VforVadge

3 Skin Care Beauty Products You Need Right NOW

Many people ask me how my skin is “so soft,” “so clear,” “so perfect,” and my first answer to them is always, “good genes,” with a shrug. No seriously, my family has amazing skin, and everyone knows it, but my family isn’t the ONLY reason why my face is kept in pristine condition. It’s my three holy grail beauty/skin care products I cannot live without, which I’ve managed to guard better than my sorority’s secret rituals. For one time and one time only (which is eternal because this is the internet…), I’m sharing my skin care beauty secrets with you. So get prepared; open that notes app, grab your laptop, or pull this post up once you’re at your nearest beauty store of choice.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray:

MAJOR GAME CHANGER! I never knew anything about added benefits of rose water before I started using this product! All I knew at first was that boogie people sprayed their face with rose laced water and somehow they were ~glowing~. Naturally, being into trends and fads, I decided to give it a try. Verdict: I’m never not using this stuff. I’m on a plane all day every day which leads to very dehydrating conditions (not to mention radiation exposure), and on days where I need a pick me up mid-flight, I spray this mist on my face and voila! It’s like magic in a bottle! My skin is instantly brighter and I’m looking a heck of a lot better than before. The passengers always notice! The all natural ingredients help revitalize and rejuvenate dull, dehydrated skin. This offers to sooth and restore vitality back to the skin. It’s great to toss into your bag for a mid-day boost or to set your makeup for a naturally dewy finish.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser:

This cleanser somehow magically sucks any and all dirt and oil from your face, while keeping it clear and supple for a more youthful, radiant appearance. I use this when removing my makeup for the day, massaging this into my skin and washing away with warm water. In the morning, I rinse with cold water for a cool and refreshing wake-up. I love it because of the oils like Avocado oil and Apricot oil help to prevent stripping of the skin and restore moisture as well as retaining clarity. Say bye bye to harsh blemishes! Pro-Tip: it’s sold at Nordstrom Rack for a couple dollars off the site price of $19 for a 2.5 oz travel friendly tube. And before you give the price flack, a little does go a long way! It took me 6 months of continuous use to finish a travel size by only using a small dollop every time!

Montagne Juenesse 7th Heaven Tea Tree Peel Off Mask:

This affordable and soothing peel off mask refueled my obsession with face masks (which started when I was a little too young to even be using them, to be honest!). With Tea Tree, witch hazel, and Canadian willowherb, this mask does well to target the t-zone and hormonal areas. Think of spots like the chin, which are common to become enflamed during that time of the month. The mask also rids the skin of impurities, an added bonus, but take note: it isn’t meant to remove makeup. That is an odd, but common misconception. Use a makeup remover wipe to remove the makeup, and wash your face. Sit back and relax while the mask dries, after 15 to 25 minutes peel off, rinse, and pat your skin dry for a smooth, glowing face. The added bonus: it’s less than $2! It’s a skin care steal that proves you don’t necessarily need to ball out to have great skin.

Romantic Dates that Won’t Break The Bank (Featuring Groupon)

Hubby has progressively been getting better with planning date nights for us. It’s not like he didn’t pick good places to go before, but I am actually impressed with his selections over the past year or so. I’ve been all “Oh my goodness, how much did you spend on this?” until I figured out his secret.

He’s been using Groupon.

It’s funny, because I’ve used Groupon to buy cool items like electronics or discounts on breakfast at restaurants I frequent (I’m looking at you, Einstein’s). I never really thought to buy event tickets there. Well, he changed my mind!

[Note: This post contains a sponsored link to Groupon, but the opinions are all me!]

For Valentine’s, he surprised me with a 90 minute boat ride around Fort Lauderdale. It was supposed to include a meal on a private island, but the bridge was inconveniently being serviced. Nonetheless, we had a great time cruising on the sunny day on the Jungle Queen, fantasizing about our future home.

We saw a Jamaican flag on the back of a boat, and it belonged to Usain Bolt! Funny enough, there was a group of fellow Islanders behind us who cheered as well. Seeing that was such a treat, and definitely made us proud.

The views were breathtaking and the breeze was perfect. Both of us migrated to South Florida from northern locations (he Canada and I New York), so we really can appreciate a good, warm day.

I really appreciated the money he saved, because I splurged on such a surf and turf meal – I couldn’t even stop to take a pic! All I could get you guys was a photo of my dessert before I dove in.

So, the moral of the story is – don’t underestimate Groupon. You get the opportunity to save on awesome events and splurge on other parts of your date. Trust me, he/she will be impressed. I sure was!

Have you ever used Groupon for a date? Tell us more about it! 

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How Much Do You Know About Condoms? Featuring Skyn.

In my line of work, I talk about sex pretty much every day. It’s what makes it most fun for me; chatting casually with clients, readers and followers about their preferences. One conversation that never gets old – condom choices. There are always stigma around certain ones, and it’s great to dispel some of the info floating around the sex world. Today, let’s talk about condom statistics and play a little game (and a Skyn giveaway) while we’re at it.

Condom Facts:

Condom Use: 65% of millennials report using condoms ‘always’, ‘most of the time’, or ‘sometimes’

·         Condoms and Confidence: Condom users are more confident in their abilities in the bedroom compared to non-users, with 61% of condom users reporting they are “amazing” or “very good” in bed compared to 41% of non-users

·         The Condom Purchasing Gender Gap: 36% of females say they never purchase condoms, compared to only 9% of males

·         V-Card: 68% of millennials lost their virginity by age 18. The average number of partners for males is 9.42 compared to 7.92 for females.

·         One Night Stands and Condom Usage: Of the 2/3 of respondents who have had a once night stand, 62% of them said yes to using condoms.

 Enter to Win our Skyn Giveaway – Who doesn’t want free protection?

Craving more knowledge? Check out the History of Condoms.

Resources:

Lifesyles

Win Skyn, Get Skin

It’s super easy to enter and win our Skyn giveaway, all you gotta do is:

• Like us on Facebook 
• Like any of our Facebook posts
• Retweet the giveaway tweet
• Answer our question below

Dassit!

Today’s question – have you tried Skyn? Why or why not?

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Valentine’s Day for Porn Lovers

Special holidays like Valentine’s, Christmas, Halloween and Thanksgiving (yes – Turkey Day) can show a spike in different types of porn views. I’ve gotten together with PornHub and Mashable to see where VDay stands in the midst of all these “blue movies.” The stats are pretty interesting.

“Your own plans this Valentine’s Day might depend on whether you’re dating, married or single. But we soon discovered that regardless of relationship status, Valentine’s Day has a significant effect on traffic to Pornhub and the terms people search for.

With passion reserved for pleasing partners, Pornhub traffic drops as much as -17% after 6pm on Valentine’s Day, with the peak drop happening around 9pm. Traffic to the site recovers somewhat towards midnight, but stays below average for several hours, perhaps because people already found the love they were seeking.”

When we break down traffic changes by gender, we find that women proportionately have a larger decrease of around -22% at 9pm on Valentine’s, while traffic from men drops by -16%. Men visit Pornhub at an average level right up to 6pm, but women see significant drops throughout the afternoon, going as low as -12% at 2pm.

Traffic on Valentine’s evening drops as low as -19% for visitors under the age of 34, but the 18-24 group hit’s their low an hour later at 11pm versus 10pm for 25-34s. Interestingly, the 25-34 traffic is below average throughout the afternoon, but the 18-24 year old group has equally above average traffic during the same time period. 35 to 44 year olds have a sudden +4% increase in traffic around 6pm, before dropping off after 8pm and reaching a low of -15% at 10pm. 45 to 54 year olds have the least change on Valentine’s evening, with a low of -12% at 10pm. Visitors over the age of 55% have the earliest traffic drop of all age groups, down nearly 10% between 6pm to 7pm.

On average, traffic across the United States drops by -10% from 6pm to Midnight on Valentine’s. Nevada has the largest drop during this time period of -22%, followed closely by -20% in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. The states that are least likely to give up Pornhub on the most romantic of all evenings are Minnesota, Louisiana and Vermont with only -2% traffic drops.

Searches containing the term “Valentine” begin to increase in the days leading up, with a massive +1093% increase on Valentine’s day compared to average daily levels.

Other related search terms increase significantly on Valentine’s Day. Searches containing “love” go up by +269% on average, but with a much larger increase of +335% by men, and 203% by women. Men are also +203% more likely to search for “passionate” (compared to +124% for women), and +223% for “romance” (compared to +98% for women).

Visitors looking for some tips to please their partners are more likely to search for terms like “massage” (+148%), “seduce” (+111%), “sensual” (+101%) and even “kinky” (+115%).

The couples who invest more time in dinner and dancing, might be responsible for a +74% increase in “quickie” to end off the evening, and for something new to try, “bondage” searches increase by +71%. And let’s not forget about the babysitter that was left at home. Searches for “babysitter” porn increase by +34% for women, but only +13% for men.

To all our dedicated Pornhub fans, we love you all and wish you the best this Valentine’s. If you don’t find true love, Pornhub is always here to lend a hand – and I’m here with the lube!

The Valentine’s Gift You Don’t Want; Which States Have the Most STDs?

Love is in the air and all that cliche stuff thanks to Valentine’s Day, but what’s really out there? Before you consider a V-Day fling, check out these STD stats and see where your state lies (or lays, pun intended).

Between Tinder, Grindr, and other very NSFW websites, casual hookups are an all time high. With increased casual sex comes some bad news: STDs have reached all times highs, according to the CDC.

To help you get your game on while staying safe, we put together a list of the best and worst states for STDs in America. To create this report, backgroundchecks.org used CDC data on STDs, state and county health agency data, and social media surveys. For empirical data, we used a rate of incidents per 100k residents normalized for population. We attached a weighted average to CDC and state health data, and factored in survey data to get our final rankings:

So, was your city on the list? Mine was – New York came in at number 13 with a Weighted Disease Score of

Sheesh.

My current state of Florida is number 25 with a Weighted Disease Score of 321.4.

We’ve got to do better, people!

The UMIE by Tantriss – VDay ’17 Gift Ideas

Shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts has been getting trickier and trickier by the year. I’m stuck thinking about what shirt or cologne or technology I haven’t bought my spouse. This week I thought to myself, “Self – how can we make Valentine’s Day more interesting?”

I know – sex stuff!!

Most of us have sex on a regular basis, whether it’s with ourselves or with a partner. This year, I’m making it my personal duty to seek out products and technology that can help make sex more interesting, more fun. I received UMIE from Tantriss and couldn’t wait to share it with you.

About UMIE:

“Tantriss created UMIE as a way to bring the ancient practice of Tantra to the next generation, shaping the future of sexual communication through the use of smart technology. With their device, women and couples are able to embark on a journey of self-discovery and sexual enlightenment in a fun, nonthreatening way with the press of a button.”

UMIE also seamlessly interfaces with its accompanying app, allowing users to connect via WiFi to remotely control all its features.  Whether you are in the same bed, on other ends of the house or on opposite sides of the world, you can play with your partner and bring them an unequaled level of pleasure.   UMIE is incredible for solo use and is a great way to stay “connected” to any long-distance relationship.

I love the satin finish and ergonomic design – it’s a wonderful, luxe-quality vibrator that is delightfully cute, yet grown. Since I love eco- friendly toys, being rechargeable is a must for me.

Since I know some men and women are still apprehensive about toys, UMIE is the type of vibe I’d suggest when introducing pleasure products into couple couple’s play. The vibrations are gentle, yet strong – and it’s quiet enough to use discreetly. My kind of toy.

Got questions about UMIE? Let’s chat! Send them to kimi@vforvadge.com 

Down To DTR? One Millennial’s Struggle to ‘Define The Relationship’.

At the risk of sounding problematic, I get serious anxiety thinking about defining the relationship; how soon is too soon?

How do I ask? Do I ask? Is it just implied…?

I don’t know about anyone else, and I definitely haven’t had that many experiences where having to define the relationship have been that difficult. In fact, my last boyfriend told my mom we were exclusive before I even knew we were exclusive. One could say I’m a bit of a late bloomer. I’m the person my family makes fun of for a seriously concerning addiction to made for TV RomComs and Lifetime specials, which has greatly influenced my highly unrealistic relationship expectations. It’s actually something that I have been working on (my expectations, not my Lifetime addiction), so when a friend brought up the DTR question as I was gushing to her about an older guy I had met a few months ago, I started to have a major internal breakdown.

Suddenly I’m thinking about whether or not I’m ready to DTR or ‘define the relationship’ with the guy I’ve been talking to every day for the past few months. The concept is definitely easier said than done, especially for someone like me who is riddled with anxiety when thrust into the simplest of situations. Suddenly, Childish Gambino lyrics flooded my mind;

“are we dating, are we fucking, are we best friends, are we something?”

I basically mustered just about every ounce of bravery I had in my body to send a simple “what are we?” text, but I couldn’t do it. I worried about timing and if it was even necessary on my part because things were going good. Although my friends were looking out for me by giving the motivation I needed to gain the balls to ask, I was becoming more and more nervous about it. It wasn’t the question that had me in the cold sweats; it was more stressful thinking about his response, or worse, the outcome. What if he and I wanted two separate things? What if he ghosts me, a new harsh and irritating reality for millennials. The questions racing through my mind were giving me a headache and stressing me out. I could think of every negative scenario possible and none were worth having the conversation. I thought if I didn’t bring it up, nothing could go wrong. In reality I wasn’t ready for an answer I didn’t like.

I’m not exactly sure why I didn’t feel comfortable just asking a simple question like, “where do you see this, us, going?” or even working it into normal conversation, considering we talk like friends. We’re alike in just enough ways that it makes talking fun, plus we’re still learning about each other, so it’s definitely interesting. We don’t take each other or ourselves too seriously; everything comes naturally and effortlessly for the two of us. When evaluating the status of my relationship (or let’s be real, the lack thereof), I thought about the strenuous lengths we go to just to communicate, a solid indicator to me that things with us are going good. He and I can’t go on real dates because we live on opposite ends of the East Coast, with me just miles away from Miami and him in the heart of New York. Not to mention we both have very busy schedules — he works and has a young daughter, and I’m a reserve flight attendant always on the move. This leaves us with phone calls, daily text messages, and FaceTime to fill the void. It’s fun because FaceTime isn’t the most flattering option in the world, but once I overcame my shyness and having to be done up all the time, I slowly started to come out of my shell more during our chats. Hell, he’s seen my real ugly cry via my front facing iPhone camera. It feels nice to be vulnerable and receive no judgement; we use FaceTime during real, honest moments of our day, and I appreciate it because it feels like we’re together doing our regularly scheduled activities.

After a while, and a lot of thought, I felt like the time was right to DTR because I genuinely care about this guy and I felt like the feeling was mutual. When you talk to someone every single day about everything and nothing at all, you learn things about them that spark your interest. It’s not even about the amount of dates you go on (we’ve only gone out on one real, face-to-face date). We simply can’t because of the way our lives are set up, but we still make the time for each other. It’s always important, especially with a new relationship that seems to have potential for longevity to go above and beyond for each other, particularly if distance is a dominating factor. He drove three and half hours, crossing state lines on Black Friday to see me while I was on a layover. He put forth the effort and it spoke volumes to me. I was happy with the idea of our long distance relations becoming a long distance relationship.

Finally, during one of our frequent FaceTime calls, I just decided to go for it confidently, albeit awkwardly, and ask, “what are we doing?” I thought it was straight to the point but after repeating the question with a confused look on his face, he totally understood what I meant. Of course, while it wasn’t the answer I had been hoping for; “are you interested in taking this to the next level?” I was more so relieved he didn’t view me as just a hook up or a friend with benefits. He said we were “exploring what we have right now”, which I took as us having the potential to be something more if we continued on the track we’re on. After a moment of disappointment on my end we talked about it, and I came to realize that I had put too much stress on trying to define the relationship.

Everyone is different and every new relationship has a different dynamic. If you want to DTR with the guy you’ve been hooking up with for the past two months, do it, but do it on your own terms and don’t feel pressured because of what other people are telling you. Go with your gut, but most importantly, go with the flow. Have fun exploring in your new relationship and getting to know one another. Worrying about defining the relationship strips the other person of your full attentions, and that isn’t fair for them. There’s no definite timeline on when you should DTR, as long as you have the confidence to. And hey, if you’re anything like me and easily stressed about little things like having the talk, there are ways around that too. When you’re having fun and really interested in the person, the labels should be the last thing on your mind. But, if it’s what’s most important to you, bring it up casually, and don’t be offended if it’s not exactly what you had in mind because chances are, if you’re both as into each other as you think you are, it’ll get there. Now, if he says something totally and utterly exasperating, like you’re just a fuck buddy when you thought it was the real deal, dump his ass and keep it moving. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Got questions? Want to DTR and need advice? Email Abby@vforvadge.com and let’s chat! 

Treat Your Vulva Right With PrivateRX

For 2017, my ladies will be taking charge of their sexual health. It’s not even a question, that’s why I’m putting it into your atmosphere. Today, we’re talking about your vulva, and if you’ve experienced dryness there – this post is for you.

{Note: This post is sponsored by Private RX – but my opinions are still all mine, don’t worry!}

I’m sure you’re probably wondering, “why would I need to lube my vulva?”

Well, many of us don’t – but some of us do. Hormonal changes like childbirth, menopause (pre and early menopause included) and extreme stress can reduce the level of estrogen our bodies produce. In turn, this can cause the Bartholin’s glands (where lubrication is produced to the vaginal vestibule) to create less moisture. 

When this happens, life can become absolute torture. Sitting down at work can become uncomfortable, walking to the train – SEX. Many of the crucial parts of our daily lives can be negatively impacted by vulvar dryness. No one has time for that.

Read: Top 5 Things You Should Know About Your Vagina 

   What is Private RX External Vaginal Moisturizer?

The External Vaginal Moisturizer is a unique skin treatment to moisturize the external vaginal area and help alleviate dryness.

Intimate skin requires special moisturizing. Facial or body moisturizers can cause irritation and discomfort when applied to the delicate skin of the outer vaginal area. This unique external vaginal moisturizer formulation safely and effectively moisturizes the dry, flaky, mature skin.

• Non-greasy and non-staining
• No estrogen, no hormones, no parabens
• Fragrance free

Additionally, It’s clinically proven, dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic.
Most of all, this is a great way to combat a problem that many women face and continue living your life to its full potential. Being a woman has its gifts and its difficulties, how awesome is it to find a solution to one of them?

I want to share this product with you because I love you so much. Sign up for my mailing list here and shoot me an email to kimi@vforvadge.com. Tell me in one line why you’re interested in the External Vaginal Moisturizer and it could be yours for free (I’m taking care of shipping, too)! I’ll be picking the winner at random on Friday (don’t worry, I won’t post who it is), and reaching out to you via email.

Got questions? Feel free to email me those as well! 

Get Anika Calhoun’s Lingerie Looks For Less

Empire was pretty good last week, but all I could stare at was Anika Calhoun’s lingerie. Every piece was stunning and fit perfectly.

It’s a growing fashion trend on red carpets, but how can us regular women incorporate lingerie in our wardrobes? I’ve gathered a few pieces and suggestions that you can score for less.

I love a good piece from Agent Provocateur, but let’s be honest – I can’t afford this on the regular!

The Bra/Belt/Panty combo is the Raive Waspie in Black ($555.00), while the robe itself is the Deziree gown ($3395.00). No, I didn’t put the decimals in the wrong place.

The sexy belt (included) helps conceal areas many of us would rather do without, while the robe adds a bit of mystery to the almost nudity.

This sexy two-piece combo is sold together, saving you thousands at $12.55.

The garter belt is also included, increasing the sexy flare.

I also found a sexy robe that can be paired with it here.

I know La Perla when I see it, and Anika Calhoun definitely did her thing in this bra. The Maharani Carioca bra ($159.00) is a bit more practical for “daily” wear and appears to have more support for breasts.

Of course, I couldn’t find an exact replica, but this unique underwire is a sexy substitute.

Grab a cute, lacey boyshort – and you have yourself a confidence boosting underwear combo.

I couldn’t round this post off without bringing in queen Cookie for more inspiration.

Naturally, the merry widow corset that she’s wearing is limited edition from Victorias’s Secret, so don’t hold you breath on getting one.

I did, however, find this sexy number on the VS site for $46.99.

For women like me who don’t fit most bras in Victoria’s Secret, I found this beautiful sleepwear set for much less…

It comes in a number of colors, too – you know I’m getting them all!

So, do not despair, ladies – we can all get our sexy on without skipping next month’s rent.

Got questions? Send me an email – kimi@vforvadge.com, I can’t wait to chat with you!

Resources:

Agent Provocateur (Raive Waspie)

Agent Provocateur (Deziree)