BSoft

December 31st, 2009

Bsoft

Bsoft
$55 from Store.OfSexAndLove.com

When the Bsoft first came out, I was intrigued. The unique shape still reminds me of the Jetsons and I am always drawn toward original clitoral vibes. The reviews came out and none of them really raved. The lack of power was mentioned consistently, along with a few other issues which I, too, have now had the chance to experience firsthand.

It’s difficult to describe the shape of the Bsoft accurately. If one were to draw the Bsoft from either the top or bottom, it’s sort of pear shaped, wider toward the center with curved points on either end. The slightly sharper point is capped with a plastic cover to protect the port for the charger cord (like the ports on your phone or camera might be covered). As nearly every review has mentioned, this cap does not fit snugly and is constantly flipping up and around. I had to rearrange it several times during use; in fact, it was off right out of the box. It stays on because it is attached; however. Some folks have cut theirs off but I’m wary of water or lubes getting into the the vibrator so I’ve kept mine on.

The design of this toy means only one side can really be used for stimulation. The side with the controls had a sleek border in blue (or pink or purple) around a center piece of more silver plastic where sit the 3 control buttons. The buttons are round, made of soft grey plastic and sit slightly higher than the plastic that surrounds them. There is a slight clicking which can be heard then they are pressed and they’re significantly larger than the controls on most toys which makes it incredibly easy to use. There is a master power switch and a plus and minus button. Bsoft starts at a low steady vibration, increases to a medium and tops off with one more level. There are 4 modes of pulsation, escalation and even a mix. But, because the vibrations are so high pitched, they tend to tickle rather than to deeply satisfy. Putting pressure on the vibe also seems to dull the vibrations.

The stimulating side would be the side which is made of hard, silver plastic. It’s entirely smooth, except for a seam about 1/2 an inch down from the plastic cover. This seam is definitely a place which can collect gunk and I would carefully clean with a damp Q-tip because of its proximity to the port. I do everything I can to prevent soap and water from getting in there (the loose cover doesn’t provide help) and toy wipes would probably be the best option for cleaning.

The hard plastic rises to create a soft ridge in the middle. It runs from the top where the cap is, gradually lowering toward the other end where it diminishes toward a gentle curve and the vibrator is thinner. It is here that the vibrations are strongest and I guess this area is intended to be used against the body. Although the sides of the ridge and the curving end are slightly broader when compared to the ridge itself, I really didn’t find any part of the Bsoft optimum for getting the pressure I like. Of course, the capped end really shouldn’t/couldn’t be used for stimulation either.

However, the entire piece fit fairly well nestled between my lips, which I liked. Because the entire toy curves slightly toward the back, the non-cap end stimulated the entrance of my vagina. If it were a bit longer, it would likely hit my G-spot but just missed it. I think the Bsoft would be more effective if it were simply a bit smaller. It measures 6″ long, 2.5″ at the widest and about 1.5″ deep at the thickest. A smaller size, in addition to more of a soft curve instead of the ridge on the back would enable me to grind this toy against myself and still take advantage of how it fits against the vulva.

The Bsoft is super light because is requires no batteries. While the quality seems generally good, I find myself distrustful of toys which are so light. This vibrator comes charged and I have yet to recharge it although I used it for 20 minutes tops. The DC charger easily plugs into the toy and fits into any typical (American) socket. There is no indicator light and the instruction manual does not say how long the vibrator needs to be charged but does say not to charge it for over 24 hours or to use during charging.

Along with the vibrator and charger, which sit on a plasitc metal tray, the box includes a fabric bag (which is almost fleecy on the inside) and instruction manual. The box is longer than it is wide and not deep at all so I do think it would make a decent option for storing everything together (or perhaps just use the tray). The bag has a drawstring which allows it to be closed and easily tossed in a bag or purse. The DC adapter can fit into the bag as well but could scratch the plastic of the Bsoft which seems to scratch easily (like an iPod). The bag is actually thicker than that which came with my BNaughty but isn’t what I would consider plush (perhaps the thickness of some flannel).

The unique shape of the Bsoft seems to be inspired by reality but is just a bit to surreal to provide the stimulation which I need to orgasm. Combined with the buzzy vibes, I can’t see it being useful for much more than warm up which is a shame because few vibes seem to be designed to complement the vulva (and not just the clit). I recently bought Bswish’s newest clit vibe – BCurious – and I am definitely curious to see how it pairs up with this first effort.

2 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Fallen

December 27th, 2009

Fallen

Fallen /p>

I am a relative porn newbie, I admit it. Most of my porn watching has been done with short clips found for free online and, usually, that covers my needs. I thought I’d get to know porn a bit more with Fallen because the cover really intrigued me. It was well done and this award-nominated porn flick has been praised for its unique and expensive approach to pornography. Maybe it’s just my lack of expertise or my particular tastes, but I have no idea what these people are praising and celebrating.

Granted, Fallen is presented grandly. It comes in a larger-than-average case that is only slightly smaller than your average sheet of printer paper. The inside flaps give some insight to the bonus discs (there are 4 discs including the feature title) and a regularDVDd case holding these discs sits inside. Both cases feature an image of Jessica Drake – the lead actress – with wings and arms spread in a scant white dress. It’s not exactly family friendly but it’s on par with some movie covers and you could potentially get away with it sitting with the rest of your movie collection – as long as you toss the larger which is pretty ostentatious.

Fallen is a Wicked Productions film which revolves around the plot of Angel, an angel who was banished to Earth after her charge met an untimely death. Angel thus loses herself in sex and, at the end, tries to redeem itself. And it works, sort of. I know many appreciate the acting in this film and there are a lot of non-sex scenes which makes it seem like they’re aiming for the couples and womens’ porn market but the acting is really not all that great. Maybe it’s good when you consider it’s a porn star and Brad Armstrong does manage to play a generally likable guy in the second half of the movie but Jessica Drake falls flat and talks with a strangely breathless monotonous voice as she narrates the movie.

And that would be okay if all the sex scenes themselves were not so incredibly uninspired. Most of the scenes involve PIV sex with anus fingering. That seems to be the running theme. Sure, there’s position swaps, some lesbian sex and a MFM trio but they all seem hash ups of what we’ve seen before. There were only two scenes which really caught my eye – the first scene between Jessica Drake and Brad Armstrong where he puts a little more thought into performing oral on her to a wonderful jazzy background and a scene where Angel is watching another woman in a sex booth (which either turns to sex between the two or perhaps Angel just imagines it). But the novelty soon faded after more than a few minutes of the same thing happening in each scene. Maybe I have a short attention span but they seemed to drone on forever.

As did the entire movie which runs almost 3 hours. I really wanted to watch it in one sitting and I know a lot of people don’t do that. I just couldn’t. It took 3 or so sittings and, by the end, I was fast forwarding through it just to see how it ends. The ending actually reminds me a bit of Hancock in theme and revolves completely around the plot but I fast grew tired of the plot and poor acting, if you couldn’t already tell.

I am also unsatisfied by the pitiful excuse they call oral sex and manual stimulation on a female. It seemed like it was all just thrown in to look good for the camera but it was always sloppy and short, two things I cannot stand in my own sex life. I found it hard to believe any of the countless stars were having any fun and the ridiculously fake moans only convinced me more. It’s hard to believe anyone actually enjoyed making this movie. It’s all so contrived. Luckily, there is an option to turn off the moans and only have music play and I must say, the music is chosen rather well. Still, it’s kind of odd not to hear any moaning.

As long as I’m talking about music, I had quite the difficult time hearing Jessica Drake’s breathy voice over the background music which is the main reason I lost track of the plot. The sound techs need to do a better job, next time.

The box talks about the unique style of Brad Armstrong, who also directed Fallen and it may be a step above most porn but it’s also distracting at times. In the scene with Jessica and Brad which I initially liked, I grew frustrated with all the fading to black and many scenes are washed out from natural light which may be on purpose but I feel that using professional lighting would have really been the better move. On the subject of style, I originally liked Angel’s costume on the cover but soon came to realize that most of her outfits look straight off the Hot Topic website. Uninspired, again.

You won’t find many actresses who stray from the typical blond and big breasted stereotype, either. Jessica Drake certainly fits it to a T as do most of the countless other porn stars. I don’t know many porn stars from face alone but they all blended together and there were so many actors/actresses simply in for one sex scene that they never struck a chord with me.

I have to say that there is quite a lot of bonus material including a digital copy of the movie, deleted scenes and the ability to choose from multiple endings. You can control Angel’s destiny which I find really cool but I was so wiped from having to watch almost 3 hours of uninspired sex and acting that I honestly could not force myself to watch more. However, if you like Fallen I bet you would enjoy these features immensely.

So, is Fallen really all that and a bag of chips? Maybe if you like your porn typical-but-with-a-bit-of-plot. Maybe if you have a thing for Jessica Drake or Brad Armstrong. Maybe if you want something a little different but still inside the box. Maybe if you like to flip from scene to scene without watching the whole thing. Maybe if you’re not me. Pirates is much more my kind of big budget porn.

3 Comments

Categories: Media, Reviews

I’m Over Here

December 23rd, 2009

I’ve been a little slow with reviews lately. Mostly I’m just lazy. But you can also find my writing over at EdenCafe. Some of my recent posts include:

Okay, so some of them aren’t exactly “recent” per se. I’m just a slacker in all things but it’s great to have been writing different kinds of posts on EdenCafe and the gift cards aren’t half bad either. As I understand it, Carrie Ann is always looking for more writers so drop her a line if you’re interested!

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Categories: internet, Site

Afterglow Wipes

December 23rd, 2009

Afterglow Wipes

Afterglow Wipes
$9 from Store.OfSexAndLove.com

Afterglow wipes certainly glow. They come in a bright orange and yellow package with rays emanating from a sun in the center. At first look, the packaging isn’t entirely discreet (bright colours, after all) nor does it scream “XXX.” In small print, it does say “toy/personal tissues,” however. Still pretty classy, in my opinion. That’s right, you read toy and personal tissues as these wipes can be used on intimate bit (though not in) and sex toys alike. It makes them useful for a variety of uses in my mind:

  • Cleaning toys after use
  • Wiping lint/dust from toys before use
  • Freshening up before playtime
  • Cleaning up lubes and other fluids after playtime

While I’ve used wipes in the past, they seemed a little unnecessary when they only served one purpose and while I really like and trust Pur Med Clean Spray, I have to wipe off physical debris with a tissue and some materials don’t mix well with tissues. Enter Afterglow wipes to save the day, mostly.

These wipes are 7.9″ by 5.9″ which is fairly big but smaller than your average tissue. These pre-moistened wipes are fabric-like and thicker than your average tissue. They come in a plastic pack which reseals with a sticky flap, like many other wipes. It seals pretty well and would work well in a bag if you’re away from home but is great to have in the nightstand. Devine, the maker of these wipes, has formulated them to disinfect, kill bacteria and stimulate with the following ingredients:

  • Water
  • Propylene Glycol
  • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
  • PEG 14m
  • Polysorbate 20
  • PEG-40
  • Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  • Bergamot
  • Chlorhexidine
  • Digluconate
  • Idopropynyl Butylcarbamate

I’ll admit, that list seems like it’s awfully full of chemicals which I can barely type, let alone pronounce and some may wonder whether or not this causes irritation. I have used Afterglow Wipes in intimate areas several times and experienced no irritation. They’re really handy to freshen up just a bit or clean up after. Before, I would clean up after sex but still feel a bit sticky; these wipes do away with that stickiness entirely. After using, I just toss ’em. There is a warning on the package not to flush. It would be nice if I could but it’s a trivial point.

I don’t think they have much taste because I’ve used them before oral and my husband has never said anything either. However, they do have a scent even if they are unscented. They smell exactly like baby wipes. This isn’t bad. It reminds me of general cleanliness but it does make me wonder if I should just buy a tub of baby wipes because I’ll probably save money and they’ll work just as well. A 20 pack of wipes runs $7 or you can get 1 for $1. It only costs $2.39 for 60 baby wipes on Amazon. =/

I don’t know if that’s a real complaint but I can say that they don’t do much to remove lint from matte silicone and sticky materials. I tried to remove some cat fur to no avail and finally had to pick it off with my fingers. Of course, some materials just attract fur and such but I wish these better dealt with that.

Overall, the Afterglow Wipes are pretty handy. I do like using them over other cleaning methods but they work better with certain materials (basically anything smooth and frictionless) than others. As personal wipes, I’ve gotten a lot of use out of them. A surprising amount, really but, at that rate, they’ll run out soon and then I have to decide if they’re worth the price.

7 Comments

Categories: Non-Sex Toys, Reviews

Sinn-what?

December 21st, 2009

It was a long wait for my Sinnflut Intensity. I didn’t know if I could throw down that much money for an insertable vibrator. After all, I haven’t had much luck with them in the past. And I couldn’t request it to review; too many folks already had. So I opted to try to Reality but, to my chagrin, I was denied. There I was, back lusting at the Intensity until I finally decided to take the plunge with some hard earned affiliate commissions and gift cards from writing at EdenCafe.

Then, the Intensity was in my hands and I wasn’t regretting it. I was drooling over the power, impressed with the design and excited to have a vibrator stored conveniently on the nightstand but, wouldn’t you know, not all stories have a happy middle. It wasn’t long before I noticed the pitiful whining and despite draining the toy completely (what a chore that was for me) and recharging it fully, the sounds remained. When I turned it on for my husband, he actually yelled for me to turn it off! Turn it off! After a while, it sounded like a train was coming straight at me, like some eery music in the back of a horror flick. It was sometimes downright scary.

So I decided to exchange it for another and, like usual, the folks at EF were quick and great about it. I had to wait a couple weeks for my replacement (damned holidays) but it showed up and made considerably less noise. I was relieved. I let myself breath again, among other less PG activities with the Intensity. Then, I wrote a review about it. You should read it.

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Categories: Everything Else

Come to Think of It..

December 18th, 2009

Intellectually, I want to be having more sex. I’ll think about it and it’s like “Man, when is the last time we have sex? We should be having more sex.” But even if he’s home while I’m thinking this and we’re both not really doing anything, I don’t want to have sex then. In reality, I guess I don’t want sex very much. Or maybe I’m just not in the mood and too lazy or busy to try.

I think it’s gotten worse because my body and its sensitivities have obviously changed since before he was deployed. Maybe it was not having sex or maybe it was just solo time that got me into habits that are hard to break. Maybe it’s just me growing older and my body changing naturally but it makes it a lot harder for what used to work, to work now. It feels like my body is a stranger, a stranger who hates me. Maybe I didn’t love how it was before but I’d give anything to go back to a constant.

Now, I need a lot more foreplay. A lot more time to get turned on and ready for even manual stimulation, externally. I know he’s trying. I know he’s going slower but.. it’s just not enough and I don’t want to have to say that. “Hey, I know you’re trying but you fail, buddy.” So I just endure it.

When I feel like I’m just lying there for him to get off, it really makes me feel worthless. I know he wouldn’t want me to feel that way but I feel used. Knowing that there is potential for it to be good makes it that much worse. It’s honestly one of the worst feelings I’ve ever felt.

Most of the time now, I find myself thinking “When is he going to stop/cum/switch positions? That hurts, that feels pokey. Can’t he tell I need lube? What the fuck is he doing? And if I tell him, is it going to crush his ego?” I know communication is important but I’m just so sick of communicating. I’m just so sick of saying “This isn’t working” when I don’t know what will work anymore. Sex has become a running list of what isn’t working in my head and that list is so big it just makes me feel defeated.

As long as he thinks it’s okay/good, he thinks he’s doing a good job so I know not saying anything is ultimately not helping. It’ll just go downhill from here and here is bad enough. I feel like I’ve lost something that defined us – in a good way – and he has no idea that I just want to sob. I hate not being able to connect through sex like we used to and I hate how emotionally distant I feel all the time. I try to talk about it but I don’t really put it all out there because I don’t want to upset him. I don’t want to make him feel this way, too. It’s almost better if he is ignorant.

We did talk about it a bit yesterday and, ultimately, it cut him deep. It slashed his confidence, especially about oral cause he always felt like that was his strong suit. And that only made it worse. But it’s such a touchy subject, how can I expect him not to be affected by it too? It would be completely unfair and douchey for me to say “Hello?! We’re talking about me here” because it obviously involves him. So me trying to express my feelings resulted in a lot of hurt feelings on his part which is no help because he’s already stressed with everything that leaving the AF entails (which has also killed his sex drive quite a bit). Hearing that his sex drive isn’t what it used to be only makes me feel worse. I can’t even depend on that.

I guess there’s a bit of a silver lining. Feel good cuddles did turn into sex that wasn’t horrible. Maybe not perfect but I’d at least call it successful. I just wish I could say that all the time. I wish I didn’t feel like it was a fluke.

2 Comments

Categories: Everything Else

In Which Adriana Talks About Rabbits

December 15th, 2009

My review for the Double Dare 4-Play was just posted on EdenFantasys. I had a hard time writing it, word constraints and all but think I managed to get everything in there. If you will excuse me, I will take the time to count my rabbit vibes.

Still there? With the newest additions straight from the UPS last night, I have 13 rabbit vibrators. Strictly rabbit style. None of those smaller dual stimulators or pseudo rabbits. I’ve also gone through 2 Rabbit Habits which decided to break on me (so I’ve tried 15 in all). I have used and loved many rabbit vibrators. Rabbits used to be my surefire way to get off.

But I didn’t get off with the Double Dare 4-Play. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I was able to orgasm with a rabbit, using it the normal way. I’ve spent a while focusing on squirting which while mentally pleasurable and exciting, has never done a lot for me physically. Actually the Double Dare 4-play offered truly pleasurable G-spot stimulation but that’s not where I’m going with this. I’ve fallen out of practice with clitoral orgasms so every time I get a rabbit up there, my clit is confused. Before, I just sort of subdued my body into orgasm but now it’s fighting back. Now those vibrations are too rough, too buzzy, that material too hard, that shape too giving, so on and so forth. Honestly, I think my clit has become more sensitive in a negative way, much like my G-spot has become more sensitive in a positive way. I need to relearn my body but old habits die hard – unless it’s a Rabbit Habit which is a cheap piece of crap.

So here I am, with a pile of rabbits that call to me. Some I’ve had amazing interactions with. Some barely registered on my radar but they all make me a little sad, a little nostalgic for how things used to be. I miss knowing how things were going down. I miss how I could ignore my anatomy, unlike all those women who have never had a rabbit which fit. How did I avoid that? And, god dammit, I miss getting off. So you know what? Go read my review. I’m going to masturbate.

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Categories: Everything Else

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.