Giving a gift to a lover is challenging because you know them intimately, but depending upon your level of communication and how long you’ve been a couple (not to mention your budget), it might be difficult to really know what s/he would really love to get from you.  Some people are very sentimental and some aren’t.  Some may be into gift-giving and others simply don’t know how to shop. Alas, the holidays can cause a lot of disappointment, especially for couples who may have expectations. One of our most popular articles on our other relationship advice site, Leather and Lace Advice, is   I Got Him A Gift But He Didn’t Get Me One — Now What?

To help you figure out what kind of gift you might get a lover, once you are intimate, we have selected a small collection of what we think are great intimate gifts targeted to specific interests, without any  “crotchless panties” or chocolate penis pops in the list  no one really wants these tacky gag gifts — save them for the bacheleorette party).

Share this feature, re-tweet the link, or simply print out the page and put it near your lover’s pillow, circling the one gift you’d like to have.  S/he’ll get the message. 

So what makes a perfect intimate gift?  We think it’s something to share, but it also has to be something unique, something luxurious, and something elegant.  Here are our top picks for gifts for lovers:

 

 

 

 

SOMETHING  SPECIAL JUST FOR HER:

 

 

Guys, here’s a tip:  Women do not want you to buy them lingerie that that hookers wear.  And they don’t want sleazy items made of cheap lace from adult stores.  If you are going to gift your special lady with lingerie, make it something she would be proud to wear in or out in public, such as this amazing bed jacket from the Obsession Collection of Nevaeh Intimates (Price: $202.00 Style #: 05101).  The feather patterned raschel eyelash lace bed jacket with fluttered sleeves and a contrasting, silky sash for the waist (in purple, black or berry) make a beautiful statement worn over bare skin, bra and panties, or over a cami as a jacket for a party. It is Made with 94%/6% Silk/Lycra (Hand wash with mild soap and hang dry).

When I attended a boudoir photo shoot at Lori Berkowitz ‘s photo studio, just about every single editor opted to wear this item for her photo shot, myself included. My photo is at the top of the page. This makes a great gift because it is intimate but also versatile, and isn’t just something to wear in the bedroom. Wear this over a cami or shell, and it goes to a party, too. This bed jacket is available in sizes XS to XL and runs true to size.  You can probably check what size bed jacket to get her based on what her normal sweater or jacket size is. But Nevaeh Intimates also has amazingly beautiful (and comfortable bras, panties and slips, and garter belts). If you want to buy those for your special someone, I’d suggest you get a gift certificate and let her choose what she likes in the right size.  Visit the Neveah Intimates web site: http://www.nevaehintimates

 

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GIFTS TO GIVE TO EACH OTHER:

A Spice box with a difference.   Spicy Subscriptions is a box of the month club with a sexy difference:  each month you get a themed box of products that can help you rev up your sex live.  The box will be a surprise, but it will include some full sized items, and some samples sized items, and might include such items as massage candles, adult toys, oils, and other romantic items.   The sample box that Leather and Lace SPICE received is the one in the photo, above.  You choose a Subscription type:  The Spice Box ($29/Month) or Toy of the Month ($19.95/Month).  Each month is specially themed differently by the company’s relationship experts, so you can look forward to a unique experience each month. T0ny’s Take:  The Spice Box changes every month and has 4- 5 items to enhance your pleasure or your mood. In the spice box we reviewed, we received a very nice lipstick/wand vibrator although bigger than a normal lipstick vibrator, when opened, it looked like a mascara wand but with a difference: that the wand vibrated at various  selectable speeds (controlled by push button on the base of the unit). This was a fabulous little device in that not only did it dispatch vibration to your pleasure centers but the brush aspect provided an additional tactile component to increase pleasure. Other items in this box included scarf ties for a gentle bondage experience, a pair of handcuffs (with safe release) for those doing role play, a small candle in a tin to set the mood, and a little fingertip vibrator which is perfect for your partner to directly deliver stimulation at a touch. There were also some sample sized lubricants and massage/warming oils. All in all this seems to be a good value despite the randoness of what you may receive. Alison’s Take: For couples who don’t communicate well about their fantasies and needs, or for couples looking for some inspiration, getting a surprise box like this one from Spicy Subscriptions each month, can help generate discussion, improve intimacy and get couples trying things they might not ordinarily think of on their own. For those too shy to enter an adult shop or who are embarrassed about getting packages at home that might raise eyebrows, this also makes it easy to get adult items to try without “shame.” I think it is a fun gift to give your lover and if you decide that you don’t want to continue your subscription, you can always stop, but you might just find that you really look forward to getting those boxes every month!  It could make 2015 a very fun year!  Visit https://spicysubscriptions.com/    

 

 

With the 50 Shades of Gray movie about to explode onto the screen on Valentines’ Day 2015, a holiday gift for 2014 can set a trend to help you explore some of your own fantasies with this sensual DARE ME PLEASURE SET ($118.00) The Gift Set for Exploring Shared Fantasies by LELO. While some of the “BDSM-lite” sets we have seen are a bit “tacky,” this one is elegant all the way, from the beautiful box, to the luxurious fabrics, to the beautifully curated trio of trinkets to tickle your fancy. LELO has two such sets (the other is the “ADORE ME PLEASURE SET” ($150” with a USB-rechargeable Lipstick-like personal massager with 6 vibration modes), and Intima Silk Blindfold and  Sutra Chainlink Cuffs). The Dare Me Pleasure Set features a soft-tasseled Sensua Suede Whip and Etherea Silk Cuffs, and for those who want to add additional pleasure, you can add a set of their stellar Luna Beads™ Noir.  Luna Beads (call them Kegel Beads if you want and Read Our Review of LELO’s Luna Beads) create subtle yet pleasurable vibrations that respond to movement, The box also includes a Gift Card and Satin Storage Pouch. If your partner hasn’t read the books, get the audio book version and listen, together on those chilly, winter nights, while snuggling.

THIS IS THE GIFT EVERYONE WANTS (GREAT TO GIVE A COUPLE):  

 

It’s no secret that Alison and Tony are fans of LELO’s beautifully designed personal pleasure objects.  But one that we think will delight couples and frankly, anyone who wants to melt away stress of any kind, is the elegant, luxurious, and highly effective Lelo Smart Wand Large $189.00 which you can purchase in ivory, plum, or black.  This Ultra-powerful Cordless Body Massager lookd like a work of art, and it is elegantly boxed for gift giving and for starge, but it is a powerful cordless wand massager that is ideal of use all over your body.  A SenseTouch™ Builds Vibrations on Contact with Skin and there are 8 Vibration Patterns with Adjustable Speeds to choose from.  The body-safe silicone design is 100% waterproof and rechargeable (8 hours of use) and it comes with a 1 year warranty and a 10-year quality guarantee.

Tony’s Take:  The ball headed wand vibrator has been a staple of both relieving neck and back pain, as well as pleasure, for decades. It however, has a number of drawbacks. The first was that the originals had to be plugged into a wall and nearly all models used a slightly porous head so that it was impossible to keep it clean and for safety, you needed to use a condom over it when using it for intimate pleasure. Lelo has overcome these limitations plus added style and ease of use as well. For neck and back pain, Lelo has made the handle curved, as opposed to straight, allowing the user to reach the affected portion of their body without strain or contortions.  Lelo has made it convenient by making it rechargeable with a fast charging rate and a 2 hour continuous use on one charge. The three covered buttons allow the user to adjust the rate of vibration and the intensity of the vibration as well as providing a number of different patterns of vibration (switching the vibration on/off at different rates and ramping up and down in speed). The most important feature is the seamless plastic surface over the entire massager making it waterproof and allowing the user to clean it thoroughly. Overall, although an investment, this massager is worth the money because like its ball-headed cousins, it delivers the massage or stimulation you want.

 

Alison’s Take:  We selected this particular massager not just for it’s good looks, but because it multi-tasks, and therefore makes a great holiday gift idea for a family, or a couple, and for singles people. We also appreciate that it is quiet, and ergonomic, making it easy to hold for longer periods of time. And, of course, it is nice to look at — a beautiful piece of “art.”   This massager can make an ache go away, and a tense day into a spa-ah day, and frankly, it’s not just another “sex toy” but it can certainly do fabulous things to spice up your sex life too. While there are other large multi-tasking massagers, few of them are cordless and this powerful. The price point for what you get is well worth it. Visit the LELO Web Site: http://www.lelo.com/

FOR LOVERS WHO MAY NOT BE TOGETHER ALL THE TIME BUT WANT TO STAY CONNECTED:

“Make a Connection”  is the tag line for OhMiBod, and wow, does they ever!, especially with the new BlueMotion by OhMiBod, a wearable Bluetooth® enabled vibrator that is controlled by OhMiBod Remote an iOS and Android supported App.a wearable massager that uses Bluetooth technology ($129.00). Compatible with Android and iOS smartphones, you might not complain that your partner is spending too much time on her or her smart phone anymore. In fact, you might be encouraging it from now on.  The slim, elipitcal massager is meant to be worn by a woman in her panties or thong (one is included in the box) and the massager is operator (by her, or by her partner) using a downloadable app on their smartphone that controls the accelerometer, touch screen, and volume controls. blueMotion can even record ambient sound up to 60 seconds including the sound of your lover’s voice.

*information about the OhMiBod REMOTE App:  The Wi-Fi-enabled OhMiBod Remote App is available for purchase from the App Store on your iOS phone, or you can find it on Google Play.   The OhMiBod Remote App is a free download but you need to purchase the  Wi-Fi-enabled add-on for  $4.99; to connect with your partner over any distance! (Must have Wi-Fi or 3G access). With the free OhMiBod Remote App and the $4.99 add-on download, you get all five  functional modes — Touch, Voice, Tap, Wave and Rhythm — as well as long-distance capabilities.  To connect with your partner, you must both be connected via Google+. Once connected, simply search for your partner and send them an invite to “play.” Once the invitation is accepted, you can then “make a connection” and control your partner’s vibrator from anywhere — at any time. Look for the iconic blue heart, indicating that your partner’s vibrator is connected to your device. Compatible with all OhMiBod vibrators except Lovelife and ClubVibe 2.OH.

Tony’s Take:  Remote controlled vibrators have been with us for a number of years but to this point they have never been as sleek or as controllable as OhMiBod BlueMotion. The important part of their technology is a small, contoured vibrator that is meant to be worn in thong (one is included in the box). A small, contoured to the female anatomy vibrator  the vibrator’s rate, intensity, and patterns are determined by an app that is downloaded onto your smart phone (IOS or Android), and communicates to the vibrator via bluetooth just as a headset would. For remote play, the app is controllable from another cell phone over Wifi, which means you do not even have to be on the same continent to interact with the person wearing the vibrator.  The app has various programs set up so that you can control the vibrator. such as their own programs of vibrations simulating certain songs, as well as the user ability to tap and control the vibrator directly or to use their fingers to create unique patterns on the touch screen which are translated vibrations in the device. In short, we love the vibrator with its potential for vigorous pulses but hope that the software becomes a bit easier to use in future versions.

Alison’s Take: I think this is pretty astounding and it can provide a great deal of connection and intimacy . While there are plenty of vibration patterns to play with, what captivates me so much about this one is that you can “invite” your partner to join you once you have enabled the massager and you have synced to it, and even if you are not together, you can interact, and even send text messages while your partner operates the remote and you experience the vibe. For couples who are separated by work or other issues, this gift is one cool was to stay connected, and in ways I’ve just never even seen that are practical, before. While the app isn’t completely intuitive, once you get the hang of it, you can have nearly limitless fun and it frankly blew me away.  For couples who want to keep a sexy connection going,  or who want something new, sexy and totally different but still affordable, this is a perfect gift,. As far as I can figure out, while this one doesn’t let you play music like other OhMiBod devices, it does support 60 seconds of voice recording, so you can pulse to the sound of your lover, even if not to the Rolling Stones. I loved it!  For more information on this and all the OhMiBod products visit the OhMiBod web Site http://www.ohmibod.com/

FOR THE TRAVELER:

 

 

We wouldn’t normally suggest a personal pleasure object (call it a vibrator if you must) as a gift for a lover unless it was to share, but the OhMiBod LoveLife Collection really does have a romantic story attached to it and so, for the traveler, solo or not, we are suggesting just one for Holidayh 2014. The Creators of OhMiBod Suki and Brian Dunham were inspired to create the LoveLife Collection as a celebration of their own 26 year relationship and the adult pleasure objects they wanted to see created for themselves.  They also wanted to make this particular line affordable and beautifully designed.  These vibrators have already received accolades including a Red Dot Design Award  (an internationally recognized design competition) for 2014. Leather and Lace SPICE is  including a photo of the entire LoveLife Line, and in the coming months (before Valentines Day, we promise) we will be reviewing additional pieces of the LoveLife Line in including the innovative “Adventure “with three points of body contacts, and the curved G-spot “Cuddle”

 

For the holidays, we are suggesting the  LoveLife “Discover” Mini Intimate Massager ($59.00) is perfect for the woman (or couple) who travels, and it’s even boxed in a white box with red hearts. Of course it can be part of her/their intimate life at home, solo or with a partner.  What could be more romantic?

This mini-sized massager has simple controls, one button at the bottom turns the unit on and off and cycles through the 7 scalable pre-set vibration patterns.   (Size: 4.9” total length, 1.2” diameter at the widest point, – Weight: 2.2 oz Materials: Body safe silicone & PU coated ABS, Phthalate free) runs on a USB-charged  Lithium-Ion battery which has after a charging time of about 2 1/2 hours, a run time of about 2 hours and a standby time of up to 90 days.  This mini doesn’t have to power of  a more powerful big sister, but it is definitely peppy enough to have a good time with and help take your mind off the worries of the day. It is also reasonably quiet, so it won’t wake your co-worker/boss/family member.roommate in the next door. The USB charging cable and  a white satin travel pouch are included, If there is just one thing missing, it is a lock . You do have to depress the power button for a few seconds to turn the Discover on, but in the unlikely case it accidentally presses against something and activates in your suitcase or purse, a lock mode be an added safety.  For more information on this and all the OhMiBod products visit the OhMiBod web Site http://www.ohmibod.com/