The new version of girl’s night in

Meredith Compton

Parties let participants purchase, experiment with sex toys

These aren’t your mom’s kind of parties — although they could be considered Tupperware parties for the younger set.

Known as Pure Romance or Pure Passions parties, this new social trend is designed to be a gathering of “the girls” to, of course, enjoy one another’s company and try out products ranging from heighteners to lubricants to bedroom accessories.

According to Pure Romance’s Web site, pureromance.com, a Pure Romance party is “not your typical night out.” During the party, consultants from Pure Romance come to a hostess’s home or apartment to show different products the company sells.

Jessica Straub, junior mild/moderate intervention specialist major, has hosted a Pure Romance party and said the parties are similar to those that women hosted in previous generations.

“A pure romance party is something like a Tupperware party, but instead of food containers, it’s sex toys and enhancement products,” Straub said in an e-mail interview. “But there are also everyday practical things that you can buy, like bath gels and shaving cream.”

Straub said she and her roommate were invited to a party, and before they even attended, they thought it would be fun to host a party of their own.

“The party we went to was so much fun we made the decision that we were definitely going to host one,” she said.

The party usually begins with some sort of icebreaker game, Straub said. The consultant then talks about the different products and lets the partygoers test them out. The partygoers can then order whichever products they like.

The hostess of the party also gets some bonuses, such as a free hostess gift and 10 percent of the total party sales, which can be used to buy Pure Romance products.

Free gifts were not the only reason Straub wanted to host a party, however.

“Well of course the free products are a nice bonus, but the parties themselves are fun, but the real draw is just find new ways to spice things up,” she said. “It’s also a fun afternoon with the girls.”

Having fun while spending time with friends is one of the main things Pure Romance wants its partygoers to gain from the parties. Straub said she and her friends had a great time at her party.

“My friends and I had a blast,” she said. “It definitely broke any awkwardness that was there before.”

But what about the men whose significant others attend these parties? Should they be scared that their girlfriends are going to bring home something weird? Straub gives this advice to them:

“I would tell them not to be scared because your girl may just bring back something that will blow your mind,” she said. “In a good way, of course.”

Contact features reporter Meredith Compton at [email protected].