How to French Kiss

The French are renowned for their skills as lovers, so who better to teach us how to French kiss?

It's a good idea to know the person you're about to practice French kissing with.

Engaging someone you met ten minutes ago in the bank queue in a passionate French kiss is likely to result in a passionate French slap. It's been said a million times, but knowing and loving the person you're about to kiss raises the stakes and the thermometer dramatically.

Start by setting the scene; make sure the mood and time are just right. Relax and let go of any tension in your neck and shoulders. Start slowly with a gentle kiss and build up gradually. Once you've engaged your partner's lips, gently open your mouth and encourage them to open theirs by softly nudging their mouth with your tongue. Or try softly touching their lips with the tip of your tongue.

Choosing to open or close your eyes is up to you. It can be fun to open your eyes mid-kiss to gauge the reaction of your sweetheart, or check to see if they've got their eyes open too. Kissing with your eyes open is the sensual equivalent of making love with the lights on, so give it a go.

Slowly move your tongue inside the other person's mouth, playfully touching their tongue with yours. Use the tip of your tongue (yes, only the tip) to explore their mouth. Open your mouth a little wider than you would for a normal kiss but not so wide you start introducing excess saliva. Anyway, after a while, having your mouth open too wide starts to feel uncomfortable - a little like being in the dentist's chair for too long with a mouth guard in place.

Be aware of how your partner is reacting. If they seem tense and try to pull away, stop what you're doing. If their ardor increases, you know you're on the right track.

Slowly increase the passion and intensity of your kiss, and playfully engage in exploring each other's lips, mouth and tongue. Move your tongue round and about, side to side, clockwise, anti-clockwise, whatever feels good.

Remember, with French kissing, less is more. Try not to prolong the kiss for too long because one of two things will start to happen. Your tongue will tire or your partner will tire of your tongue.

And always end a French kissing session with a tender, soft ending kiss. Wait a few minutes, then start the whole process all over again, and again, and again. . .

If you like kissing, we have more tips on how to kiss and lots of other terrific information for women who want to know at Savvy Women's Magazine.