot.”

Once you’ve come back to earth, put your clothes on and go out for celebratory dinner and drinks at a nearby pub. Because, hell yeah, good sex is worth celebrating.

 

This post contains a sponsored link. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

So Much, Not Enough: Sex Work Laws in Australia

Australia’s sex work laws have a long and interesting history. While sex work is legal in many areas of the country, there are still many stipulations that complicate sex work there. In Western Australia, for example, prostitution itself is allowed but some activities associated with it are not, including working in brothels or doing sex work in pairs. This puts Perth escorts and other WA sex workers at risk, because brothel work and paired work is often safer than solo sex work.

I became interested in Australian sex work laws when I discovered Zahra Stardust. Zahra does many different kinds of sex work – including stripping, poledancing, and porn – and she’s also taught gender studies at a university, advocated for sex workers’ rights at the United Nations, and spoken out in the media against Australian censorship laws in porn. Basically, she is a badass. A badass who’s hella smart, incredibly cute, and can squirt enormous amounts.

Zahra has worked closely with the Scarlet Alliance, also known as the Australian Sex Workers Association, with the goal of achieving justice, equality and autonomy for sex workers down under. Among other things, the Alliance does research about sex workers’ lives and work. One finding of theirs is that the mandatory HIV testing required of sex workers in some areas of Australia may actually be a bad thing. A 2012 article (of which Zahra Stardust is a co-author) claims that mandatory STI testing increases stigma, and is invasive, costly, and ultimately unnecessary, because Australian sex workers have some of the lowest STI rates and highest condom usage rates of any sex workers in the world. This suggests that government intervention into sex work may be more hazardous than helpful.

It does indeed seem that many sex work laws make sex workers less safe, despite technically making their work legal. Brisbane escorts and other Queensland sex workers are allowed to work privately or in licensed brothels; however, they are not allowed to hire receptionists, drivers, lawyers, accountants, or cleaners, and they are only allowed to tell another person where they’re going if that person is not a sex worker too. This obviously makes the work not only dangerous but also even more laborious and time-consuming than it already is.

This minimal level of legalization doesn’t even work the way it’s supposed to. A 2009 report found that 90% of sex work in Queensland is either illegal or unregulated. It’s no surprise that when you put ridiculous limitations on how sex workers are allowed to conduct their work, more and more of them will work outside the bounds of legality.

I don’t live in Australia and I’m not anywhere near as entrenched in this world as someone like Zahra Stardust, but at least on paper, it seems like Melbourne escorts and other Victoria sex workers have some of the best rights and protections of any sex workers in Australia. In licensed brothels, sex workers may refuse to see a client if they feel the situation may become unsafe or violent, and they cannot be punished for doing this. Condoms and lube must be provided to sex workers for free in these brothels. Brothel owners must provide workers with clean linens, showers, baths, and hot and cold water. Escort agencies have to provide sex workers with a cellphone or another two-way electronic device to allow for safe communication between workers and licensees. Privately licensed escorts in Victoria are allowed to hire staff, unlike in Queensland, but they may not advertise to find staff.

While there are still many ways in which Australian sex work laws are lacking, it seems to me that they are miles ahead of many other countries in this regard. For example, here in Canada, it’s legal to sell sex but illegal to buy it (?!). I hope that more countries move in the direction Australia is heading, albeit with more protections for sex workers and fewer absurd restrictions on how they can do their work.

 

Note: this post was sponsored, but as always, all opinions and writing are my own!

3 Cute Sex Toys For My Inner “Little”

My sexuality has taken a strange turn. And it’s fantastic.

It all started in a university class late last year. While listening to a hot lawyer lecture about freedom of expression and the Information Act, I found my mind drifting. “You’ve been a very bad girl,” said lawyer-dude in my transient fantasy, before tossing me over his lap, lifting my skirt and giving me a stern spanking.

When my mind finally snapped back to reality, I wondered, What the hell was that? Spanking had always been a mild interest of mine, but never in those fantasies had I regressed in age or craved a scolding. This handsome suited gentleman had awakened a long-dormant sexual persona in me: the bratty little girl who’s cruisin’ for a (consensual) bruisin’.

The age-play episode of Why Are People Into That?! just fanned the flames of my curiosity. And when I realized I had always felt sexiest in pigtails and schoolgirl skirts, everything made even more sense.

 

One of the ways you can explore “little space” to see if it’s right for you is by incorporating it into your masturbation. That way, you can experience that mindset before deciding whether to share it with a partner. And one of the most fun ways to do that, obviously, is with toys.

Here, then, are three products from OohSexToys.com.au that make my inner little girl want to cross her legs tightly and wriggle around in her chair…

 

If you’re gonna make-believe you’re a bunny rabbit, you might as well do it with a sweet-ass butt plug. This one comes in either silver- or gold-tone stainless steel, and the (faux) fur tail looks delightfully soft and sensual. Finish off the look with some bunny ears and a spot of pink face-paint on your nose, and you’ll be all set for a little-girl-pretending-to-be-a-rabbit scene. (A roleplay inside a roleplay? Is this Sexception?!)

 

Not to get too gender-essentialist on you, but hot pink is traditionally the color for little girls. Or at least, wearing hot pink makes me feel pretty damn little, in a very sweet way. Luckily, one of my favorite vibrators of all time, the We-Vibe Tango, comes in this saucy hue. Tie your hair into pigtails with some matching pink ribbon, pull up your magenta nightgown and go to town on yourself, little one.

 

Little girls like pretty things, and this glass dildo is basically a stained-glass work of art you can fuck yourself with. Its 1.3″ diameter also makes it a believable choice if you’re roleplaying as someone tiny: I love massive toys as much as the next size queen but I think my inner little might be put off by them.

 

Have you ever tried age-play, by yourself or with a partner? Does it creep you out or turn you on (or both)?

 

This post was sponsored, but as always, all writing and opinions are my own!