Below you’ll find all of the sex toy reviews I’ve written at Of Sex and Love. Find my opinions on vibrators, dildos, media (sex education books, porn, DVDs and erotica), bondage and BDSM gear, lingerie, anal toys, lube, massage products, and more!
Considering sex toy storage? Look no further!
I’ve also reviewed sexual health goodies.
Don’t forget all those accessories and non-sex toy reviews.
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D.1 Larvikite Stone Dildo
$100.00
from Tabu Toys
You know how it takes you forever to write a post when you feel like a sex toy is just mediocre? Yea, that wasn’t the case with the D1 stone dildo. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. I liked it so much from the very beginning that I knew I wouldn’t be able to express it well enough.
It’s just that good.
It’s just that gorgeous, too. I took a photo almost immediately, which I posted to Twitter. There is this subtle blue texture to the stone that probably makes it the most attractive toy I’ve ever used. Sure, I’ve joked about keeping things on the mantle, but I mean it with this one.
You wanna come over and look at my dildo? Okay, but don’t touch because it’s mine.
The website describes it as “blue pearl,” but it’s almost got this smokey appearance. I’m sure that every dildo looks just a little bit different because of the material. Black Moonstone is something I’m sad not to have known before. The product description reads as follows:
a blue-gray hue with flecks of black and silvery, light-blue reflections that catch the light.
I kind of put off using this dildo for the first time because I was afraid it was going to be all form and no function. Yes, I liked the way it looked in my hands, but what if that’s all it was?
Fortunately, that’s not the case at all! In fact, I loved if. The heft and rigidity are perfect. It’s compact and not unwieldy. There’s a balance that makes it easy to use. G-spot aficionados will appreciate the gentle curve. It took literally zero effort to reach my G-spot. The pressure I was able to achieve made me squirt nearly instantly. I won’t promise thecar same to you but this is one effective dildo for me because I know that my G-spot likes pressure. The D1 didn’t disappoint.
You know another thing that I like? The packaging. Not because it’s all sort of fancy but because it’s a simply cardboard box that you can recycle. The focus is on the luxury toy, and that’s what I like. Seriously. Lelo needs to get on board with this. There’s supposed to be an included storage pouch, but I totally threw it away by accident if there is. Oops. I guess I was too busy eyeing up the stone.
Now, this dildo is also available in a bright pink silicone. However, the stone version costs less than $20 more, and I think that this is probably the better deal. If you don’t think you’ll like the weight, go ahead and opt for silicone, but I absolutely adore the stone dildo. And, let’s be honest, it’s far better looking.
While I haven’t handled the silicone version to compare, I feel at those the “creases” would feel sharper with that material. Stone is ungiving — and porous, yay! — but the ridges seem smoother than they would with silicone. I’ve used silicone with creases like that and they were painful.
I wasn’t worried about stone being too hard because I love glass. However, the one end definitely comes to more of a point, so you’ll want to be careful when inserting it. Unlike most glass dildos, the texture is smooth and slick all the way. It’s easy to insert with a little lube, and you can choose to use either end if you want. Size-wise, you’re looking at 8 inches — plenty to stimulate the G-spot and control the toy. However, I do find the squared end to be better for grasping. The pointed end might slip out of your hand if it’s covered in lube.
The other end is a bit more squared off, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The pointed end is also slightly narrower, and rigid materials like stone can often feel larger than they actually are. Of course, you hopefully know this and you want a toy like this one, which will last you forever. This toy falls to in the medium range. The description says the diameter is just under 1.5 inches, but my measurements come up a bit smaller than that. The squared end has a diameter of under 1.35 inches, but it’s not perfectly round. The pointed end is more like 1.20 inches.
Like glass, stone is cool to the touch. You may warm it with water, but it seems to stay cooler than metal, for example. I like this, but you may not be such a fan. Not every material it for every person.
Care-wise, you can wash it clean. The packaging claims it could break if dropped on the floor. I’d be extra careful with this beauty.
So where does this leave me in this review?
Would it be too cheesy for me to tell you to go get laid?
Yea, I’m going to do it anyway.
Get laid.
Lelo Gigi 2
Lelo Gigi 2
The folks at Lelo wanted to send me a new Gigi 2 after my review. They suggested that it was defective, so I now have a cherry-colored Gigi 2, too. That’s a weird sentence, eh? So I charged them both up to full power to compare. One thing I noticed is that the second one holds charge a lot better than the original one I received in grey. That one died after a couple tests and one use. There was no life in it, so I had to charge it just to compare.
The second Gigi 2 I received seems slightly stronger, but it’s still a pretty buzzy vibe all around. Lelo has definitely made better IMO.
Sheer Lace Top Thigh High Stockings With Backseam
I also have to report some serious disappointment with the thigh highs that I reviewed shortly ago. I put them on for testing purposes, intending to wear them for my Halloween party. When I slipped them on, without catching on anything, I got a huge run down one of the stockings. Despite the fact that I had leg warmers over them all night so there was no way for them to become (more) damaged, they were ripped to shreds and hanging off my feet in my shoes by the end of the night. Just.. no. Ugh.
I mean, I don’t expect these things to last forever but.. c’mon!
Cheetah-Licious Costume
$34.99 - $51.38
from Amazon
Cheetah-Licious Costume
I’m something of a crazy cat lady, so this costume made perfect sense for me. Unfortunately, it’s just not a perfect costume. It’s all about sizing, but even though I ordered mine, this isn’t super flattering. It’s due to the sizing. It runs snug. Think original Star Trek uniforms. This is so small/tight as to be a top, and it might look cute with some leggings. I’m not a legging person, however. I was really hoping to wear it with the petticoat but there’s just no room.
So let’s start from the bottom up. The furry border on the bottom barely covers my own bottom (maybe some booty shorts would look cute). This is standing up. There’s no way it’ll cover anything sitting down. I like to wear petticoats to help cover my ass with costumes, but it fits like a second skin, so there’s really no room.
This is snug around the midsection in a way that I find unflattering. Period. The velour material seems thinner than other costumes I’ve worn, so this only adds to the issue. The costume isn’t for you if your middle is your trouble section and you won’t wanna wear some Spanx.
This costume has some problematic.. spots
The breast area probably looked the best, but it’s not without its own issues. The neck is low and square, so my bra wanted to show. A demi or shelf cup would be best. Even though the top was tight around my breasts, there’s only C cups, so the lace didn’t pull apart as much as you’d expect. I think there’s simply a bit much material and a wider V cut would help with this. Mine came laces backward, with the bow on the bottom, but it’s easily fixed.
The neckline leads you to the hood, which is huge. You’ll see it in the photos. It hangs down over my nose. I didn’t have the help of a partner to take a picture of this, however. While you can wear it further back, the ears so of become lost. The ribbons and balls that hang down are for looks only. They do not actually adjust the hood, so keep that in mind.
The arms are probably my favorite part. Long sleeves can sometimes be quite flattering on me. These were snug but with enough room to move. The fur at the ends was cute, but be careful not to drag it in your party dip. I’m only 5’2 and these were a tad long, but they may be short for taller women.
Of course, on a taller woman this would literally be a hoodie, and that’s the problem. Plus sized costumes usually are longer — as is the case with the petticoat — but this one just isn’t. It makes me wonder how long the other sizes are. The measurements follow:
These numbers certainly don’t suggest an XL to me.
If I were to try to wear this, I’d go with leggings under the leg warmers, which are also kind of a fail. They run long on my 5’2″ frame but tight. The elastic around the top stretches to around 8 inches, but it feels super tight. I have muscular calves. Around the bottom, it’s open to cover your footwear — 11 inches flat. The leg warmers are just under 18 inches long. However, they’re more easy to adjust than the rest of the piece.
Thigh highs always look sexy
Sheer Lace Top Thigh High Stockings With Backseam
I experienced the same “issues” with the thigh highs as I do other plus-size items. I tend to fall directly between one size and plus size. So these went on easily. They sat against my skin nicely. They didn’t cut in, but they also weren’t snug enough to keep up. This was especially true with the first garter belt I used them with, which has longer straps. There was just too much slack in the garters, so I switched it out to another pair with shorter straps. This worked fine but, as you know if you’ve ever worn a garter belt with stockings, it’s just a pain to get them into place. Fortunately, I did this before Halloween, so I know which one to use when it comes down to it.
Although this comes with a large band, which I think is more flattering in curvier thighs, there’s no elastic backing. So you’ll definitely need garters to keep it up. The lace band measures about 8″ across unstretched. It stretches to at least 10″, but I don’t have a third hand so that’s a fuzzy estimate. As for length, I found these a little long to sit at mid-thigh with my shorts legs. At 5’2″ I’m definitely on the bottom range. The thigh highs weren’t quite as taut as I’d like them, so these would ideally fit someone a little wider in the thigh and taller for me. However, that’s really good news for anyone who’s a little higher up in the “plus” size range.
The appeal of these stockings is definitely the backseam. It’s super sexy, but hard to photograph by one’s self with such short arms. You’ll have to adjust it after you pull them on, even if you think you’re pulling them on straight. However, it’s super visually attractive.
I’d generally recommend these but with a few caveats. There won’t last more than a couple wearings, even if you handwash. The nylon is delicate, but that’s really the case with all thigh highs. There’s no reinforced toe, so it might be especially likely to rip or run there. Of course, I found that the mesh and lace got caught in my nails, which is hard to avoid when you have nails. However, my garters didn’t immediately put holes in the lace, which is good.
Petticoat: also long and fluffy!
I’ve already got a pretty pink petticoat that I love, so I knew what I wanted when it came to getting on in black. In short, I want fluffy! This petticoat has two layers to offer some fluff. A satin panel toward the top helps with modesty, too. I generally like it; however, it’s far longer than the product images. This is likely due to the fact that the product page uses the one size model, and the plus size is cut longer/larger.
For reference, the petticoat is about 17 inches long at the longest point. The satin panel is 5 inches. The waist measures 14 inches flat/unstretched. There’s a lot of stretch to be had in this, so while it fits me almost loosely, it’ll go up to the 1x or 2x range, too, I’d think.
As for length, you can simply roll up the elastic band or pull it up higher if you’re wearing it under something else. That’s what I did.
The Adventurous Couple’s Guide to Sex Toy
$14.95
from Amazon
It’s interesting that I’ve read Violet Blue’s blog on and off for years without reading anything of hers in print (well, I did read books that she’s edited). Now, I can add that to my to-done list, which is my version of a bucket list — only I add things that I’ve already done. The Adventurous Couple’s Guide to Sex Toys is intended to be the book about sex toys, the Bible of sex toys. I’m not quite sure that I’d swear an oath on this book, but I’d probably recommend it to most people.
If you’re not familiar with the author, her work or her expertise in the field, the forward by Charlie Glickman talks about her experience working for Good Vibes. You can also check out her blog here. Charlie, who has asides through the book, co-wrote the Ultimate Guide to Prostate Pleasure, which I really liked. Both the forward and the content of the book really dive right into the subject. It’s a no-nonsense approach that could maybe be a little more “inviting” by giving some stats about how many people enjoy sex toys of something of that nature. If you’re curious but not quite adventurous, you’ll get the gist that sex toys are fun, but this book might not be as reassuring as you’d like.
This doesn’t mean that the book isn’t useful, however. On the whole, the things I had problems with were very specific and probably only bothersome to me because I do know as much as I do about sex toys. The gen– doesn’t mention not to use silicone The Adventurous Couple’s Guide to Sex Toys was just fine. Most people would be just fine if they followed the advice that I have to nitpick, and many people wouldn’t even notice what seemed like errors to me. You want examples? Okay!
Cons
I did find it curious that every.single.time Violet mentioned a website or brand that I was not familiar with, the website no longer existed. This was the case with Luv Seat and Clear Ecstasy. The latter is a glass dildo maker and while I can find items from the company on retailers, they’re unimpressive and not what she was talking about. Similarly, Violet mentions a programmable vibrator by Je Joue, which I believe to be the predecessor to Sasi, which the company no longer makes. A little fact-checking would have gone a long way. This is especially true when you consider that this is the second version, which means it should specifically correct those errors.
I didn’t hate the book, however. It’s just much better suited to someone who couldn’t have written it. In fact, I found that there was very little information that isn’t freely available online, some of it even on Of Sex and Love.
Pros
So, if that’s piqued your interest at all, you can buy the book on Amazon.
PLATINUM G-BLISS BLUE
$22.30
from Of Sex and Love Store
This is a weird vibe, and not for any reasons that you’d notice on the outside. It looks like a slew of other vibes that CEN has released before. But the features — of lack there of — are kinda weird. You see, there’s no steady vibration, and while my G-spot certainly responds to pulsation, I generally prefer the sensation of steady vibrations.
What you have instead are escalation like an airplane, escalation like a race car, escalation like a car that’s about to break down, pulsation like a bumblebee, fast pulsation, longer pulsations, fast-fast-slow pulsation and something that I’m pretty sure is Morse code.
Some of them just seem too similar for me, and while the pulsation is decent due to the power source — 2 AAs — I don’t want fancy. I can’t bring myself to care that this is waterproof when it doesn’t do what I want outside of the water. I just want what works. This is all controlled by heart-shape buttons. Gag me, and not in the erotic way.
I also found that the shaft doesn’t work for me. It’s just under 1 1/4 inches wide, and I feel like I want something bigger these days. The little wave on the shaft doesn’t extend enough to reach the clit, so it’s just for looks, but I’m not sold on the look of this vibe.
The target demographic is just not me. It also seems like this toy is geared toward beginners with its price tag of less than $25. In fact, it really seems like a step down from some of the company’s recent efforts, which use silicone and rechargeable vibrators. There are words embossed on the base about recycling and such, information that’s on the box and certainly doesn’t need to be on the toy itself. The use of this translucent TPR seems like a way to produce a cheap toy, especially after this recent discussion about TPR on Twitter, but this is ultimately one of those toys that I would advise shoppers to get only if they’re not absolutely sure that they like toys.
Revive Ener G.
$61.64
from Of Sex and Love Store
I just got off the phone with Cinnamon, and we laughed as I said that I didn’t need another G-spot vibe. I really don’t. At this point, it either works or it doesn’t. I could sum up all my reviews in two or three words if I really wanted to.
Except for this one. What makes the EnerG the exception? I’m going to guess it’s the dual motors and the specific patterns that my G-spot seems to respond to, but let me backup.
It’s yellow. Bright freakin’ yellow with a tinge of green. It’s a brighter version of the pistachio green than my new Layaspot came in. It’s exactly the type of color for someone who hates pink. Also, I kinda like the box with its greens and purples. It’s modern, but it could do without the forever-happy chick laughing on the side. If you took that away, I’d really like the packaging, which is recyclable and easy for me to forget about.
One thing that I didn’t forget about was the bag it comes with. It’s this super smooth microsuede type fabric with bright yellow ribbons to cinch it. However, after I popped the vibrator into the bag for a few days, there were dark spots on the silicone when I pulled it out. It’s like wearing a brand new pair of jeans that turn your legs blue. It doesn’t mean you can’t use it, but it certainly makes the vibrator less pretty to look at as you can see in the picture below. I have a leper vibe, now.
The newer vibes do not ship with this bag for this very reason, though.
Dye spots on the EnerG
This is also a good shop of the design of the toy. There’s a G-spot curve and a silver band toward the base, which gives it a rather attractive appearance overall in my opinion. It’s not a gigantic vibrator by any means. It’s 7.5-inches long overall, with about 5 inches are insertable. The vibe curves and flattens out in different ways. Toward the base, it’s flatter — think the Minna Ola — and about 2 inches wide, though you may not fully insert the toy at this point. The G-spot curve is narrower across but about 1.5 inches wide through the front and back.
I found it comfortably filling. The silicone, while flexible, has a density that lends to this sensation. The curve worked well for me, and it was easy to use. The red backlight under the buttons, which have audible and tactile feedback, makes them super easy to see. You could almost use it as a flashlight in the dark.
One button powers it on, the other cycles through settings. Blush describes this as having seven functions. There’s a high and low steady vibration from both the motors — the one in the tip and the around the silver band. There’s usually three settings on vibes, so keep this in mind. They are of medium strength but quite buzzy. The other five settings are a slow pulsation, long pulsation, fast pulsation, a pulsation back and forth between the two motors and fast pulsation of both motors.
The regular pulsation is pretty typical, and the single motor isn’t impressive by itself. While I didn’t enjoy the steady vibration from both vibes simultaneously, my G-spot really responded to the back-and-forth sensation. I found myself squirting more forcibly and.. with more length than I ever have. It was a surprising but fun shock.
I can’t make any promises for anyone else, but with a price of just over $60, this rechargeable vibrator is quite the deal. When it comes to charging, there’s a port on the bottom and a thick cover that protects it from water. The charger that this comes with is USB, and it comes with its own adapter. I am liking USB-powered vibes.
With that said, one of the readers at Of Sex and Love will have a chance to win their very own EnerG. Good luck!
Revive EnerG Giveaway
Follow the prompts in the widget below to enter. I’ll contact the randomly-generated winner for shipping information. I am not responsible for prize fulfillment.
Click here if the widget doesn’t load.
Giveaway is open to US and international residents where shipping is allows and ends November 10.
L1 Love Balls
$21.99
from Amazon
I don’t care what anyone says. If you can’t tell whether you’ll like a toy after the first use, you’re doing it wrong. In fact, sometimes I know so well how much I hate an item, that I put the review off for ages. That’s what happened with L1 Love Balls, a product from Ovo. If you’ve been paying attention to the airwaves, then you’ll know I really like the designs of these toys, but they seem to be all form and no function.
So I put off the review of these kegel balls because, to put it plainly, I fuckin’ hate them.
Logistically speaking, they’re a mess. So let’s break it down so we can clean it up.
This is a system with different weighted balls that go into a silicone sling. The balls themselves are silver and a purple, translucent plastic. The purple gives an excellent idea of how these work as you can see the inner balls. Of course, you can also see the seams, and this makes them feel a little cheap. Once it’s in the holder, you can’t see them, but I’d rather have a single-piece silicone pair in terms of appearance/construction alone. However, I’d really like not to have to mess with these swappable balls because the stretchy silicone sling is soooo awkward to work with. I really have to pry at it. I don’t know if it’s because of the specific shape of the holder, but the balls are a bitch to get in and out. It’s much easier to do this with the Luna Beads. If you don’t align them perfectly, there are awkward gaps between the balls and the holder. If the holder was simply a round, even band that was a little thinner (exactly like Luna Beads) this wouldn’t be such a problem.
So I just used the lighter purple balls in the kegel exercise the first time I tried the L1 balls. And they fucking hurt. I had one hell of a time trying to get them up past my pubic bone, which is rather pronounced and has caused me to dislike toys (including the kGoal by Minna) so I settled with inserting one and letting the other sort of hang out. Now, this isn’t uncommon. Many people have trouble with kegel balls being simply too large. However, these really aren’t any bigger than the K-balls, which I do like.
L1 Balls and Ophoria K-balls
It was just a few minutes before these ones started pinching when I sat, and they pretty much slipped right out as I headed to take them out. I had also become incredibly annoyed by the long silicone cord attached to them. It’s the longest of any kegel balls I’ve ever owned. How long? 5.5 inches. You’ve probably seen dicks longer than that. So long, in fact, that it kept slipping out the sides of my panties. Sexy.
My cat’s trying to chew on it right now. I guess that’s one use for it.
Anyway, I put them away for quite a while in an attempt to work up the gall to put the other balls in and try again. Let me tell you, I was almost ready to give up before I had even swapped the balls out. Ugh. I gave the L1 balls more than a once over this time around, too. I noticed there’s some stupid plastic “gem” thing at the end of the cord, which is simply ridiculous. At the best, you don’t notice them. Otherwise, it’s uncomfortable.
So I pop in the kegel balls with the weightier silver balls in them and experienced the same terrible discomfort. They pressed against my G-spot in a most uncomfortable way. I wanted to get them out of me as soon as possible. So I did.
To be fair, I haven’t regularly used kegel balls in quite some time, so I got out my K-balls to see whether I just hate them all together. I took a comparison photo, so you can see that the sizes are comparable. I slipped the K-balls in, expecting to hate them. I didn’t. They felt fantastic. Having ruled out that I don’t hate all vag balls, I took a closer look at the two pairs to determine what was making me hate them.
There are some serious differences that matter to me:
L1 love balls aren’t straight. The balls come together in a lazy “V” angle. When I try to insert them, they want to go one way, but I need them to go another way. I really need a straight set of balls. Secondly, the flexible connector between the Lv balls is much shorter than that of the K-balls, which also affects how it bends — or doesn’t bend — when inserted. Overall, this leads to an uncomfortable sensation.
Even if it was comfortable and I could stand to wear them for long enough to get any benefit from them. But that’s okay because..
I need to call bullshit on this whole two-sets-of-weights things. It’s all hogwash. It’s pointless. It’s a marketing gimmick. Don’t buy into it. It’s not just that it’s a hassle, it’s also that there’s not really any proof that it does anything. I’m kind of sick of companies coming up with faux features to lure consumers in. Don’t buy into it guys, and don’t buy these kegel balls.
