Lelo Gigi 2

September 16th, 2013

In case you missed it, I posted a follow-up review for the Gigi 2.

As hard as it might be to believe, I never tried the original Gigi or any toys with similar shapes. While plenty of folks loved the shape of Gigi for G-spot stimulation, I didn’t know if I would. I had plenty of toys that stroked and vibrated in all the right ways, and I knew that original Lelo toys were lacking in strength. So when the company released a second version, I decided it was time I give it a try.

Lelo has been experimenting with colors with the release of Gigi 2 and other toys, like Liv 2. Deep rose is still an option, but I chose cool gray. My photo makes it look darker than it is. It’s really quite light. You can also get yours in pink and turquoise. I really like the gray color with the matte silicone.

Reviewers have stressed the size — or lack there of — of Gigi for years. But you just can’t imagine how tiny this thing is until it’s in your hands. It’s barely 7 inches long, and you’ve got almost 4 inches to play with, literally. If you want length for thrusting, this toy isn’t it. Neither is it the toy for you if you prefer weight for stroking, which is one reason why I like glass and stone. The Gigi is ridiculously light, rivaling my iPod Nano and making my 4-inch phone feel like a fucking brick.

Girth-wise, Gigi 2 is the same as the original — or so I’d assume. The largest place it as the head, where it’s angled. There is a diameter of 1.5″ at the widest point, but the shaft is oblong rather than round. However, it might feel a little larger to some because it’s so rigid. While the insertable portion is covered in velvety silicone that managed to feel soft, the rigid interior means there’s no give to Gigi.

What I’m working up to here is how Gigi is a lot like a rabbit vibrator. Either it’s perfect for you and it works, or it’s off in any tiny way and it’s not going to work for you at all. Period. Sorry. Go directly to jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200 — or get your $170 worth.

If you haven’t guessed already, Gigi did not work for me. I think this vibrator goes to show just how pronounced my pubic bone is. Insertion means that Gigi “hooks” on it, poking and prodding uncomfortably. There should not be angles there, my G-spot would say if it could talk. All in all, it’s an experience that I would label as unpleasant at the very least.

What about vibrations, you ask? Let me tell you about them. The product pages claims “100% increase in power.” I will tell you that the vibes are concentrated at the tip of this toy. They’re also buzzy and weak. I can only assume that there’s supposed to be an improvement over the original, but if this is the case, the original must suck. Other reviewers have claimed little change, however.

One thing that did change — somewhat — are the controls. They’re the same, but the button construction is different. Before, Lelo used soft, silicone buttons. Now, we have a unibody plastic button. I fucking hate it. The buttons are smaller, which is a pain if you’ve got nails, large fingers or lube on your hands. You can’t tell from touch alone which button does what, and you need more pressure to push each of the buttons. I was frustrated while using this.

I count 9 or 10 different steady vibration modes that are lackluster because of the buzzy vibes. There’s also:

  • slow pulsation
  • fast pulsation
  • faster pulsation
  • escalation
  • a different escalation
  • some setting that sounds like the Gigi 2 is trying to sing to me

The charging port is now lined with metal but includes no cover. Lelo says that this one is fully waterproof, so wash it, shower with it or take it in the bath. There’s no port cover, which always makes me anxious. I have no tub, however, so it’s a moot point for me.

As you’d expect, Gigi 2 comes with a charging cable, the typical warranty information, a packet of lube, a stiff satin drawstring pouch and Lelo’s packaging. It looks nice, but it takes up too much room. The newer toys also come with an “authenticity card” which includes the serial number and information about registering your product to get the 1o-year warranty. I haven’t had problems with Lelo toys breaking or dying, but it’s useful information.

It’s a shame that such an attractive toy is such a letdown.

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The Number of Orgasms Doesn’t Count

September 8th, 2013

It’s been a while since I’ve written something other than a review or personal experience on here. It’s been a while since I’ve felt so passionate about something that I felt like I should write it, even if someone else had already written about it or, even worse, written about it better. But here it is.

The Number of Orgasms Doesn’t Count

Read it a second time. Maybe in italic.

The Number of Orgasms Doesn’t Count

Orgasms are, generally, good. For more heterosexual sex, the man’s orgasm indicates the end of a session. The ability to finally attain orgasm is a big deal for many people, especially women. I understand. I like having orgasms. I wouldn’t last long in a sexual relationship with a person who didn’t care whether I was having any orgasms or who left them completely up to me without any (oral) assistance.

...orgasm is a sincere gift from GOD.But, and this is a big but, sex shouldn’t necessarily lead to orgasm. That is, orgasm shouldn’t be the only goal. When you’re focused on getting off, your sex can become mechanical. Your eye is on the finish line, and you miss out on the journey. Now, this doesn’t always happen, but I frequently find that if you focus on enjoying the moment and feeling good over where you’re going, you’ll feel like your time’s well spent, even if you don’t get off.

Furthermore, focusing on achieving orgasm is the very thing that makes some people unable to orgasm. I notice that when I sufficiently distract my mind, I get off quicker and better.

I have literally had sex where I’ve had multiple orgasms, and it was unenjoyable overall. I’ve also had sex where I just didn’t manage to orgasm, but it was pretty much amazing. It felt more toe-curling, tear-inducing and intimate than sex where I achieved orgasm multiple times. I think, for some people, this doesn’t compute. They associate orgasms with pleasure. The more orgasms, the greater the pleasure except..

It’s just not true.

You can still feel pleasure without orgasm. Sex can be intimate. It can be rough. It can be carnal. It can teach you about yourself or your partner. It can just be a fun time — and all without orgasm.

And if either you or your partner is having difficulty achieving orgasm, the added pressure may just not be worth it.

Maybe someone will read this and something will click. Maybe they’ll stop pressuring their partner to cum or blaming themselves for their inability to bring their partner to orgasm an arbitrary number of times. Perhaps someone who has felt guilty over their inability to orgasm. Maybe you’ll let go long enough to just enjoy the moment. Because there are so many moments to enjoy and so many ways to enjoy them. Orgasm is not the only way.

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Make love to your long distance lover online

Learning Along the Way

August 28th, 2013

One of the things that I have learned about since starting this blog is sex positivity. I make active strides not to slut shame and to help people enjoy their sex lives. I make a point to become more understanding, more accepting and less judgmental. So, the idea of things such as casual sex and the various sex therapies that exist.  Sex surrogacy, for example, was one thing that was alien to me. I don’t have any personal experience with it, but it was difficult for me to understand the process at first. I imagine this is so with other people.

Orgasmic meditation, like the kind they teach about and practice at OneTaste, is another of those practices. I’m definitely less familiar with this concept, but it’s amazing how much you realize you don’t know once you open up your mind. Blogging about sex toys and relationships and exploring my own sexuality has made that possible for me, and I hope that my vocalizations on the subject can bring the same “enlightenment” to other people.

And, you know, it’s interesting when I discover a new concept and I’m open to it or I realize that I’ve been open to something the whole time. I’m certainly learning as much about myself.

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Natural Feminine Personal Spray

August 25th, 2013

Natural Feminine Personal Spray

Natural Feminine Personal Spray

This product may be discontinued, but you can still buy it at Lubezilla.

I didn’t know when I requested to review the Natural Feminine Personal Spray that it was so close to AfterTrace. Blame it on the vague name. However, this does mean that I have two similar products that I can compare, which is useful.

The product description says you can use it for quick “clean” up, but the directions on the bottle say to spray on your body. There’s no indication of removal or actual cleansing; furthermore, the bottle states that it’s perfect for after a shower, so it’s not exactly a cleanser, now is it? However, that’s more semantics than anything else.

According to the description, this will reduce odors, absorb moisture and soothe skin, so there’s nothing you can really complain about there. I can, however, complain about the scent of this spray. While AfterTrace is herbal like all the other SHE Aftercare products, this one smells like fake blueberries. It reminds me of those freeze-dried, overly-sweetened berries you’d get in cereal. It’s really weird for spraying on your body. Now, the scent does fade to a more neutral, sweet/fresh smell after a while, but the initial smell is kind of a turn-off.

This spray also differs in that it’s less fine and wetter than AfterTrace. It doesn’t affect performance in my opinion, but it might not necessarily feel good if you’re already sweaty. I think these products work best when you’re fresh and dry. an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure, right? Like I said in my AfterTrace review, this isn’t going to do much if you’re getting back into sweaty panties and clothes.

I did a quick search for this product to get the ingredients list so I wouldn’t have to type it up, and I found a review stating that the ingredients had discolored someone’s clothing. This is definitely something you’ll want to watch out for; although, I haven’t had that issue yet.

The bottle advertises all natural ingredients like aloe, witch hazel, patchouli, vanilla, lavender and tea tree oil, and the entire list is as follows:

  • Witch Hazel
  • Aloe vera gel
  • Clary Sage Oil
  • Patchouli oil
  • Geranium Oil
  • Vanilla
  • Tea Tree
  • Fragrance
  • Oregano Leaf Extract
  • Thyme Extract
  • Cinnamon Bark Extract
  • Olive Leaf Extract
  • Rosemary Leaf Extract
  • Peppermint Leaf Extract
  • Lavender Flower Extract
  • Goldenseal Root Extract
  • Citrus Medica Limonum
  • Lemon Peel Extract
  • Purified Water

The list is definitely more natural than AfterTrace if that’s your thing. But does it work any better?

I don’t know. Neither products are miracle cures. I feel fresher if I spray it on. They’re good for a quick fix if you have no time to shower, too. However, Natural Feminine Personal Spray seems to be more about making you smell sweet/fresh than reducing odor. The scent sticks around longer. This is okay if you’re a fan of it, but it’s such an odd scent that I can’t imagine everyone will be.

This spray is a little cheaper, though, so it might be worth trying out for that reason alone.

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PinkCherry Winner

August 25th, 2013

Ack! I know I am slow in posting this. I hate not having my own laptop. However, the winner of the $100 gift card to PinkCherry is Miss Kat.

Congrats to her, and thank you to all the people who entered. It was my most successful giveaway to date, and I think I’ve got some new ideas to keep giveaways awesome in the future.

If you have any giveaway feedback, please let me know in the comments.

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Dare to be Bare Shave Cream

August 20th, 2013

Dare to be Bare Shave Cream

Dare to be Bare Shave Cream

This product is no longer made.

I probably won’t review a whole lot of shaving creams after this because I’ve tried so many of them. My experience rarely differs to the point where I really prefer one over the other. It usually comes down to a preference of scent and package, and the Dare to be Bare shave cream excels at both. The Skinny dip scent, which I enjoyed with other products, is just as enticing and sweet here. It’s not too strong, and it doesn’t stick with your body, so that could be a con if you’re looking for something that stays with you after you get out of the shower.

And the pump bottle is great. I much prefer pumps to tubes; however, I did have a little trouble getting to twist back into lock position for travel. I just left the pump unlocked and had no unfortunate accidents, so all was good. I like to use a fair amount of product, so I probably use two pumps per leg, but it’s generous. You could get away with fewer thanks to the thickness of this product. I haven’t especially noticed it rinsing away in the water, which is also convenient but not ground-breaking.

This shave cream does do one thing differently from other products, however, and it was something that I noticed immediately. Normally, my legs feel incredibly itchy after I shave. It’s just the front of my shins from the knee down, but it’s almost always a constant. I remedy the itchy scratchies with lotion after I get out of the shower, and I forget all about the problem. For whatever reason, the dare to Be Bare shave cream does not leave me itchy, which is a slight advantage over other shaving products.

I’m not sure if this is because the ingredients differ, but the not-so-short list is as follows:

  • Aqua
  • Citramonium Chloride
  • Cetyl Alcoho
  • Stearyl Alcohol
  • Polyquaternium-7
  • Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil
  • Cannibis-Sativa (Hemp Seed) Oil
  • Panthenol
  • Cyclomethicone
  • Dimethicone
  • Hexylaurate
  • Isopropyl Palmitate
  • Stearalkonium Chloride
  • PEG-75, Meadowfoam Oil
  • Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Hydrolized Wheat Protein
  • Hydrolized Wheat Starch
  • Methylchloroisothiazolinone
  • Methylisothiazolinone
  • Phthalate-Free Fragrance

I’m really not sure what the last one is supposed to mean, but the inclusion of silicones and several oils, including hemp seed, help to condition skin. Now, I can’t save I get the perfect irritation-free shave, but I’m not sure this is the fault of this product. I’ve been walking a lot this summer, and my thighs aren’t thin enough not to rub together. So I spray on some Aftershave oil before I go out, and this does several minimize irritation. I haven’t gotten any painful ingrowns or infections, though which is always nice.

I do like the way my legs feel after shaving with this cream. The shave is especially close on my calves and shins, and my skin always feels soft immediately after.

Right now, this is the second-cheapest of all the shaving creams I’ve tried from PinkCherry. System Jo was cheaper, but I really wasn’t impressed by the formula or scent. After having used so many shaving creams, I’d likely buy this one again just because the price point, but I also enjoy all the Skinny Dip scented products from Earthly Body. If you’re looking at your local sex toy shop, you’re probably not going to find this one,

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Ovo T1 Vibrator

August 13th, 2013

I’m always excited when I learn of new toy brands. It was no exception with Ovo, a European country that uses these wonderful shades of purple that I cannot resist. Yes, I know. You all hate purple. I fucking love it. Deal with it.

They have so many toys that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart, actually. I compared the various internal and clitoral vibes and decided that I’d go for one of the “lay on” style. Ovo makes both battery-powered and rechargeable vibes, but Pinkcherry currently only carries the battery-powered style, so I opted for the T1.

I knew it would be a tiny toy, but this thing is just minuscule in my hand. Yes, even my tiny, child-like hands. For comparison., here’s the toy next to Siri and Layaspot. Now, it’s so small that you almost have to wonder how they can fit a battery and a motor in there. My best guess? They didn’t – not really.

Ovo uses a single AAA, which should have warned me in the beginning. I don’t generally like toys that use 2 AAAs, so this would be underpowered for me, of course. Now, it’s better than any watch battery-powered vibe, yes. In fact, its output surprised me, but you have to get the battery in there, and that’s just a trial.

I suppose the design of this vibe is intended for you to pinch the backside with your middle finger and thumb, leaving your index finger to operate it. I always press down on the nose of the toy, so this is lost on me. However, there’s a plastic panel on the underside of this toy that you’re supposed to remove to inert the battery. A little dimple lets me know that this is the case, but you’re going to need the power of Christ to compel it open. Seriously. It’s a bitch. Unless you’re Wolverine, you fingernails will break before you get this open. Every time I’ve opened the battery pack, I’ve had to wedge something in there to do this. The thing that you wedge in there has to be pretty tiny, however. Like a metal nail file. Keys are too big. The rest of the underside of the toy is silicone, while the top if velvety plastic.

And the battery cover definitely isn’t waterproof or even splash proof. I gave it a normal washing, and when I popped off the cover, a bunch of water dripped out. This is a clusterfuck of terrible. Even if I loved this toy, I would likely forget about it after the battery died the first time.

So, once you get the battery in the damned thing, there’s a tiny plastic button to push. Yes, it’s got haptic feedback. No, I don’t like it. The button is so small that my fingertip takes up almost the whole thing. What do I want? I don’t know. Anything else. Two buttons. A bigger button. Something, anything that isn’t just designed to be form over function.

I’d like to point out that sticking sharp objects against plastic vibes tends to, you know, scratch the fuck out of them. Man, I almost feel like I’m writing a review for the original iPhone. “Looks great, for 5 minutes.” And, really, all the toys in this line are aesthetically appealing to me, but I just don’t think that’s enough. They’ve got to get me off. Like, hello? That’s the point, guys.

It’s a shame that the power output of this is so meager because I do like the shape. The way that it swoops out under the back of the toy creates a greater angle that better cups my mons, like the Layaspot. I can get a bit more pressure with this vibe than I can with Siri.

Layaspot, Siri and Ovo

At about 1 inch tall and 3 inches long, the tiny toy fits in my panties, and it’s certainly a better option for that type of stimulation than the ridiculous bullets you get with “vibrating panties.” The shape is likely unobtrusive enough to use during partner sex, but I haven’t tried it that way. You can see from my photo that this is smaller than Layaspot and Siri; although, it’s not shiny like it looks in the photo. My flash kept washing it out.

Do I really like anything about this toy? Yes. Sure, the plastic has a satin finish, and the particular shade of purple – metallic violet, they call it – really grabs me. But this isn’t exactly seamless, especially around the battery pack. The packaging indicates luxury without being bulky or hard to recycle. This T1 comes in a little box and sits snugly in a foam insert. There’s a cutout where the manual and guide sit vertically. These are tiny little books are about 1” square. It’s compact and a great use of space, but it’s not a saving grace.

So my verdict? This is not a toy worth the suggested price. PinkCherry $28 price tag is certainly more fair, but I would pass on all the Ovo vibes with a similar power source. Ovo has really underwhelmed me. I guess the tiny size indicates that this company has failed to look at the big picture.

 

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