Silicone Personal Pleasurizer

April 28th, 2013

At taking one look at the Silicone Personal Pleasurizer, you might expect me to hate it. In fact, I expected the very same. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I popped in some batteries and I didn’t. So I will tell you why I didn’t hate it, and why it might work for you.. if you aren’t me.

This little vibrator is a lot like a bunch of pieces of crap given names like “butterfly kiss.” This one does not have a butterfly on it. Yay for that?! I’ve tried a number of these, and I didn’t really like any of them. I certainly didn’t keep them in my collection – gah! This is mainly because they were all made out of crap materials, so I have to give Cal Exotics pops for moving to silicone with this one. No, I didn’t flame test it before passing it off to a good friend who definitely needed it more than I did, but even some silicone is better than the TPR or jelly crap of yesterday.

One of the other things that I disliked about similar toys is how flexible the neck was. Tiny girth + too much flexibility = no good G-spot stimulation. Fortunately, CEN has also disappointed less in this department by making the silicone a little more dense. It’s still flexible, but you’ll get more G-spot stimulation with fewer problems. This is great for anyone with a more sensitive G-spot, but it’s not going to be your cure-all if you need a lot of pressure.

Another improvement is the longer neck; at least, it seems longer to me than I remember this style of vibe being in the past. The shaft looks something a little like a thumb, and while the whole thing is 2.75″ long, you can insert around half of that. The product page says its got a girth of 1.5 inches, but this isn’t true. It might be at the point where the clitoral stimulator is, but that’s not going inside you. No, this one is much more like an actual thumb width — somewhere between .4 and .75 inches, depending upon the location you measure it on the shaft. Obviously, the tip is bulbous for G-spot stim, so it’s thicker there.

And you know what? There’s one more thing that I don’t hate about his toy. This one’s going to be a shocker, too. I like the vibrations. I mean, they’re not earth shattering, but they’re impressive for using just two AAAs. The package says this has two motors, and it actually makes a difference. The vibrations are both stronger and deeper than I ever may have experienced from that power source.

There are only three levels of steady vibes and no other settings, but I think the vibes would be enough for some people. The downside to this is that the toy gets quite loud on the highest settings. It’s not whisper quiet. Sorry guys. Companies should really stop using that descriptor, period.

A single push button operates the toy, which is easy enough to use. An o-ring makes it waterproof, so you can enjoy it in the shower, and that would mean the sound output matters a little less.

Still, it’s not a perfect toy. The clitoral nub is directly at the base of the shaft, which means that if you clit isn’t pretty close to your vaginal opening, you’re SOL. That’s really the biggest downfall to these type of toys, shaft flexibility aside. And the nubs on this clit stim? Are kind of weird. I’m not really into them. I’d be just as good with smooth silicone.

So this isn’t the perfect toy for me, but it’s a definite improvement and better than I expected it to be. You might like it, and with an MSRP of $28, it’s not badly priced, either.

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Fun Factory Through the Years

April 21st, 2013

If you were to ask me my favorite sex toy brand, the answer would undoubtedly be Fun Factory. I don’t have to think about it, and this has been true for literally years. My history with Fun Factory has always been a positive one. One of my very first toys — the Laya Spot — is a Fun Factory vibe. In fact, I still regularly use it, and after four years, mine finally died. I bought another one right away as you’d have guessed.

While the company has used the same basic buttons throughout the entirety of its lifetime,  Fun Factory has made some changes over time. The addition of the boost button, for example, is one of those. One of the first toys I noticed it on was the Boss, while Fun Factory still uses it on the Yooo. To be honest, the latter is strong enough that I don’t even use the boost button, but it’s a nice option.

Fun Factory was also one of the first companies to create fully waterproof, rechargeable vibrators. The Sinnflut line, which is sadly discontinued, was strong and ergonomic well before its time. The charging cradle was almost perfect, but mine suffered a sad accident. If it hadn’t, I can almost guarantee that I’d still use is frequently. The current lineup of Fun Factory vibrators uses the company’s magnetic chargers. The G4 line, which includes an upgraded Tiger/Twist and the Calla, is both sleek and powerful.

This is one of the few companies that makes toys that I can enjoy either internally or externally.  I also got my hands on the original Delight, a G-spot and clitoral vibrator, and while I lost the charger, I opted for the new design. I quickly fell in love with it or its dual sensations. The Curve is another fantastic dildo for G-spot stimulation, and I can’t deny that the Stronic Eins is a brand-new sensation that I quite like.

To top it all off, Fun Factory has almost exclusively used high-quality silicone for its toys, which come in bright colors and fun shapes. I certainly can’t wait to see what’s next.

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Lovehoney Flash USB Rechargeable Mini Vibrator

April 17th, 2013

Flash

Flash
$39.99 from Lovehoney

As a techie, I love that so many sex toys now charge via USB. Hell, I even stole the adapter for one to charge my iPod. As someone who likes a lot of power, however, I’ve found most of the available options to be pretty disappointing. I wish I could say differently about the Flash (aah ahh) but.. I can’t.

I can’t really write this review without comparison the Flash to Lelo’s Mia, which may be the first USB vibe I ever tried. I liked it quite a bit — and still do — and it’s kind of set the standard in terms of strength and quality. No, the Mia isn’t what you’d ever call a “powerhouse,” but it is designed well and is enough to get me off (when the damned thing isn’t dying on me! arg.).

So let’s start with design. This really isn’t that much different from a flash drive — hence the name — except there’s a soft, silicone tip. It’s has a gentle curve and tapers a bit. I don’t feel either way about this shape. It’s easy enough to use and it would work for many people. It provides pinpoint stimulation, which would better for me if the vibrations were stronger. However, I do generally prefer diffused vibes.

The shaft is roughly four-sided with rounded corners. There’s a single, soft button about halfhalf up. It’s easy to find and there’s tactile feedback when you push it. It’s also lit from beneath, so that helps if you can see it during use. To use, you press the button once to turn on and keep pressing to go through all the settings. You have to press and hold to turn off the vibrator. In my opinion, you have to press and hold a little too long. But that’s just me nitpicking.

The vibes are really high shallow, and this becomes even more apparent as you go through the three steady settings. It’s ridiculous and almost nonexistent on the “highest” setting because the frequency increases so much. I hate it. Seriously. I like Goffrey Lannister better. Then, there are four escalating and pulsating patterns that you probably won’t care much about because the Flash just doesn’t have the power to make them interesting. I’m sorry, but it’s true.

Another thing that really bothers me about the Flash is the quality. The toy pulls apart into two pieces, one plastic and one silicone. The area where they join just seems weak. I feel like if I apply pressure in the wrong area, the whole thing would just break. This makes me wary when I wash it. It’s supposed to be 100% waterproof, but I wouldn’t submerge this.

It’s between this area where the standard USB interface lies, and you just plug this into your computer or AC adapter as anyone with an Android device has one of those handy. This is convenient.. and it makes me really want to love the Flash and similar toys but, my God, they all fucking suck.

So this toy? Didn’t get me off. My clit quickly became “immune” to the vibrations that were too weak and buzzy. I opted for the Mia, which is much, much stronger and a little deeper in comparison, but it died. Sometimes I just want to insert batteries, you know?

Meet the new Flash USB Rechargeable Mini Vibrator from Lovehoney!

7 Comments


Wartenberg Pinwheel Giveaway

April 16th, 2013

Do you guys remember when I reviewed my wartenberg wheel so many years ago? Literally years ago. Man, I have been at this gig for so long. And it hasn’t been all ups, but there have never been enough downs for me to consider quitting. Things have changed in a lot of ways that I couldn’t have seen coming in 2008. No one did really, but I’m still here.

UberKinky wasn’t one of the companies I was working with five years ago, but they’ve just started their program, and I’m glad to be on board. I’ve been able to hold a couple reviews, and this one will be for a wartenberg pinwheel.

wartenberg wheel

When I first tried one, I was impressed. To some people, this device looks like torture, but it’s really quite versatile. You control everything, so if you use a gentle touch, your partner will feel a light prickle but no pain… unless you want them to, which is easy to do by applying more pressure.

It’s really hard to do this concept wrong; although, a few companies have modifying BDSM pinwheels to have more heads, colors or larger spokes. The concept, though, is hard to mess up. Perhaps this is why I am so likely to recommend them to people who are looking for something different. Work it into medical play, use it to build up to knifeplay or engage in a little CBT.

I hope I’ve got you considering and if I have, you should keep reading because you can win one. Use the Promo Simple giveaway below to enter. This giveaway is open to US and UK residents, 18+. If you’re experiencing issues entering your address, use a placeholder — we’ll get your info if you win. Make sure to check your email so you don’t miss out!

Wartenberg Pinwheel

Click here if you have trouble loading the form.

The giveaway will end on May 15th, and I will use a plug-in to randomly  generate a single winner. The winner will be contacted by me  via e-mail and UberKinky will mail the prize directly to the winner. Of Sex and Love is not responsible for delivery.

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Just A Little Game

April 15th, 2013

Let’s pretend, just pretend, that I do anything other than dream — both night and day — about fucking you. Let’s not talk about the fact that I spend so much of my time unable to do anything other than touch myself just thinking about you. And we’re not going to acknowledge that those few briefs moments have been seared into my brain so indelibly that I couldn’t wash it away even if I wanted to.

I’m not going to tell you how much I want it, you. I’m not going to lay it out on the table, but we’ll both know it’s there anyway. It might be plain as day that even thinking of your name sends me to an insatiable state, but I know you know anyway.

We’ll just ignore the fact that I’m masturbating for you again, that the thought of you is only ever a heartbeat away. Tonight’s topic of discussion isn’t going to be how you send me over the edge every day without even knowing it.

You don’t need to hear the words coming out of my lips, nor is it necessary for you to see the words on your screen. Save your flattery and your compliments. I don’t care if you can’t forget about me. I can’t think about you thinking about me because, then, I’ll never get your out of my head.

Because, for just a little bit, I need to maintain my power, my dignity, my stance. I need to pretend that I don’t know that you already know. And as we’re pretending that we don’t know what’s coming, it will be electrifying when it finally comes.

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State of the Porn Address

April 11th, 2013

A while back I came across this study of porn. I bookmarked it, and it slipped my mind until now. Jon Millward took a look at thousands of porn stars to determine things like typical bust size, name and race. The result was “Deep Inside – A Study of 10,000 Porn Stars and Their Careers.”

The six-month-long project resulted in a pretty interesting PDF and some awesome infographic. The full infographic would take so long to load that I cannot possibly consider posting it here on Of Sex and Love, but Millward did take time to create a smaller infographic about the race results of his research. Surprise! Most porn stars are white. Very few are Asian or the infamous “other.”

The-Color-of-Porn

 

TeeThere were plenty of surprises, though. While you and I might think of the typical porn actress as a busty blonde, she’s actually a B-cup brunette whose name is probably Nikki. In fact, blondes represent about one third of the total porn star population, which seems a little like a stretch if you only exposure to adult entertainment is Hef and his crew. Nevertheless, many of those blondes are what we’d call “bottled.” In a recent post, I did talk about how Playmates are becoming both thinner and bustier. Millward’s research into porn stars indicates that the same thing is true here, and he even created a funny little graph that mimics the shapes of boobs and butts to prove his point.

Apparently, I was born just an hour too far to the north to make it big as a midwest porn actress. I’m probably cool with that.

The survey goes on to discuss the type of activities that most porn stars do. Facial and anal are almost a given, even if the same isn’t true in private bedrooms. Interracial scenes, which I feel shouldn’t even be labeled or novelized as such, are also done by 52% of women. I suspect the other 48% are missing out. Only a third of women swallow and half of them are able to squirt — but I wonder if it’ real?!

If you keep reading the infographic, you’ll see information about the most popular roles women play in porn:

  1. Teen
  2. MILF
  3. Wife
  4. Cheerleader
  5. Nurse
  6. Daughter

Can we say “Yawn” to most of those?

Jon Millward attempts to squash the commonly-accepted myth that most female performers only do a single video, too. It’s true that somewhere between 10% and 30% of women  quit the biz after making a single film, but there’s obviously some who have stuck it out to stick in time and time again. Still, the average career is becoming much shorter. In the 2000s, men spend just four years making porn.

Nina Hartley, who does sex education now, has almost 1,000 films under her belt with about 200 different partners. Hartley’s male counterpart has a list over over 1,100 partners, though. This illustrates the chasm between the sexes, which I can’t help but wonder about. Is it because women are and can be choosier? Is it sexism in the industry?

Men have sex with an average of 45 women per year on film while women have 8 partners annually. The majority of the most “prolific” entertainers are men, and while they might have many more partners, Millward discusses how it’s more difficult for a man to break onto the scene. I find this true in an anecdotal sense. I mean, I know the names are far more female performers. I’m aware of many males, but I generally don’t give a fuck about them — pardon the pun.

There’s more insights and visuals over on Millward’s blog, and I’m sure he’d love some comments on Twitter. I just found this too interesting to pass up talking about, even if I have little to add myself.

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[Saw This on Tumblr]

April 10th, 2013

Corset

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