If you’re on the hunt for any BDSM or kink gear, consider ordering through my Stockroom Affiliate link. There’s an affiliate contest going on right now and if three of you order the Neon Wand, a super-affordable violet wand, or if I get over $600 in sales, I’ll win a wand myself. I can’t deny, it looks pretty badass! I don’t think I’ll get near qualifying but if you’re going to be doing some shopping anyway, help us both out!
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We Vibe Tango Giveaway
September 13th, 2011
I was thoroughly impressed with the depth of my WeVibe II–that is, you know, before I broke it. I actually won a replacement so I’m super happy about that. I was just as impressed with the depth of the vibrations that the WeVibe Tango boasted. While not the strongest vibrator ever, the deep vibrations really resonated with me, both physically and mentally. It’s weird, I want to let you know how much I like those toys but apparently I haven’t reviewed either of them on my blog.
Suffice it to say that I liked the toys so much that I want you to have one of them. Specifically, Funwares is offering a WeVibe Tango to one of my visitors. This tiny, lipstick style vibrator offers deeper vibrators, a unique magnetic charging system and comes with its own satin bag for storage.
If you’d like to get your hands on your very own We-Vibe Tango, keep reading!
- Mandatory: Tell me about your dancing skills or something that you do really well with a partner.
- Leave a relevant/thoughtful comment on any other recent (three months or so) post. Leave a comment here with a link to your comment.
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway (once daily). For example: @adriana_r is giving away one WeVibe Tango courtesy of @FunWares. Visit of Sex and Love to enter https://ofsexandlove.com/2011/09/13/we-vibe-tango-giveaway/ Ends 9/30
- Stumble/like this post on StumbleUpon (you can find a handy Share/Save widget on every post page that allows you to submit this post to social bookmarking sites).
- Blog about this giveaway, including a link directly to this post.
- Add Funwares on Twitter.
This giveaway will remain open until September 30 and is open generally worldwide so American, Canadian, British and Australian residents can enter!
148 Comments
20/20
September 11th, 2011
As I was listening to a random song on the radio, the crooner predicted that his girlfriend would leave him at the encouragement of her friends, who never saw anything in him. I was often in her position, and still am to be honest. I find myself defending my ex-husband to my friends. Sure, he did some stupid things, worthy of some sort of douchebag award. Am I disenchanted with certain aspects of his personality after time apart? Of course. But was there no reason to love him, nothing good to see in him? I could never honestly say that and we all know how much I despise liars, after having been married to one.
Still, if there is one thing I regret about my marriage and relationship leading up to it, it is not listening to the advice of my friends–none of whom liked my husband and none of whom like him any more now. That isn’t to say that I would have dumped him or even that I wouldn’t have married him but my friends were not biased with their affection for him (and not they’re completely biased by their affection for me, the person he hurt) and they could more easily see some things.
Perhaps, had I noticed how he tended to be immature and quit and had I taken into account how little of the real world he had had to deal with and how someone or something had always provided for him, I would have viewed things differently. Perhaps I could have acted in ways that would have been less bothersome to him or less triggering of his particular idiosyncrasies.
Or maybe I just would have pushed for counseling, before and during our marriage, to ensure a stable relationship. Maybe none of this would have made any difference. Perhaps he would give up anyway. Perhaps I could be nothing but the pursuer in our relationship, pushing him even further from me. I guess that’s why they say it doesn’t pay to ask “What If?” but I would disagree. After all, aren’t these the very questions that help us from making the same mistakes in the future?
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Turtle
September 8th, 2011
Turtle
$75
from Papaya Toys
There was a lot of attention garnered to Papaya Toys when they first emerged. Folks loved the whimsical designs, body-safe silicone and bright colors. I was not immune to this and lusted over the toys for some time. After the initial wave of toys went out to reviewers, the presses halted as the folks went back to work to tweak their toys a bit. I was impressed with a company who was actually listening to people like myself and was finally able to try out a Papaya Toy, the Turtle, recently. I want to say thank you to Pam and everyone at Papaya Toys for being so awesome for providing the product.
My first impression of Turtle, in its white and pink box, was positive. The packaging was pretty and the bright green turtle sat atop a black satin back. My package included a business card and the box itself had an introduction to the company and a separate manual for the toys (which all use the same controls). I didn’t take the time to read the instructions and I wish I had.
You see, the Turtle and its siblings have a unique bow-tie control that contains “two” buttons. The quotations are due to the fact that there’s obviously a third button in center.. or one of my buttons is off or extenders too far to the middle. Regardless, this extra button clicks all on its own and seems to share some functions with the “+” button but doesn’t act as a master power button. So I spent a whole bunch of time trying to figure out why the hell they’d use three buttons.
I was doubly confused because the buttons function differently than most vibrators. I kept trying to push the buttons to increase vibration strength when pushing them changes modes (pushing the “-” button once actually turns the Turtle off) and holding them increase or decreases strength. This is a method that I don’t mind but usually throws me for a loop in the beginning.
So here I am completely befuddled. It just doesn’t make sense. Two buttons would make perfect sense: the buttons would each be placed on the widest ends of the bow-tie. Five buttons would be confusing but not as much as three: each vertex would house a button. But three? There’s a button on either end and one in the center but the buttons are along one of the long edges of the bow-tie so it just feels.. confusing. Should there be more buttons along the other edge? Is this actually a button? Why does the power button not turn this thing off?
Then I read the instructions and realized there’s only supposed to be two buttons and either I’m missing the center just right to make the “+” button work (even though it clicks separately) or.. I don’t know. Defect? Poor placement on my model? I can’t even begin to answer the question but, once I figured out how it worked, and tried to keep my finger from the center, it made a little more sense.
Unfortunately, this is when the Turtle completely failed to whelm me proportionately (you know, instead of underwhelming me). There is one mode of steady vibration and two pulsation modes. The pulsing is interesting but the continuous vibes are pretty lackluster. I’ve used a lot of toys that rely on 2AAs and they’re much deeper and stronger than this toy. This is one of those vibrators where you can easily mistake the highest setting for the low. Even though I can hear the difference when changing the toy, there isn’t much difference to be felt. In my hand, it tickles more on high because the vibrations are more shallow but in use? Can’t tell.
It’s frustrating because the toy is thick enough that it seems like you could get another battery in there and that would really make a difference. However, this might mess with the reversible battery pack. I like that it doesn’t matter which direct or orientation I place it in but I’d gladly sacrifice that for stronger vibes. Plus, the battery cap–which is just the end of the toy–is damned fickle. You really have to push it down onto the toy before you can screw it on. It’s a two hand job.
I find the size of the battery pack/controls to be awkward in itself. It reminds me of some of the rabbits I’ve had and it’s pretty hard to control with my short arms. It has a total length of 9.3″ and three or so inches is dedicated to the battery cap. At its widest (where the battery cap meets the shaft), the diameter is 1.65″. We’re talking some bulk and the silicone makes it feel quite heavy.
The silicone also has a wonderfully velvet texture and I absolutely adore the turtle design. The lines remind me of a lower shell and there’s a small nub, on the head of the Turtle, that should be ideal for G-spot stimulation. Not my G-spot, apparently. Because it’s so shallow, this vibrator completely misses it when resting comfortably inside. The narrowest part (around 1″ diameter) of the shaft sits parallel to my G-spot but, because it’s narrow, doesn’t touch it. I have to awkwardly angle it forward in order to get G-spot stimulation. Although the shaft has some give, the awkwardness makes it hard for me to bend it.
I also can’t feel the Turtle design internally. Sadness. However, I did enjoy the rounded head for clitoral stimulation and, I did squirt a ton after all that wrangling. Odd.
So, the Turtle is one of those toys that looks great. I love the idea of it but it’s just awkward in practice because of its size and bulk, finicky battery cap and whatever is going on with the buttons. If it hadn’t been so awkward, I would have loved to recommend it to anyone whose G-spot is more traditionally located. I’d love to see a new line of Papaya Toys that are slimmer and sleeker, with more power and.. buttons that do what they should.
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Shunga Passion Apple Massage Oil
September 5th, 2011
Shunga Massage Oil
$14.95
from FunWares
When it comes to massage oils, like lubes, I’m not entirely pick. Does it glide a bit? Does it ease stress on the hands? Do I feel disgusting afterward? Will my skin be all sparkly (but not like a vampire)? The right answers to those questions–yes, yes no and yes, respectively–will garner a generally positive review with me. The thing that is bound to set apart a massage product, or any sensual item really, is the scent.
And boy did Shunga get it right with their Massage Oil. I decided to try something different than my typical choice of red berries. Red apples it was. Actually, I don’t know if this oil smells like red apples or green or a mixture of both but it’s crisp, fruity, delicious and exactly apple-y. Not apple-like. Not apple-ish but apple-y. It reminds me of a diffuser oil I bought a while back (and now I may have to try to find it again). My only real complaint is that the smell doesn’t last as long as some of my other massage products. It definitely fades quickly and this makes me a sad panda.
I would have to say that while Shunga’s performance doesn’t outshine any other massage oil (eh, they’re oils LOL), the scent is probably me second favorite–ever. It’s only right behind the Oil of Love in raspberry that I reviewed forever ago and, to be honest, that will probably remain my favorite massage oil if only because it’s also flavored and heating!
Shunga does have the heads up in that is has a larger bottle. In fact, the eight ounces of the massage oil is more than any other massage oil product I own and I’d hazard a guess that it’s the most affordable, per ounce. Secondly, the bottle uses the push top cap that most massage oils use. However, I have the older style of bottle with the cork and it’s messy and not foolproof.
So, if you’re into massage and want to try a different scent, Shunga’s Massage Oil in Passion Apple is something that probably won’t ever go up on my ToySwap list and you should buy it yourself. 😉
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Maximus
September 2nd, 2011
Maximus
Maximus parent company Bodywise, which also makes Liquid Silk, has a limited US presence due to FDA regulations. You can purchase Maximus from Bodywise as well as a few other retailers, but it’s no longer readily available.
Maximus is a water-based lube that has long been touted by fans of anal sex because it’s thick and more or less stays where you put it. Although I can’t even remember the last time when I ventured into anal territory, I enjoy thick lubes that stay where I put them because I’m a toy fiend. There’s nothing worse than lubing up a toy, only to have it drip all over your hands, or erotica book, or partner or floor or bed (see my point?) on its way to your target destination. So I like my lubes a little thicker.
Yet, in the past, I’ve used lubes that were so thick that they not only stayed exactly where I put them but they felt solid and thus lacked in any lubricating goodness whatsoever. This is not the case with Maximus which is a thin, gel-like lube. It’s definitely not a liquid but it does move, eventually. If you hold a toy upright, the lube will slow obey the forces of gravity. But not so much that I wind up covered in it, which I enjoy. It’s actually thinner than I would expect and the opening in the bottle is a little thicker so it came out faster than I was ready for. I’ve got it down now.
Texture-wise, Maximus is pretty silky and it just keeps going and going. I generally test between my fingers when I write a review so I can give you an idea how long it takes for a lube to dry up and whether it gets stick as it does. My fingers are starting to become sore from rubbing together and they’re still silky, although not as slick, and not sticky at all.
Because this is a water-based lube, it’ll wash right away with water. This is bad in showers but good when it comes to washing off your body or toys after playtime. I didn’t taste it but it has no recognizable smell. It’s completely safe for internal play and with your silicone toys as well.
In summary: Maximus might be the best water-based lube I’ve ever use. Kthnxbai.
1 Comment
Mia Winner
September 2nd, 2011
I’m so on the ball with this! My giveaway has just ended less than two hours ago and I already have the announcement of your winner.
She is the lovely Dusk in Chains and she will be receiving an e-mail shortly.
Thank you all for entering and keep posted for the next giveaway!
