

10 All-Natural Ways To Strengthen Your Teeth & Whiten Your Smile
When you were growing up, I'm thinking it's pretty safe to assume that you were taught to brush and floss your teeth after every meal. Now that you're grown, be real—do you still do that? After each and every meal? While we're on the subject, do you also brush for no less than two minutes? Each and every time?
I did some digging around and it would appear that only 44 percent of men and 37 percent of women actually brush at least twice a day and 30 percent of us floss every day. This means there are millions out of us out here who are on the way to having weak teeth, dingy enamel and stank breath (if we don't have these things already). And let's not even get into how many of us don't see the dentist as much as we should (word on the street is it's 1 out of every 3 three who skip out on annual visits).
Once our big girl teeth come in, we're not going to get another set. That's why it's imperative that we're as proactive about caring for our biters. Yes, this should include brushing, flossing and taking that semi-dreadful visit to the dentist every year. But it also includes doing some things at home that will help to make our teeth stronger and whiter too.
10 All-Natural Teeth Whitening & Strengthening Tips
1.Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Not all of us have sparkling white teeth. Not because we don't take good care of them, but because they aren't a part of our genetic make-up. But if the enamel on your teeth is dingier than normal, it could be due to consuming lots of coffee and soda, eating too much sugar, breathing through your mouth instead of your nose (dry mouth leads to more bacteria), long-term antibiotic use and aging.
A way to get your teeth back bright again? Brushing them with a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. The baking soda is effective because the grittiness of it serves as a kind of tooth exfoliant. Also, the bicarbonate that's in the soda helps to balance out the acids that can sometimes cause oral bacteria to thrive, ultimately leading to gingivitis and bad breath. Hydrogen peroxide whitens teeth due to its ability to penetrate past your teeth's enamel so that it can lighten the discoloration that keeps them from gleaming.
Here's a heads up—I know for a fact that the combo works really well. But because it's also pretty abrasive on teeth, it's best to only brush with this kind of paste no more than a couple of times a week. Otherwise, eventually, you could wear some of your enamel down. And enamel isn't something you can simply "get back".
2.Teeth Strengthening Foods
All of us want to have healthy teeth, but not all of us know what the signs of those are. When your teeth are strong and white—your gums won't bleed (including when you brush them), your breath will be fresh (which is why you should floss after every meal), your teeth won't shift, your gums won't recede and your tongue will be a healthy shade of pink (make sure to brush your tongue, by the way!).
No matter what you may put on your teeth, it's still important that you take care of them from the inside out. One of the best ways to do that is to consume foods that are proven to keep your teeth nice and strong. Ones that are high in calcium (like cheese and yogurt), high in magnesium (like leafy greens and pears), full of live probiotic cultures (like sauerkraut and kefir) and loaded with antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial (like garlic), along with bone broth and butter.
Speaking of butter, it is loaded with vitamins A, vitamin D, and vitamin K2. Some people love it so much when it comes to taking care of their teeth that they even brush with it (pastured, cultured butter is best)!
3.DIY Mouthwash
Alcohol, fluoride, sodium saccharin, sodium lauryl sulfate and cetylpyridinium chloride are just five of the ingredients that are listed on the label of a lot of commercial mouthwash brands. What do they all have in common? They're toxic.
Deciding to make your own mouthwash so that you're able to control the kind of ingredients that are in it is one good reason to do it. Another is because, when you put ingredients in it like calcium carbonate and concentrated trace minerals liquid powder, not only can they help to remineralize your teeth (which is great if your teeth are showing the beginning signs of tooth decay), it can help to whiten your teeth too. You can try a really great DIY mouthwash recipe here.
4.Strawberries
Strawberries taste great (especially when they are in season which is April through June)! So great that it's kind of a trip how many nutritional benefits they contain. Eating a fresh bowl of strawberries a couple of times a week provides you with lots of antioxidants, potassium, and fiber. Strawberries also have the ability to do everything from improving the health of your heart and fighting precancerous cells to strengthening your eyes, giving your immune system a boost and reducing your blood pressure.
Know what else strawberries can do? Whiten your teeth! Although strawberries are really red in color, they contain a tooth-whitening enzyme called malic acid. It, plus the seeds that are on the strawberries, help to basically exfoliate the stains off of your teeth.
The best way to use strawberries is to mush 1-2 of them and a half teaspoon of baking soda to it. Then brush your teeth like normal, making sure to rinse thoroughly when you're done. It's effective but try not to do this more than once a week; the acid and the baking soda could eventually become too strong for your teeth if you do it more than that.
5.Green Tea
Green tea is loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols (a compound that reduces body inflammation) and EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate), which is a compound that fights off disease. That's not all. The amino acid L-theanine that's in the tea helps to improve your brain function, the caffeine that's in it can increase your metabolism and burn fat and some studies even reveal that green tea can boost longevity.
The crystalline compound known as catechins that's also in green tea is great for oral health. That's because it kills the kind of bacteria that causes the flu and streptococcus mutans—a bacteria that results in tooth decay and cavities. So yeah, drink up.
6.Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the kind of mineral that a lot of us don't give much thought to, but it's very essential to our overall health and well-being. It assists with bone growth, eliminates toxins, reduces fatigue, helps to prevent arthritis, repairs cells, balances hormones and supports tooth enamel too.
You can take phosphorus as a supplement. But unless you've got an illness, probably the best way to get this mineral into your system is to consume foods that contain a good amount of it. Some of those include mushrooms, quinoa, oatmeal, yogurt, salmon, cheese, tuna, potatoes (with the skin on), cheese and even (cooked) waffles.
7.Oil Pulling
If you've never done a little oil pulling before, try it sometime. Out of all of the things that I shared, I can definitely vouch for how clean this process will make your teeth feel! Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic medicine practice that consists of putting a little coconut, sesame or even sunflower oil into your mouth and swishing it around for about 10-15 minutes before spitting it out. It works so well because these kinds of oils have the ability to remove plaque and toxins without damaging your teeth in the process.
Out of all the oils you can try, organic coconut oil is my preference, thanks to the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that are in it. Just make sure to NOT spit the oil out into your sink (it could clog it up over time; use your trash can instead) and that you rinse thoroughly with warm water and brush your teeth immediately following the oil pulling process. That will get rid of any oil residue that's left behind.
8.Orange Peels
The next time you decide to peel an orange, rather than throwing its skin away, eat it. No, seriously! There's plenty of research to support that orange (and lemon) peels contain a flavonoid called hesperidin that will strengthen your immune system, help your body to digest food quicker and easier, protect your respiratory system, increase weight loss and yep, you guessed it—improve your oral health.
First, chewing down on orange peels will whiten your teeth and freshen your breath. As a bonus, it can also decrease teeth sensitivity over time too. Just always keep in mind that due to the high acidic content that are in the peels, you should only do this 1-2 times a week and you should also rinse your mouth out with water right after you do it. Otherwise, you could eventually end up weakening the enamel that's on your teeth.
9.Clove Oil
Do your entire body a favor and, the next time you're at Wal-Mart (or you're perusing Amazon), cop a couple of bottles of clove oil. It's got quite a bit of manganese oil in it (30 percent of your reference daily intake). This is relevant because manganese is a mineral that regulates blood sugar levels, fights PMS symptoms, balances the thyroid, boosts vitamin absorption and even helps to prevent epileptic seizures (which usually come on, in part, by a low level of manganese in one's system).
As far as your teeth and gums go, manganese also helps to keep your teeth healthy and strong. Plus, its potent antibacterial properties are one of the best ways to kill the bacteria that cause gum disease. Also, if you've got a toothache or even a cavity that you can't get immediately treated by your dentist, nothing is quite as soothing as clove oil. It's strong (and that's a major understatement), but I've used it before to relieve pain and it provides an almost immediate numbing sensation that helped me to get an uninterrupted night of sleep. (If you've ever had a toothache before, you know just how much of a blessing that is!)
10. Kissing
A kiss from a great kisser is like nothing else on this earth! And while most of us like to focus on the physical sensation and emotional connection that it provides, let's talk about another thing that is happening every time we share a smooch—all of the spit that is going back and forth.
Since our mouths are, hands down, the dirtiest part of our bodies, that's something to think about before you let someone put their tongue down your throat (just sayin'). But once you know your partner's oral hygiene is on the up and up, their extra saliva getting into your mouth will actually help to kill bacteria, wash away debris and raise calcium, fluoride and phosphate ions while producing disease-fighting bacteria that keeps gingivitis at bay.
Pretty crazy, huh? Yet just one more reason to pucker up, just as soon as you can!
Featured image by Getty Images.
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After being a regular contributor for about four years and being (eh hem) MIA in 2022, Shellie is back penning for the platform (did you miss her? LOL).
In some ways, nothing has changed and in others, everything has. For now, she'll just say that she's working on the 20th anniversary edition of her first book, she's in school to take life coaching to another level and she's putting together a platform that supports and encourages Black men because she loves them from head to toe.
Other than that, she still works with couples, she's still a doula, she's still not on social media and her email contact (missnosipho@gmail.com) still hasn't changed (neither has her request to contact her ONLY for personal reasons; pitch to the platform if you have story ideas).
Life is a funny thing but if you stay calm, moments can come full circle and this is one of them. No doubt about it.
Amber Riley has the type of laugh that sticks with you long after the raspy, rhythmic sounds have ceased. It punctuates her sentences sometimes, whether she’s giving a chuckle to denote the serious nature of something she just said or throwing her head back in rip-roarious laughter after a joke. She laughs as if she understands the fragility of each minute. She chooses laughter often with the understanding that future joy is not guaranteed.
Credit: Ally Green
The sound of her laughter is rivaled only by her singing voice, an emblem of the past and the future resilience of Black women stretched over a few octaves. On Fox’s Glee, her character Mercedes Jones was portrayed, perhaps unfairly, as the vocal duel to Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), offering rough, full-throated belts behind her co-star’s smooth, pristine vocals. Riley’s always been more than the singer who could deliver a finishing note, though.
Portraying Effie White, she displayed the dynamic emotions of a song such as “And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going” in Dreamgirls on London’s West End without buckling under the historic weight of her predecessors. With her instrument, John Mayer’s “Gravity” became a religious experience, a belted hymnal full of growls and churchy riffs. In her voice, Nicole Scherzinger once said she heard “the power of God.”
Credit: Ally Green
Riley’s voice has been a staple throughout pop culture for nearly 15 years now. Her tone has become so distinguishable that most viewers of Fox’s The Masked Singer recognized the multihyphenate even before it was revealed that she was Harp, the competition-winning, gold-masked figure with an actual harp strapped to her back.
Still, it wasn’t until recently that Riley began to feel like she’d found her voice. This sounds unbelievable. But she’s not referring to the one she uses on stage. She’s referencing the voice that speaks to who she is at her core. “Therapy kind of gave me the training to speak my mind,” the 37-year-old says. “It’s not something we’re taught, especially as Black women. I got so comfortable in [doing so], and I really want other people, especially Black women, to get more comfortable in that space.”
“Therapy kind of gave me the training to speak my mind. It’s not something we’re taught, especially as Black women."
If you ask Riley’s manager, Myisha Brooks, she’ll tell you the foundation of who the multihyphenate is hasn’t changed much since she was a kid growing up in Compton. “She is who she is from when I met her back when she was singing in the front of the church to back when she landed major roles in film and TV,” Brooks says. Time has allowed Riley to grow more comfortable, giving fans a more intimate glimpse into her life, including her mental health journey and the ins and outs of show business.
The actress/singer has been in therapy since 2019, although she suffered from depression and anxiety way before that. In a recent interview with Jason Lee, she recalls having suicidal ideation as a kid. By the time she started seeing a psychologist and taking antidepressants in her thirties, her body had become jittery, a physical reminder of the trauma stacked high inside her. “I was shaking in [my therapist’s] office,” she tells xoNecole. “My fight or flight was on such a high level. I was constantly in survival mode. My heart was beating fast all the time. All I did was sweat.”
There wasn’t just childhood trauma to account for. After auditioning for American Idol and being turned away by producers, Riley began working for Ikea and nearly missed her Glee audition because her car broke down on the highway while en route. Thankfully, Riley had been cast to play Mercedes Jones. American Idol had temporarily convinced her she wasn’t cut out for the entertainment industry, but this was validation that she was right where she belonged. Glee launched in 2009 with the promise of becoming Riley’s big break.
In some ways, it was. The show introduced Riley to millions of fans and catapulted her into major Hollywood circles. But in other ways, it became a reminder of the types of roles Black women, especially those who are plus-sized, are relegated to. Behind the scenes, Riley says she fought for her character "to have a voice" but eventually realized her efforts were useless. "It finally got to a point where I was like, this is not my moment. I'm not who they're choosing, and this is just going to have to be a job for me for now," she says. "And, that's okay because it pays my bills, I still get to be on television, I'm doing more than any other Black plus-sized women that I'm seeing right now on screen."
The actress can recognize now that she was navigating issues associated with trauma and low self-esteem at the time. She now knows that she's long had anxiety and depression and can recognize the ways in which she was triggered by how the cult-like following of the show conflicted with her individual, isolated experiences behind the scenes. But she was in her early '20s back then. She didn't yet have the language or the tools to process how she was feeling.
Riley says she eventually sought out medical intervention. "When you're in Hollywood, and you go to a doctor, they give you pills," she says, sharing a part of her story that she'd never revealed publicly before now. "[I was] on medication and developing a habit of medicating to numb, not understanding I was developing an addiction to something that's not fixing my problem. If anything, it's making it worse."
“[I was] on medication and developing a habit of medicating to numb, not understanding I was developing an addiction to something that’s not fixing my problem. If anything it’s making it worse.”
Credit: Ally Green
At one point, while in her dressing room on set, she rested her arm on a curling iron without realizing it. It wasn't until her makeup artist alerted her that she even realized her skin was burning. Once she noticed, she says she was "so zonked out on pills" that she barely reacted. Speaking today, she holds up her arm and motions towards a scar that remains from the incident. She sought help for her reliance on the pills, but it would still be years before she finally attended therapy.
This stress was only compounded by the trauma of growing up in poverty and the realities of being a "contract worker." "Imagine going from literally one week having to borrow a car to get to set to the next week being on a private jet to New York City," she says. After Glee ended, so did the rides on private planes. The fury of opportunities she expected to follow her appearance on the show failed to materialize. She wasn't even 30 yet, and she was already forced to consider if she'd hit her career peak.
. . .
We’re only four minutes into our Zoom call before Riley delivers her new adage to me. “My new mantra is ‘humility does not serve me.’ Humility does not serve Black women. The world works so hard to humble us anyway,” she says.
On this Thursday afternoon in April, the LA-based entertainer is seated inside her closet/dressing room wearing a cerulean blue tank top with matching shorts and eating hot wings. This current phase of healing hinges on balance. It’s about having discipline and consistency, but not at the risk of inflexibility. She was planning to head to the gym, for instance, but she’s still tired from the “exhausting” day before. Instead, she’s spent her day receiving a massage, eating some chicken wings, and planning to spend quality time with friends. “I’m not going to beat myself up for it. I’m not going to talk down to myself. I’m going to eat my chicken wings, and then tomorrow I’m [back] in the gym,” she says.
“My new mantra is ‘humility does not serve me.’ Humility does not serve Black women. The world works so hard to humble us anyway."
This is the balance with which she's been approaching much of her life these days. It's why she's worried less about whether or not people see her as someone who is humble. She'd rather be respected. "I think you should be a person that's easy to work with, but in the moments where I have to ruffle feathers and make waves, I'm not shying away from that anymore. You can do it in love, you don't have to be nasty about it, but I had to finally be comfortable with the fact that setting boundaries around my life – in whatever aspect, whether that's personal or business – people are not going to like it. Some people are not going to have nice things to say about you, and you gotta be okay with it," she says.
When Amber talks about the constant humbling of Black women in Hollywood, I think of the entertainers before her who have suffered from this. The brilliant, consistent, overqualified Black women who have spoken of having to fight for opportunities and fair pay. Aretha Franklin. Viola Davis. Tracee Ellis Ross. There's a long list of stars whose success hasn't mirrored their experiences behind the scenes.
Credit: Ally Green
If Black women outside of Hollywood are struggling to decrease the pay gap, so, too, are their wealthier, more famous peers.
Riley says there’s been progress in recent years, but only in small ways and for a limited group of people. “This business is exhausting. The goalpost is constantly moving, and sometimes it’s unfair,” she says. But, I have to say it’s the love that keeps you going.”
“There’s no way you can continue to be in this business and not love it, especially being a plus-sized Black woman,” she continues. “We’re still niche. We’re still not main characters.”
"There’s no way you can continue to be in this business and not love it, especially being a plus-sized Black woman. We’re still niche. We’re still not main characters.”
Last year, Riley starred alongside Raven Goodwin in the Lifetime thriller Single Black Female (a modern, diversified take on 1992’s Single White Female). It was more than a leading role for the actress, it also served as proof that someone who looks like her can front a successful project without it hinging on her identity. It showcased that the characters she portrays don’t “have to be about being a big girl. It can just be a regular story.”
Riley sees her work in music as an extension of her efforts to push past the rigid stereotypes in entertainment. Take her appearance on The Masked Singer, for instance. Riley said she decided to perform Mayer’s “Gravity” after being told she couldn’t sing it years earlier. “I wanted to do ‘Gravity’ on Glee. [I] was told no, because that’s not a song that Mercedes would do,” she says. “That was a full circle moment for me, doing that on that show and to hear what it is they had to say.”
As Scherzinger praised the “anointed” performance, a masked Riley began to cry, her chest heaving as she stood on stage, her eyes shielded from view. “You have to understand, I have really big names – casting directors, producers, show creators – that constantly tell me ‘I’m such a big fan. Your talent is unmatched.’ Hire me, then,” she says, reflecting on the moment.
Recently, she’s been in the studio working on original music, the follow-up to her independently-released debut EP, 2020’s Riley. The sequel to songs such as the anthemic “Big Girl Energy” and the reflective ballad “A Moment” on Riley, this new project hones in on the singer’s R&B roots with sensual grooves such as the tentatively titled “All Night.” “You said I wasn’t shit, turns out that I’m the shit. Then you called me a bitch, turns out that I’m that bitch. You said no one would want me, well you should call your homies,” she sings on the tentatively titled “Lately,” a cut about reflecting on a past relationship. From the forthcoming project, xoNecole received five potential tracks. Fans likely already know the strengths and contours of Riley’s vocals, but these new songs are her strongest, most confident offerings as an artist.
“I am so much more comfortable as a writer, and I know who I am as an artist now. I’m evolving as a human being, in general, so I’m way more vulnerable in my music. I’m way more willing to talk about whatever is on my mind. I don’t stop myself from saying what it is I want to say,” she says.
Credit: Ally Green
“Every era and alliteration of Amber, the baseline is ‘Big Girl Energy.’ That’s the name of her company,” her manager Brooks says, referencing the imprint through which Riley releases her music after getting out of a label deal several years ago. “It’s just what she stands for. She’s not just talking about size, it’s in all things. Whether it’s putting your big girl pants on and having to face a boardroom full of executives or sell yourself in front of a casting agent. It’s her trying to achieve the things she wants to do in life.”
Riley says she has big dreams beyond releasing this new music, too. She’d love to star in a rom-com with Winston Duke. She hasn't starred in a biopic yet, but she’d revel in the opportunity to portray Rosetta Tharpe on screen. She’s determined that her previous setbacks won’t stop her from dreaming big.
“I think one of my superpowers is resilience because, at the end of the day, I’m going to kick, scream, cry, cuss, be mad and disappointed, but I’m going to get up and risk having to deal with it all again. It’s worth it for the happy moments,” she says.
If Riley seems more comfortable and confident professionally, it’s because of the work she’s been doing in her personal life.
She’d previously spoken to xoNecole about becoming engaged to a man she discovered in a post on the site, but she called things off last year. For Valentine’s Day, she revealed her new boyfriend publicly. “I decided to post him on Valentine’s Day, partially because I was in the dog house. I got in trouble with him,” she says, half-joking before turning serious. “The breakup was never going to stop me from finding love. Or at least trying. I don’t owe anybody a happily ever after. People break up. It happens. When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was terrible, hunny. I had to get the fuck up out of there. You find happiness, and you enjoy it and work through it.”
Credit: Ally Green
"I don’t owe anybody a happily ever after. People break up. It happens. When it was good, it was good. When it was bad, it was terrible, hunny. I had to get the fuck up out of there. You find happiness and you enjoy it and work through it.”
With her ex, Riley was pretty outspoken about her relationship, even appearing in content for Netflix with him. This time around is different. She’s not hiding her boyfriend of eight months, but she’s more protective of him, especially because he’s a father and isn’t interested in becoming a public figure.
She’s traveling more, too. It’s a deliberate effort on her part to enjoy her money and reject the trauma she’s developed after experiencing poverty in her childhood. “I live in constant fear of being broke. I don’t think you ever don’t remember that trauma or move past that. Now I travel and I’m like, listen, if it goes, it goes. I’m not saying [to] be reckless, but I deserve to enjoy my hard work.”
After everything she’s been through, she certainly deserves to finally let loose a bit. “I have to have a life to live,” she says. “I’ve got to have a life worth fighting for.”
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15 Women Share Their Personal Hacks For Better Orgasms (And Sex Overall)
I’m pretty sure that I’m basically being redundant when I say that I write about sex quite a bit which means that I spend quite a bit of time doing research when it comes to sex-related intel, tips, and hacks. Yet I have to say that when it comes to getting some much-needed information in the realm of coitus, it’s been my clients (along with random interviews that I do with people because I don’t mind talking to complete strangers about intimate ish) who have garnered me some of the best takeaways.
Take orgasms, for example. Since I’m well aware of the fact that vaginal orgasms (especially) can be a real challenge for a lot of women, I’m constantly on the hunt for what can help to “bridge the gap” in that arena.
And that’s why I decided, this time, to forego science articles, vlogs, and online data and instead ask some women for myself about some of the things that they do to make having an orgasm, improving their orgasms, and their sexual experience overall something that is so much better for themselves.
So, grab yourself a light aphrodisiac snack (check out “Eat Your Way To Better Sex With Aphrodisiacs”) and dig into what 15 Black women told me gets them off, in a mighty big way, just about every time.
*As always, middle names have been used so that everyone can feel comfortable giving up the goods…umm, so to speak*
1. Rochelle. 37. Married for 11 Years.

“While y’all be out here talking about some kegels, what I’m into is my man giving me a hip massage. The key is to make sure you use some sort of massage oil that has menthol in it. Between the tingling of the menthol and him rubbing on your hips, not only is it really relaxing, but the ‘minty feel’ opens your body up so that once intercourse begins, you’re less tense, and that makes having an orgasm so much easier to do.”
2. Karmyn. 27. Single.
“Kiss him the way you want him to penetrate you. Literally, use your tongue as if it were a penis and move it in his mouth like you want him to move inside of you. The kissing will turn you both on, and if he follows your instructions, you should be able to orgasm with no problem."
"I learned this trick when I asked an ex of mine to explain what p — sy feels like, and he said the best way to explain it is what a tongue feels like inside of [the] mouth. He should’ve never told me that, boy! It’s been hell in these streets ever since!”
3. LaChelle. 43. In a Serious Relationship for Two Years.
“If you’re self-conscious about your body, get some lingerie that has cutouts in them. There is a lot of sexy stuff out here that can have you covering up the parts you’re not comfortable with while still giving him access to the ‘main events.’ My man loves one of my lace one-piece teddies that has no crotch, and it’s easier for me to orgasm because I’m not overthinking the entire time.”
4. Trinitee. 27. Married for One Year.

“We’ve only been married a year, but we weren’t exactly abstinent when we were just dating. So, we like to find ways to keep it fresh. One thing that we do is go ‘hotel hopping’ once a month. We find a new hotel and meet each other there. We try and do different hours of the day and come with a surprise in hand. Like he might bring a new sex toy, and I might have on some lingerie that he’s never seen before. Then we text each other beforehand to talk about the best part of the sex we had from the last hotel we visited. The anticipation is foreplay.”
5. Wren. 33. In a Serious Relationship for Six Years.
“What works for me is doing afterplay as foreplay. What I mean by that is, taking a nap naked with my boo before any sexual activity is one of my favorite things. Being up under him, especially if he’s spooning me, feels really good, sleeping together is very intimate, and — there’s something about being awakened outta my sleep with kisses on my neck and back that almost makes me want to cum right then and there.”
6. Bevalyn. 40. Living with Her Partner for Four Years.
“Get on your back and have him kneel in front of you."
"Put your legs over his, and when he penetrates you, ask him to use one of his hands to apply pressure on your pubic bone — the area right above your clitoris."
"As he’s gently pushing down while he’s inside of you…if you don’t cum from that, I don’t know what else to tell you, sis.”
7. Sophia. 38. In a Serious Relationship for Two Years.

“Shower sex can be a bit much, and I don’t trust a used jacuzzi. What we do is fill up our own inflatable pool and get it on inside of it. It’s perfect during the summer, late at night, because we have a tall fence. Just make sure that you bring some silicone lube to keep things slippery down there. An inflatable pool has been one of the best sex investments that we have ever made!”
8. Averie. 35. Single.
“Wanna know if your man is as into giving you head as he claims? Right after he goes down on you, ask him to immediately penetrate you. If he’s hard, he’s totally into it, and if he catches you soon enough, you’ll be in the perfect position to have a multiple orgasm. Don’t say I didn’t give you the ultimate cheat code.”
9. Victoria. 40. Married for 11 Years.
“Shellie, you actually got me on the cinnamon kick when I read one of your articles that talked about applying cinnamon oil to my clit before oral sex. Since [then], I’ve been doing some research, and it says that cinnamon is also an aphrodisiac because it stimulates blood flow. So, I’ll also drink cinnamon tea throughout the day or share a cinnamon cocktail with my husband. Works like a charm.”
Shellie here: She’s right. I did say that. LOL. You can read for yourself: “Here's How To Have Some Really Great Fall-Themed Sex.”
10. Daniela. 28. Engaged for Six Months.

“Ever been fingered backward? What I mean is, get on all fours and have him insert a finger or two from behind with his palm being flat. That way, the space in between your anus and your vagina will get a massage while your vagina gets penetrated. There’s nothing quite like it.”
11. Saven. 32. Single.
“Ice. Have him rub a little bit of ice on your clitoris and then immediately warm it up with his tongue. There is something about the drastic changes in temperature that gets me every time. And I mean, EVERY time.”
12. Ferynn. 30. Living with Her Partner for Five Years.
“I don’t know about you, but my man loves to put my legs up in the air. It was never really my favorite move until I read that behind the knees are an unsung erogenous zone. Whoever found that out was onto something because if he rubs back there while talking real crazy to me in a deep voice? Here I come…HERE I COME!”
13. Vivienne. 30. Engaged for One Year.

“Never underestimate the power of a foot massage. Just make sure that he applies pressure in the middle of your foot where your arch is. It instantly makes me wet. I asked my doctor why and he said that it’s probably because foot massages tend to increase blood flow, including where the vagina is. Either way, it’s always a good night if I get a foot massage first.”
14. Michelle. 24. Single.
“I’m a doula who owns my own exercise ball…for sex. When I first started showing couples the positions that women can get into to make labor easier, it got me to thinking that some of those positions could work for sex too — and they do."
"Something about the movement of the ball takes the pressure off of the back for both men and women. It also makes getting into certain positions a lot easier so that you can enjoy sex for a lot longer.”
15. Carol. 31. Married for Five Years.
“My husband and I have bets. If he wants me to make some of his favorite meals five days in a row, he’s gotta make me cum five times in a row. If I want him to get me something that’s not in our budget, I’ve gotta attempt one of his sex fantasies. We’re both competitive as hell, so it works for us because honestly, even when we ‘lose’…we win!”
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Listen, I don’t know about y’all, but this was definitely worth my while. After all, ain’t nothin’ like some Black women who can speak from very-personal-and-up-close experience about what makes them happy — especially if it can increase the odds of bringing some sexual satisfaction your way too.
Speaking of, if you want to share the wealth, drop some of your own orgasm-related tips in the comment section. The more of us who can woosah on the regular, the better, chile. Straight up. #havefun #lotsofit
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