With an upcoming expansion of the Love Candy by Kendra collection and several new products from Shots Media, Evolved Novelties is in the midst of an ambitious year.

In November, Evolved Novelties announced a partnership with reality TV star Kendra Wilkinson, and by winter, Evolved Novelties had unveiled the Love Candy line of aphrodisiac-infused bath and body products made with super fruits such as açaí and goji berry. The Love Candy line is designed to be consumed as “rituals.”

The MyLoveCandy.com website quotes Wilkinson as saying: “My relaxation and romance rituals are very important to me and my relationship with Hank, which is how I discovered my passion for bath, beauty and body products. Now I’m ready to share my secrets with the world!”

Sold as kits, gift sets, bundles and individually, Love Candy offers the lickable lotion Body Drizzle, Smitten bath foam and bath essence, Lovephoria body lotion and massage oil, as well as Rendezvous room and linen freshener, dice and a four-point non-vibrating massager.

Marcus West, marketing director at Evolved Novelties, said that the first wave of the Love Candy products, which are available for purchase online, has been received with praise. He describes the line as approachable and distinctively “Kendra.”

“The packaging says ‘Powered by Evolved’ so that it’s known that it is part of our family, but Love Candy is clearly Kendra’s — it’s an natural extension of her brand,” West said. “She was an integral part of designing the collection.”

Likening Evolved and Wilkinson’s co-branding relationship to Michael Jordan and Nike; West said that Love Candy is a direct reflection of Wilkinson’s personality. “These are things designed for her, to create an environment of romance.”

“The collection is focused on creating romance,” West said. “There’s product for pre-engagement, engagement and postengagement and the products are all high quality, all made with all-natural ingredients.”

The Love Candy collection kit guides users through a step-bystep process to get in the mood for romance.

“In future releases we will continue to build on the rituals concept. Everything will be couples- oriented, active, fun, unique with that touch of whimsical that Kendra is known for,” West said.

Two years ago, Evolved Novelties inked an exclusive distribution deal with European adult novelty manufacturer Shots Media. With similar principles and history as a DVD company that evolved into a novelty manufacturer, Shots Media CEO and founder Oscar Heijnen and Evolved’s Greg Alves clicked; and according to West, the partnership has been successful ever since.

Shots Media distributes the Touché line of silicone products, as well as other DVD and novelty brands — including Evolved Novelties — throughout Europe.

In a private suite at the recent Las Vegas International Lingerie Show, Higgins unveiled new additions to Shots’ lineup, which includes the Maxi Twizzle Trigger, a 12-function wand, and the compelling three-sized remote-control eggs with a range that reaches up to 120 feet. Shots also introduced the Ouch! line of BDSM gear made from T-shirt cotton, which “there’s nothing else that compares to it,” Higgins says, “it’s sturdy and easy to clean.”

The Ouch! line also features restraints, hog ties, spreader bars, whips and paddles. Shots’ Touché brand, however, caters to a different consumer. “Touché is a high-end line — it’s all European silicone and motors and provides a different price point and premium experience for our customers.”

While Evolved Novelties’ current focus is on Love Candy and Shots Media, it continues to thrive internationally. According to the company, Evolved Novelties products are distributed to more than 25,000 stores worldwide with markets encompassing North America, South America, Europe, Russia, Africa, the Far East, Australia and more.

According to West, Evolved has earned its reputation for offering “great quality at approachable prices. People feel good about purchasing Evolved.”

“Our brand has been around for about five years and is the fast growing in the industry,” West said. “Domestically, we’ve outpaced our growth in terms of growth.”

In addition to quality and price, Evolved Novelties offers a oneyear warranty. The company also takes pride in its “power SKU philosophy,” said Higgins. “We don’t want to be in the business of over-SKUing — we don’t overstock and intend to keep our number of SKUs down, in comparison to other manufacturers.”

West also provided an outlook for the future of Evolved: “We’ll continue to innovate and keep women as our primary focus while and engaging their male partner and encouraging couples.”