From role play to toys, our guide to sexperimenting with or without a partner during lockdown
IF the national lockdown has given us anything, it is that shock to the system to jolt us out of what might be seen as boring routine.
For some, it means it is time to sexperiment more than before.
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Ann Summers has seen a 27 per cent increase in sales of toys compared with this time last year, and role-play outfits are featuring in its top ten best-selling apparel.
So could this be the perfect time to switch things up a gear in the bedroom?
If you are unsure where to start, Kate Taylor has devised a beginner’s guide to being more daring between the sheets . . .
Let me be your fantasy
THE LEAD ROLE: Role play does not have to be extreme. It can just be a way to let your braver, more assertive character come out.
Start simply. Watch a film starring a sexy lead character, and then do what they do. If your partner likes that, then both of you can pretend to be celebrities or your favourite fictional characters.
Role play should be fun, so don’t be afraid to laugh. But stay in character. Doing this will inspire you to try positions or seduction techniques outside your usual repertoire.
This works equally well remotely, too.
Set up a new email account in your sexy alter ego’s name and send your partner steamy love letters.
DRESSING UP: Costumes are a fun way to spark your arousal, especially for men who are so visually stimulated. Buy a fun outfit, or wig, and surprise your other half at home or over FaceTime.
Or simply wear your hottest going-out clothes – heels and kinky boots – while you stay at home or video chat with your lover.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: You might be at home, but that doesn’t mean you are confined to the bedroom. Simply getting frisky in a different location can kickstart your lust.
The bathroom is full of, er, steamy potential.
Showers are a great place for foreplay, and baths offer a perfect pre-match warm-up.
Just do it yourself
SEDUCE: The more you know what really turns you on, the more sexually confident you will be with a partner.
Use your spare time during lockdown to have sensual dates with yourself. Regular orgasms relieve anxiety, so set aside time to get in touch with yourself without having to please anyone else.
EXPLORE: Create a basket of self-love treats, including massage oils, erotica fiction and sensual music, and have a bath. Light candles to set the scene.
Make as much effort as you would for a lover. Warm up by touching every inch of yourself in a variety of different ways, from lightly stroking to massaging, working slowly towards your erogenous zones.
STIMULATE: Once you have learned the most responsive areas of your body, take things up a notch by introducing some extra stimulation, like your hottest fantasies or erotic fiction.
Treat yourself to a toy that can heighten your pleasure by working on your G-spot, such as the Tracey Cox rechargeable G-spot vibrator (£59.99, ).
Use your senses
BLINDFOLD: Your sense of touch is magnified when you can’t see, so use a blindfold to take turns enjoying blacked-out naughty massages.
Make sure to touch them using every part of your body, and tease them with different textures such as feathers, rubber gloves or fur, and different temperatures, such as ice or hot chocolate.
If you are not with your partner, ditch video calls for old-fashioned phone sex, and describe what you are wearing, touching and doing in extreme detail, leaving the visuals to their imagination.
HANDS-FREE: Handcuffs are arousing because they put you into a submissive role, heightening your vulnerability.
In an otherwise equal partnership, that feeling of being out of control is incredibly sensual.
Tease them until they almost orgasm, then back off and start again.
SOUND WAVES: Having sex without saying a word is hot. Seduce your partner using only your body.
Or have sex without making any sound at all. Pretend it is like if you make a sound, you will be discovered and in trouble.
Or go the other way and flood your hearing with aural turn-ons. Play a recording of some sexy music that gets you in the mood.
Open the toy box
FOR YOU: It is the perfect time to shop for toys that push new buttons. If you’d like to try one for the first time, there is no need to go fancy.
A small, hand-held vibrator will give your bits a tingle whether you are alone or with your partner.
Choose a quiet model with a range of speeds so you can build up the sensations, like the Pebble (£15, ).
Another type of toy stimulates you simultaneously on both the inside and outside, great if you want a stronger sensation. Try a Whisper Rabbit (£65, ).
FOR HIM: Even if you live together, sending your man a sex toy through the post is the hottest thing you can do.
He’d be delighted with anything from the Fleshlight range (from £49.99, ). These hand-held toys are reusable, and can even help men gain more stamina over time. They are perfect for making sex work harder for you too.
On a budget? Treat him to a “Silky” love egg (£6.99, ). This works the same way, but is smaller and suitable only for one or two uses.
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MOST READ IN FABULOUS
FOR BOTH OF YOU: Long-distance sex toys are fast replacing toilet rolls as the pandemic must-have, with sales doubling over the past week.
They come as a vibrator that can be controlled online using a special app on your and your partner’s phones.
Make sure you buy a toy that can be controlled by an app, over wifi (Bluetooth and remote-controlled sex toys only work if you’re in the same room) like the range from WeVibe or Vibease. If you would like a pair of toys – one each – try the range from .
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