weekly dispatches by maude® on modern intimacy through the arts, culture, science, and relationships.

Science

on why we love holiday sex.

How scent impacts who you are attracted to.
How seasons impact your sex drive.
sex education
How seasons impact your sex drive.

Navigating the influence of environmental shifts on libido.

midnight moves: nye edition.
Culture
midnight moves: nye edition.

New Year’s Eve is a social sport. Drinks are flowing, music is loud, and everyone suddenly becomes a master of small talk and accidental touches. It’s not just a party. It’s a playground.

sex superstitions from around the world.
Culture
sex superstitions from around the world.

So whether you’re side-eyeing yellow flowers, guarding your mirrors, or reconsidering that Good Friday hookup, you’re participating in a tradition as old as intimacy itself. Below, we’ve gathered s...

the after midnight reset.
Culture
the after midnight reset.

Most real resets don’t happen at midnight. They happen after. When the noise fades, the shoes come off, and you’re back in your space with someone else or just yourself.

a brief history of the midnight kiss.
History
a brief history of the midnight kiss.

The New Year’s kiss is believed to trace back to German traditions brought over to the U.S. in the mid-19th century.
Dating Without Alcohol.
dating
Dating Without Alcohol.

A guide to the sober scene.
Holiday Texts From Your Exes, Explained.
dating
Holiday Texts From Your Exes, Explained.

Happy Holidays, have you texted your ex yet?
How mistletoe became the plant of festive intimacy.
History
How mistletoe became the plant of festive intimacy.

Nothing says “Christmas romance” like kissing under a parasitic growth.
Hooking up in your parent's house.
dating
Hooking up in your parent's house.

Why the holidays can feel like high school all over again.
on why we love holiday sex.
Culture
on why we love holiday sex.

A lot of us are born in August and September, but why? Blame the eggnog.

trending

A case for the summer fling (even if you're in a long-term relationship).
Relationships
A case for the summer fling (even if you're in a long-term relationship).

But you don’t need a new situationship to feel that rush. You can bring that same energy into a relationship you’ve been in for years.

Erotic Activism: How Queer Desire Fuels Social Change.
Pride
Erotic Activism: How Queer Desire Fuels Social Change.

When we talk about activism, most people picture protests, petitions, and policy change. But there’s another kind of activism that’s just as powerful — it’s intimate, it’s electric, and it’s rooted...

Sex Ed is Lifelong.
sex education
Sex Ed is Lifelong.

Because sexuality, intimacy, and identity aren’t static—and neither is learning. We’re often taught that sex education is something you get once, tucked into an awkward school semester or a rushed ...

Erotic Activism: How Queer Desire Fuels Social Change.
Pride
Erotic Activism: How Queer Desire Fuels Social Change.

When we talk about activism, most people picture protests, petitions, and policy change. But there’s another kind of activism that’s just as powerful — it’s intimate, it’s electric, and it’s rooted...

new year's resolutions for your sex life.
Culture
new year's resolutions for your sex life.

Intimacy in the new year.

holiday house rules.
Relationships
holiday house rules.

A little down-the-hall separation can make the heart grow fonder.

Is Gift-Giving A Turn On?
dating
Is Gift-Giving A Turn On?

Our most seasonal love language.

A beginner’s guide to candle play.
Relationships
A beginner’s guide to candle play.

How to play with fire.
How Intimacy Can Ease Holiday Stress and Help You Sleep.
In Partnership with
Brooklinen
How Intimacy Can Ease Holiday Stress and Help You Sleep.

skip the nightcap. The holidays can feel like one long to-do list wrapped in tinsel. Between family obligations, last-minute shopping, and the endless parade of parties, your brain might be screami...

Is Gift-Giving A Turn On?
dating
Is Gift-Giving A Turn On?

Our most seasonal love language.

Why We Crave Closeness in the Cold Months.
Culture
Why We Crave Closeness in the Cold Months.

Maybe it’s the early nights, the brisk air that nips at your fingers, or the way our homes feel quieter, softer, more cocooned. Winter has a way of turning us toward one another.

Why the Holidays Are the Most Popular Time to Conceive.
health
Why the Holidays Are the Most Popular Time to Conceive.

Consider it the cuffing season finale.

What fantasies do to the brain.
Science
What fantasies do to the brain.

The neurological effects of when you let your sexual imagination run wild.
the most common sexual fantasies.
Relationships
the most common sexual fantasies.

The fantasies that get people going.
a beginner’s guide to role play.
Relationships
a beginner’s guide to role play.

How to climax in character.
Yes, Dating App Usage Spikes During The Holidays.
dating
Yes, Dating App Usage Spikes During The Holidays.

Classic yuletide yearning 
holiday house rules.
Relationships
holiday house rules.

A little down-the-hall separation can make the heart grow fonder.
A Definitive Ranking Of The Sexiest Winter Holidays.
Culture
A Definitive Ranking Of The Sexiest Winter Holidays.

From winter solstice to Valentine's Day.
Trans Pioneers Who Didn’t Wait for Permission.
History
Trans Pioneers Who Didn’t Wait for Permission.

Honoring the trans trailblazers who refused to wait for approval.

Maudern Movies: The Singles
Film
Maudern Movies: The Singles

For National Singles Day, we’re stepping outside the usual tropes of U.S. films — no dating apps, no breakup montages — and into a more thoughtful wider world of solitude and connection. These film...

The Jet Lag Cure No One Talks About.
In Partnership with
Brooklinen
The Jet Lag Cure No One Talks About.

How sex might help reset your sleep clock.

Is Speed-dating back?
dating
Is Speed-dating back?

The getting-to-know-you practice predates dating apps—but not by much.

Maudern Movies: Corner Office
Film
Maudern Movies: Corner Office

Maudern Movies, a series that curates films for your viewing pleasure. This week’s lineup takes its cue from Corner Office, our scent inspired by 1978—when power met leisure and success had texture...
It’s time to revisit cuffing season.
dating
It’s time to revisit cuffing season.

Is there actually a best time to meet your match?
Is Sex the Secret to Better Sleep? Here’s What Science Says.
In Partnership with
Brooklinen
Is Sex the Secret to Better Sleep? Here’s What Science Says.

We spend about a third of our lives asleep, yet quality rest can feel out of reach. Research suggests that sexual activity may be a surprisingly effective way to improve sleep. Intimacy influences ...
the science of smell.
Science
the science of smell.

How scent impacts who you are attracted to.
a case for getting busy in the bathroom.
health
a case for getting busy in the bathroom.

The tub might be the best place for a next-level tête-à-tête. 
a cozy history of showering with company.
History
a cozy history of showering with company.

Hygiene is important, being social is important — what could therefore be a better idea than showering with a pal?