Pink Lace Babydoll

June 17th, 2011

Pink Lace Babydoll

Pink Lace Babydoll

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

Like my wardrobe, my lingerie collection has expanded in color. My newest addition is a pink lace babydoll, again from the manufacturer Seven Til Midnight. Their designs always catch me eye, perhaps because they are relatively simple but use unique patterns, colors or textures. To put it plainly, they’re not boring yet not so fancy that I don’t feel like I can pull them off. I’m not quite so adventurous that I would wear lingerie in public nor do I think I have the perfect body. Seven Til Midnight pieces always seem complimentary, at least at first.

If that sounds a little ominous, it’s because I don’t love this piece as much as I’d like. I don’t hate it, I’m just not tickled pink. Pardon the pun. You see, the lace on this one stretches around curves and the reality of bodies which is a good thing but it does so without offering any shaping. It’s a bit hard to see in the images but, when I took this out of the package, I saw seams on the sides that almost implied it would help hold me in. It doesn’t, not really. This wouldn’t be a problem if the trim fell right about the hips, to camouflage my problem area (the spare tire) but this piece lands over my thighs, instead. I’m a fairly short lady so it may appear shorter on you but if you’re trying to de-emphasize a larger middle, I just don’t think the pink lace babydoll is the piece for you. However, I think it would look fantastic on anyone who may be larger but fairly proportionate. I’m hoping to get to that point as my mid-section is slowly shrinking. I’m just not quite there.

On the plus size, the wired cups do offer some support. I found the XL more than adequate for my C-cups, offering nice contours. I imagine ladies a little larger wouldn’t have a problem but this isn’t intended for those extremely well endowed ladies, sorry. One thing I do like is that, instead of a full band that goes around the rib cage, there are two ribbons that you tie in back. The ribbons are thick (two inches or so) satin that are sewn into either side of the back, where there is a cut-out and you tie them together to secure the piece. I’m not always a fan of ribbons but these are large enough to be functional and you can secure the babydoll tighter or looser, depending on your size and preferences. Plus, it adds to the whole “unwrapping the package” show.

The shoulder straps are also adjustable–the typical elastic kind that most lingerie features. Where the traps meet the top of the cups, there are pink bows. In the picture, these seem to blend nito the piece but I find them to be distracting and perhaps.. gaudy in person. I feel a little silly with all the frills. There’s also a ribbon bow in between the cups but this isn’t something that I mind. The cups themselves have shaping seams up the front, like a bra, and the tops of the cu pare outlined with the same frills that you find along the bottom of the babydoll.

I find the lace to be more see-through in person. This may also be due to the fact that the piece fits more snugly against my skin. The larger floral pattern is pretty but the lace isn’t as soft as I’d like. This issue may resolve as I watch the piece several times but it definitely makes it a little less comfortable than some of my other lingerie. The back of this piece consists of a super soft mesh that is comfortable, however. Nevertheless, I couldn’t feel comfortable wearing this to sleep. I would worry about the cups being uncomfortable and ripping the ribbons in back as I’ve had bad luck with ribbons in the past.

Per usual, the thong is pink mesh with elastic sides. The fit is hit or miss. This one seems rather large for me but I’ve always been to get away with medium to large panties.

For its price, the pink lacy babydoll really is a steal–even if you don’t completely love it.

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Divine Inspiration Rotating Massager

June 8th, 2011

Divine Inspiration Rotating Massager
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

So, I’m into new and unusual things and the Divine Inspiration Rotating Massager from California Exotics fits the bill pretty well. It’s a wand-style toy that rotates and vibrates, and it’s all decked out in pink and black. The specific model I received is straight-handled. The handle is about 1.5 the length of my fist so it’s not like the size of a Hitachi or anything. It’s fairly small. This small toy is powered by two AAA batteries that insert into the end of the handle after the pink cap screws off. There’s one of those ribbons to aid you in removing batteries–although I usually find them to get in the way–and a small O-ring around the battery compartment.

Toward the top of the handle, where it begins to narrow, is a silver band for no other reason than to look pretty. I have to admit, I am a fan of the rock and roll chic appeal but I prefer the other toys in the line ever-so-slightly. The head consists of a bright pink TPR that is squishy and velvety. There is a row of oblong bulges that encircle the top of the head. I guess the idea of texture is interesting but perhaps not as functional as Cal Exotics would have you think.

There is a single push button at the base of the rotating massager. One push starts the rotating, a second shifts direction and a third turns it off. Although there is supposed to be vibration in addition to rotation, I could only feel the motor straining inside the handle of the wand. The rotation itself is interesting. It sort of reminds me of the Sasi. It’s an interesting feeling that is somewhat akin to oral but, you know, not exactly. Of course, the problem with this function is that you cannot press the head of the massage against you without forcing the movement to stop. This may also be problematic for you if you’re fleshier. You’ll have to push your labia out of the way. It doesn’t lend itself well to pressure or intense stimulation. While I kind of like the idea, it’s just not enough to get me off.

In use, I really didn’t find the ability to switch direction was effective. Actually, it somewhat hurt to switch direction which makes very little sense. Regardless, a toy like the Sasi is more creative in terms of movement and overall, preferable. Another reason I prefer it is that I can turn off the movement of the ball, when I’m sufficiently aroused, and just use the vibration to get off.

You’ll definitely want to use lube to aid the rotation and keep things comfortable. The texture holds it well, perhaps too well. After I was done, I cringed as I had to scrub the lube out from the tiny crevices in the head of the Divine Inspiration Rotating Massager. I’d really like something a little less time-consuming when it comes to washing.

In fact, I’d have to say that, ultimately, this sex toy is more like an electric lube applicator than anything else.

CEN Sexpert

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Make love to your long distance lover online

Form 2

June 7th, 2011

Form 2
N/A from

Jimmyjane has since introduced the Form 2 Pro if you like to gamble.

Remember how whiny I was a while back about how I’d never tried a Jimmyjane vibrator? Yea, it wasn’t pleasant. Luckily, I have now had the opportunity. My experience has been a bit.. atypical, I think, so I have some interesting insights to share with you, dear reader.

Now, in case you forgot, the Form 2 is a rabbit-shaped vibrator, but it’s just the head with two ears that have separate motors. The ears, one would probably guess, are ideal for surrounding the clit or nipples or for passing on either side of the labia or.. an ear? Point is, while most people are going to head south with the Form 2, it does offer some versatility.. which is probably good because I really just don’t like it for clitoral stimulation. I tend to use toys in the general area of my clit, pressed to my pubic bone. It’s about pressure and indirect stimulation for me but it doesn’t get more direct than the Form 2–and it’s on both sides. AAAH! This totally negates the fact that the vibrations are shallow and buzzy, although concentrated.

My personal quirks aside, this just may be better suited to those of you who like direct stimulation from multiple angles. If you’re the type who can lay a vibe against your clit and eventually get off, more or less without any effort, maybe the Form 2 is for you. Unfortunately, I’m not you. My other personal complaint is that the ridiculous buzzyness of this vibrator quickly “numbs” me. Now, I don’t mean numb in the “woe is me, I used a vibrator and I’ll never get off from sex again” type way, so if you’re the anti-woman/masturbation/pleasure/intelligence type who believes that, STFU. No, I mean, that the vibrations are so shallow that my body literally cannot feel them after a while so I turn it up and up and up and eventually I’ve just spent half an hour with a toy that has absolutely not chance of getting me off and what am I doing?

I’m getting to know the toy for review, I guess. At least it’s easy to use. There’s a plus and minus button for controlling the vibration and another button with a squiggly line for moving between the different modes. Jimmyjane has included vibration and pulsation and describes them with an interesting infographic yet, because the buzzyness isn’t a good foundation for effective pulsation.

So I was all set to write this review and say, you know, this is an interesting toy and it seems made well enough, even if it didn’t produce the type of vibrations that I like.. When it turned itself on, vibrated itself right out of its charging base, fell on my bathroom floor and broke. Scared the crap out of my cats, too.

On the bright side, Jimmyjane was super quick about responding to my issue and sent me a replacement Form 2 STAT! I just returned the broken one via prepaid shipping today. I’m not having any issues with the new one. I’m a little hesitant to keep it in its charging base, should the same thing occur with my replacement, and also because the cats like to nom silicone, which happened with the Amor, too. Otherwise, I like the charging base. It’s convenient and the design uses a variety of flashing and steady lights to indicate charging and battery status. With the Form 2, you know exactly how much of a charge is left when you lift it from the base. That’s handy.

Because it uses a charging system with contact points–there’s a metal “disc” on the bottom of the toy that contacts the base–it’s waterproof. This makes cleaning super easy and you could take your Form 2 in the shower. That’s not generally my preference, as the water tends to make vibrations seem subdued.

Other points of note include:

  • Form 2 is fairly quiet. Not as quiet as Siri but acceptable enough.
  • The manufacturing seems pretty high quality. The toy feels solid, it’s pretty seamless.
  • The silicone collects dust and smudges like crazy. Arg.
  • A lot of people have complained about some sort of feature/glitch. I haven’t run into it because I don’t spend a lot of time with toys that aren’t going to get me off.
  • Although I’m hoping my specific issues were self-contained, it seemed like Jimmyjane vibrators–especially those in the Form lineup–just tend to be glitchy as all get out.

I guess we’ll have to see how I feel about Form 2 in the future.

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Amor

June 6th, 2011

Amor
$44.99 from Babeland

The Amor dildo feels great in my hand. Its texture is different from any toy I’ve touched. The matte texture is a little deeper than your typical velvety silicone. It’s almost plush feeling. This creates more drag. There’s also a fair amount of flexibility. The Amor down right squishes when I squeeze it. It’s all around fun to play with in my hands. It’s not as realistic as Vixskin, of course, but I prefer my insertables to have some flexibility, generally. The color of the black Amor isn’t as deep because of this texture. It’s more of a grey.

The Amor is not a huge dildo by any means. It measures just 5 1/2″ in length and about 5″ are insertable. It’s 1 1/2″ diameter lands it solidly in the realm of medium-girthed toys; although, the entire dildo isn’t the same thickness. The contoured head is slightly smaller and angles with the slight curve of the shaft. The shaft increases in size where it evens out toward the center and base.

In use, I required a fair bit of lube because of the texture. It doesn’t exactly taper gradually either so it took a bit for me to acclimate to the Amor. If you participate in penetration more regularly this won’t be an issue of course but if you’re a newbie then you may also want to work yourself up with fingers or smaller toys. While flexible, the Amor definitely holds its shape enough to stand up or stimulate the G-spot. It doesn’t offer a drastic curve or angle so it may not be for you if that’s what you require. My G-spot is stupidly easy to reach so I didn’t find this to be a problem.

The Amor’s rounded triangle base is ideal for harnesses; although I don’t have one it seems like it would be comfortable and unobtrusive as the silicone tapers toward the edges. The design may also make it safe for a little anal play but I wanted this dildo for G-spot stimulation.

Another interesting aspect of the Amor is its suction cup abilities. I accidentally realized that the shiny base will stick to just about anything when I set it on my coffee table, picked it up and the glass came with it. It successfully stuck to the smooth wooden surface, my textured walls, a cover of a book and my shower wall. This certainly adds to the hands-free usage of the Amor dildo but, be careful that you don’t accidentally take something with you when grabbing the dildo. 😉

Because it’s pure silicone, you want to wash it with soap or water. The texture definitely picks up lint, of course, so wiping down with cleaners or wipes may not do the trick.

I enjoyed playing with the Amor in my hands a little more than in my vagina. I think the texture is totally fun, but I prefer something a little smaller for precise G-spot stimulation. That’s just me, of course.

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Make love to your long distance lover online

I just want to kiss you.

May 30th, 2011

It’s hard to get over someone when they insist on cuddles. Good cuddles. Close cuddles. Nice smelling cuddles. Cuddles with soft little moans when you touch him just so. Maybe the cuddles will work in my favor. If not, hey, cuddles!

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Categories: Everything Else

Mia Black

May 19th, 2011

Mia Black

Mia Black
N/A from

Lelo has since released the Mia 2, which you can buy for under $100.

Lelo has recently revved up the motor in their USB-charging, lipstick-style vibrator, and I figured I’d give it a go. I hadn’t ever given a lot of thought to lipstick vibrators until I recently tried to We-Vibe Tango and, as it turns out, I loved it. I decided it was time to feed my inner geek with another high-tech gadget. Generally, I put off writing reviews or even using my new toys for some time, but I was pretty excited this time around and gave Mia a whirl as soon as I could.

Charging was as easy as inserting the device into an open USB port. It sits there and could maybe pass for a flash drive or other USB adapter/dongle. Lelo also includes a few inches of USB extender cable if your setup doesn’t allow for the dongle-style charge. This is a pretty handy accessory in and of itself and I’ll probably steal it for use with my other hardware. The light on the Mia blinks during charge and turns solid when charging is complete. It may be that I wasn’t paying attention, but the charge didn’t seem to take long at all. The website claims you can get 1.5 hours of vibration out of a 1-hour charge.

When you’re not charging the Mia, you’ll want to replace the cap. Obviously, you can’t have the USB plug out in the open during playtime or for washing. The cap fits snugly but not so much that this toy is waterproof. It’s splash-proof enough for cleaning with soap and water, however. It’s angled in a way that really adds to the lipstick presentation. This adds discretion and aids portability. This is the type of sex toy that you could easily toss in your purse or bag.

Use is extremely easy. Lelo has created just two buttons, the standard + and -. Holding these simultaneously will lock or unlock the device, which is nice for travel and storage as well. The vibrations are buzzy, as I suspected, and located in the rounded tip of the Mia. The We-Vibe Tango definitely has this one beat. If the claims that this model is twice as strong as the original are true, I feel pity for anyone who had the original. The highest level of steady vibration that the Mia has to offer is probably around the medium setting of the Tango but feels less impressive because the vibrations are more shallow. The vibrations are deeper than a lot of the CEN toys that I’ve sampled, however. The pulsation settings are more effective because of this.

Still, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Mia. Its cylindrical design was thin enough to slip between my lips and I could rest the vibrator in my panties while doing something else, such as reading erotica, for instance. Mia provides more acute stimulation than I usually go for but it still got me off, several times, and with varying degrees of satisfaction. Much of this is probably due to the amazing erotica that I was reading, but I quite liked the shape of this vibrator despite how different it is from my heart’s favorite, the Laya Spot, or something like Siri.

The noise level is quite minimal. In this area, Mia succeeds.

After my first use, I wiped Mia down with a cleansing wipe but I noticed some gunk had gotten under the cap around the charging area. I wouldn’t go overboard with lubes and would even be careful with this vibrator if you’re a squirter because of this. I haven’t had any issues with the cap coming off; it’s just not that seamless.

Like other Lelo toys, Mia comes with a satin storage bag. Unlike other toys, the box is much smaller because there is no need for space for the charging adapter. While I initially liked Lelo’s boxes because they added something extra to presentation, I quickly found them to be bulky and less functional than I realized in the beginning. Mia’s box is much shorter, so I might actually consider keeping Mia in the box.

I didn’t expect to like Mia as much as I do. I figured it would be novel–and it is–but it works, too. It’s probably not the most effective toy in my arsenal, but I can see myself reaching for it in the future.

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GUSH: The Official Guide to the G-Spot & Female Ejaculation

May 17th, 2011

GUSH

GUSH
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued item but you may still be able to buy it secondhand.

My first experience with an instructional DVD was interesting–well, sort of. I didn’t really know what to expect with Gush: The Official Guide to the G-spot and Female Ejaculation. I guess I expected some video with someone narrating it. It’s not that.

What Gush is is a look into a radio show called Interview with Dr. Carol Queen, whom you may have heard of (I’ve read some erotica by her!). The good doctor answers a question or two from callers about G-spot techniques and toys and ejaculating and other related issues, live on Swirl Radio with Michelle Meow. The calls are broken up by scenes between one or two performers each. The women and/or their partners (both male and female) are providing stimulation to the G-spot to work toward orgasm and ejaculation. After this goal is achieved, the scene tends to end; however, a few of them go for multiple orgasms/ejaculations.

The calls were helpful, and I liked the way Carol Queen answered questions informatively while remaining friendly. Her answers gave helpful suggestions but she steered clear from saying that any technique or toy worked for all women–which I like. A lot of G-spot advice has a tendency to come off as one-size-fits-all in a way that can make you feel failure-iffic if you’re a little different from the norm. I know this because I fall into that category, so Ms Queen’s suggestions were quite helpful, especially if you’re new to G-spot exploration.

I can’t really say the same about the scenes in between. They would probably be more helpful to someone with less G-spot experience but there wasn’t anything new to me. Nor did I necessarily find them to be useful as masturbation fodder. All of the actors–save one–were incredibly unattractive to me, and that really distracted me from the experience. I found myself waiting for the scenes to pass in the beginning and simply skipping them toward the end. One thing I noticed was that the scenes became really repetitious. Most of them focused one oral sex with manual G-spot stimulation and perhaps this is for a reason. Carol Queen does say that this is one of the easiest ways for a woman to achieve ejaculation. Still, I was done with it before the first scene ended.

Production-wise, I have to say that the calls seemed much quieter than the instructional scenes. I was constantly reaching for the remote as I watched this film, and that was pretty aggravating. It comes off as a bit.. unprofessional. I get the same feel from the cover. The scheme is pink and black against white, and I can dig that–but it’s extremely homegrown in feel. Good Vibes should consider spending a bit more time polishing up their productions’ look and feel.

Gush: The Official Guide to the G-spot & Female Ejaculation is probably best geared toward those who are just adventuring into G-spot land. I can’t say that any of the answers necessarily taught me anything that I could put into play. It was all old news to me. It’s all pretty easily summed up in a couple of paragraphs on a website or in a pamphlet, too. If you’re not necessarily looking for some sexy G-spot scenes, I’d probably steer you in the direction of a book, like this one or even the Good vibes Guide to the G-spot book, rather than this film.

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Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.