By Michelle Lu
Bath and beauty products are always a great gift. Need ideas for products that are high in quality and effectiveness?
Arbonne is a healthier alternative to things that you use everyday, such as shampoo, moisturizers, and cosmetics. All of the products are botanically based, vegan, cruelty free, gluten free, GMO free, and petrochemical free. The company’s mission is to provide pure, safe, and beneficial products. They pride themselves with being earth friendly by using botanically based ingredients, and earth friendly packaging. So, you can go green, while you’re at it.
The corporate head office is in Irvine, California, where Arbonne houses a state-of-the-art lab for research and development. Arbonne’s chemists create products with specialized ingredients and technology. The formulas are tested for purity and efficacy.
Arbonne has plenty of products and gift sets for the holiday season. Here are two awesome examples:
Pampermint® Hand & Foot Care Gift Set
A tingling twist on an Arbonne favorite, this set is just perfect for pampering hands and feet. The package includes hand lotion and foot cream.
Twinkle & Shine Sparkling Citrus Luxury Gift Set
See the twinkle in their eyes when they receive this bath and body collection bursting with bright natural notes of juicy mandarin orange, fresh lemon, and Italian bergamot essential oils. Set includes sugar scrub, shower gel, and body butter.
You can avoid the crowds by having your local D.C. Metropolitan area rep come to you! Visit marinaospina.myarbonne.com for more information.
Price: $20 – $145
By Tiffany Mott-Smith
Entrepreneur? Educator? Pastor’s daughter? For Jacq Jones, the answer is all of the above. Owner of Sugar the Shop, Baltimore’s queer-friendly and mission driven sex shop, Jones’ vision for a sex-positive and affirming space is realized daily to the delight of a very eager clientele.
Sugar caters to folks of all genders, sexual orientations, and experience. They have a wide range of sex resources, including toys, books, workshops, and more. With a brick and mortar store located in the Hampden neighborhood, Sugar also has an online shop complete with guides for shopping by interest.
So what are some of Sugar’s most popular toys? We turned to Jones for her expert opinion:
Spare Parts Joque Harness
“Hands down the best harness on the market. It stays where you put it. It has little pockets for vibrators. There’s soft fabric between the wearers legs instead of uncomfortable straps. And between the two sizes, it fits folks with a 24″ waist up to 64″.
The Original Magic Wand
“It’s been around for years, and just got a little upgrade. With better buttons and a smidge of noise reduction, this plug in vibrator gets the job done like nothing else.”
Seagrape Massage Candles
“100% natural, preservative free and delightful these candles melt into warm massage oil. It’s a perfect way to warm up a winter night. Available in a variety of scents and flavors.”
With an array of fun, Sugar is looking to make sure to keep us titillated and toasty this holiday season!
Price:
Toys/Merchandise: $10-$200
Workshops/Events: $25-$125
Private Parties/Coaching: $75-$
By Michelle Lu
Party hosting and entertaining season is upon us, and Stone Depot is turning their granite countertops and décor into cutting boards. It’s a gift with a substantial feel. It’s a cutting board that blends functionality, artistry, and class. Each cutting board is made from granite, marble, and quartz. Unique designs transpire naturally by mother earth. There are a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to choose from. It’s perfect for those times when you are rummaging around at the last minute right before your guests arrive. It’s versatile; you can use it as a cheese tray, hot plate, or serving platter.
Now is your chance to take a chunk out of those big beautiful granite and marble countertops you see in kitchens and bathrooms, but at a low cost.
Interested in getting your hands on these fancy cutting boards? Call Stone Depot at 703-372-2232 or send an e-mail to stone.depot@hotmail.com.
Price: $45 – $65
By Katy Ray
Everyone needs to celebrate the holidays in style and comfort. That’s why we’ve added Play Out Underwear to our list of holiday must-have gifts.
Photo: Lisa Ianchin and Lindsay Katt
Play Out is lesbian-inspired underwear brand with a unisex flair. Are you frustrated with the pinks, pastels, and lace covered options on the market for women? Sylvie Lardeux and Abby Sugar set out to design fun, interesting, and comfortable underwear with an androgynous style. They offer different cuts of underwear featuring a wide waistband, taking their inspiration from the traditional “men’s” underwear silhouette. They offer a boxer brief cut, as well as a slightly longer trunk style cut with extra fabric in the front.
This is one of the gifts that keeps on giving. Your girlfriend, boifriend, lover, partner, or bestie will love the fit and appreciate the style.
On the outside, Play Out is made from all-natural fibers, including American pima cotton. The waistband is also soft and stretchable, so it won’t create that uncomfortable muffin top. On the inside, Play Out strives to create underwear for people of all gender presentations and identities, so you can feel like yourself when wearing their underwear. Now that’s one product we can get behind!
Check out their website for more information: http://www.playout-underwear.com/store/. For Tagg Magazine readers, enter code “TGFS14” at checkout for free holiday standard shipping until December 19.
Price: $24
By Michelle Dowell-Vest
Lez Mystery Box, a lesbian-owned online adult toy destination, will surely be the go-to for all you Santas out there. Let’s stuff those stockings with everything on your naughty list!
Are you into swinging? Not the “swapping” kind of swinging, but the hanging from the doors kind of swinging. Fetish Fantasy Series Deluxe Fantasy Door Swing turns an ordinary door in your home into a love swing in just minutes. Thanks to the padded seat cradle, you can enjoy positions you never thought were possible.
Like Beyoncé, let Lez Mystery Box upgrade you. Well, at least upgrade your favorite vibrator. The original Jack Rabbit just keeps getting better and better. This deluxe model from the platinum collection is one of the best rabbit vibrators on the market. It comes with all the bells and whistle. It’s waterproof with seven functions and six speeds, a powerful motor, six rows of non-jamming metal beads, an easy load battery pack, and easy-to-use controls, including an automatic off button. Although I’m not sure why you would want to shut this baby off.
So, this year don’t worry about being nice. It’s perfectly acceptable to be naughty. Check out the wide assortment of adult toys at Lez Mystery Box. There is a little something for everyone. www.lezmysterybox.com.
Price: $48+
By Eboné F. Bell
This year, give the gift of relaxation. Freed Bodyworks is the perfect way to deal with the holiday stress. A queer-owned business in Washington, D.C., the company prides itself on being an all-inclusive environment for both clients and their staff. Each of the six massage therapists offers unique specialties.
“Making a LGBTQ-friendly environment isn’t just a business decision, it’s personal,” says Frances Reed, co-owner and massage therapist of Freed Bodyworks. “We believe that it is our job to go out of our way to let people know that their identity, whatever it is, will be embraced by every practitioner under our roof.”
Are you looking for a specific gift? Freed Bodyworks offers gift certificates that make for a great stocking stuffer. This season, they are also offering three massage packages: Desk Jockey’s Remedy, Relax to the Max, and Run to Relief. Each package includes a 30 – 90 minute massage.
Currently, couples can be accommodated at the same time in separate rooms, however starting Valentine’s Day, you and your sweetie will be able to experience a session together in a single room.
Extra bonus: For those working in the LGBTQ activism and advocacy field, Freed Bodyworks offers a 10% discount to celebrate your efforts.
Between the queer-friendly atmosphere and the custom client-centered services, Freed Bodyworks is a great gift for you and that special someone in your life. For more information, visit www.freedbodyworks.com.
Price: $80 – $250
By Eboné F. Bell
Over three years ago, Dina Proto’s daughter gave her two moms a Mother’s Day card. However, her daughter apologized because the card didn’t reflect their family. Because of this interaction, Proto and her partner Dina “Dom” Poist-Proto started a greeting card company for the LGBTQ community and the people that love them.
From anniversaries to coming out, Teazled has a card for every gay occasion. And this holiday season is no different. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hannukkah cards are part of their “Holigays” collection.
When you purchase one of their Holigays cards, you’re also giving back to LGBTQ non-profit organizations like Campus Pride. Future purchases with Teazled also benefit American Lung Association and CenterLink, an organization supporting LGBTQ community centers across the country.
So, what distinguishes Teazled from the other guys? “Greeting card companies have had the ability to make greeting cards for our community, but they chose not to,” says Proto. “We’re authentic in what we produce and why we produce it. We live and breathe that by giving back to our community.”
In addition to their holiday and everyday cards, Teazled is also offering custom Christmas ornaments. For more information or to purchase your holiday cards, visit www.teazled.com.
Price: $3.99 – $19.95
