Whether you know Kandi Burruss from the Real Housewives of Atlanta, or from one of her Grammy award-winning songs, or from her web show, Kandi Koated Nights, you’ve come to expect a frank, sassy, strong woman. When she came out with w new line of sex toys developed with OhMiBod, we knew it would be hot.  Now that the toys have arrived, they don’t disappoint. Babeland is thrilled to be the first store to carry her Bedroom Kandi line and we’re welcoming her at Babeland SoHo on Thursday, December 15th for a special party to debut the line. Come and meet her!

Bedroom Talk with Kandi Burruss from the Real Housewives of Atlanta
Thursday, December 15, 7pm, Free
Babeland SoHo, 43 Mercer Street
You’ve enjoyed watching Kandi Burruss’ sassy and down-to-earth presence on the Real Housewives of Atlanta, now help us celebrate the launch of Bedroom Kandi, her elegant new line of discreet toys. Meet Kandi and hear about her inspiration for the toys, as well as her experiences on the Real Housewives of Atlanta! Bring your BFFs for a ladies night out with Kandi, including manicures by the Polish Bar of Brooklyn, cocktails, Bedroom Kandi raffle prizes and more.

Here’s what Kandi had to say when we chatted with her about the toys.

Babeland: You’ve had such an interesting career in entertainment, how did you decide to create your own line of sex toys? In some ways, it seems like, “well, of course she did!” and it also seems a bit risky. As women in this industry, we understand that vibrators and women’s sexy time are still challenging for mainstream America to handle.

Kandi: I was invited on the Dr. Laura Berman show.  She’s a medical doctor and she also has her own line of intimate products and I was like, wow, with my show, Kandi Koated Nights as a springboard, I can do the same thing.  Then I found out about this woman in Europe that became a billionaire in the adult product industry and from that point on, it was a no brainer.

Babeland: How did your family and friends react when you decided to launch a line of vibrators?

Kandi: My family and friends are always very supportive of me in everything I do. When I did my research and decided to step into this endeavor, I really wanted to make sure my mother did not think I was making the wrong move.  As long as she was fine with it, then I was comfortable doing it.

Babeland: We’re huge fans of the colors and shapes you’ve chosen. We’ve seen other lipstick vibes before, but Kandi Kisses has an unsurpassed weight, shape and quality. Why did you decide to go with the make-up design?

Kandi: The beauty of these pieces is that they’re not intimidating. They were designed to be very discreet. You can throw them in your purse and walk around with your own plaything and feel comfortable. They’re a combination of pleasure and style.

Babeland: What drew you to the unique powder-puff shape for the Make Me Over vibe? It’s a shape and design that is completely new.

Kandi: The whole idea was to create discreet packaging so that a woman can enjoy an orgasm on the go and so that if the product were mistakenly left on her dresser, no one would be alarmed! I decided to go with the make-up angle because it brought an elegant feel to the product line.

Babeland: Do you think that you’re part of destigmatizing vibrators for women? You have a high profile and many women look up to you. Have you found that launching this line is opening a new dialogue with your viewers and fans?

Kandi: I feel Bedroom Kandi will change the perception of how people view intimate products and open up the conversation, especially in the African American community. Sexual pleasure has such as huge stigma and it should not.

Babeland: What was the most fun part of designing a sex toy?

Kandi: Working on it has allowed for a healthy dialogue about sex.

Babeland: You’ve written Grammy award-winning music, so it’s no coincidence that one of your vibrators, the Happiness & Joy, vibrates to the beat and rhythm of music. What type of music sounds the best on Happiness & Joy? What’s your personal favorite song to play on this vibrator?

Kandi: Anything that you feel comfortable listening to in the bedroom works with this vibe! It does not have to be a specific type of song.  It can be very passionate songs about love, dance songs to make things fun, or heavy bass club songs to give it that extra “edge” in certain encounters with your mate. I do not know if I have a personal favorite song, maybe I have a personal play list!

Babeland: Do you have advice for women who are new to vibrators on trying a Bedroom Kandi toy for the first time?

Kandi: Yes, it’s the best fun you can have by yourself. Try it; I’m confident you will like it!

Babeland: Do you have a favorite that you like to recommend?

Kandi: My favorite piece is the Happiness & Joy dual-action vibe. It brings you happiness on the inside and joy on the outside at the same time.

If you were on a news blackout this week, you might not know that a woman opened her suitcase after a flight to find a note from the airport security agent who searched her checked bag with this message, “Get your freak on, girl”. She was traveling with a Babeland Silver Bullet vibrator and was so creeped out knowing that someone had handled it, she threw it away. We took notice and sent her a new one (having to replace your sex toy after inappropriate conduct from a government employee is just adding insult to injury) and we included a nice gift, too.

The woman, Jill Filipovic, blogs at a site we love, Feministe, and posted an articulate and insightful follow-up to the incident today when news hit that the Transportation Security Administration had disciplined the note-writing employee. She was frustrated that the issues about privacy and the government’s invasive security measures post-9/11 weren’t dissected in the media coverage. We agree, but also have to point out the positive side here, that a woman traveling with a sex toy didn’t become the issue. In the dozens of articles and posts we read, the vibrator was a non-issue, and that’s progress.

Culturally and socially, a woman’s right to sexual pleasure is gaining mainstream acceptance. Many people could relate to this story and wonder about the many times their personal items have been reviewed by security agents. We always worry about what someone else is thinking about our personal choices, it’s a good thing that we tend to worry less about our sex toys. If you want tips about traveling with sex toys, you can view our tips here.

Do you have a story about traveling with a sex toy? Share it in the comments. We’ll choose a random winner and send you the infamous Babeland Silver Bullet! A winner will be chosen at noon on Monday, October 31st and notified.

Have you ever wondered where your Minna Ola or Gigi came from, technically speaking? Sex toys have been found in the world since prehistoric times when they were carved out of rocks. The toys we know and love today are evolutions of basic shapes that fueled the fantasies of our ancestors. The history of vibrators has some fascinating high points and tells the story of the social movements that have brought us to our hedonistic contemporary view that sexual pleasure is our birthright.

Babeland’s social history project debuts online at www.vintagevibrators.com. History buffs, techies, collectors, and sex toy fans should all enjoy these novel antiques.

Scroll through the exhibits, imagining yourself being treated for “hysteria” by one of the more tortuous looking devices, or marvel at the beauty-aid imagery used to market early-model vibrators to consumers. Wow your next dinner party guests with vibrator history anecdotes, including the ultimate proof that necessity is the mother of all invention: doctors experienced repetitive motion stress from manual stimulation of their patients, which ultimately led to the invention of this labor-saving device. You can even trace the lineage of your vibrator to its nineteenth century predecessor in the entertaining Modern Classics section.

One thing we learned during this project is that vintage vibrators come with stories. What’s yours? Did you find one in Grandma’s closet? In the attic of your new house? Share your story with us here or email a photo and the backstory to us at marketing@babeland.com and we’ll post it. We want to start a collection of your vintage sex toys, so if we post your photo, we’ll send you a coupon good for $10 off your next order.