Lussuria Rechargeable Vibrator

April 29th, 2010

Rechargeable Vibrator Lussuria 7inch

Rechargeable Vibrator Lussuria 7inch
$109.58 from AdultSexToys

By now, most of you have heard of the Vida vibrators, a new line of silicone+metal sex toys with fancy designs and an impressive site to boot. They’re working hard at PR, too, with a mysterious Twitter account and appearances with celebrities. They really want you to believe that these vibrators–Lussuria, Vanta, Zara and Urja–are the new “it” thing and, I admit, I was drawn in and in case you are too, here’s the low down.

Vida vibrators are made of silicone and anodized aluminum. The metal part does have a sort of plastic-y look to it, even in person, but a tap with a fingernail proves otherwise. It looks particularly rigid up close. In addition to this, my Vida Lussuria is quite the hefty piece but I wouldn’t call it unwieldy because the weight is compacted into a 7″ frame which isn’t bulky in the least.

Lussuria’s design is one which which curves gently outward from a thin (.79″ diameter), straight shaft in the center to produce two bulbous ends. While the ends are thicker than the center point of the shaft, they are flat-ish. The side on which the control is positioned is significantly wider (just over 2″) than other side, the head (which is about 1.5″ wide). The head itself is somewhat spoon or scoop shaped; one side is convex while the other has a little “dimple.” The head angles slightly upward from the thinner part of the shaft while the base curves slightly downward for an extremely loose “S” shape.

On the convex side of the head, there are 4 silicone ridges. The ridges are mostly firm but not quite as rigid as the metal parts of the vibrator. These work well for G-spot stimulation while the spoon side can cradle the clitoris. I don’t think I’ve seen any pictures, yet, which depict the dimple on the head so I was pleasantly surprised when I opened Lussuria and wondered whether it would work well for clitoral stimulation.

It does. Lussuria has a functional design which I really like. The ridges easily cause me to squirt and I was surprised at the orgasms produced via the clit dimple. The overall design is easy to manipulate comfortably and with precision, too.

The shaft, head and last inch or so of the base are coated in silicone (the shinier, kinda “grabby” style) while the anodized aluminum surrounds the single button. There is also a pink stripe/lighted area which follows the contours of the metal. This area has a lot of edges and seams which are not very smooth and neat. I can see it collecting debris and the imperfections reduce the impression of quality IMO. There are especially some imperfections in the pink border which detract from an otherwise awesome colour scheme. At the very end, a small flap is cut out of the silicone; this flap plugs the charging port when Lussuria is not charging. While Lussuria is purportedly waterproof, this flap is not seamless and I would not submerge it.

To turn on the vibrator, simply press the button once. A pale pink light around the button and the pink “border” part both light up. Pressing the button pages through 5 settings of steady vibrations and then back to the lowest. These vibrations are fairly strong but become much too buzzy as you increase strength. The button must be pressed and held to turn off Lussuria but this will also turn it up 1 level higher which is kind of annoying. If, for some reason, I needed to turn it off quickly, it would get louder before turning off.

Even if the vibrations didn’t become buzzier as they increased, I would never use this beyond the second or third setting because Lussuria is damned loud. I guess it’s because of the metal but I think Vida should have come up with some noise solution before releasing these vibrators and calling it “quiet” is simply a lie. The sound does not aid in discretion at all and I am not fond of toys which hurt my ears.

I was a bit disappointed that Lussuria did not come with more information. It comes with a booklet which contains warranty information, instructions and promotional materials. More pages are dedicated to advertising other products than anything else. The instructions do say that the first full charge will take 3 hours and subsequent charges will take 1 hour. I haven’t had to recharge my Lussuria yet, which is awesome, but I have no idea how long it will last and I guess Vida doesn’t want customers to know, either.

Lussuria does come with a few interesting acessories. First and foremost, it has its own storage case which vida describes as a “faux leather vanity tote.” It looks a bit like a small train case with a handle on the top and a zipper around the front and sides. Vida sides into a foam cutout inside an there is room to toss in the charger beneath the foam. If you remove the cutout, you could use the case to store a few more toys, too; it measures 4.5″ x 8.” x 3.” The Vida logo is embossed in black and red on the front but I have to warn you, this “faux leather” stinks! I mean, the smell of it gives me a headache and I don’t want that on my toy.

Luckily, Vida also provides a cushy, store envelope made from microfiber. The design is unique, a rectangular cloth which folds in thirds and ties with a ribbon. Inside is an opening to tuck your Vida vibrator but it’s not actually deep enough to hold Lussuria; it will stick out the end of the envelope. I suspect Vida made a one-size-fits-all storage pouch and failed. You don’t have to place the vibrator in the pouch, of course. You can simply fold it into the cloth and tie it up; it just fits.

The whole thing comes with a black gift style bag bug mine was just folder, empty with the Vida box. I suspect that would work much better for in person purchases. d=

Lussuria actually worked pretty well for me but Vida needs to work out more kinks before they can call these toys “luxurious” and charge as much as they are for them. The idea of aluminum + silicone is neat but a pure silicone vibrator wouldn’t have been any worse. It also would have reduce the number of seams in the toy and hopefully the volume level. The train case and storage pouch are cute but neither offer the perfect storage option. I say skip the frills and lower the price, then we’ll talk.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Alumination

April 2nd, 2010

Alumination Black

Alumination Black
$24.66 from Store.OfSexAndLove.com

Metal is all the rage in sex toys these days so I wasn’t entirely surprised to see that Doc Johnson has its own vibrating aluminum line, appropriately named: Alumination. These petite vibrators are extremely straight forward: a cylindrical shaft topped off with a rounded end.

This vibrator is long and slim – 6″ x .72″ diameter; it seems to essentially be an elongated mini bullet. Although I have not used them, Jimmyjane’s Little Chroma/Steel/Gold vibrators seem quite similar so this might be a more cost effective option if you’re wondering whether or not a toy of this style is good for you. The overall feel is weighty and compact,

Because it is so thin, there is potential to use is as replacement for bullets in certain toys (cock rings) but it could be awkward because of the length. It is good for precise and direct stimulation and would well externally. It could be angled to hit certain spots internally but the lack of texture and girth limit its functionality, in my opinion. I did not especially enjoy the sensation inside; it definitely felt a little lacking. Because I like broader external stimulation, I also did not love my Alumination externally, either.

The size and design make it perfect for newbies, though! It’s not intimidating at all and the smooth metal is easy to insert with only a touch of lube (if that). I would strongly warn against anal use because there is no flanged base on this one and it would slip out of a person’s fingers with ease when coated with lube.

However, it’s ridiculously easy to use. There is a single push button on the end of the battery cap. You know the type. Press once to turn it on, press again to cycle through the settings and then once more to turn it off. This does mean there is no “quick off” function, of course. There are 3 strengths of continuous vibration so this vibrator might not be exciting enough for some people. The vibration is higher pitched and all levels feel similar to me personally but if you like pinpoint vibrations, these are focused in the last inch or so of the shaft.

In terms of noise, Alumination is not the loudest vibrator I’ve tried nor the quietest. You could safely use it in one room of the house with others home (door closed) but not in the same room.

Because it is metal, you can experiment with temperature play. Let the Alumination rest in a bowl of cool water or ice cubes to chill it. Replace the cold water with warm and you have a different experience altogether. Some might be disappointed that it is not pure metal because the battery cap is plastic but I didn’t especially notice. The cap screwed on and off easily enough for me to insert 2 AAA batteries and seems fairly secure (to keep them in place, at least). Doc Johnson even claims the Alumination vibrators are waterproof and there is an O-ring where the cap screws on but it does not meet seamlessly with the shaft. There is an additional seam at the end of the shaft where a separate piece of metal caps off the curved end. This piece is glued into place and seems secure but can easily collect gunk.

Aside from that, the sleek surface makes this toy incredibly easy to clean with a wipe and physical dirt will wash right off with water. It won’t collect lint which is one of the things I detest about silicone, so it can be dried with any old towel. It isn’t made of any material which will react so it can be tossed in a box with other non-reactive materials. Plus, the small size makes it incredibly easy to store (between the mattresses or deep in your pillowcase?) without being found and the same could be said for travel.

I didn’t keep the box because it is quite a bit bigger than the vibe itself but I enjoyed the floral motifs in metallic paint. The box has a friendly, feminine feel to it. While I have not loved every Doc Johnson toy I’ve tried, the box art is usually visually appealing.

The Alumination vibrator seems to be a solid piece which offers some versatility. It’s extremely affordable as well so it might be a good toy for a newbie. I didn’t knock my socks off but it was a nice experience, regardless.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Alumina Revolve

December 10th, 2009

Alumina Revolve

Alumina Revolve

Tantus no longer makes the Alumina line.

My first impression of the Alumina Revolve is that it’s heavier than I would have expected. I guess when I thought “aluminum” I was thinking something more along the lines of a soda can of aluminum foil but Tantus’ Alumina line is made from aeronautical grade aluminum so I guess it makes sense. After all, I’ve never seen an airplane made out of aluminum foil. That would be a very bad idea. Perhaps the very worst idea ever. (TM).

So the Revolve is heavier than I expected. Probably a bit weightier than a glass toy of a similar design but lighter than, say, the Pure Wand so it’s not quite as unwieldy. It doesn’t feel as unbalanced either, even though the Revolve isn’t symmetrical. The two ends of this metal dildo (one which I view as the intended handle) are almost the same length; the handle is just under 4″ long and the other end just over 4″ (for a total of 8.25″ in length) but are crafted quite differently. The handle is smooth and generally straight, widening to a bulb at the end while the opposite side has three bulbs which increase in size toward the O-ring which separates the sides. While the “handle” side is lighter, I think it would be more unbalanced if the bulbs increased toward the outside instead.

In terms of size, the largest bulbs on both ends are about the same size with a 1.5″ diameter. The smaller bulbs are 1.2″ and .95″ in diameter, respectively and, save for the middle bulb on the 3-bulb side, they’re all fairly found (the middle bulb is more elongated). As you can see, that’s quite the drop in size on both sides. Actually, I would say that’s one of the downfalls of the Revolve. When using the bulby side, I expected to easily feel the size difference but once I insert this end up to the largest bulb, I literally cannot feel the bulbs when pulling it out. Maybe my vag is just a slow adjuster but they feel like nothing at all because the size decrease is so dramatic. So I could just not insert it that far but then the girth is lackluster. I could instead just try pressing the bulbs against my G-spot – it is a G-spotter after all – but I found it a bit difficult to do this with precision because the bulbs are so close.

All is not lost, however. I found the “handle” end to perform wonderfully for G-spot stimulation. The single bulb on the end, paired with the difference in girth – made finding and stimulating my G-spot to ejaculation a quick and easy job. For me, the simple end was simply better.

But it does leave me a bit disappointed because I thought this pretty, purple dildo (did I mention the deep sheen) would be a little more versatile. I expected it to do more, to have more options. Instead, I only find one side to really be useful. Of course, I could invest in more Alumina pieces to craft my perfect dildo and the fact that you can interchange the halves was originally was one of the things that attracted me to the line but then I’d essentially be paying twice the price (and the Alumina line is not cheap) to get a toy I love (if I could even find the perfect pairing). I’d much rather have a basic G-spot dildo that worked well but had no options.

Like all metal, the Revolve can easily be used for temperature play and I can’t argue the quality, here. The slick metal is easily inserted with only the tiniest amounts of lube and just as easy to clean. The aluminum is anodized to resist corrosion and water as well. There are no seams besides where the O-ring is. I know some have even said the O-ring adds some stimulation but I cannot comfortably insert the Revolve past that point. I’m also curious what the ring is made of. I’d guess silicone but the packaging doesn’t say.

In terms of packaging, the Revolve is cradled for a form fitting foam cutout inside a black box, detailed with silver text and logos. Some like to use it for storage but I’d rather have a small bag to save space. It could serve as a gift box, if you were so inclined because the Alumina Revolve does look quite nice nestled inside. Included with the dildo is a small informational sheet which repeats the text on the outside of the box and also depicts the entire Alumina Line (including Flow, Motion and Thrust).

I don’t hate the Revolve. I just don’t love it, you know? It just doesn’t call to me. Maybe it’s this specific piece because the people who have tried the Motion seem to love it. They can’t praise it enough. And Carrie Ann liked the Flow as well but that offers girth that the revolve doesn’t have, at least not consistently. There are only two points on the Revolve which offer any girth but even then, I’d say it’s only a medium thickness even despite the fact that such a material usually feels a bit larger than it actually is. I suppose that makes the Revolve relatively newbie friendly (just be cautious the nature of metal which can be a bit painful). But I’m not a newbie. I know what I want and need and half of the Alumina Revolve just isn’t it.

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Categories: Dildos, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.