What lies beneath
On oh-so-blue days, women need a dose of confidence boosters to feel fine. If a compliment or sweet reassuring words from your significant other might not be enough, try slipping into some lingerie to make you feel more feminine and sexy. Think Samantha Jones of Sex and the City with the legendary Bracli pearl thong or burlesque queen Dita Von Teese in lacy corsets and stockings.
The truth is, even in this day and age, it’s not uncommon for women to feel painfully shy or embarrassed entering an adult store that sells provocative lingerie and sensual products. But now, this taboo is slowly fading thanks to Marie Ann Topacio, president and GM of Bare Essentials, an adult store that sells intimate items like lingerie, dildos, stimulating oils and lotions and other health products for women of all ages. She has somewhat erased the stigma attached to frequenting such establishments.
“My store is about women being empowered, free from barriers, and healthy,” says Topacio. “My friends and I would talk about certain issues and I could not find products that addressed women’s health in the country. So, my role is to educate women with alternatives for their health, which is nothing to be bashful about.”
While it dares to bare, the store environment is far from obscene and there’s no pornography. Here, women can feel simply comfy while getting erotically inspired with “sass and class.” As you enter, there are unique brands of sexy lingerie lined up, just before the lubricants, condoms or erotic games. On the back wall are the vibrators and other sex toys. If you need help, the all-woman staff personally attends to customers without fear of being judged or scorned.
“People think these sexual aids are taboo or X-rated or dirty, but they are not,” explains Topacio. “In fact, a lot of the sexual therapists in the United States found that there is a connection between the quality of life and those aids.”
A few months ago, I had a great time walking down the Reeperbahn, a street in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district. There’s a small street called Herbertstraße, where women are banned and only men can enter. But what gives the red-light district a kinky vibe are the sex shops that sell a wide selection of lingerie, fetish wear, books, DVDs and toys of all shapes and sizes.
Bare Essentials is all about sexy but tasteful lingerie that is meant to be worn as outerwear, a la Agent Provocateur. But if you are still not up to it, wear a lace corset under a blazer, just to make sure you don’t look over-exposed in a barely-there frock just like Paris Hilton. Topacio carries a diverse collection of lingerie in small, regular, and plus sizes because she believes that sexiness should not be a “function of poundage.” Dig Second Skin, Voluptuous, Hide & Peek and OnGossamer, to name a few.
The Shunga Erotic Art is another exciting brand that’s perfect for those intimate moments. It’s got erotic massage oils, enhancing creams, aphrodisiacs, and sensation balms. To make a sweet dessert out of your partner, sprinkle the Sweet Snow sensual body powder, available in four flavors, while using a feather to tease the skin. For chocoholics, use the Chocolate Body Painting to reveal your artistic side, which is an insanely delicious treat.
Before Durex condoms were available in the country, the store already carried them. Choose from among the Night Light glow-in-the-dark to Okamoto studs, Hott Products Unlimited three-pack flavored condoms or even Bare Skin extra thin. Plus, the female condom has finally reached our shores to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
To remove the dry spell, Wet products by Trigg have got you covered. Its line of high-quality lubricants is designed with the right formulas — from lubricating gels and flavored lubricants to heating massage lotions or aromatherapy heating massage oils.
During a woman’s mid-life or approaching menopause, Topacio explains that women often get so dry down there that they end up bleeding or having infections. Now, even gynecologists recommend products like Vagisil intimate lubricant, which is gentle enough to use every day to relieve discomfort of dryness and soothe irritated skin. Replens vaginal moisturizer is estrogen-free and provides immediate and long-lasting relief from dryness.
On the fun side, check out the Spencer & Fleetwood’s Candy G-string. Or the Kama Sutra Love Essentials collection of The Original Oil of Love, Love Liquid Sensual Lubricant and Sweet Honeysuckle Honey Dust with feather applicator to inspire intimacy.
“Bare Essentials is not just a lingerie store,” concludes Topacio. “We cater to women’s personal and sensual needs as well as provide unique products that aid their health and hygiene, boost their confidence, and enhance their sensations.”
So, femme fatales, there’s no excuse for bad underwear anymore. Unleash the inner sex kitten in you and strive to be a Pussycat Doll. Because what you wear underneath it all is enough for you to be like burlesque cartoon superhero Eve, who does her good deeds in her best lingerie.
* * *
For more information, call Bare Essentials at 809-0907 for the Alabang branch located at Level 2, Pixie Forest Court, Festival Supermall or Cubao branch at 995-0848, Level 2 of the Atrium, Ali Mall, Araneta Center; e-mail showoffsecondskin@yahoo.com or log on to www.bareessentials.com.ph.
