Kiss and tell.
A woman who didn’t have her first kiss until the age of 32 is now speaking out about being a “late bloomer,” telling others not to worry if they fear they’re falling behind.
“I spent so many years worrying about what people would think about me,” Allora Dannon, now 34, told SWNS.”
The Rochester resident says she’s now delving into the world of romance and is even exploring her “spicy” side.
Dannon says she spent her 20s hoping for a “meet cute” that would lead to her falling in love, but it never happened. She expected she would just meet someone or be hit on by guys.
But two years ago, in January 2023, the brunette decided she needed to put herself out there and challenged herself to go on as many dates as she could for one month.
She subsequently had her first smooch.
The kiss led to many other firsts for Dannon, including her first boyfriend and her first time having sex.
Sadly, a year later, it also led to her first break-up.
Now, Dannon is in another relationship and wants to share her expertise — even advising other late bloomers about the art of a good kiss.
“I want it to feel like advice from an older sister,” she said. “People forget how odd it is to put your mouth against someone else’s for the first time.”
Dannon said her “favorite number one tip” for kissing is to keep it simple and “keep it in your mouth,” or in other words, no tongue.
She described kissing as “using your lips to take off the top of an ice cream cone — imagining someone’s lips are the top of the ice cream.”
One thing that surprised Dannon during some of her first experiences was the noises of pleasure during make-out sessions.
“When I was first learning how to kiss with my ex he said, ‘If you’re having a good time you can moan,’” she shared. “I had no idea that was something people do.”
“It’s another act of physical intimacy. People are afraid of feeling stupid,” she explained. “It’s showing they are having too good of a time. If you’re having a good time let them know — it’s like giving a tip.”
She also said that a good make-out session can be a good “warm up” for sex.
“I needed it for the nerves to thaw,” Dannon admitted. “There were so many new sensations – him putting his hands in my hair, all of that physical sensation. If all you want to do is make-out that’s OK. It can be a confidence builder.”
Dannon noted that it’s good to be “curious” and to ask about things you want to try, no matter how “spicy” or “vanilla” — and shared that she had a “spicy list.”
“I’d ask ‘I’m curious about what a hickey feels like,’” she shared.
Dannon has written a book, which will release on Oct. 7, 2025, called “Who Is She?: A Late Bloomer’s Survival Guide,” which she described as a part memoir with practical tips and self-help.
“People go through adulthood with shame and think they are the only one. I didn’t know anyone else like me before I turned 30,” she said. “It’s for people to know you can come to any experience at any age.”
Read the full article here
