A new kind of girl's night in

By Samantha Knaack

Pure Romance is strictly for girls – no boys allowed, but that doesn’t mean boys can’t enjoy the products. What goes on behind those closed doors? For most, Pure Romance is synonymous with sex toys, and sex toys are synonymous with… well you get the picture.

Pure Romance’s Web site labels the business as an “in-home party company, which offers an exclusive line of heighteners, lubricants and bedroom accessories for relationship enhancement.” Relationship enhancement? What if you’re not in a relationship? Well, there’s plenty for the single girls, too.

Despite rumors you may have heard, Pure Romance parties are classy- not just a bunch of women sitting around playing with vibrators. Falisha Pellinen has been a Pure Romance consultant for two years. She says, “Pure Romance is a successful business mainly because it’s fun, and whether women admit it or not, they like to learn about their bodies. We educate women and empower them to explore things that are not talked about on a daily basis.”

While the main focus is women’s sexual health, Pure Romance also offers body, beauty, bath and massage products, books, games and oh- the toys. Edible lubricants in flavors such as rocky road, hot buttered rum and pink lemonade paired with silky handcuffs and a variety of pheromone-based sprays spells out a good night for anyone.

So what are men getting out of the deal? Well if his wife or girlfriend attends a party and comes home with a bag of goodies, chances are they will be beneficial to him too. On a more serious level, men should like the idea of women having control of their sexuality, Pellinen says. If women only products aren’t enough, Pure Romance does offer a variety of male stimulators, and even has Ego, a line of body care products for men.

While the idea of anything related to sex might be embarrassing for some, home parties offer a relaxed environment for even the most reserved women. The party begins with introductions, and throughout the party a variety of games are played.

There’s an ABC flash card game where the partygoers yell out the first sexual word that comes to mind when they see the letter, which helps the partygoers get to know each other. Or there’s “Pass the Dildo,” a revised game of hot potato. Sasha Dykes-Wilson has attended one Pure Romance party. “I felt comfortable with everyone there, even though I didn’t know all of the other guests,” Dykes-Wilson says. “The [ABC] game was my favorite because I was able to really interact with all of the girls at the party.”

When it’s time to order, the consultant will take guests into a separate room so orders are confidential and private.

Not only are women taking control of their sexuality thanks to Pure Romance, but Pellinen says that the company also donates money to women’s sexual health research and breast cancer survivors. Pure Romance parties are an anytime occasion. So round up your girlfriends, reconnect, get a little silly and spend an entire night laughing.