Let The Flamingo Estate rē•set Your Body’s Pleasure Axis

Perched above the hills of Los Angeles sits a sherbet-pink, earthly paradise known as The Flamingo Estate. Once a pleasure-loving playground in the ’40s and ’50s, where sexual freedom was explored by musicians and artists alike, it has since been rē-imagined by its current owner, Richard Christiansen. Pleasure is instead cultivated from the garden in its current form — “always for nature, always for pleasure” is its mantra.

After more than a year of unprecedented disconnection, he hopes that The Flamingo Estate’s newly launched products can help you to ground back into the body to rē-set your pleasure axis. “For more than a year, we’ve been cooped inside our houses and behind screens. As a result, we’ve been starved for physical magnetism,” he tells rē•spin. “We’ve felt outside our bodies, disconnected from each other and our hearts. But now, we’ve come out of hiding, and we’re ready to feel again. That’s why we developed a sex tonic oxymel, an aphrodisiac tincture, and body oil with our herbalist, horticulturalists, and functional health doctor.” 

When he purchased the estate in 2013, Christiansen never expected it to develop into the nature lover’s paradise it has since become. He originally rē-designed the estate as his dream home and an ode to his deep love and connection to nature. “I’ve always said mother nature is our doctor, therapist, and friend,” he explains. “The Estate, especially the orchard in the garden, was always my haven.” But all of this started to change after the onset of the global pandemic when their boxes of produce became a cult phenomenon. “During lockdown, we started selling some products and produce from our garden to our friends, and what started as a couple of dozen vegetable boxes and a few candles became a fleet of 35 drivers and over 55,000 deliveries,” says Christiansen. “My garden has become a source of joy and wonder for so many people, and I’m so grateful for it.” 

The recent rise in “plant moms” is more than a trend. Gardening is, in fact, one of the most rewarding ways to co-create with nature — and one of the simplest ways to rē-connect with your body. “When things fall apart, we return back to nature,” notes Christiansen. “Putting your hand in the soil gets you back in tune with the rhythm of the planet. It slows you down, and it keeps you grounded… It’s no accident that the garden provides so much for us.”

What began as a passion for tending to his seven-acre garden has transformed into an organic brand of homemade pleasures that includes candles, bath and body products, healing tinctures, rosé, honey, chocolate, olive oil, fresh flowers, and fresh boxes of produce for delivery. “Something as simple as having sage in your hand wash can bring you mental clarity, or [having] honey with royal jelly — which is fed to the queen bee, so she lives 40 times longer than other bees — is a miracle of the natural world,” he says. Christiansen shares many of these natural miracles in the products made at The Flamingo Estate. 

Think of the pleasures that can be harvested from the earth and the sense of peace that consumes you while gardening as an invitation to experience vibrant health and to cultivate more of what Christiansen calls physical magnetism naturally. Christiansen believes that pleasure is a human right that we have all become incredibly disconnected from and that physical magnetism is the irresistible force of a person grounded in their bodies. “The Flamingo Estate was founded on a simple idea — pleasure,” he explains. “I want to bring the world back to pleasure.” 

This was his initial pursuit when he moved from New York, his home, to found The Flamingo Estate in California for over twenty years. “I was in search of pleasure, and not to be ashamed of that, or embarrassed about it, but looking for how I could find pleasure, how I could cultivate it, how I could grow it, how I could surround myself with it, and now how I can share it with others.” He is adamant that pursuing pleasure is the path to cultivating more physical magnetism.

“My mission is to use the spirit of this property to fill every kitchen, every cupboard, every heart, and every mind with pleasure,” says Christiansen. Thus each product made by The Flamingo Estate is designed to share the very pleasures he has learned to cultivate from nature with others. The newest set of nourishing body products is no different in this aim. The Pleasure Garden bundle includes a sex tonic oxymel, aphrodisiac body oil, and tinctures to help arouse your playful sensuality again. These awakening blends can be enjoyed alone or while connecting with another.

“Our tonic is a medicine from the garden- Willamette Raspberry helps to balance estrogen and progesterone. Deep-rooted Ginseng spurs testosterone production, fortifies sperm strength, and promotes physical endurance. Nettle Seed heightens sexual competency. Damiana leaf and Cordyceps increase stamina and arousal. Royal Jelly offers longevity and potent aphrodisiac qualities.” If you feel dispirited or disconnected, you are certainly not alone. “It’s about resetting your body’s pleasure axis,” Christiansen says. “I want to get inside my body again. I’ve felt disconnected, and truthfully, I gained a little bit of weight and haven’t felt sexy in my skin. This was one of the reasons we developed a sex tonic specifically — I wanted to enjoy the way I feel about my body when I’m naked.” 

Mother nature has a satisfying solution for every yearning, including helping you ground back into your body and explore deeper connections again — but sensual pleasure is just one part of his brand’s ambition. “In some ways, our sex tonic has nothing to do with sex,” Christiansen says. “It’s simply about feeling pleasure again.” Pleasure can, after all, be found in a nourishing meal made from farm-fresh produce, a rejuvenating bath, or an awakening body oil. Likewise, indulging in the people, places, and things that help you experience real joy is an invitation to the universe to bring you more satisfaction.