Decadent Indulgence

April 30th, 2009

Years ago, before we were concerned with safe or environmentally friendly materials in our sex toys, we focused on function alone. The toys which were best loved, like the Decadent Indulgence, came with a high price because they performed so admirably and, even though it may now be considered inferior by some, there were hordes of women who were singing their praise for this rabbit style vibrator. Despite the fact that I have tried more than my share of rabbit vibrators, and I usually find a fault, I knew it was my responsibility as a reviewer to try out one of the Decadent Indulgence vibrators. I went with the original because it’s the original for a reason, right?

Back in my early days of sex toy exploration, people raved about the Decadent Indulgence. I never once read a bad review. Women wanted to marry it, despite the fact that it cost over $200. Today, this rabbit vibe costs only a fraction of the price at just under $100. Some wonder if a toy which is made of only TPR is really worth the price but I have to tell you, it’s not the material that will blow you away! Powered by 4 AA batteries, the original Decadent Indulgence is pretty much a powerhouse of vibration and rotation.

Let me back up a bit. This pink rabbit vibrator by California Exotic, as mentioned, is made of TPR over a rotation shaft and beads as well as a bullet in the humming bird shaped clitoral attachment. The box claims TPR is “hygenically superior” but not only is it spelled wrong, it’s just wrong. Pure silicone or even a silicone composite would be better if hygiene is your concern. Also, considering the stiffness of this material, it wouldn’t make much difference if it were upgrade to silicone. In fact, that is my one major complaint about the Decadent Indulgence. The wings and beak on the humming bird are cute and vibrate loosely when the clitoral stimulator is on but they’re rather thing, pointy and sharp. It’s not something that bothers my hands but I found use of the clitoral stimulator to actually be painful unless I was firmly pushing the bullet against my clit so that those appendages were more stationary instead of vibrating freely against me. Because my use of dual stimulators tends to focus on clitoral pleasure, this is a big issue for me. I really wish there were no protrusions at all, just a TPR-covered bullet.

There are two controls for the functions, one for the vibrating hummingbird and one for the shaft/bead rotation. I always prefer separate controls for shaft rotation and beads so I would like to see that here. The buttons are not the hard-to-press digital kind; they are easy to find and press which I like. In fact, they might be too easy. I hadn’t realized there were 8 levels for each function because the “ultra sensitive control pads” tend to increase 2 or 3 levels at a time. There is also a button in the center which switches modes from basic vibration and rotation to a slower pulsation and back and forth rotation and then a must faster mode. The mode applies to both functions so the rotation and beads occur at the same speed as the pulsation, resulting in a more profound effect than if they operated at separate modes. Overall, the combinations are endless.

I found the vibration to be adequate but the increases were more of speed than size, as is typical with bullets of that size. What I really liked were the pulsation modes. They were incredibly strong, almost too strong at some points, and not at all like the high frequency pulsation of other vibes which left me wanting. Even as I lay thinking about how the beak was painful, the pulsation led me orgasm. It was really the first orgasm I had without even trying and that was vibration-induced alone so it was something of a milestone even if it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. If that doesn’t say something about the value of this toy, I’m not sure what can.

For once, I quite enjoyed the rotation of the shaft. The 3 tracks of 3 beads each move in the same direction and at the same speed as the shaft and were noticeable but the overall effect felt like there was only one internal function. The rotation was also rather powerful and stood up to clenching but it was hard to tell if both the shaft and beads stood up to my muscles or if it was just the shaft or beads. Either way, I have had few rabbits which stand up at all to clenching so it was nice.

One of the things I especially like about rabbit vibes is how they hug my pubic bone and the Decadent Indulgence did a decent job. The TPR, while pliable was stiffer than some jelly I have experienced, and helped with this. I wouldn’t complain if it was a more snug fit. The bullet seemed to be a little further away from the shaft than in some rabbits I have used, resulting in a clit stimulator which is a bit too flexible. I found that in order to place the bullet as high as I like on my vulva, the beak was simply in the way, poking at my mons, and the shaft did reach a little further than I like but this was less of an issue than the beak.

A few other thoughts on this toy. The TPR will attract a little lint and has a slight rubbery smell but it’s really not offensive. The battery pack is closed with a slide-on cover which doesn’t seem super secure. This toy should not be submerged an this warning can be found on the bottom of the box along with a reminder to only use water-based lube. However, TPR should be safe with both water or silicone based lubricants so I am not sure why this would be the case.

In the end, I loved the functions of the Decadent Indulgence. The pulsation truly lived up to the name of this toy. However, I could really do without the painful clitoral stimulator. California Exotic does have a lot of toys with similar functions so I will definitely keep my eye out for something that has all the strengths of the Decadent Indulgence without the bite.

7 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Petite Pink Ribbon

January 9th, 2009

The Pink Ribbon Petite arrived in very minimal yet classy packaging. Vibrator, instructions and included batteries (AA but it’s still nice) were nestled in a tiny cardboard box over which slid a plastic sheath with product name. Although it wasn’t as nice as, say, Lelo’s packaging, it was definitely less wasteful and I appreciate that.

The Petite truly lives up to its name (which translates to small), being only 4 inches long. Ideally, it should fit in your hand but I found that this small plastic vibrator was a little too ‘boxy’ in parts, like on the sides. Although it seems to be curved well for a woman’s body, I think a more pronounced curved would fit better in my hand. I was much more comfortable holding, and using, the Laya Spot. I think it significant to mention that my hands are pretty small so this may be a personal preference.

The Pink Ribbon Petite is a special vibrator, however. First, a portion of all proceeds will go toward the fight against breast cancer. I think this is a noble effort but it would be interesting to know just how much a “portion” is. Secondly, the plastic is treated so that it feels velvety. Holding the Petite in my hand feels great because of its texture. The Petite is also feminine and cute, discreet, comes with batteries and is easy to operate.

The Petite is not, however, my sex toy of choice. Starting with the shape, which was just a little awkward for my hand and also did not work to lay this toy flat against my mons. The curve was just not enough. Because of it’s specific shape, it really doesn’t work so well holding it any other way (like with the controls toward my vagina rather than up toward my mons).

The controls are also something which make little sense to me. First, they’re situated in a strange place. When holding this, the heel of my hand is over the controls rather than my fingers and I’m pretty sure I’m doing it “right.” This 3-speed vibrator caught me off guard when I realized the horizontal switch first moves to the highest setting, then medium, then low. So it’s Off-High-Medium-Low. I forgot one time, warmed myself up on the highest setting, thought I’d turn it higher and was disappointed when I realized that was the highest setting.

So you can probably guess my next point which is that the vibrations are not so impressive. My clit isn’t super sensitive; I never get off from vibration alone and in order to even feel relatively stimulated, I need a decent vibrator. The vibrations in the Petite are rather small. In fact, rather than increasing in power when I turn up the settings, they tend to increase in frequency which doesn’t really do much for me. At the highest setting, it’s more like an annoying buzz. Because of this, I would only recommend using this toy directly on your skin (not through panties, which is something I like to do).

Nevertheless, vibrations aren’t usually the deal breaker for me. I love pressure and if I can rub a toy against me in the right way, I can get off without vibrations (I did this with the Laya Spot). I just couldn’t do it with the Petite. Natural Contours tried to create something which would work well for most females and maybe I just don’t fall into that category or maybe they failed. Although velvety on the outside, this toy is overall hard. When trying to rub the curved end around my clit and labia, it hurt if I applied any pressure. I think a combination of shape and material just makes this toy ineffective for that purpose.

As I wind down my review, I’m disappointed. I could not orgasm with this toy and I have had orgasms with some pretty crappy toys. I cannot see this toy working for anything more than warm up and it probably won’t even work well for that. It’s a looker but that’s about all. The biggest impression the vibrations left upon me was that of annoyance and the shape and feel just did not lend itself well to applying pressure. The controls are awkward, both in function and position.

In my opinion, the benefits (donation, batteries included, texture, look) simply pale in comparison to the disadvantages of the Pink Ribbon Petite. If you’re shopping for a clitoral vibrator, I would highly recommend the Laya Spot over this one. If you want to lend a helping hand, a full donation to a charity would likely do more good.


Babeland

20 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Wild in Secret

I Rub My wormie

October 26th, 2008

I Rub My Wormie, just plain Wormie from here on out, is satisfying but does not live up to its intended use which I see as a design flaw.

The Wormie, the lesser known but certainly not lesser cousin of the I Rub My Duckie by Big Teaze Toys, arrived in a frustrating plastic blister pack and, of course, I had to struggle with it to get it out. (Perhaps a more ecofriendly box might be a better choice?) Once that battle was won, things steadily improved. I thought that the cardboard packaging which displayed the Wormie on a log with leaves in the background was a cute touch. Wormie sent an invitation asking “Your leaf or mine?” One thing I also thought was a great use of packaging; the paperboard display on which Wormie arrived unfolds to display instructions and information. I really like like because it doesn’t waste extra paper but I missed it the first time through and I suspect others may as well.

The packaging outlined Wormie’s features including its “easy grip, multi-textured body” as well as “soft2touch skin,” which is a soft outer covering of the toy that is free of pthalates, PVC and Latex. The package also recommends that this toy be used with a water based lubricant so I suspect that there is more than just plastic in this Wormie – specifically silicone. Additionally, Wormie’s neck has an “ergonomic bend to reach those (G)reat spots.”

I Rub My Wormie is a multi-speed vibrator powered by 2 C batteries, which I would have proffered were included as I had to buy them especially for this product. The battery pack originally contains a plastic sheet which needs to be removed and the cap – the end of the tail – fits on tightly when batteries are inserted.

I really felt I was in for a treat.

Unlike a real worm, the Wormie is cute and quite large. Some may find the adorable face on this not-so-little guy a bit disturbing but I definitely found it cute and this unique design makes it more of a discreet toy. Wormie is also pretty large which actually inhibited my play a bit. The Wormie is quite impressive with his 8 inch length and 2 inch diameter.

The vibrations were also quite strong, making this toy perhaps the strongest in my collection. However, with only 2 speeds, more variation would be nice. I wish there had been an in between level of stimulation because I felt the higher level was too strong; it made my hand uncomfortable to hold it but the lower level was a little lacking. Still, the vibrations added more to my experience than vibration tends to do with most toys.

An extra feature was Wormie’s little feet. There are 2 rows on them on the bottom totaling at least a couple dozen. This felt very pleasurable rubbing against my labia and clit. I originally did not put much stock into the feet but was surprised at the element they added.

However, I think Big Teaze Toys may have gone a little overboard with this one. Wormie’s bulbous head, which is supposed to stimulate the G-spot, was so large that I could barely insert it even when I had it lubed up enough that I could barely maintain a grasp on the toy. I tried insertion in the shower and dry to no avail. I’m not sure if anyone can successfully insert the Wormie! The little insertion I managed was very uncomfortable. Because g-spot stimulation is a selling point, I think the design falls a little short. I would perhaps make the neck flexible or even straight and make the head the same size as the rest of the body.

Speaking of the rest of the body, it seemed the perfect size for insertion and I even tried it out that way. Of course, the on and off switches are at the end of the tail so this idea didn’t work so well but I liked using the head as a handle.

I had the most success using Wormie on my clit, with his head between my legs and feet against my skin. The head felt similar to oral sex when I moved it and because it was bigger than many clitoral stimulators, the pressure felt great. As I mentioned, the vibrations were pretty powerful so I generally stayed on the first level. I liked using Wormie’s tail as a handle because the vibrations weren’t making my hand uncomfortable. I believe the motor is located around the neck so I had a little buffer for my hand.

Although satisfied by the Wormie as a clit toy, I am a little puzzled about one aspect of the massager. Because the package recommends a water based lube and I suspect the Soft2Touch Skin may be silicone, I wonder how insertion is supposed to happen in a wet environment. Water dissolves waterbased lubricants and I certainly had a harder time even attempting insertion in the shower. Nevertheless, the Wormie held up very well in the wet conditions and I felt the battery compartment was very snug.

While I can forgive Wormie for not working as a vaginal toy because he feels so nice on my clit, I am a little annoyed by the amount of noise he makes. Wormie is loud. On the low speed, this waterproof vibrator can be dully heard through a closed door. You may be able to get away with it if no one is listening in. However, it’s clearly audible through a closed door on the high speed and you won’t be able to hide your Wormie time from anyone! One other annoyance is that you can actually hear the batteries jostling around inside Wormie’s body which makes it even noisier.

Lastly, I think the button position could use a little work. When using Wormie through my clothes to stimulate my vulva and clit, I found that I accidentally turned him off more times than once. It’s a little frustrating for the toy to all of a sudden stop working. Ironically, when I want to turn him on and off, I sometimes have difficulty pressing the switch. Perhaps some sort of digital or electronic button would be better than the switch beneath the skin. Furthermore, I actually found myself unscrewing the battery compartment when I held on to Wormie’s tail in some positions. I think this whole area could use a little work.

Despite his flaws, I am happy with my new buddy. I will continue to use the I Rub My Wormie as a clit stimulator and enjoy his soft skin, feet and vibrations even if the Wormie is a little loud and doesn’t work quite as intended.

3 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.