Wet Synergy

June 4th, 2010

Wet Synergy

Wet Synergy
from Wet

Wet isn’t the first company to develop a water-silicone hybrid lube but they’re definitely advertising theirs more than other companies (say, Pink). I jumped on the offer to try the new products because they sounded interesting and Wet sent me two bottles: a “regular” version of Synergy and a tingling type.

Each bottle contains 1.9oz of product and is quite tall and narrow with a press-top for dispensing the lube. The regular version has pink detailing against black and silver while the other bottle has teal details. The bottles themselves are cute.

I tried the regular lube first and was pleased to see it was thicker than any silicone lube I’ve ever had. It’s slightly gel-like but definitely not solid. Texture-wise, Synergy feels like a silicone lubricant and doesn’t get sticky like water and lasted well after I was done. I don’t mind silicone lubes with toys–although, most of my toys are also made of silicone so I don’t have that many I can use with it. It’s also scent-free.

I have to be honest, though, I do not like the feel of Synergy for PIV sex. It feels too plastic-y. I never minded condoms but silicone-based lube feels like a physical barrier and reduces my pleasure. Of course, silicone-based lube leaves an interesting feel on your flesh, after use, and that is also true for Synergy.

The tingling version of Synergy is really, really effective. I mean, use with caution. I went a little overboard with it because I wasn’t thinking and my vagina damn near froze off. Toy play seemed to increase the sensation and it was a good 10 or 15 minutes of consistent tingles before it started to fade away. It also seemed to make me negatively sensitive and tender, maybe because of the peppermint, which you can definitely smell during use.

Overall, my experience with tingling Synergy was just a little too much. I think I might be extra sensitive to some cooling/tingling lubes and I would definitely recommend you try out just a bit before diving right into this bottle. I usually do but my mind was elsewhere.

Wet Synergy does contain one ingredient that some folks prefer not to see in their lubes: glycerin. Besides peppermint, the ingredient lists are identical and read as such:

  • glycerin
  • aqua
  • dimethiconol
  • sodium polyacrylate
  • dimethicone
  • cyclopentasiloxane
  • trideceth-6
  • peg/ppg
  • dimethicone
  • pentylene glycol

Because I do not especially like the feel of silicone lube for intercourse and most of my toys are silicone, I probably won’t use Synergy frequently. I guess I just prefer water-based lubes and while I did enjoy the fact that this product is thicker than standard silicone lubes, it doesn’t deviate enough for my liking.

If you’re interested, you can request a sample directly from the Synergy website–which is pretty neat! Synergy is not yet for sale in most places so I’m not sure how much it will cost. Wet products are usually fairly reasonable, however.

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

Wet Together Ultimate Pleasure Gels

December 5th, 2009

Wet Together Ultimate Pleasure Gels

Like the Wet Together Couples Lube I just reviewed, the Ultimate Pleasure Gels are meant to enhance each partner’s experience in a way that proves ultimately pleasurable when combined. This new product takes the concept to another level. Like the lube, the pleasure gels offer a tingling sensation for her but the male product differs slightly as it is meant to be prolonging instead of simply pleasurable.

That’s not the only difference. Wet Together Ultimate Pleasure Gels have stepped away from the pink and blue branding which perhaps makes it a bit more politically correct but doesn’t make a whole lot of sense at this point in the game. Because the original products were pink or blue, the red, gold and black colour scheme could be confusing. Furthermore, there’s less room for experimentation because the prolonging pleasure gel is really intended for a male to use it. I have to say, I’m not a big fan of the scheme anyway; it’s sort of gaudy and unattractive. The two .5 tubes of gels – black for him and red for her – are quite plane and lack the colourful, translucent fun of the lube bottles and are remarkably smaller.

But, packaging doesn’t break a good product (or make a bad one but that’s another rant for another day). Unfortunately, I am still not a fan of the tingling formula in these product pairings and it seems like both product and packaging are not for me. The pleasure gel felt identical to the lube and shared the same minty scent, which is definitely noticeable, and slightly sweet taste; it went on cold and while I liked that, it intensified into a distracting and uncomfortable tingling sensation when the area was stimulated. It felt like it took away from clitoral pleasure and I had to ask my husband to stop.

The box says the user will experience a “gentle warming sensation within 5” minutes but that is pretty much the opposite of my experience (intense, cooling and tingling). It also suggests that the product will last 20 minutes. Luckily for me, the sensation faded after 5 or 10 minutes. Perhaps unlucky for you, if you are a big fan. Regardless, they were long and unpleasant minutes for me. Regardless, it’s not what the box suggests. Lastly, the pleasure gel For Her is supposed to enhance natural lubrication but I’m not sure if this is true. In fact, at one point, I felt embarrassingly dry. If there is any lube enhancing properties, I’m sure it will be entirely negated by the uncomfortable feeling of the product.

If you are ingredient conscientious, the box lists a whole slew of them for both products. For Her contains:

  • Glycerine
  • Propylene Glycol
  • Benzoic Acid
  • Sodium Benzoate
  • Hydroxyethylcellulose
  • Tocopherol
  • Aloe Barbadensis
  • Camellia Sinsensis Leaf Extract
  • Niacinamide
  • Mentha Piperita Oil
  • Water
  • Xantham GumEupatorium Rebaudianum Bertoni LeEaf Extract
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Ethylhexylglycerin

I am glad to say that the prolonging pleasure gel for him was a big success. I believe the instructions say to apply it just under the head of the penis but I forgot to look and applied the clear gel all over. I couldn’t feel a warming sensation; in fact, when I asked, he said he felt normal but it was obviously something wasn’t normal – in a good way! He definitely was able to last longer and move in ways that would normally cause him to orgasm nearly instantly. In fact, long after the tingling gel had ruined my experiment, I had to ask him to finish up otherwise I am sure he would have lasted longer.

Despite its lack of sensation, my husband loved the gel for him. It doesn’t seem to numb the penis like so many prolonging products which detract from the pleasure of sex. Even if it helps a man last longer, it doesn’t help sex be an enjoyable act. This gel has really made us consider similar products but it would be great if it were manufactured and sold separately, in a larger container than the 1/2 oz tube.

The ingredients in the Pleasure Gel For Him are:

  • Glycerin
  • Propylene Glycol
  • Benzoic Acid
  • Sodium Benzoate
  • Hydroxyethylcellulloid
  • Tocopherol
  • Aloe Barbadensis
  • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
  • Arginine(L)
  • Mentha Piperita Oil
  • Water
  • Xantham Gum
  • Eupatorium Rebaudianum Bertoni Leaf Extract
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Ethylhexylglicerin

As you can see, the ingredient lists are nearly identical save for Niacinamide and Arginine(L). which I can assume are the active ingredients to cause tingling and prolonged erection, respectively. There is plenty of glycerin in these, which can cause reactions in some women. L’arginine itself can be a controversial ingredient, too.

Even if I had liked the tingling sensation (I know I am not every woman and some will surely enjoy the tingling effect of the pleasure gel For Her.), I don’t think these products have the potential to work together as well as Wet Together Couples Lube simply because there doesn’t seem to be any way for the pleasure gels to combine for greater effect. They seem to be meant to be enjoyed because they are each in use by a partner.

Wet Together Ultimate Pleasure Gels are not intended to be lubricant; although, they are latex friendly. Wet suggests using Wet Together Ultimate Pleasure Gels with other wet lubricant and there is a sample of Wet Together Lube included. Because they are both sensation products, I would be hesitant to use all 4 products together, especially if you haven’t previously used the products separately. It could get quite intense.

Ultimately, this pair includes a really strong product that I hope Wet continues to make and perhaps focus on by itself. Because my experience was so consistent with the Wet Together products, I would probably not invest any further in the line (were there new additions) unless there were some changes. I do think it would be interesting to see how the pleasure gels could be better adapter to lesbian or gay couples as the prolonging and tingling gels obviously work better in some situations.

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Categories: Lube, Reviews

Wet Together Couples Lube

December 3rd, 2009

Wet Together Couples Lube

Wet Together Couples Lube
$26.99 from PinkCherry

His and hers lubes are so of all the rage these days. KY did a fair job applying attractive colours to their Yours+Mine lube and, then, advertising the shit out of them. A little more recently, Wet introduced their take on his and her lubes: Wet Together Couples Lube. Packaged in pink and blue bottles, Wet Together pairs water with silicone based and tingling with warming properties to further stimulate sexual arousal and satisfaction. Besides the colours, which really are quite striking, these 2fl. oz bottles are nearly identical.

They both say “Wet Together” on a shiny, silver label with the ‘o’ being fashioned into the respective gender symbol and, on the back, you can peel away the label for additional information. The are press-top style which is easy to use and generally easy to control the amount you squeeze out.

The colour coding of this product makes it easy to tell “how” (or who to use it on) to use it but it also makes it clear that this product is intended for a very specific and heterosexual market. I guess because these types of products tend to be marketed toward the tamer sides of sex and sold in drug stores, I see the point but I’m not totally down with promoting the idea of gender-specific colours, either (is there a better term for this?) and it leaves other couplings out in the cold. Of course, you can certainly ignore the implied suggestions and use each lube separately or put the warming on her and the tingling on him. If you’re a rule breaker like that. 😉 We didn’t, at least not on the first try because I wanted to try the product how it was intended.

For Her is a silicone based lubricant meant to tingle (cool). The clear lube is thin and slick with a medium strong minty scent. When applied internally, I definitely noticed a cooling sensation. It comes with a short ingredient list which is chock full of silicone so use with silicone toys is not advised:

  • Dimethicone
  • Cyclopentasiloxne
  • Dimenthiconol
  • Phenyl Trimethicone
  • Tocopheryl Acetate
  • Peppermint Extract

Cold was definitely something I felt when For Her was applied on me. It reminded me a bit of Intimate Organic’s Discover Gel but I’m not entirely sure if I found the sensation to be pleasant this time. What I can say with absolute certainty is that there was an increase in sensation from pairing the lubes during sex and that the motion of sex (stroking/thrusting) increased it until a “maximum” point. I’ll be honest and say that the first time we used Wet Together, the sensation became so much that it was distracting and I just wanted it to be over and done with so I could rinse off the lube. It could be that we simply used too much so I would advise starting slow, with just a tiny dab.

On the other hand, For Him is a water based lube whose only ingredient is listed (on the bottle) as glycerin. I’m not sure on that one. The box also lists Tocopheryl Acetate but I cannot help but find it strange that “aqua” isn’t even in the ingredients list. Of course, as glycerin is sometimes a culprit when it comes to irritation, proceed with caution. In fact, that’s not a bad idea with any sensation giving product (as you will see, I did learn). For Him is also thin and clear with a sweet taste and not much of a discernible scent. At least, it’s hard to tell after smelling For Her. It is meant to warm and I could easily feel it doing so before I was done applying it to my husband and he seemed to generally enjoy it.

There was a definitely silky slickness to the lube because of its silicone contents and definitely lasted as long as we needed it do. Focusing on lubrication properties alone – and not sensation – I was fairly pleased. I’ve definitely tried worse and this may not be the best lube ever (TM) but it worked. It’s probably not as slick as silicone lube alone but there was a noticeable difference over water based lube. By itself, the silicone lube (Her) is pretty slick and doesn’t get sticky as is dries; it just leaves that sort of tangible “layer” on the skin which needs soap and water to come off. The water based (Him) has a nice texture that becomes a little tacky as it dries but not nearly as much as some water based lubed I have tried. The combination seems to reduce or perhaps just overshadow the less desirable qualities of the water based lubricant, feeling mostly like silicone.

I am not entirely sold on Wet Together Couples Lube as a set. Perhaps I am just a bad example of a “Her” when it comes to trying “his and hers” style lubricants but I didn’t find the tingling to be pleasurable, especially when combined with the warming lubricant to create a more intense sensation. I found myself thinking “is it over yer?” and that’s not how I like to enjoy my sex. However, I feel that the combination produces a solid lubricant which makes sex quite comfortable and, because my husband did enjoy the warming sensation of For Him, we may use it again when we want a warming lube.

6 Comments

Categories: Lube, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.