Below you’ll find all of the sex toy reviews I’ve written at Of Sex and Love. Find my opinions on vibrators, dildos, media (sex education books, porn, DVDs and erotica), bondage and BDSM gear, lingerie, anal toys, lube, massage products, and more!
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I have a soft spot for the duckie vibrators. Time and again, they have proved to be not quite as functional as they are novel but I keep requesting them, anyway.
Thus, I am now the owner of an adorable Sweetheart I Rub My Duckie. Like the Santa duckie I already possessed, this one is travel sized and comes in a plastic heart. The duckie sits on a stand, against a pink background and she looks super glamorous through the clear plastic in front. A bow attaches to loops at the top of the plastic but you can pop the duckie out by removing the tape along the side.
The duckie has fashionable accessories: a feather boa that I think my cats have already stolen (removable because who wants to get it all yucky during play?). She is pristine in white/light cream with light teal eyes that are definitely feminine. She’s sort of like a monochrome version of the Paris Duckie, which I also own. There’s a tiny rhinestone jewel on her bill that adds to the feminine allure.
This particular duckie was stubborn when it came time to insert batteries, though. The cover is a piece of plastic (the entire thing is molded plastic, actually) that you push into place and turn to lock (the reverse opens it). A screw driver is handy (or fingernails of steel) but the hard plastic on mine seems to be slightly misshapen, making the entire process a pain in the ass. Unfortunately, all my hard work was for naught because my duckie didn’t work anyway. )= When I insert the battery (a single AAA), replace the battery cover and turn the dial from Off to On, nothing happens. Nada. At all.
Luckily for me, I enjoy the duckies for their aesthetic appeal and I already own a similar model so I am familiar with their vibration strength and operation. The small size means you’ll probably rely on the tail or sides, the broadest part, for pressure but the face and beak offer some pinpoint stimulation (all external, I don’t even know how you’d go about inserting this!). All the engraved text on the bottom makes me hesitant to use. I would really not have to clean off lubes and liquids from the tiny cracks and crevices.
Although the knob would indicate that the vibrations are adjustable, this is actually a one-speed toy. Considering how difficult it can be to turn the little knob, you’d think they would go with a push buttoncontrol (or belly squeeze, as with the larger duckies). I was able to get off when I used the Sweetheart Duckie’s Santa cousin but it’s not the type of toy I default to. The vibrations, as I recall, as relatively strong for the size but I’ll take a AA-powered toy over this, any day. In addition to this, the duckies do not tend to be all that quiet so close your door, put on some music and run the bath in the background, just to be careful.
To add to my disappointment, the Sweetheart Duckie does not float upright in water. Rather, she flops right over onto her side or back. After testing this out, I was further disappointed to find that water had found its way into the battery compartment. Even if the duckie had worked, I wouldn’t expect it to work for long, after several uses in the water or cleanings. But I’m not surprised because all of my duckies really did have a cheap feel to them when it comes to quality of craftsmanship.
tl,dr; The Sweetheart Duckie is cute, especially in her packaging, but maybe she should stay there because quality of these products is really hit and miss and you can find a decent toy for a comparable price without all the noise.
Have you ever had one of those days where you just failed to read the fine print? This is what happened when I decided I would enjoy the “Simply Sensual Candle Pomegranate.” Except it’s not pomegranate. It’s pomegranate ginger and that doesn’t sound appealing to me at all. But, the trooper that I am, I opened up this candle tin and gave it a giant whiff.
And almost died.
The candle itself smells like chemicals and soap. Just awful. I had to make myself light it. And I did and.. it wasn’t so bad. The fruity hints of pomegranate became noticeable, if a bit light for my tastes. The ginger in this candle is hard to detect at all. It’s a very recognizable smell and it just didn’t exist. Just when I was thinking that this was maybe not a catastrophe after all, and trying to enjoy the light fruity scent, the soapy smell came back. At the point of massage, the soapy scent is at its strongest and I am at my most annoyed.
Another thing I noticed was the oil seems to be quite thick and dry feeling. I’ve used other massage candles that are quite slick but the slickness quickly dissipates with this particular brand. Once I’m done using it, I also feel as though I absolutely must wash my hands and, while they do feel soft and moisturized, I am not fond of feeling like something is caked on my hands.
Although this candle is all natural and includes ingredients such as soy, and hempseed and coconut oil, I’d prefer something with a few more chemicals as long as it improved upon my experience. One last thing I noticed is that this burns really sloppily. The wick does the cracking and peeling and curling thing so you absolutely must trim it to avoid the charred with from falling into the wax itself and further ruining your experience. I don’t know much about candle wicks but, after using this product, I think I’m much more likely to stick with higher end massage candles or products like Kama Sutra’s Oil of Love. And that’s a shame because this four-ounce candle comes in a tin that is actually much cuter than most candle tins. All the different scents feature a modern and clean label with colors specific to the scent.It just seems like the quality of massage candles in tins is really inconsistent.
Sexy Red Babydoll Set
You know how sometimes a unique element can attract you to an item but that same element can actually be a deal breaker? This was the case with the Sexy Red Babydoll Set from MyPleasure (the fine retailer of sex toys). I’m totally still on my lingerie kick (although, I’ve received some awesome sex toys lately) and this bright red set caught my attention right away. The black details contrast nicely in pictures. The camera flash also makes this image look almost shiny or metallic but it’s really not. One thing you can’t see if that the set is pretty sheer, because of the mesh and, because the weave is super fine, it’s really soft and silky to touch.
Another detail that is easy to miss is the heart-shaped black trim that runs as the waist line of the babydoll, across the blindfold and panties. The cut-out hearts attach to eachother in a row and are made from a firmer sort of lace. This isn’t as attractive as I expected on the babydoll but is down right confusing on the panties. The row of hearts extends along the top, front of the panties and keeps going off the side, until it attaches to the black ribbons that you tie around yourself to create the panty effect. I think it would make more sense to simply sew the ribbon to the edge of the red fabric, instead of extending the hearts past the edge because then you’re worrying about twisting or even breaking them (the hearts attach in a rather narrow point)..
In fact, even if the design made more sense, I’d still struggle with this. I guess I never realized how difficult it can be to lace up a pair of panties. I still haven’t found a method that isn’t completely ridiculous and results in attractive bows, like the one on the model in the picture. The ribbon-tie design offers no stretch and will really only be flattering if your hips and abs are fairly flat. If you carry extra weight around the midsection, I wouldn’t expect it to be super flattering. Lastly, the panties are a weird style. They’re sort of a wide thong. The strip along the back is much thicker than normal but not thick enough to count as briefs. In case you’re wondering, the piece does include a cotton lined crotch.
The babydoll is absolutely the redeeming piece in the Sexy Red Babydoll Set. As I mentioned, the red mesh is super sleek and is sheer but tints the skin in a sex way. I ordered the queen size, figuring the one size fits all would run small and the queen probably runs a bit large on me, considering how roomy a babydoll is to begin with. Still, the adjustable, establish straps helps with this and the same elastic runs around back of the waistline (the front does not stretch) for added comfort and customization. One last piece of elastic makes up the rounded neckline of the piece and there’s a ruffled piece of mesh that extends above this. I’m not sure how I feel about the ruffle, yet. It could be flirty or it could just remind me of grandmas.
I’m also not sure if it’s because of the lace hearts, but this piece does offer some support for the breasts in the way of reinforced stitching. There is a petty, ribbon bow sewn into the middle of the lace at the center of the waistline. The rest of the piece free falls to approximately hip height.
The seams and hems seem quite secure (unlike the other pieces) and I’ve even slept in this piece, quite comfortable, without issue. Although the instructions say to hand wash in cold water, and I would advise this for the other pieces, you could probably toss the babydoll in the gentle cycle or normal cycle in a lingerie bag. I’ll wind up doing the former because I’m so dangerous!
The accessories of this piece would have been a disappointment if I had been looking forward to them. The “cuffs” consist of mesh sewn to elastic, to complete that ruffled look. There is a single red ribbon attached to each cuff so that you could tie them together (in a bow?) but offers absolutely no realistic, bondage function for several reasons. One, the elastic is quite loose and easy to slip out of and, two, the sewing is utter crap. I put on one cuff and immediately noticed the ribbon was ripping and becoming detached from the cuffs. These are absolutely for fashion only. Present yourself as a pretty present to your partner, then ditch them.
The quality of the blindfold is slightly higher but it boasts the design that reminds me of a sanitary napkin and, just, eww. It’s also asymmetrical in a really weird way. Even if the elastic wasn’t so loose as to render it virtually useless, the cut would make it impossible to block out all light and sights. The sewing is also very angular so, while the black-hearts-on-red may look cute form a distance, it looks sloppy and amateur up close. Luckily, the sewing on this piece is more secure than the cuffs and you could potentially shorten the elastic with a few stitches of your own. For whatever reason, Dreamgirl opted to make the backside (that touches your face) satin-y but the front is a rougher, less shiny material.
Basically, I have a babydoll that feels great on my skin and offers a lot of support. Because I can easily pair it was a basic black or red thong or pair of panties, I’d call this one a success but if you really want to love the whole set, you’ll probably be disappointed.
Lights Outs Glow Shower Gel Raspberry
You can no longer purchase this product.
If you’ve ever thought “I want to glow in the dark” or “I bet it would be cool to shower with no lights on” or if you’re just a dork, like I am, then this product might interest you. You’ll probably have to ignore the fact that the entire design is reminiscent of mini-golf courses or Chuck E Cheese but, who wouldn’t with glow in the dark body wash?!
First things first. In the image, this appears white. It’s really not. The raspberry scent is a very pale, sickly looking pink. I could do with something a little prettier but I don’t know how realistic that is, given the glow in the dark properties.
Second, this bottle is pretty damned small. The Exotic Fruit Show Gel by Shunga is exponentially larger. This is a problem when you consider how poorly this product lathers. It’s super thin and washes away so easily that I always have to reapply to my bath poof. The bottle is almost half gone after only two weeks or so of use.
Thirdly, the raspberry scent is very unsophisticated. It’s not the subtle and finely crafted scent that I prefer. Rather, it’s run of the mill and too heavy because it’s not really good. Read: cheap.
But, it does glow in the dark. After sitting in the light (my bathroom has a window so this occurs all day), the bottle will turn a light green and cast off light. It’s pretty neat and makes finding your bath products easier if, you know, the power is out. Once you start to lather, however, this quickly disappears. You can’t make any glow in the dark hand prints on your mirror or chase people around like a ghost. This is kind of a failure, in my opinion. Who wants the glowy fun to end?
So, I will be retiring this bottle until such time as I a) run out of good body wash (Skinny Dip Shower Gel is a better product) or b) plan to shower with no lights on or c) just wanna show it to someone. Not using it is the only way you’ll get your money’s worth anyway.
Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise Plus Size
Ah, another Seven Til Midnight piece, you might ask? Yes, indeed. I just love the style of their babydolls and chemises (if you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I pimped out their new items, too!) But all was not love with the Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise as this is simply a case of what-you-see-is-not-exactly-what-you get. You see, in real life, without double-sided tape and strategically placed lighting and picture-perfect proportionate curves, this chemise simply does not make the cut. Here’s a break down of my complaints.
In photographs, the chemise seems a dark, red-hued purple and the print almost appears textured or velvety. In real life, the colour is blue-hued and much lighter. This is not altogether bad but the black floral pattern contrasts more than it does in pictures and the color just isn’t that which I love. Furthermore, the black floral print is not simply against a solid purple background. There is a tinier print going on in the background that is honeycomb-like and absolutely hideous. You cannot see it at all in the picture and, I think, that if this alone were changed, I would like the chemise much more. It just seems so busy and the design is far less sophisticated than pictures would have you believe. I wouldn’t have purchased the Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise if I had had the chance to see it, in person, first.
In photographs, the three ribbons that stretch over the cleavage look hot. In real life, the halter styled top really offers no support and as my breasts tend to fall outward, the piece just kept stretching. I looked much flatter than I actually am. A bra remedies this but who wants to wear a bra with her chemise? Additionally, even my C cups felt ridiculously heavy as the halter pulled down against my neck and it was nearly impossible to find a good length at which to tie it and to duplicate that tying length when wearing it on different occasions. So, to make this work, I’d imagine you’d need Ds or DDs but I wouldn’t want to deal with the strain on your neck. Some supportive stitching wouldn’t hurt because this piece really has no shape.
In photographs, the corset-y ribbon that laces across the back is sophisticated and naughty but, in my experience, this isn’t the case. I guess my ribcage is simply too small for the queen size (odd…) but I wound up pulling the ribbon so that the back of the chemise nearly touched in the center of my back. Otherwise, it was too loose but this caused it to bunch up where the ribbon crisscrossed. In addition to this, I had quite the long length of ribbon left over and it looked sloppy, instead of falling daintily. I may try tying the ribbon at the bottom, to better fit my shape, however. Again, it was difficult to tie–without help–so that it was attractive.
In photographs, the model doesn’t have a spare tire. She’s super proportionate. In reality, this chemise doesn’t pull you in and the length makes it obvious if you have extra weight in the middle or, if like me, your ribs like to stick the fuck out. It’s much better suited for someone who is straight throughout the midsection than I am.
But let’s take a look at some of the positive of this piece. The polyester/spandex blend is silky and cool against the skin. The stitching between the elastic and the fabric (around the back edges) or the lace around the neck and hemline and the fabric is superb. This will definitely hold up if you hand wash in cold water as the tag suggests but would probably even be safe in the washer on the gentle cycle. All the elastic is well sewn and there’s no fraying to be seen. The same is true for the ribbon, which is pretty run of the mill but the extra length makes it easy to customize the fit–if you have the patience.
The included thong fits well and is well made. Like the other chemise and thong set I reviewed from this manufacturer, the front panel matches the chemise while the straps are a stretchy black material that is comfortable and secure without cutting into my skin. It’s something I would wear–and have worn–under street clothes and has held up fine with washing.
I enjoy that Seven Til Midnight uses silky tags on their products instead of the scratchy, white ones that most clothes contain. The tags are bright pink, so can probable be seen through Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise and matching thong but they’re kind of stylish and allude to the fact that this is a good brand.
This is technically a set as it included a blindfold, featuring the same patterned material, detailed with lace and secured by straps. This is completely dysfunctional and only looks good in the pictures because the model is holding it so that it stretches vertically and actually looks like a blindfold. If you just saw it lying around, you would have no idea what this piece of fabric is intended to do. In reality, it bunches up and pulls horizontally so that it becomes really thin and it’s not functional at all. The ribbons do not facilitate a secure fit and the sheerness of the material does not block out much. The best use it for a photo shoot, really.
The Madeleine Lace Halter Chemise is really not just intended for my body size and shape. It would be best for someone who has largest breasts and/or wider ribs, a straight midsection and is taller (I believe). Still, I have to warn you that the pattern is not nearly as attractive in person as it in in photographs.
Shower Gel Exotic Fruit
$10.93
from Store.OfSexAndLove.com
Perhaps it is appropriate that my previous review was for a very well known manufacturer of sensual, erotic goods as is the case for the manufacturer of the Shower Gel in Exotic Fruit. Shunga is a brand that I’ve heard rave things about but never had a chance to try. After all, what’s a single girl going to do with all those massage products? (Seriously, I have so much!) But anyone can enjoy shower gel–and enjoy I have.
This bottle is huge (16 ounces)! Easily beats out all my other shower products in size, save for shampoo. While the price point seems a bit high, it’s really not bad when you consider how much you’re getting in the bottle and how long it’s likely to last.
It comes in the typical, cylindrical bottle that shampoos use and has a push-top opening. Squeezing the bottle releases the shower gel, which is a red color (it matches my shower poof perfectly!) but still translucent. It’s quite silky on the skin and leaves mine feeling smooth and moist. I usually suffer from dry elbows in the winter air but this hasn’t been the case while using this shower gel.
I’m not sold that the scent is exactly “exotic.” It’s quite banana-berry to me but others may disagree. It’s pleasant enough but not really overpowering. I don’t really notice if it lingers on my skin but, then again, I don’t go around sniffing my skin. d=
I do wish the bottle were slightly more discreet, however. The image of the man and women in some sort of pool of water, all naked and such, while not exactly rated X, is something I’d want to tuck away if I had visitors. I don’t but, you know..
Interesting enough, this product is billed as made from edible products but I have yet to taste it because the idea of suds on my tongue is a major turn off. I think others might enjoy this but I’d rather use it to soap up myself, my lover and squish around against one another.
[edit]
After writing this, I did take the time to taste it. It’s sweet and not awful but I feel super weird licking soap.
Kama Sutra Intimate Momentsc
Kama Sutra no longer makers the Intimate Moments kit, but you can sample their products, including the honey dust and massage oil in the Weekender Kit. The Sweetheart Kit offers a few more products to try.
I really enjoyed both the Raspberry Oil of Love and the honey dust by Kama Sutra so I figured I’d like the Intimate Moments collection just as much.
At first, I was really impressed with the scent of the sweet almond massage oil. It’s not the scented, warming kind like the Oils of Love but has the sweet, amaretto scent that one can expect from almond extract. I have read, in other reviews, that most almond massage oil has a lighter scent but this is exactly what I was looking for. This scent doesn’t last very long, however. As you rub it into the skin, it fades and shifts to something more akin to baby powder. I’m not a fan of powdery smells at all, so this isn’t really ideal for me. I’m sure others won’t mind but I don’t know why the almond massage oil just doesn’t keep the same scent throughout use. It’s kind if disappointing.
As a massage oil itself, I found it a bit bland. It wasn’t as slick as some of the candles I’ve used, (the bottle advertises its lightness) nor does the sweet almond massage oils have any extra properties. I guess I have been spoiled by all the other massage aids I have had the opportunity to try. Pity for me, the bottle is so large (100ml). It’s shampoo style, although not quite that ,large.The press-top is easy to use; although, sometimes the oil comes out quite quickly because it is a fairly thin liquid.
Because it’s thinner, I find that it massages into the skin quite quickly. I used two or three squirts in just a few minutes. There is a slight residue on the skin but it’s not so greasy that I feel the need to wash either the body part where it was applied or my hands.
The oils in this product make it less than ideal for use with condoms and you may want to spot test your linens to test for stains. The oil itself is only faintly tinted so I can’t imagine this to be a huge deal.
I was equally disappointed with the Sweet Honeysuckle body powder. Again, Kama Sutra makes a raspberry flavored dust that I love and this comes in the same style tin (although smaller than the one I have) with a satin bag containing another plastic bag to hold the powder itself. As I mentioned in a previous review, I would quite like to see the plastic and satin bags somehow combined as this method isn’t the most effective I have seen. Consumers should note that, because of the multiple bags, it’s not like they are receiving an entire tin of product. It’s more like one-half or one-third of the tin.
I was immediately turned off by the scent of the honeysuckle body dust. It’s extremely powdery and perfumey smelling–like something a grandmother would wear (or perhaps the overpowering aroma of an incense shop), not something sexy for licking off of someone’s body. The scent is also ridiculously strong so you can’t avoid it even if you enjoy the taste of the honey dust. It’s one of the cases where you start to taste the scent, if you know what I mean. Upon testing the honey dust, I could barely taste something sweet over the perfumey scent and smell. It was really unappealing.
The feather applicator is well made and works wonderfully for spreading a thin layer of dust over someone’s body (the dust is silky in a dry sort of way and I do enjoy the act of applying it). It can also be used for tickling but beware if you have animals as it’s just the kind of toy they want to play with. My cat reminded me of this not five minutes after I had opened the box.
Quite frankly, I don’t know why Kama Sutra even sells this kit or the individual products.
