Embrace G Wand

August 11th, 2016

Embrace G Wand
$85.99 from SheVibe

Do you know what California Exotics is good at? It’s not really making amazing sex toys; although, you certainly could argue that the company is pretty good at churning them out. Henry Ford would be proud.

No, I think California Exotics is good at some other things, including:

  • Being late to the gate (rechargeable toys and silicone)
  • Designing toys that look premium and charging slightly less for them than those who did it first
  • ..but ultimately disappointing me

The Embrace line pretty much embodies all of these frustrations, and I should know better by now. This isn’t even the first toy I’ve tried from the line!

So you probably wanna know why I tried another one? I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.

Okay, there’s at least one improvement over the G Wand from the Beloved Wand: it’s rechargeable and doesn’t just use AAA batteries. This should be a win, but if you thought that means it’s any stronger, well, you’re wrong. Probably. I no longer have the Beloved wand in my collection, but I can absolutely confirm that the power output of the G Wand isn’t what I expected because, you guys, there are three fuckin’ motors in here.

There’s one in the bulbous portion of the shaft, one in the neck and one between the clitoral nub and handle. The latter two are definitely smaller and weaker, but I can distinctly feel them in the setting that simply goes through each motor separately. But the overall impression on the steady vibration modes is just bland.

Seriously, though. It’s been a while since I’ve used a toy that just felt so “meh.” It’s odd because it feels stronger and deeper in my hand. The higher setting is noticeably buzzier, but it feels like it should do a decent job once inserted. It doesn’t, though. It may be the way the silicone absorbs the vibrations.

The G wand having a much more drastic curve than the Beloved wand. It reminds me of my Rondo, which I still have somewhere. In fact, I think the curve combined with the handle made it look like it would please me, and that was one of the main draws.

But I haven’t had a ton of success with G-spot wands that share this general shape. I’ve liked some, including the aforementioned Rondo and a toy by Ophoria. You may recall that I didn’t like the Pure Wand or the Comet, however, and many women have found those to be excellent G-spotters. To be fair, the Embrace G Wand is going to be a better tool for G-spot stim if you like those curves; although, there’s more flexibility than the Comet. So you may not be able to get a lot of intense play out of it.

To be fair, the Embrace G Wand is going to be a better tool for G-spot stim if you like those curves; although, there’s more flexibility than the Comet. So you may not be able to get a lot of intense play out of it.

As for the shaft, my favorite part was the rounded head, which I found to work decently for clitoral stimulation. However, the clitoral nub on the base of the shaft didn’t do it for me. In order to get it into the right position, the inner portion of the toy would cause pain. And the three ridges on the clitoral stimulator didn’t do it for me, anyway.

Is there anything I did like? I like the layout of buttons, which were easy to find. A single button switches through the seven settings (and powers the toy on/off), and each has six speeds. The other two turn the intensity up or down. I find it strange that the toy would start on the middle setting, however. It makes me think you’ll have a lot more power than you actually do. Who starts on medium and goes back down, anyway? But I was trying to be kind..

The loop in the handle was just big enough for a single finger, which I foud more useful than a toy whose loop is just shy of fitting two fingers. It feels pretty natural to slip my index finger through the hole and press buttons with my thumb.

It’s waterproof and recharges via USB. It’s not all that loud, so I might recommend it to someone who was looking for a vibrator of this shape but wanted more flexibility than the Comet and similar toys offer.

As for me? I really can’t quite put my finger on why the Embrace G Wand seems so lackluster. It has a less severe curve than toys that I really dislike, and the flexibility means I should at least be able to work with it. Perhaps I need to give it another go ’round before I toss it in the swap drawer. I’m just not looking forward to it.

SheVibe

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Couture Collection™- inspire

May 24th, 2010

Couture Collection™- inspire

Couture Collection™- inspire
$71.65 from Store.OfSexAndLove.com

Thus far, I’ve tried 4 or 5 different pieces from the Couture Collection by California Exotic Novelties and they have all been pretty weak if not somewhat attractive in design. The Inspire, however, is not pretty weak. Hell, it’s not even “pretty strong.” It is, by far, the strongest toy I own. In fact, it way well be too strong for me.

Inspire is the third wand style massager I own, after the Miracle Massager and Ideal (which I found to be less than). It’s both stronger and smaller than the Miracle Massager, a vibrator I’ve come to enjoy for its broad head and its strong vibrations. The head of the Inspire is much smaller and rounded which means I have to use the toy in a different way despite its overall genre.

Inspire is also kinda weird in that it’s an electric vibe but you can unplug the adapter from the port on the toy. Initially, I thought this meant that it’s rechargeable, but it’s not. Some people like being able to swap power sources or whatever but this is just kind of confusing to me.

Speaking of confusion, so was the control button, initially. There is a single button. One click turns it on. If you want to increase the setting, you have to press and hold it but a quick click turns off the power. I am constantly turning it off when I want more power or the opposite. It’s supposed to be a little intuitive but maybe I’m a little slow.

Anyway, I find myself really only using the lower settings because it’s hard for me to take a lot of power directly and the Inspire’s vibrations are much more pinpoint than those of the Miracle Massager. The spherical head of the Inspire has a diameter of 1.59″, definitely smaller than most wand massagers. It’s shorter, too, about 7.5″ in total length.

Another interesting aspect of the design is that the head of the Inspire massager is covered 2/3 of the way by a silicone cap. The cap offers a bit of give but the head beneath it is hard plastic. You can take this off to clean it and slip it back on when you’re done. The cap will “gap” around the head if it’s not correctly aligned, however. Just turn it until it sits smoothly. It isn’t seamless, though. Like all silicone, be careful with with silicone based lubes and prepare for lint.

The head of the Inspire is on a flexible neck. I suppose there’s a spring beneath the accordion-folded plastic (maybe silicone?) which coats the neck. It offers a nice range of flexibility; however, liquids can easily find themselves between the folds of the material and it seems a bitch to clean.

I mentioned before that I use this a little differently than the Miracle Massager because of size and shape. I find myself focusing on the left leg of my clitoral organ and move it in quick back and forth movements. I’ve done this with other toys, like the Lily, but it’s definitely easier to hold the Inspire because it has a bigger (but not huge) handle. There’s also a slightly curve to it but I’m not sure if I’d really call it ergonomic. It doesn’t seem to help or hinder my use.

I also mentioned used the Inspire on lower settings because the vibrations are so shaky, they’re almost violent on higher settings. Surprisingly, the Inspire isn’t nearly as loud as you might think. The lower settings are quiet enough to use with the door closed, maybe some white noise. You might have to make sure someone in the same house is pretty distracted with the higher settings, though.

I’m lucky enough to have my bed a few feet from the wall so the cord on the Inspire is more than adequate. It’s a bit over 8′ long, actually. The cord is thicker than those of Lelo style chargers. However, not so thick that my cats haven’t tried chewing on it. Yuck. When the Inspire is plugged in, a red light glows on the handle.

Ultimately, the inspire gave me a few good orgasms. The kind that leave you all sweaty yet you still want to get off just one more time. Or maybe that’s just me. But I don’t think it will be my go-to toy because it’s not quite my style.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Petite Couture Collection™ – ecstasy

March 7th, 2010

Petite Couture Collection™ - ecstasy

Petite Couture Collection™ - ecstasy
from California Exotics

Having tried a full sized Couture rabbit by California Exotic, I wasn’t too thrilled to get a petite version to review. It seems to me that if a toy powered by 3 AAs is not powerful enough to get me off, then a smaller, less powerful version is not going to have much luck either. That’s not to say I was going in expecting to fail but I wasn’t expecting it to blow my mind either.

It’s a real shame because the soft silicone of the couture line is a step up from porous materials like jelly and the sleek lines are attractively classy, in my opinion. The texture of the Petite Couture Collection Ecstasy is velvety, with a bit of drag and mostly devoid of any shapes save for a gentle ridge that runs around the head then comes together down the center of the vibe, toward the clit stimulator. There are no seams in the silicone. Because the silicone is soft, it will unfortunately pick up lint. There is some slight variation in the shaft size but overall, the diameter sticks near 1.25″ and there are no difficult angles or bulges to maneuver, making it better suited for beginners than many rabbits. Even if you’re not a beginner, you might opt for a Petite Couture piece because they are smaller in length, too. This one offers 4.75″ insertable inches, a change from the larger rabbits which do not work well with all anatomies.

Like the regular Couture Collection, Ecstasy has a silver, plastic base which continues the sleek look with it’s contemporary lines. There are 3 buttons to control this rabbit vibrator: a master power switch and a button for each function (rotation of the shaft and vibration of the clitoral stimulator). When the power is one, the buttons light up a very bright blue, so bright, in fact, that I used the light for a flashlight in the dark. The functions can operate separately so there are many ways to enjoy this toy.

There are 3 speeds of shaft rotation which I found enough to make me squirt; however, I was unable to successfully stimulate both my G-spot and clit as I had to pull the rabbit out a bit to hit the right spot. I have a shallow G-spot and I believe the thinner shaft of the Petite Couture Collection™ – ecstasy just couldn’t hit the right spots. I think my PC muscles are a bit out of shape, however. The rotation stood up to my clenching on 2 out of the 3 speeds and it just seems like it shouldn’t with such a small power source.

Some might also find the clitoral nub to be a little on the short side because it does not have rabbit ears or what-have-you extending its length – which is only 1″. Generally, I like the idea of this shape better than all the animals because I trend to press the bullet part right against my clit instead of the ears or arms or other body parts. This one does curl up slightly toward the body/clit but the bullet is just not strong or deep enough for me. Even with 3 steady vibration modes and 4 more pulsation and escalating patterns, I was pretty let down. The vibrations are higher pitched than I like and really didn’t reach deep beneath the surface. Even the pulsation was underwhelming and lacked the throbbing sensation which is a requirement in strong vibes. I wound up turning them off pretty quickly when I realized they would not get me off.

In regards to a few technical details, the Ecstasy is pretty quiet and wouldn’t be heard through a closed door. The rotating portion does have a bit of an annoying whine, however. Because of its silicone composition, only water based lubricants should be used. These vibrators are supposed to be waterproof but the battery compartment does not seem to seal tightly so I wouldn’t submerge them during use or washing. Soap and water washing or shower use would probably be fine, however.

While I think the Petite Couture Collection™ – ecstasy might be a good first rabbit or even a first sex toy for some users, I was just really underwhelmed by its performance, which I expected would be the case. It’s a step in the right direction and I do like the idea of more variety in rabbit sizes but I personally need.. dare I dare it.. more power.

CEN_SEXPERT_certified

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iTap™ “G” Vibe White

November 30th, 2009

iTap™ “G” Vibe White

iTap™ “G” Vibe White
from California Exotic Novelties

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have probably heard about the new iTap vibrators from California Exotic Novelties and as I have recently been sent my first toy from the company as part of their Sexpert program (yea, go me!), I was able to get to know this new technology intimately.

Appearance-wise, the iTapi G Vibrator isn’t really amazing. It has sleek lines and curves to a rounded point meant to stimulate the G-spot. The shaft is a velvet-cote, white plastic while the battery cover is slightly thicker and is a regular, shiny plastic; the shaft is pretty uniform at 1″ in diameter making it one of the smaller insertable toys I’ve tried. There are slight seams in the shaft but nothing that my vagina can feel or that would complicate cleaning. To remove the cap, twist and then pull straight off. To replace, line up the arrows on the cap/shaft, push it on then twist. Overall, it’s straight forward and not significantly unique ; although, the shaped of the head is a little pointer and not at all like many bulbous G-spot toys. In fact, that was one down side to the iTap G Vibe: the head was at too extreme of an angle and too pointy for my to like it either internally or externally. The tip did allow for easy insertion as well as letting the toy to hook around my pubic bone to provide a sort of “hands-free” experience which I can see being useful for some.

And the tap feature? Works pretty well. The ease of use is pretty insane. Just tap the end of the battery pack once to turn it on (there was an instruction sticker which I have since tossed), again to cycle through the different settings and once more to turn it off. It doesn’t appear like there is a way to turn off the vibrator without going through all the settings, however. I liked the fact that there are no demanding buttons that need to be pressed a certain way (you can pretty much press anywhere on the bottom) and this tap censor doesn’t strain a person physically but, having already used another toy with touch censors, I was prepared for a problem which also occurred with the iTap G. Because the tap pad is so sensitive, it’s easy to bump it and you’re off on another setting or turned off altogether. Folks who don’t love the type of toys which push buttons on the end (like many Evolved vibes) will probably also dislike the current line of iTap toys for the same reason. In fact, as I write, I want to stand the vibe up on my desk but, as soon as I lift it away, it has been activated. As this sort of technology advances, there is definite need for a physical lock button – like on my MP3 player. With that addition, I can see touch controls being my controls of choice.

I was pretty impressed by the power and functions of this toy. It runs on 2 AAs and has two steady vibration settings which I would basically call medium and high. They will probably please most people but I’d like to see a low setting as well. The more sensitive my G-spot becomes, the more uncomfortable it is to actually use super strong vibrators. CEN has enough power in this vibrator, just not enough options for steady vibration. There are three different pulsating options which go something like this: Short-Short-Long, Short Short Short and a back-and-forth style which I can’t think of better words to describe. The pulsating modes are also quite powerful but I’d like all the vibrations to be slightly less buzzy. They’re someplace in the middle of “high pitched buzz” and “throbbing.”

Because the vibration is focused near the tip, I didn’t find it uncomfortable to hold the iTap G. The vibrations could still be slightly felt but didn’t numb my hands. The 6″ shaft comfortably allowed room for my hand without hindering exploration but you might want to make sure your hand is around the shaft and no fingers will stray toward the tap pad (again, to avoid accidentally switching).

Although I rarely take my toys into water, the iTap G is not a waterproof vibrator. Some soap and water washing may be safe but I think a toy cleaning spray and wipe would be friendlier to such a unique toy. If you are a friendly toy owner, CEN does not recommend using oil based lubricants with the iTap toys, for whatever reason. I rarely use anything but water based lube and not much is needed with a toy of this stature.

My Sexpert opinion of the iTap G is that California Exotic is making great strides in the right direction; a continuing focus on quality over quantity is going to get them noticed for good reasons but, while the iTap G is innovative, there are certainly a few kinks to work out before it’s remarkable.

CEN_SEXPERT_certified

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Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.