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!
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I’ve also reviewed sexual health goodies.
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Faux Tiger Fur Spanking Paddle
Lovehoney has since discontinued the Tiger Fur Paddle, but they still have other items available under their Bondage Boutique line, including some plan furry ones.
I’m into the tiger things lately. Remember those cuffs? Well, this paddle is better. Ultimately, they were pretty cheap, and not stripey in the right way. It’s probably a complaint you don’t often hear. You’re welcome.
The only real negative I can state is that it smells. Out of the package, there was an overwhelming fake leather smell. You’ve smelled it before, I’m sure, and it might not even bother you. I just don’t love it.
Otherwise, it’s on to the pros. This is actually smaller than expect. The span of the fingers on my tiny hands is bigger than the paddle, but that’s not a horrible thing. For one, you can control is easily. It’s also good on petite behinds.
I was impressed with the plushness of the fur. The stripes are great–not exactly realistic but appealing to my eye. To my hands, this fur is way plush. Sticks up and over and offers a lot of padding. It’s much more plush, for example, than this fur slapper I reviewed a while back. When you smack someone’s ass with this, it’s soft and thuddy. The impact spreads out, rather than landing in one place.
Even if I give it my all, I can’t do much damage with that side; although, you can flip it over and use the fake leather side. Still, the paddle is just a little bit flexible, so I find that this lessens the impact. It doesn’t impede performance necessarily, but it makes this paddle on the lighter side of bondage. On LoveHoney, the review system asks you to rate kinkiness. I guess I chose about 3.5 because, to be honest, it doesn’t seem that kinky to me.
The handle is bordered in metal rivets to add to its hardcore appearance, but this tiger is really a kitten. Technically, you could use the handle as a paddle to get more stimulation, and it would be more acute than using the furred paddle.
At the end of a handle is a leather strap, which helps you keep your grip while using the toy and makes it easy to store. I’d wipe it down with a damp cloth if you have any cleaning to do.
Although I haven’t had a chance to really use this, it seems like a well-made toy at a decent price. It delivers both in looks and feel, and it’s non-intimidating if you’re just getting into impact play. I’m definitely interested to see what the rest of the Bondage Boutique has in store!
Tantus Splash
Tantus no longer makes this dildo in this colorway, but you can buy the similar Magma dildo in silver or black for under $40.
You may recall that the Splish surprised me. It was much smaller than I thought. In fact, while pretty, it didn’t do a whole lot for me. The Splash, on the other hand, was a dildo that I expected would be much too large, especially with the texture. I didn’t expect to like it much at all.. but I was wrong.
The Splash is almost identical to its younger cousin, but it’s much bigger. At 1.75″, it’s not for the tiny vagina-havers of the world. The drippy ridges add some serious texture to this dildo, too. If you like it smooth and small, this isn’t the toy for you. Why not try the Faerie or Silk dildo instead? And, indeed, I thought I would be one of those people who wouldn’t like the Splash because of this. However, I was dead wrong. It’s definitely not the size that changed my mind, though, because it is a wee bit large for me.
My vagina really had to struggle to take this one, and there was no way I was going to get the full 6″ (insertable) up there, even if I wanted to. Still, the texture was so very noticeable. My G-spot was, like, “Hey, guys, I can feel that.. a lot!” and then I freaked out, wondering who the hell my G-spot was talking to and just how it was accomplishing this task.
The Splash took very little time and effort, in terms of movement, to elicit some FE action from my body. It felt pretty good doing it, but I feel like I’d enjoy it slightly more after sex or other toys.. but I’m not the type to whip out a dildo post-intercourse, and aside from reviewing, I don’t take much pleasure in using multiple insertables during a jam masturbation session.
So, I’m pleasantly surprised by how well my body reacted to this melty-candle-lookin’ dildo. It’s not one that I would reach for all the time. My Vixskin dildos feel good, and they let me squirt without requiring prep or effort. Similarly, I can’t say this is the perfect dildo for everyone. Size queens will love it, but its girth means it feels pretty solid. It’s not rock hard, but it’s pretty firm, and the texture could very well be uncomfortable or painful for some. I’ve used toys that look like they had a lot of texture, but the Splish and Splash really take the cake.
However, if you like size and texture, you’ll probably love the design of this. The gradient between purple and white is one of the best designs, as far as aesthetics, that I’ve seen from Tantus. The texture is great to look at, and the base makes it safe for anal play and compatible with harnesses. Perhaps the amazing Sasha harness from SquareParts.
This is an archived review of a discontinued product.
I’m not going to lie, part of the reason I requested to review the Wanachi Rechargeable Massager is simply because I remember them showcasing it on that one sex toy shopping TV show, the name of which completely escapes me now. I can literally hear one of the hostesses talking about it and, you know, I thought it might be nice to have a rechargeable full-size massager. Both of mine, while powerful and small, require me to tether myself to the outlet. I have pulled my Miracle Massager cord out of the outlet more than once, guys.
As is there were any doubt from the name, this is Pipedream’s Hitachi knockoff. There’s really not much difference as far as I can tell; although I’ve never used a Hitachi. I don’t think I would want to now, to be honest. The box for this vibrator was huge because, well, the vibrator itself isn’t a petite thing. It’s heavier, longer and wider than my Miracle Massager… even combined with my Inspire. I was just not prepared for this monstrosity. The head of this massager is like the size of my fist.
I also wasn’t surprised for it to be charged. I’ve gotten lucky with toys that way, lately. They usually aren’t but this one was. A slider switch let me easily move between the two settings.. and I was immediately disappointed. The vibrations on the lower setting weren’t any stronger than some vibes that take 2AAs or 3 or 4 AAAs. They weren’t as buzzy, sure, but they were just plain weak. Any of the Jopen vibrators blow this one right out of the water.
On the high setting, it wasn’t quite so bad… but it was still like the low on my Miracle Massager or Inspire. The vibrations of the Wanachi Rechargeable Massager were so lackluster that I plugged it in, thinking maybe it wasn’t charged all the way. Unfortunately, it was.
I wish my disappointment had ended there, but it doesn’t. I was resting this hulk (hey, they should make it green!) against my clit, and the edge of the head was doing okay for me, when it just died. Now, I think I’d gotten off once or twice, and I sort of wasn’t paying attention as I finished The Great Gatsby, but the vibrator died well within 30 minutes. That’s right, after I double-charged the thing, it just died.
Now, I wish I could say “whoa! these guys says I should get 3 hours of time,” but I can’t. Honestly, the product description is so freakin’ vague. I’m not sure what the advertised amount of usage is, or how long Pipedream recommends that I charge this vibrator for. Regardless, it wasn’t strong, small, quiet or long-lived enough for my tastes. The only way in which this massager really didn’t disappoint me is with its flexible neck. It’s super flexible. Way more than the Inspire.
I think you might assume that it’s as strong as the Hitachi, but it’s just not. If you want cord-free, take any vibrator that runs on 2AAs. It’ll do you better than the Wanachi Rechargeable Massager, by far.
[Edit]
Oh my god, you guys. This thing is a fuckin’ zombie. I accidentally bumped it on my nightstand, and it works again! I didn’t charge it, I just turned it on and it worked. I’ve been able to get a few more sessions of use out of it. While it’s still weaker than you’d expect, it apparently works longer. I just don’t know why. Perhaps it overheated the first time, which is definitely not a sign of quality. Your guess is as good as mine.
Playful In Pearls Satin Eye Mask
This product has been discontinued.
This month’s assignment from CEN’s Sexpert program was a surprise. I don’t know if I would have chosen anything from their light bondage line, titled Playful in Pearls, myself. However, I can more than give you a thorough review regardless.
The satin mask is a slight upgrade to the free masks. It doesn’t just look like a pad on a string. There’s a more defined contour for your nose. Rather than a thin elastic strap, the band is bordered with lace on the top and bottom. In the center, back of the blindfold is a big ribbon bow. To top it all off, there’s a row of faux pearls along the top front of the mask. All in all, it’s very feminine, and I think this definitely affects who is going to buy this. It’s a little too much going on for me. The ribbon, mask, and lace have too many textures for my personal preference.
So, while the mask isn’t quite a pad-on-a-string, it’s not perfect. The satin is stiffer than I like, but it’s not so stiff that it doesn’t pull across the bridge of the nose. I experience this with softer materials. My KinkLab blindfold, for example, is stiff enough to prevent this. The elastic stretches and the mask stays stationary. Plus, while the lace and elastic band is stretchy, it’s not going to fit every head. The band itself is just under 14″ long, with another 7.5″ for the mask itself. It stretches much larger, obviously. I find this to be a little loose on my head, and it’s not adjustable. On the other hand, if your head is larger than mine, this won’t be a problem.
Although contoured, the mask isn’t quite enough to block out all light. The layers of fabric are pretty thin, too. It’s not a very good blackout blindfold, and the blindfold will slip during use, especially if it’s loose. For these reasons, I feel like this piece is really better for show than function. Take some pictures, but that’s about it.
The problem is that it doesn’t look as good up close as you think. The line of “pearls” is sewn on with a clear thread, like fishing line. It looked up over the top of the mask and only goes through the actual material ones. This means that the pearl beads can slide out of place. One in particular, on my blindfold, likes to flip behind the mark, so I’m constantly adjusting it. This really wreaks havoc on the aesthetic appeal, at least for me. Because the beads are just spheres with a hole on either side, a regular stitch would work for this. I’m not sure if it would require more effort, but the result would be nicer.
On to the cuffs, which, unfortunately, suffer from many of the same flaws. The cuffs are two elastic and lace bands with velcro enclosures, and they’re permanently attached to each other with a string of pearls. I think the cuffs themselves are cuter than the blindfold. I’d almost wear them as regular accessories with the loose lace and the pretty ribbon bow on top. If you look at the point where the velcro attaches, it looks a little odd, but this isn’t so noticeable if you’re not staring directly at it.
The wrist cuffs do seem pretty tiny, especially compared to some of the nylon and leather ones I’ve tried. They’re about 7.5″ long, unstretched. You can stretch them another two inches, and the lace does have some elasticity but, again, these seem intended for ladies and not men. This also limits their versatility as ankles cuffs.
The real drawback is the line of pearls in between. They’re strung on the invisible thread; although, they’re tight enough that you can’t see it at all. The long row of faux pearls looks pretty cheap and, IMO, tacky. It’s very plastic-y. The bound person has 9.5″ of space between her hands, which lets her move some, but not much. I would worry that, during actual play, the bound person might accidentally jerk, tear the thread and the pearls would go flying.
CEN has tried to avoid this, because you can see that the ends of the strings are tied in one giant glob of a knot. It’s noticeable only if you’re looking, I suppose, but you’d think they could do it much better. It’s really sloppy. I didn’t give this one a full-strength pull test but, again, I’d be careful with it.
While I like the idea of the playful in pearls pieces, the execution just needs some work.
Tantus Splish
N/A
from
While Tantus no longer makes the dual-colored Splish, you can pick up the similar Mini Magma in black or silver for under $30.
Sometimes Tantus makes two very similar toys, like the Flurry and Cush, and you have to try them both to see which one is the best fit. Sometimes they make two toys with a design as similar as the sizes differ. This is the case with the Splish and the Splash. The splish makes a little splish, were you to throw it in a lake. Although, that would be a waste of good silicone. Both dildos have this awesome drippy candle-waxy appearance that is aesthetically pleasing and super easy to feel when inserted. It works really well with the radiant of the silicone, too. These dildos are fucking works of art, man.
The major difference is that Splish is just 4.5″ long and 1″ in diameter. That’s way less than half and inch. It’s tiny, like a finger. In fact, it doesn’t even seem 4.5″ long. It’s a squishy little bugger that you can bend right in half. See Tantus’ comparison photo here. It’s perfect for beginning anal play, but even with a flared base you probably won’t want to use it in a harness. Unless it’s a knee harness. Leverage.
The selling point is that the tiny size lets you hit exactly the right spot and it’s super flexible, too. Don’t let the straight shaft make you think it’s not a G-spotter. On the other hand, while I can easily fell the textures, it wasn’t necessarily pleasurable. It was more business than pleasure. Not my favorite type of G-spot stimulation, if you know what I mean.
The little ridges do make it slightly harder to clean than a smooth shaft, but not much. The shaft itself is pretty glossy and will attract lint, but the base is more of a matte texture. I don’t feel it during use, but it feels interesting while I wash it.
It’s interesting because I really thought I’d prefer the Splish. The Splash just seemed too much, but I think I’m leaning in that direction. Of course, if you need a Tantus toy to fit in your purse, you could do much worse than this one. Like the Delta, for example. SheVibe sells the Splish for a great price, too.
Lelo Tiania 2
from
You can now purchase the Tiani 3.
I’m not sure what took me so long to get this review out. Perhaps it’s because I hate repeating myself, and I’ve already reviewed the original Tiani. So what you need to know is that this is the same vibrator, plus power, a second attachment. There are a few minor tweaks, but the Tiani is mostly the same toy. If you hated it before, you probably won’t love it this go around. If you wished the vibrations were deeper, they’re still not, and if you think the whole idea is stupid, well, it’s still the same idea. But here’s what I do like about the Tiani 2:
SenseMotion is novel but not practical in the least. Thank god Lelo still allows you to use the remote normally but there’s two super weird settings you have to pass first. For starters, the first mode relies on the position of the remote. Flip it vertically to raise vibrations, back down to lower them. The controller itself vibrates to offer feedback to the user. That’s kind of a neat idea but also means the controller makes noise so that limits where and when you might be able to use the SenseMotion toys, in my opinion. In the first mode, a back and forth movement simulates pulsation. Well, sort of. There’s this bit delay of between movement and the vibration in the Tiani and it’s hard to get a good rhythm going.
The second mode, which you can activate by pressing the middle of three buttons, simply requires you to move the controller faster to increase the intensity of the vibrations. This means, that if you want to use the vibrations at the highest setting, you need to shake it pretty good.. which also works against it being inconspicuous as so many wireless vibrators aim to be. It’s also tiring and annoying.
The third mode is one where you simply press the + arrow to increase vibrations and the – arrow to decrease. It’s the one I like the most because it makes sense and doesn’t require too much concentration. I wish the controller turned onto this mode instead. There are eight settings, including pulsation and escalation and I swear the controller is more powerful than the Tiani itself.
However, I think Lelo has overestimated the “two attachments” thing. It’s really the main one and another. “One extra” would sound more appropriate to me. Additionally, there’s still a couple of annoying things:
So, what do I say? Yay or nay? I still like the WeVibe better, but if you need something less powerful or if you’re heart’s set on this Lelo toy, definitely get the Tiani 2 over the original.
You’re welcome.
Smooth Lover
This toy has been discontinued.
The Smooth Lover dildo from MyPleasure is actually one that I’d had my eye on for a long time. I mean, it’s just so pretty, but it doesn’t look like it’d do anything for me. For a while, no dildo did, and my luck is inconsistent even today. I took the plunge and asked to review it this month, and I’m, torn. On one hand., it’s a pretty, pink, silicone dildo and I kind of want to stick it to my wall–you can do that with the suction cup base–and look at it all day. On the other hand, I never want to use it again.
So, this dildo isn’t actually smooth. There are embossed swirls and such on it, which is exactly what gives its the pretty appearance. The silicone at the base spreads and thins out to create the suction cup, and there’s a slightly contoured head that had a ridge of silicone around it. Under the head, at the frenulum area, is this little nub of silicone. It’s kinda cute, but also sort of weird. You can imagine this is intended to stimulate the g-spot because the dildo is perfect straight otherwise. It feels interesting to begin with. Even though the dildo isn’t smooth, the scrollwork can’t be felt internally. Most people have mentioned that. However, the nub can. At first, I liked it and then it very quickly started to irritate the inner wall of my vagina, so I stopped playing with it.
I think I prefer my vibrators straighter and my dildos curved. I don’t like to stroke as much as I like to clench around a dildo. It was also a little awkward to hold this one. I wound up sort of pinching the base, because it’s only 6″ long, and there’s not a lot of room to grip it down there. I constantly felt as though it was going to slip out of my hand. I was pretty surprised by the firmness, or lack thereof. I think everyone who’s ever written a review for this toy has come to a different conclusion. The core is definitely firm, but it’s softer toward the base, and you can bend it a bit. It’s still not the best for g-spotting, in my opinion. Neither is the base wide enough for strap-on usage.
So, the chance to review this dildo pretty much confirmed my fears. Yes, it’s pretty. Yes, the suction cup works really well. It’s also annoying. There are two very visible seams. It’s awkwardly shaped for both g-spotting and holding. It’s definitely one of those “maybe they’ll be distracted by its looks” type of deals.
