Pjur “Med-Clean” Spray

October 20th, 2009

Pjur "Med-Clean" Spray

Pjur "Med-Clean" Spray
$14.40 from SheVibe

When I first heard of Pjur’s medical-grade toy cleaner, I was intrigued. I’d heard of Pjur’s other products but had never really wanted to try them. What can I say? I’m a simple girl with simple lube needs. But a toy cleaner that could hold its own in a sterile setting? Now that was something I wanted to try. And try I did, to smashing success!

Unlike other toy cleaners that need to be rinsed off, Pjur MedClean Spray is a viable alternative to soap and water, not just a substitute. It’s safe to use a toy if you just let it air dry, but if you need to remove physical dirt, wiping it down with a cloth or tissue after spraying works, too. That means no trip to the bathroom, no alerting the roommates and no trying to awkwardly wash non-waterproof toys. I especially appreciate that after getting my first ceramic vibrator; I’m a little paranoid about getting it wet so this is the perfect solution. A couple pumps and the cleaning solution will cover your toy in a super fine mist; I was actually surprised at how fine the mist was. I suspect this 100ml/3.4oz bottle (which comes plastic sealed) will last me quite some time. I also expect I will definitely be replacing it after it runs out.

Now, some people might be a little reluctant to use this product without wiping it off. I dry it simply so I can put toys away immediately, but the bottle also says it can be used on intimate areas, so I wouldn’t hesitate to let my toys air dry after using Pjur Med Clean Spray. It doesn’t hurt that it’s been dermatologically tested, either. In fact, I might be more likely to use it because it can help reduce odor and has a “prophylactic effect” against bacteria and fungi. Not only is it condom-safe (and rubber and silicone), but it might even boost your infection prevention methods. That’s a side effect, which sounds pretty good to me. It also has somewhat of an anti-viral effect when used on “utensils” – IE, sex toys.

You’re probably beginning to see how this stacks up against other toy cleaners. Simply being able to use it without water makes it more appealing than most toy cleaners, which still require rinsing. If you’re not sold, it’s also alcohol-free. Although, I must admit the ingredients list is a little daunting (at least there’s no controversial Triclosan):

  • water
  • phenoxyethanol
  • cocamidopropyl betaine
  • chlorhexidine digluconate
  • peg-7
  • glycerol
  • cocoate
  • dimethicone copolyol
  • neohesperidine dihydrochalcone
  • sorbitol

But let me recap the instructions:

  • Spray on Self or Toy

Fair trade, in my book.

Although the bottle advertises Pjur Med Clean as being perfume-free, it does have a sterile smell. It smells sort of chemically clean but perhaps not pleasant. Initially, this smell sticks to your toys but fades rather quickly. It’s supposed to be tasteless, but I cannot help but inhale the super-fine mist through my mouth; it definitely tastes sweet. I can’t say that either of those facts is a con, though. When it comes right down to it, Pjur MedClean Spray perfumes admirably and makes me feel a whole lot safer when it comes to my toys.

3 Comments

Categories: Non-Sex Toys, Reviews

Kinklab padded leather blindfold

October 16th, 2009

Kinklab padded leather blindfold

Kinklab padded leather blindfold
$33 from Store.OfSexAndLove.com

Update: I have even accidentally put this through the washing machine, and it’s held up pretty well!

Since my husband’s return, I’ve made more of an effort to get into BDSM which meant I needed a quality blindfold (and more “hardcore” cuffs but that’s something else entirely). Kinklab’s Padded Leather Blindfold seemed to fit the bill. It was contoured to fit the face better than cheap “sleep mask” type blindfolds and was affordably priced in the $20 like many leather blindfolds.

The padded leather blindfold arrived in a functional plastic tube container. On each end is a black plastic cap, while the tube itself is clear. There is a paper insert with the product name and a picture of a woman wearing it, which isn’t explicit but does indicate the nature of the product. I thought I could pull off the top of the container by the little loop, but it broke. Instead, I had to press in the sides to break the seal and then pop it off. It’s very secure, which is good but a little bit of a hassle if you want to use it for storage; however, it’s a decent storage solution because the loop (if you don’t break it off) makes it able to be hung.

As the name suggests, this blindfold is padded and leather. The front side is a stiffer leather and you can see the stitches, in black, around the edge. The sewing is well done without any loose threads. The back, which sits against the face, has a softer padding where it would sit across the eyes. The edges are flush and flat feeling; they’re not silky soft or uncomfortable. The elastic strap is securely stitched to either side; on one side is also a clothing-style tag with the Kinklab label, which also says it’s made in the USA.

During use, I found my eyes to be comfortable but the edges above the nose and toward the side applied pressure to my face. I could feel the stiffer leather around the edges where there was no padding. My husband did not experience this problem, however; I would attribute this to specific facial builds and the fact that the blindfold seems to be pretty big; at its widest, it’s nearly 3″ tall, which seems pretty big to me, and the bridge is over 1″ thick which I think is the cause of my personal discomfort. Of course, I do have a smaller face than some. This mask is bound to fit some people better than others.

This is especially true because it is secured by a simple elastic strap. Lying flat, the blindfold measures in at right around 20″ and I’d say you can get 4″ or so stretch from it but anyone who falls out of that range is out of luck. The blindfold could probably be sewn or otherwise manipulated for smaller headed folks but it’s not meant to be adjustable. Otherwise, this 3/4″ thick strap is made of a soft, elastic that’s fairly comfortable.

This blindfold is pretty effective at blacking out light. Because it is contoured, I can pull it a bit lower on my nose, and I cannot see any light or movement around the eyes or nose. I could see the vaguest light toward the side of the blindfold but it’s really not enough to detect movement. Unfortunately, it’s more comfortable for me to wear this blindfold higher, which negates that property, but my husband didn’t experience that as an issue.

One issue I do have is that, no matter how you cut it, this blindfold is not foolproof. Because of the give in the elastic band, my husband was able to rub his head against the bed to remove the strap. This is perhaps not the best blindfold for a feisty partner. Then again, this freedom can work well for someone who is a bit anxious about playing with a blindfold. A buckle style blindfold might work better for my purposes.

Overall, the Kinklab padded leather blindfold is good quality and effective at blocking out light. I found it to be a little stiff initially so I hope it softens over time; this will definitely improve the comfort issues I had. Although it’s not super secure, it’s generally a good multipurpose accessory for BDSM play.

3 Comments

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Elsewhere

October 13th, 2009

I’ve been a bit more inspired lately when it comes to posting on my blogs. I’ve also written a couple of articles for EdenCafe including one about cheating and another about my first orgasm. The former was submitted to Divine Caroline and is even being linked on their relationships page (although, in rather small text ;)). It’s awesome nonetheless.

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Categories: Everything Else, internet

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting Guilt Free Body Treats Set

October 12th, 2009

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting Guilt Free Body Treats Set

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting Guilt Free Body Treats Set /p>

This sampler set is no longer available. However, Jaqua sells other Raspberry Buttercream products, including an essentials gift set.

Jaqua’s sampler set of bath and body items is meant to be a guilt-free treat but I didn’t find myself being treated much at all, despite the attention to detail when it came to presentation. For starters, I wasn’t sure the choice of products was as varied as it should be to introduce the customer to Jaqua. Furthermore, the scent was a major draw to me as a fan of both raspberry and frosting scents. In use, the products were decent but combined with the strange scent, nothing knocked me off my feet.

As I mentioned, the Raspberry Buttercream Frosting Guilt Free Body Treats Set is packaged nicely. The 3 pieces – body wash, body butter and hand cream – arrived in a cardboard box decorated in shades of pink and pretty patterns. There are several different designs on the box that work together beautifully. You can see each item through a window in the front and the top of the box folds down in such a way that it secures the contents. The hand cream also sits atop the body butter and there’s a dab of glue between to keep everything in place. The back of the box describes the products and scent and lists ingredients for each item. The overall design is one that is well thought out and feminine. The box itself would make a good gift set for a special event.

The body butter comes in a 2oz, white, plastic jar with a pink label on either side displaying the name and ingredients. Jaqua is printed around the edge from the top. That ink had started to wear off from coming in contact to the lotion itself. The hand cream is in a flip up, 2fl Oz, squeeze tube. On the front is the product label in the similar pink square, surrounded by a background pattern of the Jaqua heart; on the back is an ingredients list. The body wash is packaged similarly to the hand wash but comes in a larger, 8 fl Oz tube.

Like the liquid hand soap I previously reviewed, none of the products really smell like raspberry buttercream. Most of them smell better than the hand wash, however; still, it’s not saying much. I wouldn’t call any of them exactly good. It just seems like the specific recipes for these products called for a more balanced blend of ingredients, so the smell isn’t quite so overly saturated/heavy as it was with the hand soap.

I’ve gotten the most use out of the body butter (more so than other products I’ve tried). It’s thick and whipped and just a lot of fun to use. Like many lotions, it’s cocoa butter based. It feels really luxurious and has sat on my desk since I opened it. I’d say I’ve used about half of it and I generally enjoy it; although, I’d love it if it actually smelled how it should. Mostly, it smells like lotion with a hint of that odd scent to all the products (but which is definitely not raspberry buttercream). The thickness isn’t overly greasy or heavy and rubs into the skin nicely, leaving it moist. I’ve used it on my legs and feet and frequently use it on my hands simply because it’s there.

Which is why I’m not sure putting two types of lotion into this set is a good idea. Compared with the whipped formula of the body butter, the hand cream is sort of boring. Plus, it’s just a really similar product. Jaqua makes lip gloss or body mist that would add just a touch of variety to this set. The lotion is much thinner, as well. I found that it tends to come out of the tube fairly fast and I accidentally spilled some on my carpet. In use, it makes my skin feel a bit slippery/greasy – and in an odd way. It doesn’t really seem to rub in as well as the body butter. The overall feel is less desirable despite the inclusion of meadowfoam seed oil, fruit extracts and vitamins A and E. The hand cream also differs in that it’s a sort of medium pink. Actually, it’s just a tad darker than Pepto Bismol, so it reminds me of medicine, which, in turn, makes me feel a little sick. It’s perhaps an odd choice of colour.

Last but not least, I tried the body wash, which is probably my favorite product in this set. The scent is still a mystery but comes the closest to being pleasant out of all the products. It’s a similar shade of pink but has a metallic sheen so it’s pretty rather than sickening. It seems to be thicker than the hand cream so application is not a problem. Squeezed onto my shower puff, the Raspberry Buttercream Frosting Shower Crème lathers extremely easily and, when on my skin, it feels silky smooth. After rinsing, my skin also feels quite soft which is probably due to a combination of primrose oils and vitamins B5, A and E. Performance-wise, I have no qualms. Against it, I just wished I liked the scent.

Thus far, my experience with Jaqua’s products has been a bit of a letdown. Besides the body wash, I could give or take the other products in the Raspberry Buttercream Frosting Guilt Free Body Treats Set. If I tried more products in the future, I would definitely choose a different scent and probably go with the body wash.

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Categories: Reviews, Sexual Health and Beauty

Make love to your long distance lover online

I’m Happy

October 9th, 2009

You may not be able to tell; after all, I’m a picky bitch through and through. And it certainly isn’t in every aspect of life but, lately, when it comes to love, I can say that I’m happy.

The other day, we were sitting in our armchair (which is nice and big) and doing something related to cuddling. It suddenly struck me just how much that is exactly where I wanted to be, perhaps needed to be, and how glad I was to be there. Since then I’ve been thinking about all the little things and being more appreciative for him doing what he does for me and us. It doesn’t hurt that we haven’t argued in some weeks, either.

Sometimes I have issues recognizing my feelings. Sometimes I don’t even realize it until they’re long gone. His deployment took an emotional toll, of course. Yet, it wasn’t until the end that I realized how far down I’d sunk. I didn’t realize that my constant fears about mortality and my complete lack of motivation to do anything in life were so closely connected to my husband being gone. I just thought “I’m fine, not perfect, but I’m fine” until one day I realized that I wasn’t fine. I was worried about not being able to make anything of myself ever so much that I didn’t even want to try and I was worried that not doing anything would mean I would live a pointless life so death became a very real fear.

I guess I also didn’t notice those thoughts slipping away, too. Even if it’s only slowly happening. I hadn’t realize it’s been a day, two days, a week since I last focused on those thoughts. I hadn’t realized how much of a foundation he provides, how much direction he gives me. How much he makes me want to live and, for that, I am happy.

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Categories: Everything Else

The Wave

October 8th, 2009

Wave Purple

Wave Purple
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

The Wave is a dual stimulator that is a little different than either your typical rabbit (or even the slimmed-down styles like the Silicone Intimate Diver, which I’ve tried) or C-shaped vibes (Rock Chick, anyone?), but that is exactly why it drew my attention. The longer handle which extends up toward the body, instead of away, drew me by its maneuverability.

It also made for a good size reference, in my opinion. Sometimes those C-shaped dual stimulators are totally off base when it comes to size. Upon opening the package (a colorfully decorated plastic box), I noticed how long the toy was. From tip to tail, it’s got some length – 10″ – and there’s the cord (which is a comfortable 27″ or so) and control/battery pack on top of it, but that was to be expected.

What I wasn’t expecting was just how rigid the jelly material would be. I mean, jelly toys tend to be softer as a given. That’s precisely why some people prefer them but The Wave is definitely an exception. It’s not rock hard but it’s as firm or possibly firmer than some silicone toys I’ve tried. This really perplexes me because both the G-spot and clit stimulators have nubs on them, resulting in a potentially painful combination, especially if you like to grind like me. Furthermore, some people might find the nubs a hindrance to insertion so I’d recommend a water or silicone based lube. Otherwise, the firmness is something a lot of folks look for when it comes to G-spot stimulation. It just seems like a bad idea when paired with equally firm nubs.

The curve opening on this toy is also a bit wider (4″ from point to point), which contributes to the overall length. This will probably be good if your G-spot is deeper or if your clit is further from your vagina but I found that the nubby G-spot end slid right past my G-spot when the clitoral end was on my clit and vice versa. Although the firmness meant I was still able to use the shaft for G-spot stimulation, I was never able to use it exactly how it’s supposed to be used, nor would I want to. I tried to press the clitoral nubs against my body but quickly stopped because I’m not a big fan of (that type of) pain.

In terms of vibrations, the Wave runs on 2AA batteries. The control pack has two buttons – up and down – and a light to denote each setting of vibration. It’s a velvety, rubber-cote-style controller which is easy to hold but nothing special. The 4 settings are all steady, and the higher frequency vibration is centered at the clitoral nubs. Intensity definitely decreases toward the G-spot stimulator. The Wave has a decent amount of vibration and my G-spot responded well. However, it’s worth noting that my G-spot is much more sensitive to vibes than my clit. Within a matter of moments, I was able to squirt despite the shortcomings of the Wave.

As its name suggests, the Wave is waterproof. The battery cap screws on tightly and there is also a rubber O-ring. The cord seems fairly secure where it attaches to the controller but not quite as secure where it attaches to the toy itself. Because of this, I probably wouldn’t submerge the wave. I’d stick to shower time.

The waterproofing makes washing with soap and water easy. I would recommend doing this before and after each use because of jelly’s porous nature. Swapping between partners or holes it something I can only suggest with condoms. While still tacky to the touch, the Wave seems less guilty of attracting lint as other jelly, probably because it’s so hard. Also, beware that skunky, jelly scent. The Wave is no exception in that department.

The Wave was quite successful at making me wet, although not at getting me off, and I expect at least one type of orgasm when it comes to dual-stimulation vibrators. I think I would have been able to wrangle the Wave into an effective orgasm machine had Doc Johnson decided to make it either firm or nubby. As is, the Wave is no treat, and I couldn’t even experiment with the handle because it hurt my clit. Still, I think Doc Johnson is on to something and, with a few modifications, this toy could make waves.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Make love to your long distance lover online

Juliane

October 5th, 2009

I had a lot of fun writing my review for Juliane by Lovemoiselle. After having such a good experience, I am definitely more interested in their products and ceramic in general.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.