A few months ago I did a mini-review of maude and their modern ethos of “sex made simple”. I touched on their condoms, massage candle, and (most importantly) vibrator. Today we’re going to dive a little deeper and I’ll give you my final thoughts after playing around with their products for a little while.
The blog
The first thing I want to highlight about maude is my favorite part, which is how accessible they make difficult sex-centric conversations through their blog, the maudern. Not only do they cover the fun topics (like camping sex and talking dirty), but they also have topics about the important (like consent and insecurities) and the more difficult to discuss (like open relationships and sexual fantasies). I think they do a fantastic job offering detailed insights on each post and highly encourage you to check it out.
The products
vibe
Small and incredibly powerful, but still quiet? Dream combination. There are three speeds, it’s latex-free, and completely water-proof (so you can get as adventurous as you’d like). The best part of the vibe is, in addition to it’s intensity, the ease of use. This makes it an ideal partner tool as the learning curve is super low. It’s very “point and shoot” if you know what I mean. If you’ve never brought a toy into the bedroom with your partner, make this the first one. The last thing I will note is that because it has such a strong vibration you may want to start slow if it’s your first vibe.
burn
Think that a little romance and kink don’t go together? Guess again. Why I ever thought that a massage candle would go to waste is beyond me. I love this little guy. Light it, wait a few minutes, and you have a brand new way to mix things up. The scent is unreal. The oil is soft, a little slippery, and is absorbed at a nice pace. You won’t need to constantly relight the candle to get more oil and you also won’t end up covered in a film. You can use it as a massage oil before sex or during sex for a little temperature play. And if dripping hot oil on your partner isn’t your thing it will still set the mood with it’s “warming notes of amber, cedar leaf, lemongrass, tonka bean and medjool date”.
shine – organic / shine – silicone
It’s time to upgrade your lube. If you still think that picking up lube from CVS is hot, that a snap-open top is helping the mood, or that using lube means your partner isn’t turned on enough, it’s time to wake up. Lube should be in everyone’s sex drawer. High-quality* lube. I absolutely love Shine, the product and design. Design is everything and when the mood strikes no one likes to be fumbling with a little snap-open tube. Shine comes in both siliconeand organic so you can opt for the slippier silicone option or organic to use with toys (remember that silicone lubes can degrade silicone products).
rise
The is the most perfect packaging I have ever seen for a condom. With their buttercup style opening you don’t have to rip them open with your teeth and I think we all know how irritating it can be, in the heat of the moment, to sit there and watch him fumble with the little foil packet.
The condoms themselves are FDA-approved, fragrance-free, latex-free and incredibly smooth. They have a velvety, second-skin feel and are lubricated with a silicone lubricant. The only drawback I found was that the size is not ideal for your more well-endowed partners. If you typically shop for Magnums XL condoms you may find them a little too constricting.
Final thoughts
maude is one of the first sex companies I’ve seen that feels like they are here for you and your sexual experience, not just to sell you a product. They offer a subscription service so you don’t need to worry about remembering to pick up more condoms, have tons of sex-positive resources on the maudern, and are sincerely simplifying sex.
maude generously sent me the products reviewed, however, they did not sponsor this post and all thoughts are my own.
all images courtesy of getmaude.com
Molly Landolt | DC Doula | Birth Doula | Washington District of Columbia 