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Reviews Vibrators

Eden Waterproof Body Blossom

Eden Waterproof Body Blossom

Eden Waterproof Body Blossom
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy.

Another dual stimulator? Yea! I love the idea. It’s why I’ve tried the Rock Chick, Mini G-rock, G-Ki, Gia, Adonis and Delight–not to mention a few non “c-shaped” toys. And I’ve got the Ultimate Satisfier waiting to be reviewed, too.

The Waterproof Body Blossom is part of a line of toys from Adam & Eve that promote their Eden movie. So I suppose the little flower clit stimulator makes sense, even if it’s a bit silly. The Body Blossom’s general shape is similar to the Rock Chick; the insertable portion is fairly straight with an angled head for G-spot stimulation. It’s more angled than round so both parts of the toy rest fairly close together in its natural state. However, the jelly in this toy is much more malleable than the Rock Chick’s silicone so there’s a greater range of movement. The Body Blossom also has 3 little wave-like ridges on the insertable shaft–to match the theme, I suppose.

The whole thing is translucent purple. I haven’t used a jelly toy in a while so I have to admit, I missed the look. There’s a matching purple micro bullet that slips into a snug hole near the clit flower. It’s a pretty generic bullet and operates with a single push button. You can easily replace it with any bullet that comes with silicone dildos (Tantus) and some corded bullets (you’ll probably get more power this way). The bullet takes three watch-style batteries, and Topco provides two sets to the consumer (one set comes in the bullet). Removing the bullet to swap out batteries requires a little finesse  finagling. I added some lube to the bullet before I slipped it back in, but it was still hard to remove again.

As you can expect, the vibrations are extremely buzzy, and while the bullet isn’t overly loud, the noise matches the feel. I was slightly disappointed at how the vibrations traveled throughout the toy. However, my G-spot seemed more sensitive to the vibrations than my hand, which is good. If you’re not as sensitive to vibrations, it might not do you any good.

That is, if the damned bullet works at all for you. From the get-go, the included bullet gave me problems. I tested it out, and the button didn’t seem to do what it was supposed to. I got it turned off–until my cat bumped it or my husband picked it up. Movement was setting this thing off at random times, and the button stopped responding at all. When it came time to use it, I dropped it on the dresser to turn it on and had to let the batteries drain completely before it would shut off. I inserted the second set to see if it was a battery issue but it still doesn’t work in a way I understand. Because of this, I’m not sure if this thing is maybe supposed to have multiple settings or if it just really sucks. Of course, like I said, it’s easy to replace, so even if I were a customer, I wouldn’t try to exchange it or anything.

The jelly of the Body Blossom is phthalate-free, so it doesn’t smell like a shower liner. It has that slightly chemical-ly scent that some TPR toys have, but it’s within reason, I think. It’s a little sticky and will pick up lint and add friction during play. You can use your choice of water or silicone-based lubes. I actually used Wet Synergy, a hybrid lube. Even though I went a little lube-crazy, the Body Blossom just didn’t blossom for my body. The wave ridges made it a bit difficult to maneuver, and I tend to like my G-spot toys with a little less angle to the head.

I also like external pressure a lot, but the flexibility of this toy didn’t provide that. The flower rested gently against my labia. It’s a problem I and others with fleshier vulvas run into with this style of toy; I experienced it with Rock Chick, too. I couldn’t really spread my labia to fix the issue, either. The angle of the toy meant that it kept trying to slip upward toward my mons instead of staying in place. This is pretty typical for this style toy. I can get either G-spot stimulation or clit stimulation but not both simultaneously.

I didn’t love either aspect of the Body Blossom enough that I’m really upset, however. I guess I need a shaft with less going on for consistent G-spot stimulation, and I don’t usually like my clitoral vibrators to have little fluttery bits. I would definitely recommend the Rock Chick or Delight over the Body Blossom, although they’re both a little more expensive. I think the Body Blossom is discontinued, anyway.

Find vibrators like this at one of the biggest selections of sex toys online at store.ofsexandlove.com

Categories
internet

Can you see me now?

Jules wrote a post about a post that AAG wrote about being in the in-crowd. They both make great points about the so-call in crowd but I didn’t have much to say until I read an anonymous comment about this so-call “in” crowd and here I thought I was mostly ignored until I saw this:

It shows up regularly on blogs, on forums and in reviewer chat rooms.

Hey, wait! I know what this person is talking about. Yep, it’s the chat room I created many moons ago where reviewers could get together and talk about.. reviews and toys. Actually, I cannot take the credit. DBD first made a room on Meebo but it was public and we often got random strangers that would come in long enough to say “You like toys? You must be fat bitches. EWW! Perverts!” So I made a new room, password protected.

I figured we’d talk about reviews, toys, toy companies, websites and blogging but it has become so much more than that. Yes, we talk about those things on a frequent basis but the room has turned into a place where I’ve made real connections with real people except, maybe, AAG’S anonymous commenter. This started out as a reply to that person but I think it fits better here:

I love that you have first-hand knowledge of the chatroom I created! This means that you asked to be invited in and we let you in, regardless of affiliations. This probably means we’ve laughed together and shared some silly stories. It’s likely that you’ve seen us being critical about companies but we’re pretty equal opportunity. Lots of people and companies do things we don’t love (even folks in the “in” crowd but I’ll get to that later). Spend any time in the room and you will also see how much time people spend being positive and supportive. I know, I frequently hop in chat when the stress of my divorce is just too damned much.

If you’ve spent any time in the room, you know that some folks are still with EF. If you’ve stuck around, you’ll probably see that EF employees (like Sammi) and backers were still allowed and welcome even after the shit hit the fan. You’ll also note that AAG has never visited (for no particular reason other than she hasn’t inquired, I would suppose). Neither have any other staff members of EF but that’s because they never asked me for the password. Not once. As the chat room admin, I might even be inclined to let people in but it doesn’t matter because someone has been reporting every damned thing we say to others anyway. Tattle tale much? Since when is anything we say in a relatively private place up for argument?

And if you spent more than 5 minutes in the room, you will see that we often disagree with each other because WE are real people, too, not just “them.” We do not hang on everyone’s every word but, because of the amazing feedback and support we’ve been able to give each other within that chat room, we believe we can trust one another. So if Epiphora says something happened, I believe her. Not because she can do no wrong but because that’s what friends do. (But even though I trust her, maybe sometimes I think she’s full of crap, too.)

Does that make me part of this so-called in crowd? Making friends with people who give me the time a day? Then guess who else I’m friends with: Carrie Ann and Sammi. (Okay, they don’t have to admit it, but I consider them friends). Sorry to go throw a kink in your hatred and stereotyping there but let me make it really confusing for you: over a year ago I stopped following AAG because I just don’t particularly care about most things she blogs about (no offense intended to her, she blogs about broader subjects than I care to read in this corner of the blogosphere). Yet here she is, apart of the same in-crowd and we’ve never spoken 2 words to one another.

Anonymous, you missed the point. Entirely. It’s not that there are no cliques on the internet, it’s just that sharing an opinion does not a secret club, make. No one can name others in this group because we all associate with many people on a frequent basis, including some people who don’t get along so well with others we like. As grown ups, we can do that.

But can you? Can you look beyond the “them” and “not us” and see us as real people? Or is it okay for you to abuse your invitation because you’re so much better than me? Because you’re a real person but none of us are?

When I made this room, I considered myself a no one at EF, even though I’d been around over a year. I’m past the 2 year mark, now, and I still feel like a nobody because of some frustrating staff interactions (but that’s not exactly irrelevant). I’m certainly no sex blog celeb, either. So you can’t go around talking about how there’s some special group intimidating other people. Did you ever think that you might be intimidating us? Using your logic, I can easily label you as apart of the in-crowd, a crowd I most certainly can see because I am not apart of it. Funny how the works, isn’t it?

And if you took the time to talk to me, you’d know I’m planning on re-inventing the room, so to speak, after everything cools off. Here I was looking forward to a room where more reviewers would feel welcome, where we could have a fresh place to chat. Shit, I’m not very good at this in-crowd thing.

Categories
Reviews Vibrators

Lelo Mona

Mona Red

Mona Red
N/A from

Lelo has since replaced this with the Mona 2.

In the past six months or so, I have increased my selection of Lelo toys fivefold. Previously, I’ve reviewed the Luna Beads and Lily, both of which left a little something to be desired, so while I was excited when Lelo released Ina and Mona, I wasn’t sure if the toys would work well for me personally. I actually wound up purchasing Ina a while back and have played with her to limited success. I was a little disappointed and thought perhaps Mona would have been a better fit for me and AdultSextoys was kind enough to provide me with Mona (and right before my birthday, too!).

Ina and Mona are very similar if you’re comparing them. Essentially, Ina has a small clitoral stimulator, while Mona is just an insertable shaft. Mona has an angled head for G-spot stimulation, and it’s slightly bulbous but unique from most other G-spot vibes. It’s not exactly spherical, nor is it ovular; at some angles, Mona almost looks like a golf club (but which one? I don’t know. I don’t play).

Mona’s handle is slick white plastic, while the insertable portion is rigid velvety silicone. Mine is a gorgeous red (orange-based, not purple), but you can also get Mona in grape purple. The shaft isn’t large and only has a diameter of 1.43″ but I find that it tapers a bit suddenly and might not be a great beginner’s toy because of this.

Mona offers about 5″ for insertion with another 3.5″ for the handle. The lines are sleek, making this vibrator look quite modern and attractive. The length was more than sufficient for finding my G-spot, and I think most people would be satisfied with Mona’s design.

Mona’s vibrations are fairly strong but a little buzzier than I like. Mona feels drastically weaker than Ina because it only vibrates in one place. I was actually a bit shocked at the difference in performance. I don’t think that Ina’s shaft is any stronger; it just seems that way when both motors are on. Regardless, Mona offers consistent pressure for G-spot stimulation and is easy to wield (she’s quite light!) if you’re into thrusting.

Mona has a lot of vibration variety, but they feel a little lame after experiencing Ina. There are 8 or so settings of steady vibration, slow pulsation, fast pulsation, escalation, up-and-down escalation, and a mode of mixed pulsation and escalation. Everything is controlled with four buttons. Arrows page backward or forward through the modes while you can adjust strength with plus and minus buttons. You can lock Mona when not in use by pressing the plus and minus buttons simultaneously. I cannot specifically remember if Mona’s instructions were unclear, but I know Ina’s manual did not properly describe how to do this.

I had to press buttons multiple times with Mona and Ina. I know others have complained of the same issue. My understanding is that some users could too easily press the buttons on older Lelo designs. It seems a bit like a Goldilocks thing. Too easy, too hard. Give us “just right.”

Initially, you must charge the vibrator with the included adapter until the blinking light remains solid for a full charge. Lelo also says charging takes about 2 hours. Lelo claims up to 4 hours of use for every charge, but I don’t buy that. Both Mona and Ina seem to die pretty quickly (about an hour, I’d say), especially when using the pulsation settings. There is a noticeable decrease in power when this happens. If you’ve used other Lelo toys or vibrators with digital motors, then you may be familiar with the high-pitched whine that sometimes occurs. I noticed this only on the last setting of Mona, however.

Mona comes with a satin bag, typical of Lelo toys. Ina was a bitch to get out of the package, but the glue was practically useless on Mona’s packaging, so it slid out effortlessly. Once you toss that, though, you’re left with Lelo’s traditional storage box.

Aside from storage, you’ll want to take care of Mona, so this sex toy will last you a lifetime. I recommend only water-based lube (Mona is not very comfortable for me without it) and taking care of the charging port when washing. Mona does have a little cover over hers, and it’s fairly secure, so this shouldn’t be too hard. Just ensure it’s not submerged or in the direct stream of water. Mona will pick up a little lint, so you may want to use a microfiber towel and toss it in the storage pouch as quickly as possible.

If I had to toss all my G-spot vibrators save for one, I’d probably keep Mona despite the whiny motor and buttons. Even though it hasn’t made me squirt like Ina, I will definitely keep practicing. Mona seems significantly stronger than other Lelo vibes (Lily or Elise, for example), which gives me high hopes for the direction they’re taking.

This sex toy review sponsored by Adult Sex Toys : over 8,000 sex toys and adult toys to choose from.

Categories
Lube Reviews

Wet Synergy

Wet Synergy

Wet Synergy
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

Wet isn’t the first company to develop a water-silicone hybrid lube but they’re definitely advertising theirs more than other companies (say, Pink). I jumped on the offer to try the new products because they sounded interesting and Wet sent me two bottles: a “regular” version of Synergy and a tingling type.

Each bottle contains 1.9oz of product and is quite tall and narrow with a press-top for dispensing the lube. The regular version has pink detailing against black and silver, while the other bottle has teal details. The bottles themselves are cute.

I tried the regular lube first and was pleased to see it was thicker than any silicone lube I’ve ever had. It’s slightly gel-like but definitely not solid. Texture-wise, Synergy feels like a silicone lubricant and doesn’t get sticky like water, and it lasts well after I am done. I don’t mind silicone lubes with toys–although most of my toys are also made of silicone, so I don’t have that many I can use with it. It’s also scent-free.

I have to be honest, though, I do not like the feel of Synergy for PIV sex. It feels too plastic-y. I never minded condoms, but silicone-based lube feels like a physical barrier and reduces my pleasure. Of course, silicone-based lube leaves an interesting feel on your flesh after use, and that is also true for Synergy.

The tingling version of Synergy is really, really effective. I mean, use with caution. I went a little overboard with it because I wasn’t thinking, and my vagina damn near froze off. Toy play seemed to increase the sensation, and it was a good 10 or 15 minutes of consistent tingles before it started to fade away. It also seemed to make me negatively sensitive and tender, maybe because of the peppermint, which you can definitely smell during use.

Overall, my experience with tingling Synergy was just a little too much. I think I might be extra sensitive to some cooling/tingling lubes, and I would definitely recommend you try out just a bit before diving right into this bottle. I usually do, but my mind is elsewhere.

Wet Synergy does contain one ingredient that some folks prefer not to see in their lubes: glycerin. Besides peppermint, the ingredient lists are identical and read as such:

  • glycerin
  • aqua
  • dimethiconol
  • sodium polyacrylate
  • dimethicone
  • cyclopentasiloxane
  • trideceth-6
  • peg/ppg dimethicone
  • pentylene glycol

Because I do not especially like the feel of silicone lube for intercourse, and most of my toys are silicone, I probably won’t use Synergy frequently. I guess I just prefer water-based lubes, and while I enjoyed the fact that this product is thicker than standard silicone lubes, it doesn’t deviate enough to my liking.

If you’re interested, you can request a sample directly from the Synergy website–which is pretty neat! Synergy is not yet available for sale in most places, so I’m not sure how much it will cost. Wet products are usually fairly reasonable, however.

Categories
Everything Else

One of those days

Do you ever just have one of those days? I realized I had an opportunity to try out some new toys and lube and start my new erotica book when we lost power but I couldn’t get into the book. I wasn’t thinking and used a shit-ton of tingling lube, which I not only felt strongly but also had a bit of a reaction to. The first vibe I was using turned out to be wonky and my cervix and vagina were super sensitive. I couldn’t squirt at all and my tummy hurt. It was just one clusterfuck of frustration.

Categories
Everything Else

A Day at the Clinic

I got tested the other day, for a couple of STDs. It was my first time; although, in hindsight, it shouldn’t have been. I called up the local Planned Parenthood and scheduled myself an appointment for testing and a Pap smear as my last was long overdue. PP is pretty well know; although, I’d never been to one of their clinics before. My last few paps and my HPV issues were taken care of at military hospitals and while I still have that option, I’ve let my military ID expire because of the impending divorce and I simply hate the medical setup in this city. I would rather die than have to deal with it. No exaggeration.

So I headed in to my 4 o’clock appointment, signed in and watched The People’s Court of something for over and hour while I waited. The room was small, fall and less impressive than I am used to. Even though the facility itself could have used some homey touches, everyone I talked with was incredibly friendly and professional. I went through the usual questions (are you being abused? do you check for breast lumps?) as well as some new procedures (the tech stabbed me in finger to test for iron and I peed in a cup immediately, even when they forgot I wanted testing). I guess they probably have the routine down to an art but some of the things just seemed a bit unnecessary.

When I did remind the tech that I wanted testing, nothing rude was said. No scathing glares or uncomfortable silence like I’ve read in so many other accounts.

I would have liked a proper gown, though. All I got was the flimsy paper sheet but the actual pap and chest test was over and done with soon enough that it doesn’t much matter. Interestingly enough, this is the first pap I’ve had since my G-spot awakened and I could definitely feel the speculum pressing against my G-spot and I was worried about squirting all over the nurse practitioner–but I didn’t!

It’s always frustrating when you wait over an hour for an appointment which takes less than 30 minutes but I didn’t have to wait in between the prep and actual pap, which I appreciate. My experience was ultimately unremarkable.

Categories
Reviews Vibrators

Couture Collection Inspire Wand Vibrator

Couture Collection™- inspire

Couture Collection™- inspire
$94.49 from Store.OfSexAndLove.com

Thus far, I’ve tried 4 or 5 different pieces from the Couture Collection by California Exotic Novelties, and they have all been pretty weak, if not somewhat attractive in design. The Inspire, however, is not pretty weak. Hell, it’s not even “pretty strong.” It is, by far, the strongest toy I own. In fact, it may well be too strong for me.

Inspire is the third wand-style massager I own, after the Miracle Massager and Ideal (which I found to be less than). It’s both stronger and smaller than the Miracle Massager, a vibrator I’ve come to enjoy for its broad head and its strong vibrations. The head of the Inspire is much smaller and rounded, which means I have to use the toy differently despite its overall genre.

Inspire is also kinda weird in that it’s an electric vibe, but you can unplug the adapter from the port on the toy. Initially, I thought this meant that it’s rechargeable, but it’s not. Some people like being able to swap power sources or whatever, but this is just kind of confusing to me.

Speaking of confusion, so was the control button, initially. There is a single button. One click turns it on. If you want to increase the setting, you have to press and hold it, but a quick click turns off the power. I am constantly turning it off when I want more power or the opposite. It’s supposed to be a little intuitive, but it will take some adjustment, especially because it’s so uncommon. If all vibrators used similar controls, this this would probably be great (alas, most controls suck!).

Anyway, I find myself really only using the lower settings because it’s hard for me to take a lot of power directly, and Inspire’s vibrations are much more pinpoint than those of the Miracle Massager. The spherical head of the Inspire has a diameter of 1.59″, definitely smaller than most wand massagers. It’s shorter, too, about 7.5″ in total length.

Another interesting aspect of the design is that the head of the Inspire massager is covered 2/3 of the way by a silicone cap. The cap offers a bit of give, but the head beneath it is made of hard plastic. You can take this off to clean it and slip it back on when you’re done. The cap will “gap” around the head if it’s not correctly aligned, however. Just turn it until it sits smoothly. It isn’t seamless, though. Like all silicone, be careful with silicone-based lubes and prepare for lint.

The head of the Inspire is on a flexible neck. I suppose there’s a spring beneath the accordion-folded plastic (maybe silicone?) that coats the neck. It offers a nice range of flexibility; however, liquids can easily find themselves between the folds of the material, and it seems a bitch to clean.

I mentioned before that I use this a little differently than the Miracle Massager because of its size and shape. I find myself focusing on the leg of my clitoral organ and moving it in quick back-and-forth movements. I’ve done this with other toys, like the Lily, but it’s definitely easier to hold the Inspire because it has a bigger (but not huge) handle. There’s also a slight curve to it, but I’m not sure if I’d really call it ergonomic. It doesn’t seem to help or hinder my use.

I also mentioned used the Inspire on lower settings because the vibrations are so shaky, they’re almost violent on higher settings. Surprisingly, the Inspire isn’t nearly as loud as you might think. The lower settings are quiet enough to use with the door closed, maybe some white noise. You might have to ensure someone in the same house is pretty distracted with the higher settings, though.

I’m lucky enough to have my bed a few feet from the wall, so the cord on the Inspire is more than adequate. It’s a bit over 8′ long, actually and thicker than most chargers but thin enough that my cats haven’t tried chewing on it. Yuck. A red light glows on the handle when the Inspire is plugged in.

Ultimately, the Inspire gave me a few good orgasms. The kind that leaves you all sweaty, yet you still want to get off just one more time. Or maybe that’s just me. But I don’t think it will be my go-to toy because it’s not quite my style.