Las Vegas Weekly

Naughty is nice on Valentine’s Day

Vamp up V-Day with Couples Night Out at the Love Boutique.

“We’ve been called the Nordstrom’s of the adult shopping world,” says Andrea Brown, the Déjà vu Love Boutique’s General Manager.

For the Boutique, Valentine’s Day is an especially important mark on the calendar. After all, nothing says “I love you” like a hot and steamy tryst with the object of your affection.

The experts at the Love Boutique are more than happy to fill you in on the best way to tease and please your mate... and yourself. In honor of the upcoming Hallmark holiday, they’re even having a couple’s night, which is way more exciting than dinner and a show, isn’t it?

Photo: Deanna Rilling

The Love Boutique offers attire for both in the bedroom and out on the town.

For those nervous about shopping for adult products, stores today are not located in seedy back alleys or filled with shady old men in trench coats and sunglass perusing porno. At least not at the Love Boutique.

“It’s not your average typical porn store,” says novelty and DVD buyer Jackie Ayala. “Those dirty bookstores are gone,” she says, and it’s no longer taboo to go to an adult store. “We’re upscale but approachable.”

Both Brown and Ayala have been with the Love Boutique since it opened seven years ago and are well-versed in the business of pleasure. From vanilla to vampy, The Love Boutique offers anything from the basic sassy little outfit and flavored lubricants to stimulating novelties and full-on bondage and electro-stimulation products.

But what’ll ultimately entice your mate in 2010? Brown and Ayala offer the primer for keeping relationships on fire.

Before a couple gets down to business, dressing up is always a good start. While the Love Boutique offers a variety of attire for both men and women — some of which is perfectly acceptable outside the bedroom — Brown says a few items are always in style, no matter your age or size. “It’s fun to dress up and be sexy,” she says. And for the ladies, classics never fail to please. “Fishnet thigh-high stockings, corsets or bustiers always do well.”

However, it’s the store’s extensive sex toy selection that truly stands apart. And there’s no need to be shy or embarrassed about product perusal at the Love Boutique. The staff is trained and periodically quizzed on their knowledge of the products, and they maintain a level of professionalism when assisting customers.

“Even though online there’s a little bit more privacy for people that are too shy to come into a store, if you get a product you don’t like then you have to deal with return policies,” Ayala says. “With toys, you want to see what you’re going to be using in advance. A big thing with toys, too, is how strong they are and feeling what they’re made of.”

But where to start? “If people want to buy toys, they get kind of overwhelmed sometimes,” Ayala says. “If you come in with the right attitude, you’ll have a lot of fun. We’ll break it down for you.”

Photo: Deanna Rilling

Silicone Lelo pleasure objects at the Love Boutique.

Ayala says there are basically only seven to 10 types of toys. “Good starter stuff are bullets,” Ayala says. “Bullets are little egg-shaped vibes. ... A lot of girls sometimes have problems climaxing. Vibrations tend to help very much with that.” She recommends the ITAP at about $30, or the Sterling Collection by Cal Exotics with interchangeable parts — a “build-your-own bullet” if you will — and those start at $11.99.

If you’re looking to put some upscale vibrations between the sheets, the high-end silicone Lelo pleasure objects are the tops if you’re looking to go south. “What’s cool about Lelo is all their stuff is rechargeable and has a really nice coating; we sell a lot of it,” says Ayala of the products that range from $70 to about $100.

“All the higher end toys are silicone,” Ayala adds. “Silicone is non-porous; it doesn’t bind to things.”

Photo: Deanna Rilling

Sliquid organic lubricants with all-natural ingredients at the Love Boutique.

She also gives kudos to Tantus silicone products. “That line is awesome,” she says. “Everything they make is really cool, and they make a lot of items that are just unique to them.” That includes Feeldoes. “It’s a girl-on-girl toy,” Ayala explains. “Pretty much it’s a strapless strap-on. They do amazing. We sell so many of them it’s ridiculous.”

The mother of all cool new toys, however, is $300 a pop for those looking for some serious stimulation. The Body Heat Self-warming vibrator is like the Swiss Army Knife of sex toys, with detachable parts and convertible options. Let’s put it this way, if this were Sex and the City, Samantha would have this in her nightstand.

Photo: Deanna Rilling

Ophoria Glo bedroom toys at the Love Boutique.

If you’re looking to clean up your act, Sportsheets has a line of Sex in the Shower products, like vibrating sponges, dual showerheads and super-strong locking suction cup hand and foot rests to prevent embarrassing slip-and-fall accidents.

For guys flying solo this V-Day, Fleshlight masturbation sleeves are a big seller ($60 to $120), as well as the Tenga disposable self-masturbator ($15 to $30). And if some prompting is needed, the Love Boutique offers a “two sale DVDS for $19.95” or “buy two, get one free” on new features.

Photo: Deanna Rilling

Erotic literature and instructional guides are available in the book section at the Love Boutique.

If you have no idea what to do with all these fun new items in your lovemaking arsenal, check out the store’s book section or just stop by on Couples Night Out, February 12 from 8 to 10 p.m. The event is free, and the first 50 couples get giftbags. Plus, meet Digital Sin contract girl Ashlynn Brooke.

“Even in this economic time, there are certain things that people are not going to be stingy with and that’s any kind of self gratification,” Brown says. “They want good quality product, they want product that’s going to last, well-made, multi function, not only for female satisfaction but for male satisfaction as well.”

We’re sure you’ll find something to tickle your fancy this Valentine’s Day at the Love Boutique. Or perhaps just something that’ll tickle…