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Feature: Jenny Coggins
WHETHER it is a single red rose, a box of Milk Tray or a surprise
engagement, Valentines has become a clichéd and corny day
in the calendar of relationships everywhere.
So, to toughen up the soppiness of Valentines, give it a kick
of kinkiness with some saucy shops!
As the shopping world has eased up on selling sexiness, more
and more seduction stores have emerged on the High Street.
And while our pick of shops may cause some cheeks to redden,
they are a classier affair than those you will find lurking in
the seedy corners of Soho. Get ready to exchange the chocolates
for cheekiness in time for February 14.
sh! is a femme friendly sex shop, born out of the owner's
feelings of alienation from the sex shops in Soho.
It is a softer version of the stores they found, with the female
shopper firmly in mind. And while men can visit, it is only when
accompanied by a female friend.
Valentine's offerings include buzzing sex toys, in a variety of
shapes and sizes, starting at £5.
If you like your pleasure to be tamer then try leather blindfolds
for £12 or ostrich feathers to tickle your fancy for £4.
Sh! also offer underwear with pearly panties, for £12, and
lavish corsets, for £74. The most romantic gift in store
is the Bed of Roses set (£17). With rose petals, fairy lights
and an invite to the rendezvous, it is a more original way to
celebrate Valentines.
www.sh-womenstore.com
Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-5pm 39 Coronet Street, N1 6HD 0207
613 5458
Agent Provocateur provides products and service with a
touch of French risqué.
The staff are kitted out in shirt dresses, seductively unbuttoned
to reveal cleavage and leg.
The Soho store has a cosy, if slightly tatty, bordello feel. Bras
start at around £50, so make sure the loved one has the
right size, otherwise it is an expensive mistake (exchanges are
offered).
Knickers start at £25. The AP fragrance compliments the
underwear with its intoxicatingly seductive scent, starting at
£39. If the prices leave you taking a sharp intake of breath,
then try visiting Marks and Spencer.
The owners of Agent Provocateur have designed the Salon Rose range
exclusively for the High Street store, at a fraction of the usual
Agent price. The choice is less, but the styles are very similar.
Pick up a classic pink and black bra here for £28 and matching
knickers for £10 or a red set that spells passion for a
total of £30.
www.agtentprovocateur.com
Mon-Sat 11am-7pm 6 Broadwick Street, W1V 1FH 0207 439 0229
www.marksandspencer.co.uk Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 8:30am-8pm, Sun
12 noon -6pm 458 Oxford Street, W1C 1AP
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Coco De Mer
Sam Roddick (daughter of Anita Roddick, the brains behind The
Body Shop), runs this sophisticatedly sexy shop which also caters
in products for the body, but you won't find any bath pearls here.
It is a beautifully feminine shop that celebrates the female form;
scattered around the floor are wire busts whilst the changing
rooms are reminiscent of the womb with their deep scarlet walls
and soft lighting.
There are plenty of filthy, yet stylish products to choose from,
yet there are also some surprisingly everyday items too. Jonathan
Astor tights are sold as well as leather gloves. Witty suede eyemasks
with closed eyes on are £60.
The wonderful, sensual smell and chilled out music will give plenty
of inspiration for how to stage the scene around the products
you purchase.
There's currently a sale on, with bras and knickers reduced.
Prepare for pleasure when visiting the very cheeky website at
www.coco-de-mer.co.uk
Mon-Fri 11-7pm, Thursday 11am-8pm Sun12 noon- 6pm 22 Monmouth
Street, WC2H 9DD 0207 836 8882
Ann Summers caused quite a stir at Christmas, with their
Rampant Rabbit advertising campaign, which has not done their
sales any harm.
For everyday underwear, the Jewel hotpants and bra set make a
change from the G-string, and sheer hotpants are just as sexy,
as proved by Scarlett Johansson in the opening moments of Lost
in Translation.
Satin corsets give bosoms a push up and at £34.99 are very
reasonable. For those feeling slightly naughtier, take a look
at the Special limited edition Valentine's Vibrator.
It comes with a variable speed and as they put it, why say it
with flowers? Novelty sex items are a plenty in Ann Summers, but,
for the sexual intellect, The Ann Summer's Little Book of Sex
suffices at £5.99.
www.annsummers.co.uk
79 Wardour Street, W1V 3TH 08700 534 011
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