International Kissing Day: Eyes Open or Closed?

Behind this simple question lies a whole world of sensations, reflexes and very personal preferences. Some people close their eyes without giving it a second thought. Others like to keep their eyes half-open, if only for a moment, to catch a look, a smile or a reaction.

And in between are all the nuances imaginable. Because a kiss is never just a gesture. It’s a mood, an intention, a way of connecting.

For most people, closing your eyes whilst kissing someone is pretty much automatic.

It’s not really a conscious decision, more of a reflex. As soon as the other person approaches, contact happens and your attention is focused on sensations, the eyelids close automatically.

And this isn’t so surprising.

Closing your eyes helps you to forget about everything but the current moment, lets your surroundings melt away for an instant, so you can concentrate on the essential: the warmth of breath, the softness of skin, the rhythm and overall proximity.

Taking away sight helps the body to feel other sensations more acutely.

It can also be a reassuring gesture. Closing your eyes is often a way of letting go, renouncing control and allowing yourself to fully appreciate the moment without overthinking it.

This is undoubtedly why kissing with our eyes closed remains the most natural act for most of us: it plunges us immediately into a more intimate, tender, sometimes more intense bubble.

On the flip side, kissing with your eyes open might seem a bit bizarre. In the collective imagination, it’s regarded as a funny, awkward, maybe even embarrassing move. In some contexts, it can be a particularly unsettling experience. However, it’s not always that strange.

Because if you keep your eyes open, even just a little, the kiss takes on a different feel.

You don’t have to focus on physical sensations, your eyes can join in on the fun.

This detail can boost tension. Seeing your partner up close and personal, watching their expressions, giving a sultry smile, your eyes locking on to one another… all of these things provide a whole different level of intensity.

Less of a “romantic bubble”, perhaps. But sometimes more electrifying.

Having your eyes open adds another level to the kiss: more presence, more fun, a more immediate connection.

It’s not a colder way of kissing. It’s simply another way of enjoying the moment.

In truth, there’s no right or wrong way to kiss someone. Eyes open or closed, it all depends on context.

A tender, calm, enveloping kiss is more naturally aligned with keeping your eyes closed. A playful, tension-charged kiss might lean itself more to keeping your eyes open.

Lots of people even alternate without realising.

Ultimately, this small detail tells us one thing above all: a kiss is never set in stone. It changes with desire, with the atmosphere, with the relationship.

Many discussions about kissing insinuate that there’s a ‘right way to do it’.

The right angle.
The right rhythm.
The right intensity.
And to some extent, the right way to use your eyes.

But the kisses we really remember aren’t always the most controlled ones. They’re often the most passionate ones.

Those that make you smile.
Those that take you by surprise.
Those who take half a second before revealing themselves.
Those who don’t try to be perfect, just sincere.

By trying to be the perfect kisser, you may just end up taking yourself out of the moment. This is exactly what makes a kiss so good: when it’s spontaneous, surprising and a little unexpected. The best kiss doesn’t necessarily follow some sort of instruction manual, it’s the one that feels right.

​International Kissing Day is the perfect excuse to bring kissing back to the forefront of your intimate sessions.

Not just as a reflex.
Not just as a prelude.
But as a moment in its own right.

It’s also a chance to notice the simplest of things:

• Do you close your eyes without even thinking about it?
• Do you like to hold each other’s gaze for a moment?
• Do you prefer slow, teasing, tender kisses, or more intense ones?

You don’t have to turn the moment into a personality test. It’s just a matter of giving a little more attention to a gesture we sometimes think we know by heart… even though it can still take us by surprise.

So, should you be kissing with your eyes open or closed? The answer is probably a lot more simple than you may think: do whatever feels right.

Closing your eyes makes it easier to give in to sensations. Keeping them open intensifies connection and adds a touch of erotic tension.

There’s no option better than the other. They’re simply two different ways to experience an intimate moment.

This International Kissing Day, perhaps the most interesting thing isn’t to look for the right technique, but to rediscover the joy of kissing with presence, curiosity and desire.