Cunnilingus is a magical thing, this much we know.
But what does good oral sex actually feel like?
We’ve found out what sex feels like when you have a vagina or a penis, and we’ve asked men to share what getting a blowjob feels like.
So it’s high time to find out the truth about receiving head when you have a vagina.
What is it about the sensation that feels so glorious?
We asked a bunch of women to describe their oral experiences to find out. All names have been changed.
Lily, 58
‘For a woman receiving good oral sex is waves of pleasure that build up to a feeling of release, which makes the vagina quiver as well as the rest of the body.’
Amy, 33
‘When it comes to oral, because I’m so sensitive it’s just insanely ticklish at first. I can barely deal with the tickling sensation to begin with and my partner really has to move slowly and cautiously at first until I get used to it.
‘But when it’s good it feels kind of like a really warm squishy fruit. Like someone’s put a papaya or kiwi in the microwave for a few seconds and pushing it on your vulva.
‘It’s like, the more amorphous the mouth the better it feels. You don’t want to be able to tell the difference between the lips or tongue, just a nice, sloppy warm mess.’
Bea, 28
‘I find good oral doesn’t start with oral. You have to get me going a bit with light touches, don’t just dive in there.
‘Then it’s a bit like a warm, coiled tension, and you feel your muscles start to tense up in anticipation.
‘It never feels very “wet”, probably because I’m already wet down there.
‘It feels incredible intimate, and for that reason I’ll only do oral with someone I’m in a relationship with. I don’t know why, but for me it seems even more intimate than standard penetrative sex.
‘When I eventually orgasm, I feel it most in my head, which is all full of lights and tingling, while all the muscles in my vagina contract – sometimes I get the hiccups after, which is weird.’
Lana, 25
‘Good oral sex is unlike anything else. You feel the sensations not only in your vagina but all over. You feel light headed. Your toes tingle, your belly warms in anticipation of the orgasm you know is heading your way. You feel the pleasure in every part of your body.
‘You know where you’re on a rollercoaster and you have those moments of feeling weightless? That’s was it can be like because the pleasure is so intense. If they take their time it can take you to a whole other place.
‘They have to be into it. Not everyone is. Don’t just do it with someone who sees it as a quicker way to get to get to the main event. It won’t be the same.
‘When they’re into it and they are focusing solely on your pleasure everything else just drops away. If they also look like they’re enjoying it that just adds to it.
‘Tip: Make eye contact! It’s so hot when someone is pleasuring you with their mouth and you make eye contact.’
Emily, 20
‘It’s quite soft and wet when you’re on your back when someone’s going down on you.
‘It’s more intense if their tongue is on your clitoris; it gives the feeling of sharp but pleasant heat.’
Cara, 34
‘All the pleasure of clitoral stimulation, but with none of the friction of using your hands. Smooth, wet, warm.’
Kelly, 27
‘The best way I can describe the sensation is tickling, but good.
‘It feels really, really intense and can be overwhelming. I’ll often have to say stop for a bit because it just feels like too much pleasure, as weird as it sounds.
‘It’s warmth, tingles, intense pleasure, all that… when it’s good.
‘If it’s not good, it feels awkward and physically uncomfortable. Please don’t bite.’
Dani, 25
‘So personally to me, oral sex, when done right, feels like warm waves crashing over me, it’s like a build up where the waves are bigger every time. It starts small like baby waves lapping and grows until they’re complete tidal waves, which then sparks the best sensation, one I can only describe as a release of tension.’
Alma, 31
‘Good oral feels like a surprise but it also relaxes me. I often feel stressed when getting oral because most men don’t seem to want to be down there.
‘Physically, it’s wet (a good kind of wet) and tingling, with the added touch of the fingers making it absolutely amazing.
‘It’s almost like being a bit drunk when the orgasm starts to build, my head goes fuzzy, my eyes roll into the back of my head and BAM.
“I’ve only really ever had great oral twice in my life – and isn’t that just depressing?
‘Most men miss the mark completely – quite literally, they focus on one area (the clitoris) without using their hands elsewhere or even moving further down, and personally I find my clitoris is just too sensitive for that kind of attention.
‘I rarely come from oral sex but there have been two mind blowing experiences. The first was my ex-boyfriend back when I was 16, who spent a good half hour down there and had be orgasming so loud my neighbour dropped a note the day after asking us to keep it down.
‘It was partly his technique – use tongue on clit, fingers inside vagina, keep a steady rhythm – but also his enthusiasm. I still remember how proud he looked after I climaxed. I returned the favour, of course.
‘The second time was with a man who claimed to be “the absolute best at giving head”, which is a very bold claim made by many a men in my sex life over the years – none of whom ever live up to it.
‘But this man did. He elevated the experience by using his fingers inside my vagina, pressing on my g-spot, but also used his tongue inside my vagina, not just on the clitoris.
‘And then he went for a bit of anal play too, just to mix it up.
‘Our relationship didn’t last because his personality was… disrespectful and boring outside of the bedroom, but I’ll never forget the oral sex.’
Amber, 23
‘Honestly, oral does so little for me. It just feels like a wet, sloppy, swirling mess. Really haphazard and not making enough proper contact to get me off.’
Jane, 25
‘I really like sex and I’m horny a lot but my vagina always feels ticklish when someone else touches it, especially if they are kissing it or licking it. It’s a mixture of getting more excited and feeling like I have to laugh.
‘But when the tongue finally touches the clit, it’s amazing. It’s a soft touch radiating pleasure throughout my body, like the most gentle and pleasurable massage ever.
‘I enjoy it the most when I feel like my partner is making out with my private parts, essentially, including giving it gentle pecks.’
Mel, 22
‘A bit like a warm, wet flannel?’
Delilah, 30
‘Receiving oral sex is the most intimate I ever feel with someone. More so than giving oral sex or even full on sex. I feel at my most vulnerable.
‘In terms of sensations, it is quite varied. I love it when it starts quite gentle with a lot of kisses on my thighs and intensifies slowly with more and more pressure, and penetration with tongue and fingers. And the clit is so sensitive that you can feel the texture of his tongue, and it sends electric shocks all over your body. It’s great…
‘My favourite part is when I climax, he climbs over to me and kisses me passionately. I can literally taste how much I’ve just enjoyed myself.’
Lulu, 31
‘I mean…they call it getting “eaten out” for a reason. It basically does what it says on the tin.
‘But I think you can tell immediately how much someone fancies you from how enthusiastic they are about oral sex and that’s half the enjoyment of it, no matter their technique. I think we can have so many insecurities about what our vulvas look like, taste like and smell like that there’s nothing more confidence boosting than someone going down on you and loving it.’
Kate, 40
‘It’s ticklish! At first, that can feel weird and irritating, but then the tickling builds up into pleasure and it’s brilliant.’
Do you have a story to share?
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