How to Have Your Perfect Romantic Night In

Hey y’all, it’s Nora Jo again, here to help you build a blissful night of romance and relaxation at home—after all, just because Valentine’s Day is over doesn’t mean you can’t still spoil yourself, or your special someone! This is the perfect way to indulge the mind, body, and heart, so if you’re looking for practical inspiration on how to set up a romantic night in your house, here are some easy tips to spruce up your space and guarantee yourself a good night… 😉

Create a Comfortable Atmosphere

I don’t know about the rest of you, but personally, I can’t get in the mood (or stay in the mood) if the play space is lacking in any of these three areas: cleanliness, temperature/airflow control, and ✨good vibes✨ (more on that later).

Why these three?

A dirty and/or cluttered play space is just going to distract me from the pleasure, so if I know my apartment is where I’m planning to get down to business ahead of time, I make sure at least the parts of my place that are going to be involved are clean. You don’t necessarily need to do a full deep clean of your whole house (which can be even more difficult than usual if your romantic night in is an impromptu plan), but a spot clean in the important areas never hurts. If there are any unpleasant odours hanging around, use an antibacterial cleaner where possible, crack open a window to air the place out, and finish with a scented candle’s heavenly aroma so your space doesn’t smell only of cleaning chemicals.

It’s a similar story if the area is too hot, too cold, or the air is stale—it just distracts and detracts from the fun! If the space is too hot or stuffy, open a window or turn on a fan/your air conditioning to get a nice breeze going and cool you down. Cold environments are easy to warm up with plush blankets, and of course, vigorous activity (perhaps in some sex positions with lots of body contact)!

As for what ‘good vibes’ entails, that comes down to the individual and what they need or want to have present in order to feel their most relaxed and comfortable. For example, regardless of whether I’m playing solo or with someone else, I like to have sensual music playing in the background and put my phone on DND (Do Not Disturb) so the scene and everyone involved in it have my full attention. I live in a relatively secluded high-rise building so I don’t bother closing the curtains, but you may want to for your privacy if you’d prefer not to have an audience. I always like to have water nearby too, because staying hydrated is important, especially if you’re *ahem* losing fluids in some way or another… 😏

Here are my comfort-enhancing tips for the main, dry areas you might end up playing in, like the bedroom or the living room:

• Put away clothes instead of leaving them strewn all over the bed, couch, table surfaces, and/or floor (my fellow ADHD folks know what’s up)
• Lighting is everything—regardless of whether you enjoy sex with the lights on or off, getting your freak on directly under the dreaded big light or in total darkness can be off-putting and impractical for some. Warm-toned lamps and candles are the best type of lighting for setting a romantic mood—bonus points for sunset lamps and scented candles for an extra boost of ambience (I always have a stash of scented candles on rotation whenever I’m craving a certain aroma or want to set a certain mood)!
• If your sheets are obviously in need of a wash, consider changing them—I know this might seem counterintuitive if you’re planning to make a mess on them anyway, but think about whether you and your playmate can really stay focused on the fun if there’s, shall we say, ‘lingering evidence’ of previous fun, especially if you’re not necessarily the ones who made the mess in the first place.
• Put down some protective covers on your furniture if you want to simplify cleanup post-play—if your bedsheets are already in good condition or you’re not ready to change them, you can always arrange for some towels or a dedicated sex blanket to protect your surfaces. The Scandal® Super Sheet Protective Surface Cover is a favourite among Sexyland customers who enjoy wet and messy play!

And as for wetter areas…

How to Accessorise Your Bath/Shower

You can turn a simple bath into a full sensory experience for your partner or yourself with just a few simple additions and tweaks:

• Break out the nice bath salts/bath oils—these are great for soothing sore muscles, exfoliating and hydrating dry skin, and just generally upping the ~luxury~ factor with the kinds of soothing scents from essential oils and velvety, foamy bubbles worthy of a premium spa experience (and don’t worry, a high-end feeling doesn’t always mean a high-end price tag—the Shunga Foaming Scented Dead Sea Bath Salts from Sexyland are all under $10!)
• Light some candles (scented or unscented)—just as with playtime on dry land, candlelight is still king when it comes to the best types of lighting for setting a romantic mood! There’s something that’s just oh-so-relaxing about the flickering flame of a candle casting its warm glow and dancing shadows over glistening tiles, don’t you think? Make sure to place your candles somewhere safe where they won’t be easily knocked over or extinguished by sloshing water, and if you’re using scented candles, try to pick aromas that won’t clash with the scents of your bath products. For bonus points, you can get scented candles that pull double duty and melt into massage oil you can use once you get out of the tub, like these Earthly Body massage candles (which also come in edible varieties for versatile fun).
  
  Not a fan of open flames? I like to put a coloured glass perfume bottle over my phone’s flashlight to create a sunset lamp effect in my bathroom, which provides lovely, romantic lighting with zero effort and no need for fancy equipment (like flameless LED candles) or fire risk!
  
  
• Set up a bath caddy—bathrooms aren’t usually known for having a lot of space, and that goes double for bathtubs. A bath caddy acts like a shelf that spans the width of your bathtub, giving you some extra room to put down a drink, your phone or tablet, or a book if your idea of a romantic night is reading some erotic fiction while getting steamy under the bubbles…
• Get wet and wild with some waterproof sex toys—skip the plug-in toys and go for wireless, compact toys that are submersible to make waves of pleasure underwater! One of Sexyland’s newest additions is Le Wand’s Dive Vibrating Massager, which has an IPX8 waterproof rating that’s designed to be submerged for breathtaking bliss in the bathtub!

How to recreate a relaxing bath when you only have a shower

While you may have to rejig some of the above tips for a shower-only space, I promise you as someone who lives in a bathtub-less apartment, great shower sex is very possible. You can use bath salts as a body scrub and bath oils as shower or massage oils to leave your skin nourished and polished, and the same tips about scented candles and sex toys apply (though toys that are only ‘splash-proof’ will also work in the shower).

• Add a waterproof stool, seat, or bench—if your shower is roomy enough, a lightweight plastic chair of some kind can add all sorts of versatility and comfort to your shower experience. For example, you can take the weight of your tired feet, and you won’t have to worry about slipping and sliding while standing on a bath oil-soaked floor if you’re sitting down! If you’re showering with a partner, you can also use this as an opportunity for a hot and steamy lap dance… 
• Soothing scents are essential—hang a bunch of eucalyptus in the shower near the water so the steam can bring the invigorating scent to life, or use some shower steamer tablets on the floor and let the water dissolve them to turn your shower into an arousing aromatherapy chamber!
• Upgrade your shower head—okay, so this tip isn’t one you can bust out on the night, but if you’re planning a renovation or just want to swap to a fresh bit of hardware, the shower head is a good place to start. A rainfall shower head can feel like standing under a flowing waterfall out in nature, or you can make a pleasure-focused switch to a shower-specific toy like the Womanizer™ Wave, which is a 2-in-1 clitoral stimulator and shower head for super-discreet storage too. For more details on this unique water massager, check out the Womanizer Wave review I did when it was first released—yes, I still have it, and yes, it’s still going strong!

Ready to spice up your next romantic evening solo or partnered? Shop Sexyland online or see our range of sensual self-care products and environment-enhancers in person at any of our adult stores! There’s sure to be something that’ll tickle more than just your fancy… 😘

Love always,

NJ xx