Kiss My Laptop

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Lip Crimes

I was robbed.....no, really, not for dramatic effect or anything. I really was robbed. And it turned out to be a lip travesty too. On November 9th, some one broke into our back door (I don't imagine it was very difficult). They took $8000 worth of technology and my purse. Oh, there was a list of much more but a few of the most emotional hits were actually to my lip stash. Like most beauty bloggers (and this sort of on-again-off-again blogger), makeup is life. We live for the latest colors and we hoard our favorites....for years....no, you can't convince me that the shelf date means anything.

So here's what they took from my lip stash.

My Aerin Rose Lip Balm Lip Conditioner - At first, this purchase had all the makings of a splurge. I adore Aerin Lauder's effortless style. This soft balm with it's summery rose scent became a mainstay of my purse. It had mended many dry lip episodes on my entire family. A dab would do you, put on the finger and smeared over the lips. The rose scent was not off-putting to my menfolk or at least not that they ever complained. The strange thing is that this was one of the few items that was returned to me. It had sat out in a watery grave, part of a few things tossed away in a back pack and found later by police. I looked at that battered tube for months, thinking that it should be replaced. It had lost it's luster, the tube a sad statement for how I felt about the robbery. Eventually I tossed it out. Sadly, I have not found the gumption to put it back into my purse repertoire. I am instead carrying around a far less expensive ChapStick Total Hydration. While it is quality and luscious in it's own drugstore medium, Aerin Lauder had won my heart with her Rose Balm. I was lucky that the robbers didn't violate me of my passion with her Perfect Nude lipstick which you will see on my lips almost every day. I usually carry it with me but did not have it in my purse at it's on heavy rotation in my morning beauty routine.

Chanel (you can gasp out loud here- I still rant about it) - Rouge Hydrabase (no longer in production) Creme Lipstick - Leopard - a summery to fall orange - At first try, this lipstick had stunned me with it's vibrant color. I wasn't sure that I liked the orange base but it quickly became my go-to "au naturel" which sounds strange since it was pigmented. However, with an end of summer flush and transferring into the warm tones of autumn, it was the perfect transition color and I had yet to take it out of my make-up bag. The robbers didn't bother to toss it away and I'm sure they now have great (if somewhat dated) lips. I've been tossing around which Chanel color to replace it with and have yet to make a decision. My husband who has to still listen to me occasionally moan, "Chanel....WHY?" has urged me to replace it. Just to have a Chanel item in memoriam in my purse (and perhaps a bit of a "F you raspberry" to the robbers, I tossed in my Bois de Iles Rouge Coco. Because of it's darker pigment, it doesn't have the same shimmery versatility on my lips as the Leopard did. Anyone have suggestions for what this fair skinned, brunette might want in her new Chanel Lipstick. Let's show those robbers a thing or two and get kissably sexy.

Violet Blue's Bisexual Husbands Sizzles with Hot Threesomes

I’m really enjoying the new layout by Violet Blue who has gone rogue with her new publishing company, digitapub.com (get yourself there and get some goodies both sexy and techie). I have devoured her introductions which are the perfect tease to the book and state her mission of sexual exploration in the most divine ways. She includes bits of history, political perceptions, and juicy bits from the stories until you are one turn away from an orgasm.

Bisexual Husbands is a book best taken is delicious sips. Each story is sexy and well-written, but since the book is thematic, the basic gist of the stories are monochromatic. This is not necessarily a bad thing but once I realized this, I had to tone down my usual urge to inhale the book and just read it story-by-story. This manner of editing really forces the reader to do justice to each author’s contribution. In her latest anthologies, Ms. Blue moves the reader from innocence to dirty, dirty fun. The stories at the first part of the anthologies really do introduce the reader to learners or innocents. In Private Lessons, by Emilie Paris, there’s even a teacher - a delicious, divine dance teacher. Who hasn’t thought about getting schooled by the dance teacher with glorious abs? By the time you get to the end of the book, you will see the mastery or absolute depravity in the complex luscious subjects, such as in Alison Tyler’s Sparks Will Fly where the wife brings someone back to the room who she met on the elevator at the hotel. This kind of sexual risk might be above my level but that doesn’t mean I haven’t fantasized about it. After years of editing erotic anthologies, Ms. Blue had a great sense of how far to push her readers into risk or taboo subjects.

Each story is partnered with either a drink recipe (which I”m going to have to try more of - Rogueish Gin Daisy sounds like my kind of drink!) or a sexy how-to article written by Ms. Blue, who is in her own right a fantastic writer. I must say that I enjoy these pieces as much as the stories. I learned quite a bit about strap-ons just from the short how-to in Bisexual Husbands. Having never used one, I appreciated the no-nonsense guide on not just how to strap on but how to do it successfully for both your pleasure and your partner’s.

Don’t think that just because this anthology addresses bisexuality in men head on (pun intended) that these stories have little to offer to those who are not either bisexual men or the wives of them. In fact, the turn on in these stories may reside more with the fact that these are all stories of threesomes and most (not all) of the perspectives are from the viewpoint of the woman. All of these wives are supportive of their husband's sexuality and needs even going so far as to support and encourage the expression thereof. Here’s where Violet Blue transcends the art of fiction to bring in her clear perspective, as spouses we should be supportive of the most terrifying aspects of our partner’s sexuality because in the end there’s pleasure to be gained from their happiness and fulfillment. And that the terror of bisexuality is contrived by social perceptions and gossip. These stories go a long ways into dispelling any myths about bisexuality, making the new narrative just about pleasure between consenting adults with a few extra partners thrown in for good measure.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Violet Blue's Best Women's Erotica 2014 encapsulates women's desires!

For an early Christmas present, my hubby responded to Ms. Blue’s request for reviewers of her latest Erotica collection. It was a delightful present! Violet Blue is among my favorite erotica anthology editors. She brings her vision about sexuality into each story. The authors of Best Women’s 2014 Erotica have all voiced some core belief that Violet Blue holds about women’s desires. Much of what she divines from these stories is based on countless women who also voice their desires. Her introduction addresses the idea of what women want both directly and indirectly. Ms. Blue states that women shouldn’t be underestimated when they voice their wants. She is right. They want a myriad of things, complexities held by no single person that can encompass the entirety of womanhood. That through exploration in the imagination, a woman can not (and should not) be judged by her baser wants. It is through these wants that she becomes a complete, erotic being (something often denied to her by societal norms and pressures).

Each of these stories is about strong, intelligent women discovering some new aspect of their sexual desires. From the beginning where a woman learns to love sex when she thought she hated it to the end where a woman pursues the man she sees every day and wants from afar, each story is a lesson in sexual empowerment which so strongly mirrors Violet Blue’s own life and philosophy. These aren’t princess stories. No powerful dom comes along and shows the innocent, clueless girl how to behave. But there are power exchanges and consensual domination by both men and women and no one is without a voice, such as in the story Marylou by Lucy DeBussy where the young shipmate finds her disguise blown and the crew emboldened by the heat of the island where they have taken a brief respite. While it may seem like she is in danger at first, she takes control of the situation and her own pleasure, using the crew.

Each story is better than the next and I was disappointed when the anthology ended. Looking back on the contents now, I see that it was a complete 200 pages but it didn’t feel like it and I sped through the stories. When I first examined the contents, I was excited to see my favorite authors, Sommer Marsden and Alison Tyler included as well as Laura Antoniou who I have not read but have waiting in my collection. Her story, Blame Spartacus was incredibly powerful and amusing. What woman doesn’t want gladiators fighting for her attentions? The other authors didn’t disappoint. I even went to Craigslist after reading Sommer Marsden’s Gentleman’s Valet just to see if I could convince my husband to get this devious piece of furniture re-imagined as a sex chair! There wasn’t one available on Craigslist though. Someone must have read that story before I did!

Authors who were new to me emerged from the collection too. I loved the story by Jade A. Waters, Toys, where Jennifer has a fascination with sex toys but can’t find a man who isn’t intimidated by her vast collection. This story came to mind when I was drooling over the new iroha toys by Tenga and I had the wild thought that I wanted ALL of them.

I don’t doubt Violet Blue when she wrote in the introduction that she reads quite a few stories to cull out these gems. I truly could not decide which of the stories I liked the best. They all spoke to me in some way which means that Violet Blue has accomplished her goal in bringing to women the makings of their deepest desires. There was a never a main character who left me disassociated with her needs. There was never a storyline that made me cringe or want to hide in shame. It speaks to the incredible power of Violet Blue that she’s able to tap into the depth of story to bring women power.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Obsessed by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Please note that this product was provided by author/editor for review (but I still really, really liked it!)

It is a shaky principle to base an anthology on concepts that are not easily spoken but more truly felt such as obsession. But Rachel Kramer Bussel cobbles together this erotic anthology in a masterful way. The obsessions felt in all of the stories are clearly defined. That being said, it would be easy then to make the stories so obvious that the reader would feel like the obsession du jour was being clubbed over the head. But again, Ms. Bussel weaves together an anthology that is rich and erotic. It is to the credit of the editor that she makes the book flow from one story to the next and none of them seem out of place and yet none the same either. The obsessions of the characters are unique and integral to the stories.

From the beginning, Silent Treatment by Donna George Storey where a retreat attendee runs into a former one night stand lover to the very end with the hard sell in Undercover Kink by Louisa Harte, these stories get under your skin. I am still mulling over Topiary by K.D. Grace and the erotic implications of trimming bushes. The sheer language of this story creates such a steamy mood that I have to read it over and over again.

Or the fantastic story by Ariel Graham, Hooked which nearly made me turn over in bed and say to Hubby, "Let's hang up a hook." I don't think he'd be against that! I loved the way that something so innocent and benign could capture the attention of the main character, Ricki Her obsession with the hook in the corner of the bedroom ignites a new passion with her husband. Just the descriptions of the hook were delightfully erotic. "Now she looked up at it again, wondering. The corner would get some light, but she couldn't imagine it got enough light to make a plant happy. And it was a big hook. Thick, anyway, the metal as wide as a tongue that slid into two parts of a gate latch to catch and close it."

The scenes and characters in the stories are thick with details and settings. Well developed, the anthology goes to exotic locations such as Haiti and Paris. It also takes the reader from exclusive piano performances to burlesque. The characters are funny, conflicted, and obsessed! Sometimes their obsessions might not even be good for them such as in Charlotte Stein's Loser. "I don't know how I find myself here again, but somehow I always do. The same plasticky four walls of his scruffy trailer home. The same cranked-open cans of half-eaten beans lining the sideboard, the same evidence of the previous night's debauchery all over him like the reek of cheap booze that's right here, too. Everything not sexy and not cool. Except for him of course, rationally I know I shouldn't find him so, there's nothing cool about Loserville, even if there was, you'd only have to look at him to know he's no good."

I loved all of the stories to the point of obsession. I could read them all again many times over which is one of the most difficult things to accomplish with an anthology. But even more remarkable is the ability to relate to the stories. Not only could I relate to Hooked and Love and Demotion by Logan Belle but the editor herself wrote one of the most relatable stories in the book, I Want To Hold Your Hand. When you've been married for awhile and things or people change, it's entirely plausible that the obsessions and needs you had when you were younger will have changed. The person you married will change as well. Ms. Bussel captures this tension between Shelly and Ron with uncanny insight. She chronicles Shelly's early obsession with her husband's cuddly exterior and her disappointment at his new trim self. Shelly's attraction to Ron rests in her need for the safety which she correlates with his size. But she can't give up on her marriage so she does what any wise wife can, she finds a new obsession in her husband's hands which still carry remnants of her former obsession and still give her the feeling of safety that she needs to allow her eroticism to show. Kudos to Rachel for this fantastic, moving portrayal of a relationship that is rediscovered.

Bussel is very familiar with obsession. She's made her way successfully in the blogosphere as one of the premiere cupcake bloggers behind the blog, "Cupcake Takes the Cake". She has brought her attention to rich, luscious detail to this anthology. When autumn rolls in with falling leaves and ripening apples, this is the perfect set of stories to curl up with as the evenings grow colder- a cup of hot tea, a cupcake, and Obsession, by Rachel Kramer Bussel.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Latest Lip Lusts

Image source - Sephora

I just adore anything put out by Fresh but by far I love the Lip Sugar series! If you want truly kissable soft, full lips, Fresh Lip Sugar is the way to go. I even buy them for friends and hope they put them to good use ;). I visited the main Fresh store in NY a few years ago and it was one of the most delightful places that I have been. But I have yet to try the colored/tinted Lip Sugars. Honey seems to be right up my alley - perfect for the nude lip.

As always, I am on the hunt for gorgeous reds. This red looks divine and not so pink that I will end up with crinkly, old lady lips (always a fashion faux pas).
Image source - J. Crew

Kate Spade and Poppy King have conspired together in the most delightful way to produce awesome results in the above lipstick. Available in the fall, I may just have to slaughter some fashion victims to get one. Ha! Ok, maybe that would defeat the purpose of this cute, adorable presentation.

Jeweled Passion

Jeweled Passion by cadence featuring ruffle panties

Just to give credit where credit is due - The gorgeous lingerie set is from Ritratti for their fall 2011 line. I think it's so beautiful, don't you? I found out about this lush line of lingerie from one of my favorite lingerie blogs, froufroufashionista which is also where I found this amazing picture!