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We all learned about the five senses in elementary school, but I bet none of us had any idea we’d be using those same five senses to intensify our sex lives. The senses of taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight all have a unique effect on our sexual encounters.

Manipulate the body into heightening one or all of these senses, and you might make the neighbors know your name. Check out some of the exciting ways to explore your senses that is stimulating for both you and your partner.

Taste

Ladies, we have the stronger sense of taste and more taste buds than our male counterparts; so stop worrying about what you taste like. Conversely, men should take advantage of the woman’s sensitivity to taste. Introduce sensual aphrodisiacs into foreplay. Think chocolate, oysters, or whatever YOU find sexy.

Smell

Use aromatherapy to your sexual advantage. Studies have shown men are most responsive to cinnamon, while women are more responsive to the smell of cucumber. Pheromones are mood elevators and sexual enhancers. In the animal kingdom, they alert the male species when the female species is ready for mating. So, try pheromone-enhanced sheet sprays, perfumes, bath products, etc. Just make sure to incorporate smells into foreplay.

Sight

Ladies, men are very visual, so regardless of your size, accentuate what you have instead of worrying about covering your flaws. High heels elongate the legs and make you feel sexy. Try donning some lingerie or going the more organic route and strut around in your birthday suit and a pair of sexy heels. Just prepare for a long night! Men, women want something to look at too, so pay attention to your appearance. She’ll thank you for it!

If you are your partner want to intensify your sensual experiments in alternate ways, a blindfold disables the sense of sight, which causes the other senses to go into overdrive to compensate for the loss. Blindfold your partner and watch their response to touch amplify exponentially. Their reaction to smell will also be stronger. Even a simple caress with a silk scarf while blindfolded will feel more erotic because the brain has alerted all of the receptors on the skin’s surface. These tips also work if you or your partner is sight-impaired.

Hearing

Create a sexy playlist to set the mood. You’d be surprised how responsive the body is to music. Remember the last time you heard “your special song?” Did it bring back memories of a kiss or a steamy intimate encounter? Vocalize your passion. It is a turn on for both sexes to hear how much their partner is enjoying sex.

Touch

Your skin is the body’s largest sexual organ. Think about the lips’ reaction to a sensual kiss or the skin’s reaction to the kisses along the body. Foreplay is the best way to maximize the body’s reaction to touch. If kissing isn’t your thing, try a seductive rub down with massage oil or a massage candle. Additionally, experiment with textures and you’ll experience sensory overload.

All five senses play an integral role in sexual stimulation and sensitivity. Utilize sensory deprivation, the removal of one or more senses, and your remaining senses will kick into overdrive to compensate for the loss of the other sense or senses. Try to stimulate one or all of the senses during your next rendezvous. Your partner will thank you!

Janine Breland is the owner of The Toy Closet, Inc.; an online exotic luxury boutique, a lifestyle writer and relationship expert. From the first woman who confided intimate details about her sex life, to the many men that have asked for tips and advice, she has encountered thousands of satisfied clients along her journey that began almost a decade ago. 

Follow her @SaidJanine on IG and Twitter.

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Make It Feel Good: How Heightened Senses Take Sex To The Next Level  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com