Jezebel: vulva

Get A Whiff Of This

Dodai — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST

According to a short piece on BlackBook's website, "Europe's leading Crystal Artist," Emeshel, is launching a line of men’s and women’s fragrances with bottles inspired by male and female genitalia. The ladyflower scent, "Nubia," evokes various fruits and spices, as well as "oil of bergamot." The content of the men's scent, "Rajul" is more mysterious, but you will be "touched by the fragrance of the wet wind and the endless water." Will these fragrances be competition for Vulva, the perfume that's supposed to smell like a vagina? [BlackBook]

Searing Pain In Your Puss? You're Not Alone

Jessica — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:30:00 EST

Imagine your vaginal area hurting so much that you can't sit for prolonged periods of time and sex is absolutely out of the question. Doctors are reporting that as many as one in six American women may be suffering from vulvodynia, which the New York Times describes as "searing or shooting pain when any amount of pressure is placed" on the vulva, adding, "Some women compare the feeling to acid being poured on an open wound." Although some physicians call the condition a "vulvar fibromyalgia" because of the intense pain and the tendency of medical professionals to tell women it's purely psychological — Yay, hysteria! — other doctors are taking the condition seriously, prescribing hormones and steroids to help lessen the inflammation (others remove what they believe to be "an overabundance of nerve endings" that might be causing the unending hurt).

That's not the only women's health news in the New York Times today. Researchers are looking to menses as a new source of stem cells. Yep! They're gonna sort through your old tampons for potential stem cells because the lining of the uterus regenerates every month. But you might not want to start saving your diva cup runoff just yet: Dr. Hugh Taylor, chief of reproductive endocrinology at Yale, tells the Times: "I think it's premature to start telling anyone to go in and save their menses...A woman can come in and have endometrial biopsy all the time and get those cells in a fresh, pure form."

Finally, some breast cancer news, both good and bad. The bad? The rise of insurance co-pays for mammograms is deterring women from taking the test. A new study shows that even when factors like income and education are taken into account, women are still loathe to pay the extra $12 it requires to get their breasts checked out. It's a shame, because the good news is that a new imaging device is being developed that will be able to spot tumors that are half the size of the ones that current imaging devices can spot. Get those breasts checked early and often, ladies!

New Insights Into Genital Pain in Women [New York Times]
Menstruation as a Source of Stem Cells? Maybe Not [New York Times]
Screening: Co-Pays Seen as a Deterrent to Getting Mammograms [New York Times]
Device Zeroes In On Small Breast Tumors [EurekAlert]

The Way To A Lover's Heart Is Through The Nose

Dodai — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:30:00 EDT

We're not the only ones who love burying our noses in a lover's T-shirt [Or hairy armpits! -Ed.]: Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that 90% of women have deliberately smelled a partner's shirt. (What's wrong with that other 10%?) Over half of men did, too. A majority of women also reported sleeping in or next to their partner's clothing. The researchers say that this "comfort smelling" is widespread within families — mothers have a scent bond with their babies, and some mothers will put their pajamas in a child's bed when they can't be there at bedtime. (It's not just the women: A man reported smelling his father's clothing when his dad was away. Plus, Brokeback Mountain!) But are women are especially sensitive to smell?

According to another study, ladies consider a man less attractive if they sniff something foul while looking at him — even if he's not the source of the stink. Pleasant and neutral odors make women find men more handsome. What is it about smell? And why does it make us feel things? Bruce Turetsky, a University of Pennsylvania associate psychiatry professor, says scents may "have a greater ability to bring up an emotional memory in you than seeing a picture or hearing a voice." Turestky found that sense of smell can also be linked to emotional disorders; In one study, he measured the olfactory organ sizes of patients with schizophrenia (a disease characterized by emotional flatness) and they were 23 percent smaller than normal.

Meanwhile, Marissa Kristal of Psychology Today polled her girlfriends by asking them to smell certain scents and then describe how they pictured the man who'd wear them. Nivea aftershave balm made them think the guy was "soft and smooth"; Demeter's Grass fragrance prompted them to imagine a "very manly" outdoorsy guy and a Bulgari cologne made them conjure up a "confident, practical and handsome" man. Hmm, what would they say if they got a whiff of Vulva?

A Sniff of Your Sweetie [Psychology Today]
Beauty Beat: The Nose Knows [Psychology Today]
The Emotional Power of Smell [Psychology Today]
Earlier: Upper East Siders Love Crotch, Hate "Vulva"

Upper East Siders Love Crotch, Hate "Vulva"

Tracie — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:30:00 EDT

After testing out Vulva, the fragrance that's supposed to smell like a vagina (but really just smells like a non-gender-specific sweaty crotch) on gay men in NYC's Chelsea, we were curious as to what posh types on Manhattan's Upper East Side would think of the scent. This time, we asked participants to compare Vulva to Tom Ford's Black Orchid, the perfume reported to be inspired by the scent of a man's crotch (but really smells like flowery old ladies). On Saturday videographer Alex Goldberg and Jezegay Ryan Creed made the trek up to the expensive-shit shopping district of Madison Avenue, where we were mostly snootily ignored by the ladies who lunch. However we did find some good sports willing to take a whiff, first of Black Orchid, then of Vulva. Clip above.

Earlier: What Do Gay Men Think Of "Vulva", The Ladyparts Perfume?
Related: We Hear [NY Post]

What Do Gay Men Think Of "Vulva", The Ladyparts Perfume?

Tracie — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:30:00 EDT

Remember how we told you about Vulva, the fragrance that's supposed to smell just like a vagina? Well, our vial of the stuff finally came in the mail — all the way from Germany! — and we decided to take it to the streets of NYC's gay-friendly Chelsea neighborhood, where we conducted a blind smell test between Vulva and Britney Spears' latest scent, In Control, shot by video hunk Alex Goldberg. (For added effect, we had Jezebel buddy Ryan pour Vulva on his fingers instead of using the blotters we swiped from Sephora.)

'Vulva': The Perfume Of The Panty-Minded

Tracie — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:30:00 EDT

When we first discovered the fragrance Vulva, the "beguiling vaginal scent," we thought it was some sort of weird German art project. But no! It's a legit business that bottles pussy stank in those '80s Less Than Zero cocaine vials and calls itself not a perfume but a "smelling substance for your own pleasure." The FAQ on its site reminds us that Vulva is not suitable for anyone under 18, and that it should not come in contact with mucous membranes. Watch the video/commercial here. (NSFW)

Vulva Original [Vulva]