Lelo Mona 2 [First Impressions]

September 30th, 2012

Everyone hates pink, but I think it’s because so many toys are accidentally pink. It’s an afterthought. Mona 2 is an in-your-face pink that screams “This is on purpose. I am no afterthought,” and I kind of love it. It’s so bright. The vibrator seems plushier than its predecessor, which I thought was the case from photos. I plug it in the charge, and it seems to take just a few minutes. It’s more than that, but Lelo must have worked on their charging systems.

Mona 2 looks different from Mona in a way that I can’t quite put my finger on, even when I’m holding them both. It’s definitely stronger, too. Someone said this wasn’t the case. I won’t name names, but that person is a dolt.

 

 

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SpareParts Sasha Lingerie Harness

September 28th, 2012

My first harness you guys. It’s so touching, isn’t it? You know what I thought when I first opened the box, but he’s some in-depth thoughts.

I immediately noticed the red was lighter in person than it is in most photos. It sometimes looks like a raspberry shade, but it’s definitely lighter. It personally doesn’t look as good on me as the black probably would have, but I have one of those skin tones that doesn’t always work with red.

Harness and pantyAs I lifted the harness out of the box, it seemed much larger. It’s simply a lot of material. It’s not quite like a pair of panties, at least, it’s not like the panties I’d normally wear. The waistband is reinforced to almost be stiff, which is definitely unlike a real pair of panties, and the sides of the panties seem quite long when unexpected. The picture to the side shows the Sasha harness in large with a VS Pink panty in medium. The bottoms line up, but there’s simply a lot more material to the harness.

The stiffness of the waistband equals a lack of stretch. I ordered a large, which is supposed to fit a 38″ hip, but an XL might have been a slightly better fit. In fact, you can expect this harness to be a bit snug. If you’re at all worried, I’d suggest moving up to the next larger size. Better safe than sorry.

The amount of material really felt awkward upon pulling it up. I initially cinched up the sides to make this more like a bikini, rather than granny panties. However, this has the added effect of narrowing the legs holes just a bit. I untied the bows after pulling these up and getting situated to make it more uncomfortable.

Back ruchingThere’s this giant ruching in the back. To be honest, the thickness and material look almost diaper-like out of the box, bur I don’t notice it when it’s on. I’m wearing ruched panties as we speak, and I never even feel it in the back. The thicker fabric just makes this look weird when it’s not on a body. As you can see in product photos, the layers that enable you to insert a dildo really show in the front. To me, this is distinctly unsexy. Of course, your silicone cock will probably be what your partner looks at, but this harness just did not feel as sexy as I would expect in and of itself.

Mesh on the insideThen I added a dildo. I went with my VixSkin Tex. It has a girth of about 1.5″, and this was perfect for inserting into the harness. I won’t lie, it took me a minute to realize how this works. There’s two layers of mesh material on the inside that slightly overlap. After pushing Tex through the hole, I then covered the base, but the mesh is loose enough that this doesn’t add sooo much stability. The mesh really helps prevent any chafing or uncomfortable rubbing during use. The harness itself was snug enough on me that it would stay in place pretty well, I think. You’ll really have to get the right size for this to work, though, and there’s no adjusting it.

Speaking of lack of adjustments: the O-ring is permanently sewn in place, and it semes to be 1.5″. Tex was perfect. There’s not a lot of stretch, though. You’d have to stretch the material and the O-ring. It’s just not happening. I feel like you wouldn’t want to go much higher or lower in terms of diameter. This severely limits the number of toys you might be able to use with the Sasha harness, but it’s the perfect size for me. Keep this in mind if you’ve been eyeing it up and you’re a die-hard size queen.

Unlike a real pair of panties, there’s no cotton crotch liner. The envelope of mesh continues down the center, so you could technically stick a bullet or maaaybe another dildo in there for the wearer to receive stimulation. I haven’t used it like this because it seems like there’d just be too much going on. Maybe I’m lame, but to be honest, just wearing my own little penis was pretty exciting enough. I also found that the location of the cock on me meant I could still reach my clitoris through the harness.

As you’d probably guessing, the generous cut, layers, stiff waistband and a few other things don’t much make this an item that I would personally like to wear under my clothes. I would have loved that idea. Oh, you want to have sex after our hot date? Sure, but let me fuck you. It’s totally cheesy in my head, I know. In reality, it’s just not happening.

However, some other goodies totally made up for it. This item is machine washable, and SpareParts provides you with a lingerie bag in which to wash it. It’s a really thick and durable mesh, which I love. It cinches closed, and the hardware seems pretty secure. There’s a little tag with the SpareParts logo on it. I’ve already used this multiple time for my actual bras, panties, etc. It’s super handy and far higher quality than the dollar store bags I was previously using.

Inside Sasha's PouchThe harness also comes with a storage/travel pouch. It’s made of the same red nylon/spandex mix as the panties themselves with a small black bow on the front lip. It has a solid zipper to secure it shut. On the inside, there’s two pockets, and these neat vintage-y buttons hold the one pocket closed. You can easily slip both the harness and lingerie bag into this pouch for storage or use it to hold your Sasha harness and a dildo; however, it won’t be the biggest dildo in the world. This pouch measures about 9″ wide and is just under 7″ tall.

Sasha Pouch and Garters9″ is also about the exact length of the included garters if you extend them fully–including the hardware. They’e pretty typical and seem sturdy but not quite as stretchy as some others that I’ve used. There’s four altogether and the loops on the panties are incredibly sturdy and sewn just inside the leg holes, so you can’t actually see them. Bonus! Especially if you wear this harness without the garters. Because this is slightly uncomfortable on me, I’d opt for not wearing the garters. I just think there’d be too much going on. The hooks are plastic, so make sure to take them off when you wash. Plastic pieces on straps always tend to break on me. However, the ribbons at the end move away for the classic garter attachment if you’re wearing thigh highs.

So, what’s my verdict? The Sasha is not as sexy on me as I would’ve liked. The cut and material is probably better for someone taller and thinner in the midsection. However, it works very well as a harness, and all the extras really blew me away. I can’t remember the last time I was impressed with the details. I love that it’s machine washable and that the manufacturer provided a washing bag with it. If you want to try it, you could do much worse, but I’d carefully measure yourself and consider the size of dildos that you love to use before making the plunge. This is a luxury piece that will please a select few, but not everyone will love it.

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Sasha Harness [First Impressions]

September 25th, 2012

I’m trying a new thing with my reviews. Hopefully, this will shorten up some reviews that would otherwise be terribly long. Another benefit? Extra content here at Of Sex and Love.

The Sasha harness was the first to impress me with its packaging for quite a while. It came in a box, which surprised me. I wasn’t sure how it would be packaged because it was my first harness. It’s completely recyclable. I won’t be keeping it.

There was a matching storage bag with plenty of room from the harness itself and a small dildo. It also had a very heavy duty lingerie bag, which Iquickly stole for use with my actual lingerie purposes.

All in all, the presentation was quite impressive, and it’s been so long since I’ve been able to say that about a new toy for quite a while. The extras are actually usable, which makes all the difference. I’ve had plenty of luxury items with extras that aren’t worth the shipping payment. Nine times out of ten, I’d give up the extras for a cheaper price.

That’s my first impression.

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Sex Toy Society #16

September 19th, 2012

Sex Toy Society Review Directory

Welcome to Edition 16 of the Sex Toy Society round-up of all the sex toy reviews written by Society authors over the past week.

Do you want to be included in next weeks edition? All you need to do is visit this page and submit your latest reviews and photographs before 11:59pm BST on Thursday 20th September 2012. Our authors of the week are selected by the number of reviews published, comments posted and photographs added to the Society so get adding!

You can also find us on Twitter for all the latest news on the Society.

Author Of The Week

Other Top Authors

Vibrators

Dildos

Male Sex Toys

Sex Toys For Couples

Bondage

Other

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How FeedBurner Outed Me, Twice

September 16th, 2012

A while back, I decided to burn my feed to give readers more ways to subscribe (email being the big one) and let me track those subscriptions more easily for giveaways. FeedBurner was the obvious solution, and I’d already used it with other blogs. I don’t personally subscribe to any feeds via email and few feeds at all. I check on Google Reader or my phone’s RSS app, but I prefer to stay up-to-date with blogs that I read by actually visiting them. I’m old school like so.

So when I burned the feed for of Sex and Love to to normal FeedBurner account, I thought nothing of it. I didn’t realize that you could actually see a link to my Google+ profile and that FeedBurner used my email address as the sender’s. One of my readers notified me. We joked a bit, and then I quickly set out to rectify the situation. Feedburner includes a handy option to permanently transfer ownership, so I did. I thought all was well and good.

I was wrong. I signed in to my normal Gmail, which I rarely use, to see a kind message from someone who enjoyed my reviews and followed them via FeedBurner. I knew something was wrong, but the actual copy of the blog post to which she was replying didn’t show my photo or email address at all. It took some Google-fu to figure out that, despite having switched ownership, to sender email had remained the same for my feed.

I headed back to FeedBurner once more, but couldn’t find the location to change this for the life of me. I was feeling frustrated, because FeedBurner’s navigation and layout is overly complex. There was also no location where I could preview exactly how email updates would look to my readers. I eventually found the solution (Publicize > Email > Communication Prefs) and changed my sender’s email. Now, all my email subscribers will see messages from Adriana @ of Sex and Love, like it should’ve been when I permanently switched ownership. That seems like something Google should do for you.

Regardless, I never expected this to be a problem. Judging from the reactions of my Twitter friends, neither did they. At least one person changed her information after talking with me.  Google has really been the bane of my existence when it comes to (trying to) blog anonymously. I don’t have much to lose, but others do.

The moral of the story is, ultimately, to avoid mixing any accounts or emails between your identities even if you think that there’s no way it could be a problem. Setup PayPal with additional email addresses. Use an address specifically for your sex blog/reviewing identity. Create separate instant messaging accounts. Sign up for Disqus twice. Anonymity, like freedom, requires you to plan for it.

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Bibliophile

September 11th, 2012

I’m reading when you enter the room unannounced–about hard bodies and hared cocks and toe-curling orgasms. My legs are splayed beneath the sheets and the outline of my hand between them is plain to see. I can smell my own arousal and am distracted enough by the words on the page, or maybe the words in my head, that I don’t notice your arrival. You swoop in, ripping the book my my hands. At first, I’m angry, worried that I will lose my page but then l as realization sinks in, I look up to meet your eyes. I act more brazen than I really feel, caught in the act. I expect to see some sort of judgment in your eyes; instead, I see that familiar mischievous twinkle. I hope you can’t hear my sigh of relief.

“Devouring your smut again, I see.” You make a production of scanning the page with your eyes. I’m too busy wondering what you’ll do next to admire their depth or the way your glasses frame them perfectly. You continue talking, reading from the page in your most mocking tone,

“Daniels’ cock entering her pussy, slick with arousal. Jason’s cock… What kind of filth is this? You’re reading about group sex? You’d rather get off from these words than me?” you demand, almost managing to sound convincing. Almost.

I decide to play along. “Yes. Yes, I would. I can get off to any scenario imaginable thanks to my books.” I motion toward the short stack on the nightstand, freshly delivered by the UPS man., I wonder what he’d think if he knew what was in those boxes. “It’s never the same in the stories..” I trail off as you move closer.

“Is that so?” Book still in hand, you reach out and push me back against the bed. My t-shirt falls upward, revealing nakedness underneath, the swell of my stomach and breasts. You move to stand between my legs and your jeans seem an impossibly thick barrier between us. I want to be close to you, to feel if you’re hard. I hope you are.

You’re holding the book in my face as if to scold me for such a guilty pleasure. Without thinking, I reach out my tongue and flick it against the volume, careful not to cut myself on the paper. The atmosphere in the room changes immediately. You draw the binding down my chin, around my breast and belly button then back up around the other breast. My nipples have never felt this alive. You turn the book, grasping one cover and flipping through the pages so they brush against my ribs in rapid succession. It’s only a few seconds but it feels like forever as the air blows my hair back.

You pull your shirt off over your head and now I’m sure that I like where this is going. I wait for your pants to follow but they don’t. Instead, you roll up the book like it’s a newspaper and motion for me to assume the position–on all fours. I do, not entirely sure that a book should be treated in such a manner. The cover makes a “thwack” as it makes contact with my ass. It’s not the most effective impact object but I respect the novelty and naughtiness of the situation. A hard blow lands on the opposite cheek as though you noticed that I didn’t even flinch. They rain harder against my ass, soon leaving it hot and red.

The slick cover feels cold in contract as you change things up and glide it over my skin. I moan softly. The bed shifts and you’re learning over me. I feel your breath on my shoulders as you use a corner of the book to lightly tickle y back in the way that you know I like, eliciting a shiver. Suddenly, you’re pushing the book into my hand, telling me to find my place. I distractedly turn the pages, which now show unexpected wear, looking for where I left off when you grabbed the book.

You’re pulling off your pants and boxers as I search, a fast not lost on me. I give up trying to find my place as you take your stance behind me. Your cock slides inside me easily. In the stories you’d be “impossibly hard”and I “dripping with arousal.”

“Read.” You never command. I want to obey you more than anything. I feel frantic, for just a moment, remembering that I don’t know my place in the book. My mind struggles to find the words to say. I spread the book open beneath my fingers, my body obscuring the words from your view.

“He enters her from behind, his cock impossibly hard. It’s as though he and she are matching puzzle pieces, the way he fits so well. His thrusts seem to hit every spot, even the ones she never knew existed.” I got on, describing our movements, my thoughts. I wonder if you notice. It continues for only a moment before your hand snakes between my legs. My words turn into moans, primal and nonsensical, yet describing the scene somehow perfectly.

You surprise me with the volume of your moan, the intensity of your final thrust as you cum. I hadn’t expected that. You fall to your side, slipping out of me as you do. Your arms encircle my upper body to pull me back against you and I feel your familiar heat, over skin slick with sweat.

But you’re not finished. You reach for the book, pushing it between my thighs. I spread them slightly as you work on edge of the binding against my clit. It’s like a bolt of lightning has hit me and you’re soon moving the book in the hard and fast way that is sure to get me off. Soon enough, I eel my orgasm building. I open my mouth to moan but no sound escapes. The contractions of my pussy are stronger than I’ve ever felt and I squeeze my thighs together, hard, against the covers of the book. You pull it from between them and toss it to the side to replace it with your hand. My pussy pulses against your. Orgasm subsides.

“Good book?” you ask, face buried in my hair.

“Mmm,” I murmur in response.

The pages lie akimbo, like our limbs, looking exhausted as I feel–wet, in disarray and pages wide open for your to explore.

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Moving with Sex Toys

September 11th, 2012

I recently moved, and I’ve just now finished unpacking all my sex toys. Unpacking went far more quickly than packing. I knew exactly what I had and exactly where it was going. The bulk of them went into a rolling luggage thingermajib that was pretty heavy. I’d already gotten rid of plenty of toys. I mailed off eight or so boxes for swaps, gave some things to the former roommate and finally bit the bullet and threw away a lot of jelly/TPR shit. Slowly, I whittled my way down to a single drawer of toy swaps from an entire dresser full. It felt  awesome.

Unfortunately, I wound up with a drawer of toys I’d hoped to swap and forgot about when moving day came. While I was dropping off my cats at the new place, my aunt’s boyfriend opened the drawer to check that it was empty, and it wasn’t. He specifically dragged my roommate aside to point out what he’d found, but I don’t know how much of a big deal he made out of it. She told me when I came back, and everything that was in that drawer simply went into the trash. Unfortunately, my sister saw the Santa duckie and was all “oh! why don’t you want people to see this drawer?” I said I’d explain later, and my aunt quickly ushered her out.

Later, the aunt’s boyfriend brought it up in the truck, but he said “at least it wasn’t that bad. He’d lived with another couple and the wife had a penchant for carrots.” That was an entire story I’d like to avoid. I don’t know who else saw the toys, and most of them were in boxes, anyway, but there’s a lesson to be learned here: if you’re going to move, don’t forget sex toys in a dresser drawer. If you do, make sure you’re not there when people find them.

There’s a secondary lesson to this post, too. If you’re going to use a storage container like the locking case and it happens to get bumped during moving, make sure you included the default combination and the way to reset the combination lock on your sex toy review blog. You’ll thank yourself later.

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