We all know that kissing the right person feels exquisite. Your lips contain thousands of nerve endings (100 times more than your fingertips and many more than any—we mean any—other body part), so why wouldn’t it feel good? But scientists are discovering that kissing also has amazing effects on the brain.

According to Helen Fisher, author of Why We Love, this delicious activity stimulates all your senses, allowing you to smell, taste, hear, feel and even see your partner (although we hope you’ll eventually close your eyes). It also sends subtle communications to your brain via neurons that travel from your lips and tongue through cranial nerves. Once these messages reach your noggin, they’re processed into some delicious side effects.

Here are 5 ways kissing makes you happier, calmer and more connected to your partner.

1. Kissing induces pleasure and relaxation. It’s pretty clear that smooching boosts your pulse and blood pressure, dilates your pupils and deepens breathing. The whole thing is exciting, right? But what you may not know is that kissing also raises levels of oxytocin, the chemical associated with trust and attachment, and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol. So you’re turned on and chill—a great combination.

2. Kissing reveals a lot about your lover. And we’re not just talking about how good of a kisser he is. As you lock lips with your partner, you unconsciously pick up signals about what he’s been eating, drinking or smoking. But did you know that you also collect important data about his genetic makeup? As it turns out, we’re naturally drawn to people with a slightly different immune system—Mother Nature’s way of producing genetic variety in our young. Most interesting: A woman’s breath and saliva change over her menstrual cycle, which means a kiss can broadcast the status of her fertility.

3. Kissing puts you in the mood. If you’re kissing a man, that is. A guy’s saliva is loaded with testosterone, so a guy may subconsciously initiate open-mouth kissing to transfer that libido-boosting hormone to their partner. The sloppier the kiss, the more of this sexy hormone he transmits. And, needless to say, the more skilled he is with his lips, the more you’re likely to fall into bed with him.

4. It’s the (almost) universally accepted love currency. About 90 percent of people around the world kiss as a sign of affection. And in those cultures where kisses are considered yucky, lovers still focus on the areas around or near the lips, blowing, licking, sucking or nipping on each other’s faces prior to copulation.

5. Kissing can bring you closer to your partner. If it’s a good kiss, that is. Fisher has interviewed thousands of people in love to learn that a passionate, tender, emotionally charged smooch is one of life’s most powerful bonding agents that can take a relationship to the next level. As you kiss, your body experiences a surge of the hormone oxytocin, which reduces stress and increases feelings of connectedness.

So what are you waiting for? Start smooching.

When it comes to love, many of us claim we favor a certain “type.” We may also have a mental checklist of desirable traits we seek in a mate, such as a sense of humor, a tall stature, or even a respectable bank account. But according to cultural anthropologist Helen Fisher, a leading expert on the biology of love and attraction, chemistry is what drives us to fall hard for someone.

The powerful feelings shared by two people who are deeply attracted to one another is the stuff romantic poems and songs are made of. But scientists have discovered that love as we humans know it is spurred on by chemicals in our bodies. Was Tina Turner right when she sang, “What’s love got to do with it?” Could that emotion we all yearn for be nothing more than hormone-driven chemistry? … //READ MORE

Are you romantically involved with a narcissist? Actually, we might as well be asking you the following: Are you perpetually confused about your relationship, feeling ecstatic one day, heartbroken and emotional the next? Have you been trying to figure out if everything is your fault or if there’s something truly wrong with this man? Have you been angry with yourself because you know you should know better, yet you just can’t seem to escape the erratic charms of your supposed love—even though the lows with him are so awful? … //READ MORE

We all know, deep down, that fairy tales are bullshit. But when Pretty Woman hit the big screen in 1990, we somehow bought into the idea that a Hollywood hooker—even one that looked like Julia Roberts—could somehow win the heart of a successful, gorgeous, romantic Prince Charming.

We suspended disbelief because we had to. The chemistry was that good between Roberts and Richard Gere, the aforementioned successful, gorgeous, romantic Prince Charming—or in this case, a ruthless M&A guy with a sensitive side. But what many of us didn’t realize while we were watching the sexy rom-com (which turns 25 this year!), the plot was quite different from the original film written by J.F. Lawton. … //READ MORE

I write erotic romance.

I used hide that. I’d never say those four little words out loud. Admitting it to my family and friends was a struggle. Even now, I’m hyperventilating a little bit to see those words written down, knowing they’re going to be printed and read. But I don’t hide it anymore, because the world is a different place than it was a few years ago. It’s a world where women are no longer afraid to be upfront about what they’re reading, the dog-eared pages of a steamy novel no longer hidden under their beds. Instead, these books are on their Nooks and Kindles, read in the light of day. And as a writer, I think that’s pretty damn awesome. So I’m not hiding anymore. … //READ MORE

Let’s be honest, we’ve all seen some porn. Some of us won’t admit it, but you can bet that almost every guy and woman you know has at least caught a glimpse of a skin flick. Let’s put it this way: The men are not the only ones with curiosity and a laptop.

I didn’t come into contact with porn until after college, when a boyfriend brought over an adult movie. Before that, the closest I got was sneaking a peek at my mother’s copy of Shirley Conran’s sexy bestseller Lace (Remember, “Which one of you bitches is my mother?”), which describes how a young Middle Eastern prince is sent away to be trained in the art of lovemaking. Since then, I’ve often wondered why all guys aren’t shipped out to learn a few techniques before being unleashed on the female population. Unfortunately, for this vital information most guys must rely on their dads, with their outdated birds-and-bees talks; their friends (God help us for the stuff we learn on the street); plus maybe some well-intended but insufficient sex-ed class. So how can we blame them for turning to the Internet to pick up some skills (as if that’s the only reason they watch)?

The problem is, porn doesn’t teach anyone how to be a good lover. Which may be why, although some women can tolerate watching with their partners, or alone to get turned on, they usually have their share of complaints about adult films. Studies have shown that the viewing of too much porn can desensitize someone enough to make … //READ MORE