Tips on Giving Romantic Massage

So your partner had a rough day and you want to help him relax and release some of his/her tension. What he/she needs is a good massage. By you giving one does not only suits his/her needs, but also allow you to be more intimate as a couple. Massage has been said to be a dance of love with your fingertips. Given correctly it can be one of the most intensly sensual moments you can share with your partner. And not surprisely, the skin is the largest sensory organ in the body! Here are some tips:

First, have your partner lie down on their stomach. You want to start by give them a simple back rub or a head massage. This will get you and your partner into communication with each other as well as let your partner get used to your touch. When your partner is used to your touch, stradle your partner’s body (a leg on each side) and begin to let your fingers stroke lightly, starting from the neck down. Each stroke should begin from the spine and roll off the sides of your partner’s body. Remember that continous movement is the key. Always try to keep even pressure between each hand.

When you place or remove your hands, use a glide on, glide off style of touching. Glide on in the direction your hands will be moving on or off the body. Maintain a continuous flow while massaging. Make your movements blend together, each one enhancing the preceding one and preparing for the next. Your strokes should be fluid, never jerky. Always take your hands around or out of the body rather then stopping in mid-flow.

If you wish, you may also use lotion, or essence oil to help with the massage. Having soothing music is always a great idea.

Below is a video clip on how to give a Swedish Massage (Level 1 for beginners!) by North Carolina School of Natural Healing:

Enjoy Your Home Spa

We all love to pamper ourselves once in a while don’t we? It helps us relax and leaves our skin healthy and smooth, but not all of us have spa appointments all planned out in our schedules and sometimes the cost can be a bitch. Besides, what’s better to do at home than having a nice up of tea, a book you enjoy and a DIY home spa when it’s raining outside?

For your body:

Milk Bath
You’ll need:

* 8 cups powdered milk
* 1 cup oatmeal
* 1 cup ground almonds
* 1 cup cornmeal

Mix the ingredients together and store in a sealed container. When you’re ready to use it, scoop the desired amount onto a cheesecloth (or something like a J-Cloth) and tie it securely. Drop it into the bathtub before filling it with water. Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil for added relaxation. A milk bath keeps your body moisturized and soft.

Papaya Body Polish
The papaya contains enzymes that soften and revitalize the skin when absorbed and help remove dead, flaking skin.

All you need to do is puree a ripe papaya (including the skin) and spread it over your body without rubbing. Wrap yourself in a plastic sheet for 20 minutes and allow your body to sweat. Wash it off and enjoy your soft skin!

For your Face:

Avocado Mask

Mash the creamy insides of one avocado into a soft paste and apply to your face using the avocado pit to massage the paste into your skin using small, upward, circular motions. Leave on for a few minutes then wash off with warm water. Avocados are naturally rich in vitamin E and leave your skin feeling soft.

Tips on Scent and Candles

So you want to set the mood with scented candles. May it be a fun gathering, family visit, a date or just a home alone relaxation, there are some things that you should note:

For the Candles:

1. When selecting a candle by scent, don’t smell the wax. Smell the inside of the lid or container because that’s where the scent collects. The full body of the scent drifts up and collects in the underside of the lid.
2. Although candle warmers work well for releasing scent in large dosages, you’ll be left with unscented wax after a few uses. So, burning a candle is a more efficient way to release scent into a room. Scent will continue to be released throughout the entire life of your candle.
3. Plan ahead if you’re counting on having a room enveloped in a candle’s fragrance. A candle’s scent is released through it’s wax pool, and it can take 15 to 30 minutes to develop a pool sizeable enough to fill a room with fragrance.
4. To combat soot keep your candle away from drafts, keep your wicks trimmed to 1/4 inches and use a candle topper.
5. To increase the life or your candle, burn it in longer intervals, two, three or four hours at a time. Burning it in short, frequent intervals – ten minutes here, 30 minutes there – actually decreases a candle’s overall number of burn hours.

Now we move on to selecting a scent, sometimes the sales person is helpful and sometimes they are not. Here are some of the effects of different scents according to Dr. Hirsch, otherwise known as Dr. Smell.

– Lavender: Studies show that the smell of lavender triggers alpha waves in the posterior part of the brain associated with a relaxed state. Use this scent when you want to create a relaxing mood in the bathroom or in the family room areas.

— Jasmine: Jasmine’s scent triggers beta waves in the front of the head, which stimulates alertness. Jasmine has been proven to help focus and increases hand-eye coordination. Jasmine should be used at work stations or while studying or doing homework.

— Roses: There are over a hundred varieties of roses and not only is this flower a symbol of romance, but the scent of roses also increases olfactory-evoked nostalgia that will bring happy moments back to memory. Dr. Hirsch recommends using roses in social areas as well as when you have a visitor at your house.

— Violets: Dr. Hirsch’s studies also showed that violets enhance learning speed by 17 percent, and improve concentration when used in study rooms. Violets can be placed on studying and working areas, when reading or doing homework. The fragrance of violets on clothes is a good way to take this flower essence with you to places where you need to stay focused.

— Lilies: The scent of lily has been proven to increase wakefulness and help you stay alert. An arrangement made of lilies in the study area or living room can do the trick when you want to stay alert.

— Cinnamon: According to Dr. Hirsch, cinnamon may also bring happy moments back to memory and may lift your spirits. You can use in your kitchen area after cooking to evoke joyful memories.

May’s Most Beautiful Man

The chosen one of this month by Most Beautiful Man is Jeremy Santucci. The American model from Maryland is best known for his campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch and Armani. Now, having been modelling for two years he has already “bagged multiple campaigns for Loehmann’s, Emporio Armani, 2ixst and much more.”

Click on the images to view them in full size

Brazilian Gay Magazine Launches Online

A Brazilian gay magazine DOM launched its web site last week. It featured Alvaro Jacomossi and making of videos of the covers, articles, interviews and a whole bunch of eye candies. It targets those who can’t access to the hard copy of the magazine.

A Children’s Book About Mommy’s Plastic Surgery

A new picture book about plastic surgery aims to explain why mom is getting a flatter tummy and a ‘prettier’ nose.”My Beautiful Mommy” (Big Tent Books) is available this Mother’s Day. It features a perky mother explaining to her child why she’s having cosmetic surgery (a nose job and tummy tuck). Naturally, it has a happy ending: mommy winds up “even more” beautiful than before, and her daughter is thrilled.

Some, upon reading the manuscript with their son, find it useful. Newsweek reports “Since February, when she had the surgery, she and [her son] have read the book a half dozen times, and she says it helped him feel excited rather than scared. “I didn’t want him to think [the surgery] was because I was hurting. It was to make me feel good,” she says.”

“That message seems to have gotten through. Instead of being uncomfortable about the surgery, Acosta says her son actually spoke up about it at a big party. “Did you see her new belly button? It’s so pretty!” he said of his mom. “I think he was proud,” she says.”