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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Wildberry Incense Cherry 100Pcs
13.75
from Amazon
Continuing on the path of “and here’s something a little different,” I requested two packs of incense from AdultSexToys. It’s been a few years since I’ve burned a single stick of incense; although, I have a nice glass burner that I purchased quite a while back. I burned a lot of incense when I was a teen. It was partly the “cool” thing to do and partly because I enjoyed a lot of the stores. There were multiple shops downtown: one a candle shop and one a head shop; although I never smoked pot, I liked the alternative culture they both had. After these shops closed, I purchased all my incense from a reiki place that was equally as neat.
And now, I’m getting it from a sex toy store. I’m not entirely sure that incense has anything to do with sex or sex toys. Even if I were having sex, this would really remain an out-of-the-bedroom item for me but I still like it.
The brand is Wildberry and they make a variety of scents so don’t let the terminology get you. First up for review is cherry. Cherry is just a classic scent (and flavour) in anything. I enjoy cherry. I probably like faux-cherry scents better than the actual scent of cherry. Wildberry Cherry Incense sticks smells ridiculously like cherry Kool-aid. It’s strong and sweet and more than a little artificial but I like it anyway.
During burning, that scent mixes with the smoky and heavy scents of, well, burning. I can still smell the cherry and the burning smell isn’t overwhelming like some but I’d still like the cherry scent to be stronger during actual use. It’s not very practical for me to walk around, holding an incense stick under my nose.
However, I’d like to note that some scents really give me a headache and cherry does not. It’s become my go-to incense for that reason.
Wildberry incense seems to burn a little cleaner than I recall incense doing. IT may just be that I have my incense burner sitting on top of my bookshelves so my cats don’t die. There’s not a lot of wind up there and clean us is easy.
I like that it’s hard to catch the whole damned stick on fire. Some incense burns too easily and, before you know it, half the stick is gone. This isn’t the case with this incense. I haven’t paid close enough attention to burn time to make any observations but neither do I have any complaints.
This incense comes in a pack of 100 sticks. 100! At the rate I’m going, one package will last me a year, at least. The package itself consists of a clear plastic bag. I believe it was sealed and I had to open it. The bunch of sticks are wrapped, at the bottom, with a couple layers of tissue paper. The ends of the sticks are all colour coded: cherry gets a deep, pinky red. It’s gorgeous. The Wildberry logo is printed on the outside of the bag, as well as the name of the scent and the UPC, in black. It’s basic but informative.
I burn this every few days, when I remember it and drag my chair over to the bookshelves so I can light up a stick. It’s quite enjoyable
Cocoa & Goji Berry Shower Gel
It appears that Intimate Earth has retired this product. However, you can still buy it on Amazon.
Thus far, I have really been satisfied by all the Intimate Organics products I’ve tried. The clitoral gel was intense, the G-spot gel made me squirt, the water-based lube is decent if not smelly and the shower gel is pretty much amazing.
Sensual Cocoa & Goji Berry Cleansing Bath and Shower Gel comes in a 240ml bottle with a press top cap. The label features the typical woman’s abdomen in blue hues and the clear bottle shows the gel which has a porangy (pink + orange) hue.
This cocoa and goji berry scent smells a lot like chocolate covered cherries with a hint of mocha, to me. Thankfully, the coffee undertones are not strong as I am not a huge coffee fan. This shower gel creates a giant fluffy lather on my shower poof. It’s.. totally fun. It feels silky on my skin and leaves it smooth immediately after. The combination of scent and lather and silkiness make for a great shower experience. I’d say that calling this product “sensual” is right on the money.
And while my skin stays pretty soft during the day, the scent doesn’t stay with me, sadly. I like shower gels that do that but Sensual Cocoa & Goji Berry Cleansing Bath and Shower Gel just doesn’t. Still, it’s enjoyable in the shower. It’d be great for partner play or a long bubble bath. In fact, you could combine it with Intimate Organics’ bubble bath of the same scent and top the whole thing off with the body souffle. I’m pretty sure you’d smell quite chocolate and fruity, then.
While not the perfect product, Sensual Cocoa & Goji Berry Cleansing Bath and Shower Gel makes my shower time enjoyable and I bet it will last forever.
Pinwheel
$15.00
from Good Vibes
The Wartenberg Wheel was originated a medical instrument used to test sensitivity. It has since been adopted by kinksters who enjoy all sorts of stimulation and many non-kinky sex toy retailers have started to sell it as well, including Good Vibes. They bill is as the pinwheel, which I will use from here on out simply because I am a lazy typer.
So I asked for the pinwheel and it showed up shortly thereafter. Immediately, I was surprised by how sharp the pins are. I guess I expected them to be a bit duller and others have said the same. However, I am wondering if different brands of pinwheel may actually be more dull. I only have one so I cannot say. Nevertheless, I do know that some brands come with a storage pouch/sheath and the one that Good Vibes says it does but mine did not. This is a shame because it’s sharp enough that I’d want to wrap it up to avoid damaging anything else or, Heaven forbid, stepping on it!
Let me back up a bit to describe this. The pin wheel is a long, metal handle with a slightly angled head that holds a wheel consists of 20 or so metal protrusions, or pins. There is a flathead screw that pierces through the layers of the handle and the wheel itself to allow it to spin. The space around the wheel is enough to allow it to move slightly to the left and right, so there is a bit of wobble to the movement and this causes it to make a metallic sound as well. The pins actually flatten toward the end, so they’re not exactly conical.
I am partnerless so I tried this one on for size by myself. I quickly discovered that a super light roll across my upper back tickled in the way that I love. It sent shivers down my spine and created goosebumps that made the touch of the pins painful in a not-so-bad sort of way. It also worked to sensitize my lips (the northern ones). The same light tough was pleasurable along my thighs and outter arms.
Yet, I didn’t really enjoy it on my breasts at all, as I said, the pins are much sharper than I expected. So I have barely tried to apply any pressure at all. I’m just a pussy at this point. However, I can tell that the type of sensation a firmer touch would provider would be more enjoyable with a partner. My head’s not really in the right space to enjoy the Pinwheel in its entirety.
That doesn’t keep my mind from racing to determine other ways to use this. Over clothes or fabric? Sure. Heated or cooled? A little side to side scratching? If you so desire. If you hold the wheel still, you can use it to poke. And even the typical roll can vary from a steady path that never leaves the skin or quick strokes that pull away from it.
Traditional Wartenberg wheels were stainless steel but there’s an area on mine where the finish has been scratched off and I can see something coppery or brassy beneath it. This is around the head of the toy. I filed off a speck on the handle and it seems to be the same metal all the way through. I have no idea what’s going on with that. And it doesn’t affect the functionality in the least, it’s just.. weird.
So, my final thoughts are this is pretty neat. I don’t know what’s up with the sheath and coating but I do know you should be careful when dropping it. Don’t catch it and cut yourself.
Jenna's Hot Trimmer
$9.95
from Amazon
It’s not usual that I want to write about a product for review immediately but I couldn’t help myself when it comes to Jenna’s Hot Trimmer.
You see, I’d been growing out the pubes for a while. I had hit full bush mode a while back. When I was still having sex with my husband, he liked it. Having hair was pretty novel. I didn’t mind it but it was getting to the unruly point and, since my last trimmer died, I asked to review this one from Fascinations. Plus, it comes with shapes. I’ve never designed my pubes before. It would be fun, right?
When the package arrived, I noted that the trimmer was in a plain cardboard box, not even a plastic blister pack. It reeked of “made in China” or some similar place. The fact that the include battery contained Asian-styled characters and was not designed like an American battery only went with this. I checked out the two heads and found them easy enough to swap. I noted that there was a clear, plastic cap to go over the small cap but nothing for the larger one. Odd. Also strange was the fact that the shapes had not way to attach to you. I puzzled out how I’d even be able to use them. I put in the battery only to have nothing happened so I replaced it with a reliable Duracell and test a tiny lock of arm hair. I tucked everything into the pleather pouch which is a god awful pink with “Hot Trimmer” printed on it in a god awful purple font.
Day 1
I hopped in the shower and decided to try the trimmer after. Initially, I hadn’t dried off and it didn’t work well. I toweled down the pubes and went back to work. Soon, I had a pile of curly locks forming at my feet, in the tub. Soon, I also had blood dripping down my mons. I hadn’t even noticed that I’d cut myself because the whole experience is rather irritating and uncomfortable. The teeth on both heads are quite large, not fine at all. The cut is not surprising. I applied some pressure to stop the bleeding and carefully went back to work.
I spent about 5 minutes trimming away, with the “foot” of the trimmer gliding along my skin. Actually, gliding is a lie. It tugged. It pulled. It hurts on occasion. Jenna’s Hot Trimmer did nothing to give me a uniform trim. It looked–and felt–sloppy.
I had mostly trimmed the flattest part of my mons (one area, in particular, was resistant to the trimming for some reason) and decided to try the shapes. I grabbed the heart but if you’re a unique person, you can go for the chili pepper or tear drop (???), instead. I swapped out the heads, held the clear plastic cut out in place and began trimming around. I pulled the shape away to notice.. Nothing. It did, nothing. Maybe if I had used some effective trimmer to cut everything down to a nice 1/4″ or 1/2,” I could have added the detail.
Still, I wanted to salvage the experience so I decided to try my hand at making shapes with my regular razor. I added a dab of shaving gel, not wanting to add to the irritation.. but the shape was soon slip-sliding around everywhere and my razor head was too big to get the details, anyway. I wound up going over the area I’d trimmed with the razor to get a nice shave on the upper portion of my pubes.
I was already mentally exhausted so decided to finish up the trimming of my labia for another time. I did notice that the trimmer was clogged with hair and skin cells, however; so I set about cleaning it. I was surprised to see that a plastic piece pops off the large head. This allows access to remove hair and what not but you have to make sure to replace the head to the shaft connects with the piece in the neck. Otherwise, it won’t work. I do wish that the trimmer came with a cleaning brush or something. There’s a lot of little crevices that are hard to reach inside the head.
Day 2
I went back to finish up the job I’d started a few days later. I found the trimmer to be practically useless along my labia. I just couldn’t get an angle that would allow me to cut all the hair. I’d wind up having to pull the hair away from my skin to clip it and there were certain areas that the trimmer just kept missing. I resulted to cutting a few, larger locks off with a small scissors but not before I cut myself with the trimmer, again. I felt it this time.
I spent much less time with the trimmer second time around. I just didn’t have the patience. I feel like I’ve spent enough time with it so make some observations:
Jenna’s Hot Trimmer is cheaply made and produces a sloppy finish, despite having multiple heads. If you want a waterproof and versatile trimmer that is easy to clean, won’t cut you and has an adjustable head, go for the Trimstyle by Quattro. It doubles as a traditional razor, too.
The heads on Jenna’s Hot Trimmer are shaped strangely. You can’t get a close trim and the shape makes it difficult to cut hair in all areas, especially around curves or crevices. If you want something a little more versatile but don’t have high demands, try one of the Finishing Touch/Bikini Touch trimmers. Some of them come with cutting guides as well as a built in lights and a brush to clean up.
This trimmer does not make quick work of a full bush. A small pair of scissors does a much better job of a quick clean up, if you’re pressed for time and only need to clean up a bit.
A pair of scissors, Finishing Touch or Trimstyle are all cheaper than Jenna’s Hot Trimmer. However, if you’re looking for a tool that will be efficient, versatile and effective without being dangerous, you should probably just invest in a pricier electric razor. I’ve never had one that worked well so I cannot personally give a recommendation but I’d recommend almost anything over this.
I like throbbing things, especially throbbing body parts. Like a cock as it ejaculates inside of you or the spasms of my PC muscles during orgasm. Throbbing is neat. It’s one of the few sensations that companies haven’t mastered yet. Throbbing toys have not saturated the market so this vibrator really caught my eye.
Out of the box, the Throbbing hearts waterproof Vibrator is really interesting. I noticed that the TPE seemed to be quite loose around the shaft mechanism. I mean, it’s not flopping around but you can pinch some of the material away from the shaft, like looser skin. The movement kind of gives the feel of softness–when not in use.
The Throbbing hearts waterproof Vibrator has a straight, smooth shaft. The mechanism beneath the TPE give the impression of ripples, however. The head of the toy is realistically shaped like the head of a cock. Oddly enough, the clitoral stimulator also has a penis head shape which is kind of creepy. It’s like the whole clitoral simulator is some sort of stunted penis. And then there’s two embossed heart designs toward the base o the toy and on the back of the clit stim. I have no idea what the theme is here but Doc Johnson missed the mark.
Still, I wanted this for for its sensations, not the look. It’s not the tiniest toy, though. with a base diameter of 1.59″, it’s on the medium-large scale. You can use water or silicone based lube with this toy. The design results in a maximum insertable length of 5.5″ which is pretty effective for the average size of vaginas. The clitoral stimulator is also quite long, extending almost 3″ from the shaft.
There are two buttons for each function (throbbing and clit vibration). The design deviates from standard and isn’t visually appealing. Essentially, throbbing function has a + and – button that also serve to turn the function on and off, respectively. These buttons are square and are labeled as “On” and “Off” which is confusing to me. The vibration function has a master On/Off button and a separate button to control the speed/mode. These buttons are round and oval, respectively. I don’t know why both functions don’t have comparable +/- buttond or a power and mode button–or a different setup altogether to provide a master “Off” button for the entire toy. I don’t know why there are different shapes. It’s very anti-intuitive, in my opinion.
So I insert the toy and turn it on. First, I try the throbbing because this is really the appeal and, boy, is it weird. The throbbing is actually expanding and contracting. The TPE that I noticed was loose is loose because the toy expands outward. It does this in a very quick succession, even on the lowest speed and, when the toy isn’t inserted, it makes a noise similar to skin slapping skin during sex. On the toy, it’s almost disgusting. Sound aside, I just did not find the sensation wasn’t much like throbbing itself. Throbbing typically has vertical movement, too. It feels deep, rumbly. This toy does not. It just feels like something is growing larger and smaller and all the speeds are too close together for there to be much build up. This is not a sensation that stimulates my G-spot at all. And because rabbits are not intended to be thrusted (usually), this isn’t very versatile. Additonally, I find that the shaft mechanism feels really hard and solid. I prefer my insertables to be either hard or large–not both.
Externally, I was not impressed. The clit stimulator, while plenty long enough, offers little pressure. The vibrations are incredibly buzzy. I can barely tell the difference between the medium and high steady vibrations. The pulsation lacks any sort of oomph. The functions, when combined, really seem to work against one another. They don’t complement each other at all. I’m not surprised that I was unimpressed by the vibrations, however. This uses AAAs.
The toy takes 4AAAs altogether. The fit into a battery compartment that has an easy load style pack and the cap screws on over an O-ring, thus making this waterproof. Honestly, I’d think that the sensation of water fallin on you, in the shower, would compete with the sensations that this toy provides and I don’t advise it.
I am more than a bit disappointed with this toy. I really like the idea of a throbbing toy but I think it needs to feel different than the violent, in-and-out slapping of the mechanism of this toy. Plus, I’m curious how easy it might be to break this. I’m almost intrigued enough by the function to cut off the TPE and see what’s going on beneath it. Almost.
Still, I commend Doc Johnson for thinking outside the box and creating something a little different.
Symphony massager
$21.69
from Store.OfSexAndLove.com
This month’s (okay, last month’s, I guess) Sexpert toy from California Exotics is the Symphony Massager. It’s true to its name (massager) and discretely looks nothing like a sex toy at all. In fact, as I sit hear gazing at it, I find it difficult to describe the type of toy it is. There’s a nod so some high end toys, like the Form 6 or even one of the Lelo toys, except the Symphony Massager isn’t dual ended and I have no desire whatsoever to insert it.
A few of the basics. This is a plastic toy. It has a velvety finish. It comes in lavender (what I have) and white. It measures 8″ form tip to tip and you can insert a little under 4.5.” The widget varies: the ends are wider than the center with the handle end being wider than the insertable end which is ovular (not a perfect circle) and has a circumference of 4.75.” The thinnest part of the insertable portion has a circumference of 3.25.”
The vibrations are focused at the insertable. Oddly enough there is a little dimple on the top of this end. I guess it could be used for clitoral stimulation but I think it’s kind of useless because then the angle of the toy would make it curve away from your body. I prefer toys that mimic the curve of my pubic bone, I guess. The angle on this toy is really unique and quite high. If I set the toy on a flat surface, so it rests on either tip, I can slip 4 fingers into the open area created by the angle (under the toy). That really has no significance but I tihnk it’s fun and such.
The Symphony Massager uses a single push button to operate. It sits inside another dimple, toward the center of the toy but on the handle end. It’s surrounded by silver and it sticks up a lot. I say this because I like buttons that are easy to find and this one is! My nails don’t get in the way. It’s not right next to another, equally tiny button. I like it a lot.
When you press this button you will cycle through several settings: low steady vibration, high steady vibration, short-short-long pulsation, short pulsation and a weird back and forth sort of pulse that I am failing to describe well. If you’re paying attention, then you’ll notice that there is no “medium” setting. I constantly skip to the first pulsation setting because I want something stronger. It’s a force of habit that is hard to break and California Exotics might due better to just stick to what has worked thus far.
Because the Symphony Massager runs on 2AAAs the vibrations are buzzy and the pulsation lacks “oomph.” This is the kind of toy that mostly makes me tingle a little but then I reach for something stronger, as I did. I cannot recall if I got off from this because it does have a broader surface, which I like externally. If I did, I wasn’t much impressed.
Now, I didn’t bring this anywhere near my internal organs. For one, it just doesn’t seem like an internal toy to me. Secondly, there is a ridiculous seam running through the plastic, all the way around. Needless to say, this isn’t anywhere close to waterproof nor would I ever recommend sharing it without some sort of gamma ray.. stuff. Either plastic piece of this toy seems to be melted together in two locations on the insertable part. I’m not sure if it’s supposed to melt seamlessly the whole way or if it just connects at those points but.. it’s weird. It seems cheap and while many would not be able to feel it in use, it ‘s just not something I want inside me.’
It’s funny that the pieces would be so far apart because the battery pack is tight. I think CEN used all the recall China shrink cream on this because wow, just wow! You have to turn the cap to the correct position to unlock it to pull it off. Be prepared to give a forceful yank and have your batteries fly in your face to fully remove it. Then you might chuckle because the is, indeed, a plastic O-ring in there. The same move in reverse replaces the cap.
My verdict, as you can see, is this is not the toy for me. Were the quality better, it’d be a decent, basic toy–inexpensive, potential versatile, easy to use and varied. Now, it just feels cheap.
Best Lesbian Erotica 2010
3.94
from Amazon
It took me forever to finish Best Lesbian Erotica 2010. I am now 100% positive that I can never be 100% satisfied with lesbian erotica. Or full length erotica, at that. I wish it hadn’t taken two full anthologies to realize that, however.
I would describe this collection much the same way I described last year’s. There’s lesbian sex. Group sex. Oral, anal, penetration. Gender bending. Roleplaying. Fantasies. BDSM and more. Many of the stories included omitted relationships, or at least that is what I assumed from the way they were written. There were some no-strings-attached encounters and one story even included a first-time lesbian experience as in “In the Sauna” by Stella Watts Kelley. For the most part, the characters have established their gender and sexual identities. As a mostly straight chick who doesn’t not-identify with her anatomy, it can be a little difficult to empathize with the characters or situations. I think that detracts from my enjoyment a bit.
It would definitely balance the collection to have a few more first-timer or novice type stories. I could better related to those and that would allow me to get lost in the story. As it is, I really had to force myself to finish this book, especially because some of the pieces were ridiculously long and included multiple parts. I was discussing this book with someone else and it struck me that others may not read erotica to get off but I do. Thus, the erotica that I find most effective keeps moving, has more overt sex than covert and isn’t so long that it works against my orgasm. Shorter stories also work better to get me in the mood sooner.
Although I’ve started this fairly negatively, it’s not a horrible collection. The stories are unique, well written and well edited. There’s a lot of creativity. I personally had not heard of any of the authors but, like any anthology, you can find additional information about them at the back of the book.
There were a couple memorable stories. Holly Farris wrote a piece entitled “Lives of the Saints” in which two amorous saints visit a woman who experiences doubts about her relationship. Additionally, I was entertained by Kelsy Chauvin’s “Sexting: One Side of a Two-Way.” In this story, we see a number of sexual texts from one woman to another with whom she had an encounter. The time line stretches over a two week period, during which the women chat back and forth and have several more encounters. The format is extremely unique and easy to read. I also especially enjoyed “Shameless” by Kimberly Reed and Anais Morten. This two part pieces follows a lesbian couple as they perform in front of a pair of strangers who are men. Each character gets the chance to tell her side of the story as she performs for her lover.
Some stories were simply not my style because they weren’t direct enough or were perhaps too creative for me. I have no idea what actually happened in “Uppercasing” by Charlie Anders. I guess I need my sex and erotica to be a little more straight forward.
Some folks might think that this series may be suffering from a new editor or the fact that a bunch of musicians (Sorry, I’ve never heard of BETTY) chose the stories. Maybe it’s related but I didn’t love last year’s edition, either. I know that erotica is really subjective. You win some, you lose some sort of thing but I also know that really intriguing erotica stays with me permanently. I can name a handful of stories from other collections that have really stuck with me over the past year to eighteen months. I just don’t think this will cut it.
I’m still interested in erotica but I am definitely going to focus on unique situational erotica and shorter stories from this point on.
