Revel Body

November 19th, 2013

This is an archive post. SheVibe no longers sells the Revel Body or attachments.

revel body
What can I say about a vibrator that others have dubbed the “shit orb”? Seriously. I guess I’ll start by saying I don’t think this is necessarily a shitty toy. In fact, it uses some new technology and does some things in a way that make sense to me. However, as a whole, it’s a very peculiar vibrator that’s going to work for a very particular sort of person. I think the success of a sex toy often hinges on its versatility, but if the Revel Body doesn’t work for you, there’s no “plan b” about it. $180 is a lot of money for a toy that just might not work for you. Fortunately — unfortunately for the company — I expect a lot of these will go up for sale or swap as us reviewers finish with them.

But let me tell you what you need to know about this toy to see if you’d like it. The Revel Body is a spherical base with a cylindrical hole down the center. The hole and base of the attachments are magnified so they stick together when you insert it. This is brand new to me, and the magnetic attraction is amazingly strong. Don’t worry about it not working because it’s not going anywhere during use. This led me to stick the attachments to my refrigerator. So that’s kinda cool.

There are multiple attachments, and I’ll talk about them in another post. The main attachment has a rounded shape. It’s inconspicuous, boring perhaps. There head is made of silicone that’s squishier than the rest of the toy. The silicone sphere has a texture that’s quite easy to grasp. I rather like this about it. It’s not so small that it will cramp your hand. It’s not the first time that I’ve enjoyed a round toy.

The vibrations transmit through the magnetism so that the entire attachment vibrators in the hole. Of course, this means it’s the type of toy that you can’t achieve a lot of pressure with; otherwise, it dulls the sensation. This is absolutely a deal-breaker for me, which is a shame. I rather enjoy pressure, but I also like something about the revel body…

The vibrations. They’re rather deep and rumbly, and they’re designed to be that way rather than strong. I can deal with weaker vibrations if they’re strong. Interestingly, as you increase the strength of the vibrations, the frequency goes up. The manual explains that it’s the third setting or so that is the deepest. They feel buzzier as you increase them. In fact, you can continue to increase the frequency to the point where you can’t even feel it. This happened to me, and I could have swore the Revel Body was broken. I guess I don’t understand the point of these “higher” settings, like why do they even exist?

I was instructed to press the “-” button five times to fix it, which worked. However, the idea that the strongest/deepest vibrations are somewhere in the middle just makes sense to me. I just.. don’t need anything else. Nevertheless, you get both high and low power. Press the power button to switch — the light strength indicates high or low. At many settings, I didn’t notice a difference. In many ways, Revel Body just seems overly complicated.

Furthermore, I need to be able to apply some sort of pressure, and the Revel Body just doesn’t provide it. You get a sphere that doesn’t do anything when it actually makes contact with you. You have to hold it at a very particular location away from your body and this is just annoying. Obviously, this isn’t the type of toy where you just turn it on and stick it in or on wherever you want to stimulate. It’s sort of like the Eroscillator in that this is a toy that you have to learn, not one that learns you. And let’s be honest.. ain’t nobody got time for that.

Another issue is that it’s the loudest on those most rumbly settings. This is because the attachment is moving the most in the hole. It certainly makes sense, but the Revel Body is not whisper quiet in any way, not like the site suggests. It’s more like some of the wands, and your body won’t muffle this sound because you can’t press it to yourself.

If you do happen to like hte Revel Sonic, note that it’s fully waterproof thanks to the design. This makes cleaning easy, too. It charged on a donut-shaped base where contacts meet together. It looks kind of cool, sort of futuristic but that means jack if the toy doesn’t get you off. The vibe comes with a USB cable and an AC adapter, so you can charge it from an outlet or your computer. Yawn. This is expected now. According to the manual, 90 minutes get you a full charge, and you’ll get about 60 minutes of use per charge.

So what can I say? It’s interesting. There’s some ideas I like. The design is sharp, but Revel Body will probably never get me off.

3 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Followup Reviews: Gigi 2 and more

November 4th, 2013

Lelo Gigi 2

Lelo Gigi 2

Lelo Gigi 2

The folks at Lelo wanted to send me a new Gigi 2 after my review. They suggested that it was defective, so I now have a cherry-colored Gigi 2, too. That’s a weird sentence, eh? So I charged them both up to full power to compare. One thing I noticed is that the second one holds charge a lot better than the original one I received in grey. That one died after a couple tests and one use. There was no life in it, so I had to charge it just to compare.

The second Gigi 2 I received seems slightly stronger, but it’s still a pretty buzzy vibe all around. Lelo has definitely made better IMO.

Sheer Lace Top Thigh High Stockings With Backseam

I also have to report some serious disappointment with the thigh highs that I reviewed shortly ago. I put them on for testing purposes, intending to wear them for my Halloween party. When I slipped them on, without catching on anything, I got a huge run down one of the stockings. Despite the fact that I had leg warmers over them all night so there was no way for them to become (more) damaged, they were ripped to shreds and hanging off my feet in my shoes by the end of the night. Just.. no. Ugh.

I mean, I don’t expect these things to last forever but.. c’mon!

3 Comments

Categories: Lingerie, Reviews, Vibrators

Revive EnerG Review and Giveaway

October 11th, 2013

Revive Ener G.

Revive Ener G.
$61.64 from Of Sex and Love Store

I just got off the phone with Cinnamon, and we laughed as I said that I didn’t need another G-spot vibe. I really don’t. At this point, it either works or it doesn’t. I could sum up all my reviews in two or three words if I really wanted to.

Except for this one. What makes the EnerG the exception? I’m going to guess it’s the dual motors and the specific patterns that my G-spot seems to respond to, but let me backup.

It’s yellow. Bright freakin’ yellow with a tinge of green. It’s a brighter version of the pistachio green than my new Layaspot came in. It’s exactly the type of color for someone who hates pink. Also, I kinda like the box with its greens and purples. It’s modern, but it could do without the forever-happy chick laughing on the side. If you took that away, I’d really like the packaging, which is recyclable and easy for me to forget about.

One thing that I didn’t forget about was the bag it comes with. It’s this super smooth microsuede type fabric with bright yellow ribbons to cinch it. However, after I popped the vibrator into the bag for a few days, there were dark spots on the silicone when I pulled it out. It’s like wearing a brand new pair of jeans that turn your legs blue. It doesn’t mean you can’t use it, but it certainly makes the vibrator less pretty to look at as you can see in the picture below. I have a leper vibe, now.

The newer vibes do not ship with this bag for this very reason, though.

Dye spots on the Energ

Dye spots on the EnerG

 

This is also a good shop of the design of the toy. There’s a G-spot curve and a silver band toward the base, which gives it a rather attractive appearance overall in my opinion. It’s not a gigantic vibrator by any means. It’s 7.5-inches long overall, with about 5 inches are insertable. The vibe curves and flattens out in different ways. Toward the base, it’s flatter — think the Minna Ola — and about 2 inches wide, though you may not fully insert the toy at this point. The G-spot curve is narrower across but about 1.5 inches wide through the front and back.

I found it comfortably filling. The silicone, while flexible, has a density that lends to this sensation. The curve worked well for me, and it was easy to use. The red backlight under the buttons, which have audible and tactile feedback, makes them super easy to see. You could almost use it as a flashlight in the dark.

One button powers it on, the other cycles through settings. Blush describes this as having seven functions. There’s a high and low steady vibration from both the motors — the one in the tip and the around the silver band. There’s usually three settings on vibes, so keep this in mind. They are of medium strength but quite buzzy. The other five settings are a slow pulsation, long pulsation, fast pulsation, a pulsation back and forth between the two motors and fast pulsation of both motors.

The regular pulsation is pretty typical, and the single motor isn’t impressive by itself. While I didn’t enjoy the steady vibration from both vibes simultaneously, my G-spot really responded to the back-and-forth sensation. I found myself squirting more forcibly and.. with more length than I ever have. It was a surprising but fun shock.

I can’t make any promises for anyone else, but with a price of just over $60, this rechargeable vibrator is quite the deal. When it comes to charging, there’s a port on the bottom and a thick cover that protects it from water. The charger that this comes with is USB, and it comes with its own adapter. I am liking USB-powered vibes.

With that said, one of the readers at Of Sex and Love will have a chance to win their very own EnerG. Good luck!

Revive EnerG Giveaway

Follow the prompts in the widget below to enter. I’ll contact the randomly-generated winner for shipping information. I am not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Click here if the widget doesn’t load.

Giveaway is open to US and international residents where shipping is allows and ends November 10.

Blush-assorted-toys

8 Comments

Categories: Giveaways, Reviews, Vibrators

Lelo Gigi 2

September 16th, 2013

Gigi 2

Gigi 2
$119 from Of Sex and Love Store

In case you missed it, I posted a follow-up review for the Gigi 2.

As hard as it might be to believe, I never tried the original Gigi or any toys with similar shapes. While plenty of folks loved the shape of Gigi for G-spot stimulation, I didn’t know if I would. I had plenty of toys that stroked and vibrated in all the right ways, and I knew that original Lelo toys were lacking in strength. So when the company released a second version, I decided it was time I give it a try.

Lelo has been experimenting with colors with the release of Gigi 2 and other toys, like Liv 2. Deep rose is still an option, but I chose cool gray. My photo makes it look darker than it is. It’s really quite light. You can also get yours in pink and turquoise. I really like the gray color with the matte silicone.

Reviewers have stressed the size — or lack there of — of Gigi for years. But you just can’t imagine how tiny this thing is until it’s in your hands. It’s barely 7 inches long, and you’ve got almost 4 inches to play with, literally. If you want length for thrusting, this toy isn’t it. Neither is it the toy for you if you prefer weight for stroking, which is one reason why I like glass and stone. The Gigi is ridiculously light, rivaling my iPod Nano and making my 4-inch phone feel like a fucking brick.

Girth-wise, Gigi 2 is the same as the original — or so I’d assume. The largest place it as the head, where it’s angled. There is a diameter of 1.5″ at the widest point, but the shaft is oblong rather than round. However, it might feel a little larger to some because it’s so rigid. While the insertable portion is covered in velvety silicone that managed to feel soft, the rigid interior means there’s no give to Gigi.

What I’m working up to here is how Gigi is a lot like a rabbit vibrator. Either it’s perfect for you and it works, or it’s off in any tiny way and it’s not going to work for you at all. Period. Sorry. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200 — or get your $170 worth.

If you haven’t guessed already, Gigi did not work for me. I think this vibrator goes to show just how pronounced my pubic bone is. Insertion means that Gigi “hooks” on it, poking and prodding uncomfortably. There should not be angles there, my G-spot would say if it could talk. All in all, it’s an experience that I would label as unpleasant at the very least.

What about vibrations, you ask? Let me tell you about them. The product pages claims “100% increase in power.” I will tell you that the vibes are concentrated at the tip of this toy. They’re also buzzy and weak. I can only assume that there’s supposed to be an improvement over the original, but if this is the case, the original must suck. Other reviewers have claimed little change, however.

One thing that did change — somewhat — are the controls. They’re the same, but the button construction is different. Before, Lelo used soft, silicone buttons. Now, we have a unibody plastic button. I fucking hate it. The buttons are smaller, which is a pain if you’ve got nails, large fingers or lube on your hands. You can’t tell from touch alone which button does what, and you need more pressure to push each of the buttons. I was frustrated while using this.

I count 9 or 10 different steady vibration modes that are lackluster because of the buzzy vibes. There’s also:

  • slow pulsation
  • fast pulsation
  • faster pulsation
  • escalation
  • a different escalation
  • some setting that sounds like the Gigi 2 is trying to sing to me

The charging port is now lined with metal but includes no cover. Lelo says that this one is fully waterproof, so wash it, shower with it or take it in the bath. There’s no port cover, which always makes me anxious. I have no tub, however, so it’s a moot point for me.

As you’d expect, Gigi 2 comes with a charging cable, the typical warranty information, a packet of lube, a stiff satin drawstring pouch and Lelo’s packaging. It looks nice, but it takes up too much room. The newer toys also come with an “authenticity card” which includes the serial number and information about registering your product to get the 1o-year warranty. I haven’t had problems with Lelo toys breaking or dying, but it’s useful information.

It’s a shame that such an attractive toy is such a letdown.

5 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Ovo T1 Vibrator

August 13th, 2013

T1 Lay On Vibe in Metallic Violet

T1 Lay On Vibe in Metallic Violet
$27.99 from PinkCherry

I’m always excited when I learn of new toy brands. It was no exception with Ovo, a European country that uses these wonderful shades of purple that I cannot resist. Yes, I know. You all hate purple. I fucking love it. Deal with it.

They have so many toys that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart, actually. I compared the various internal and clitoral vibes and decided that I’d go for one of the “lay on” style. Ovo makes both battery-powered and rechargeable vibes, but Pinkcherry currently only carries the battery-powered style, so I opted for the T1.

I knew it would be a tiny toy, but this thing is just minuscule in my hand. Yes, even my tiny, child-like hands. For comparison., here’s the toy next to Siri and Layaspot. Now, it’s so small that you almost have to wonder how they can fit a battery and a motor in there. My best guess? They didn’t – not really.

Ovo uses a single AAA, which should have warned me in the beginning. I don’t generally like toys that use 2 AAAs, so this would be underpowered for me, of course. Now, it’s better than any watch battery-powered vibe, yes. In fact, its output surprised me, but you have to get the battery in there, and that’s just a trial.

I suppose the design of this vibe is intended for you to pinch the backside with your middle finger and thumb, leaving your index finger to operate it. I always press down on the nose of the toy, so this is lost on me. However, there’s a plastic panel on the underside of this toy that you’re supposed to remove to inert the battery. A little dimple lets me know that this is the case, but you’re going to need the power of Christ to compel it open. Seriously. It’s a bitch. Unless you’re Wolverine, you fingernails will break before you get this open. Every time I’ve opened the battery pack, I’ve had to wedge something in there to do this. The thing that you wedge in there has to be pretty tiny, however. Like a metal nail file. Keys are too big. The rest of the underside of the toy is silicone, while the top if velvety plastic.

And the battery cover definitely isn’t waterproof or even splash proof. I gave it a normal washing, and when I popped off the cover, a bunch of water dripped out. This is a clusterfuck of terrible. Even if I loved this toy, I would likely forget about it after the battery died the first time.

So, once you get the battery in the damned thing, there’s a tiny plastic button to push. Yes, it’s got haptic feedback. No, I don’t like it. The button is so small that my fingertip takes up almost the whole thing. What do I want? I don’t know. Anything else. Two buttons. A bigger button. Something, anything that isn’t just designed to be form over function.

I’d like to point out that sticking sharp objects against plastic vibes tends to, you know, scratch the fuck out of them. Man, I almost feel like I’m writing a review for the original iPhone. “Looks great, for 5 minutes.” And, really, all the toys in this line are aesthetically appealing to me, but I just don’t think that’s enough. They’ve got to get me off. Like, hello? That’s the point, guys.

It’s a shame that the power output of this is so meager because I do like the shape. The way that it swoops out under the back of the toy creates a greater angle that better cups my mons, like the Layaspot. I can get a bit more pressure with this vibe than I can with Siri.

Layaspot, Siri and Ovo

At about 1 inch tall and 3 inches long, the tiny toy fits in my panties, and it’s certainly a better option for that type of stimulation than the ridiculous bullets you get with “vibrating panties.” The shape is likely unobtrusive enough to use during partner sex, but I haven’t tried it that way. You can see from my photo that this is smaller than Layaspot and Siri; although, it’s not shiny like it looks in the photo. My flash kept washing it out.

Do I really like anything about this toy? Yes. Sure, the plastic has a satin finish, and the particular shade of purple – metallic violet, they call it – really grabs me. But this isn’t exactly seamless, especially around the battery pack. The packaging indicates luxury without being bulky or hard to recycle. This T1 comes in a little box and sits snugly in a foam insert. There’s a cutout where the manual and guide sit vertically. These are tiny little books are about 1” square. It’s compact and a great use of space, but it’s not a saving grace.

So my verdict? This is not a toy worth the suggested price. PinkCherry $28 price tag is certainly more fair, but I would pass on all the Ovo vibes with a similar power source. Ovo has really underwhelmed me. I guess the tiny size indicates that this company has failed to look at the big picture.

 

7 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Tracey Cox dare! Travel Vibrator

July 10th, 2013

Tracey Cox dare!

Tracey Cox dare!
$36.99 from Lovehoney

You know anything billed as a travel vibrator is almost designed to fail. And I hate vibes that use AAAs, but the weird shape of this one lured me in and I took the plunge. The odd shape makes it hard to photograph and I just had to know what it was like in my hand. It’s good news, then, that I don’t hate it. It’s kind of an awkward sex toy, but Dare! isn’t the worst vibrator I’ve ever tried. I’d recommend it if you have a limited budget and want something simple that’s travel-friendly and discreet, but I might recommend other toys first.

So, let’s talk about that shape. The Dare! is this flattish, rounded toy. Let me explain. It’s like a makeup compact that’s stretched to become more oblong than perfectly round. It’s much larger and thicker, of course. In fact, it doesn’t actually fit in the palm of the hand, which you can see in the product photos. The white “base” of the compact shape is thicker, so it resembles a skinny egg if you’re looking at it from the side. I don’t even pretend that I am a decent enough photographer to snap a shot. You just need to take my word for it.

The result of this unique shape is that you can use the Dare! travel vibrator in several ways. Press the flatter part against your body or wedge either the tip of base between your labia. This actually provides a bit of hands-free stimulation because you can hold the vibe in place between your thighs. It’s a bit bulky, but I was even able to slip it below my panties. The vertical position is probably the best because the vibrations are focused in the tip of the pink end. The design is all hard and sleek plastic, so there’s not any difference in how it’s going to feel. The slickness means little need for lube, and the rounded but firm tip on this toy worked well for pressure without stabbing myself.

However, I don’t see this as a couples vibe. How the hell are you going to use it during sex if you’re doing cowgirl or missionary? Doggie style would work in the most awkward of ways. Sorry, folks. It might work for body massage, though.

And the vibrations are surprisingly deep considering that this thing uses 2 AAA batteries, which you insert by twisting the white and pink portions of the toy away from one another. They’re still not super strong, but I don’t think I’ve felt vibes this deep from any toy that uses AAAs as a power source, and that’s saying something! My vulva doesn’t get all tingly and numb because the vibrations are high-pitched. The battery pack design makes this toy splashproof, so it’s safe to wash with soap and water and probably take into the shower, but the sensation from the water might drown out the vibes.

The settings include a low, medium and high steady vibration. There are also three pulsation settings, but as the Dare! vibe is only comparatively powerful, it’s not powerful enough to make those work for me.

One thing that definitely doesn’t work for me is the button placement. It’s on the side, protruding from the decorative silver band. This means you need to stick your fingertip or nail into the gap to press it. This sucks. My nails bend. Yours might break. The button is small enough that some fingers will be too big to reach it even without nails, and it’s hard to push. You really need to give it some oomph. To turn off the toy, you have to press and hold the button, which is even worse. There’s plenty of surface area where the button could be placed, so I don’t understand this.

While I was surprised by the vibes on this toy and enjoyed the shape more than I anticipated, the frustrating controls are going to prevent me from using it on a frequent basis or, perhaps, ever again.

2 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

U Touch Down

June 17th, 2013

U Touch down

U Touch down
$85 from http://store.ofsexandlove.com/

The second piece in the U Touch line is a gently-curving internal vibrator called the Touch Down. Topco graciously sent me this in addition to the Touch Up, which I previously reviewed. That vibrator was constructed well and reminded me of Siri, but I really do like Lelo’s offerings better. The Touch Up doesn’t look all that different from Lelo’s Liv or the similar vibe by Sportsheets. There is a version with a more pronounced head, but I don’t need that for G-spot stimulation.

Aside from the shape, there’s really nothing different between the Touch Up and Touch Down. They have the same packaging, for example. I didn’t post the photos from the Touch Up because I wanted to do the comparison shots with Siri, but you can see them here. There’s an outer cardboard sleeve, and inside of this is a thicker box that opened with flaps.

IMAG0834-1Magnets inside the flaps open to reveal the vibrator on the right and the adapter and instructions on the left. These items are in a thin box inside a narrow divider. The use of space seems a little weird because much of it is empty. Overall the presentation is nice, but it’s not really functional. I mean, the box is big and clunky and there’s no storage pouch. I really prefer a pouch to any other method of storage, and the lack there-of seems like an incredibly oversight here. Get it together, guys.

I do like the design though. It’s gentle and middle-of-the-line in terms of size. It’s easy to hold and reaches my g-spot; although, you might need something more drastic if yours is tucked further behind your pubic bone. There’s about 5 inches to insert with a few inches of hard plastic as the base where the controls sit. The base tapers to this narrow, almost-flat shape that I actually find easy to hold and maneuver.

With a girth of 1.3″, this toy is easy to insert with a little bit of lube and no warmup. It’s not the toy for a size queen, however. The silky silicone does not have a discernible seam to the touch. I like how it feels in my hand, but it collects lint. Duh. I shouldn’t even have to say this in reviews anymore. Let’s just call it “that lint sucking material.”

Topco uses slightly thicker layers of silicone where the toy bulges out at the G-spot area, so it’s a bit softer. However, the whole thing is softer in general than you might imaging from the photos. I’m not talking squishy and bendable, but a little give if you really squeeze it. If you find other toys a little too poky, this might be a better design for you. Overall, I prefer the design of the Touch Down to the Touch Up.

IMAG0837-1

Like I said, the toy itself is pink and white. It looks slick, I must admit.Sure, there’s no cool colors, but you’re sticking it inside you. Who cares? The LED control panel looks cool, but it suffers from the exact same issues that I had with the Touch Up. It’s just not intuitive. There’s some good ideas, but the implementation is lacking.

You’d think that the four-button setup is pretty easy, and there is a + button as well as a – button. The other two cycle through other settings, too. However, the + button doesn’t turn on vibrations. Instead, you have to hold the up and down arrows simultaneously for a few seconds to turn it on and off. This is completely lacking in intuitiveness in my opinion. I should be able to turn it on by simply pressing the + button and turn it off by pressing the -.

What makes it worse is that all the toys in the U Touch line come with the same, generic instruction manual that doesn’t actually talk about the toy itself. It has general instructions for inserting batteries, when there are none. Nowhere does it say that you have to press both buttons to turn on the toy. There is a note about how the toy locks, and I do have to say that I like this feature. It locks while it’s on after five seconds of disuse. Because I frequently accidentally turn off vibes, I like this feature. Pressing the + and – buttons simultaneously unlocks it. Of course, I find that I have to stop playing and raise the toy to my face to see those buttons. Sadly, there’s no indication that you’ve turned it from locked to unlocked, which is pretty inconvenient.

IMAG0835-1I do still prefer this one, and it’s under $100. I wish I had Liv or a similar G-spot vibe to compare power. I don’t need much on my G-spot, so I don’t think that I can accurately be the litmus test for consumers at large. That.. and a litmus test doesn’t use female ejaculate. Har har.

However, I did compare it to all the other G-spot vibes I had handy and charged and.. the Touch Down was weaker than all of them on their lower settings than its highest.

  • The Form 6 G3 might be slightly weaker at its lower settings but is deeper
  • The highest setting of Touch Down is comparable to the third or fourth setting on the Mona. My Mona 2 is dead.
  • Minna Ola, which is really too weak for me, is stronger.
  • The Key Ceres and Nomi Tang Getaway.

As you can see, I couldn’t find a single toy that was weaker, and it was hard enough to find one that was on par with the U Touch Down’s power output. Really, none of the vibes on this list, save for the Form 6 G3, are anything more than middle-of-the-line. So, there’s that.

This isn’t a loud toy by any means, but it does seem to run at a put that’s just a little bit louder than you’d expect. Will your parents bust down the door because “What are you cutting with a chainsaw?” No. Then again, I doubt they’ll rescue you from your throes of passion due to the Touch Down.

I wanted to love this toy, and while I don’t hate it, it’s just not wooing me.

2 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.