Pink Silicone Lube

January 7th, 2010

Pink Lube
$10.99 from Amazon

You may not know it, but I like pink—the colour. I’m also sort of a musician, too, but that’s not related. I first heard of Pink Lubricant years ago, but I’m not sure where. The attractive bottles drew my attention, and it stayed drawn for some years. However, I don’t use a lot of lube, so I never needed to buy it. However, I decided it might be the right time to try it out when Babeland offered Pink Silicone Lube for review.

The larger bottles of Pink lubricant are packaged in glass and look much like perfume. The 1.7oz bottle I received, although not glass, still looks pretty classy with its frosted plastic. I like it, but it’s less discreet than the glass style. The bottle is pump-style with a small cap over the pump to prevent spilling, and the whole thing comes wrapped in plastic (yay). I’ll be honest here.. Between unwrapping the plastic and using the lube, I have no idea where the plastic cap went. So, it would be useful if I could find it, but I can’t, and I have no recollection of taking it off. Chances are, the cats go to it, and it’s under some piece of furniture because it’s small and fun if you’re of the feline variety.

Now, my experience with silicone lubes is really limited. I’ve used 2 including Wet Platinum and the one included in Wet Together. The former experience was downright dreadful as I experienced some sort of reaction but the latter was fairly nice in lubricant properties (not so much as a sensation product, though!). Reviews of Pink are generally pretty high and I figured, maybe silicone lube really is worth it.

My first impression was a bit odd. I guess I was expecting the lube to feel like water-based lube does, you know, wet. It didn’t. It felt sort of greasy, and I kept pumping at first because I had no idea how much was in my hand. The next thing I noticed was how incredibly thin this lube is, which is something I usually associated with silicone lubes, although I do prefer lubricants that are slightly more gelatinous in nature. Also, the pump could jut out a bit more, like a long lotion pump does, because now it just sort of dribbles down the side of the pump/bottle. You have to tip it to avoid that.

So I wasn’t a huge fan of this on my hand but, to be honest, it’s quite slick and has much more staying power than water-based lube. A little goes a long way, and it doesn’t get sticky as it dries out. Plus, my hand isn’t my pussy – and I don’t want it to be. For actual toy or penis penetration, this lube did work decently. It made it quite frictionless, but it feels less natural than water-based lubricants seem to feel. It was as if there was a thin layer of incredibly slick plastic inside of me; sure, it reduces friction but I felt as though something was between my husband and myself. I’ve never even felt that way with condoms.

With toys, this was definitely less noticeable. It didn’t feel quite so.. barrier-like, which is great, but I’m not going to pay $15 for silicone lubricant for toys alone, you know? I really wanted this for actual intercourse. Plus, the parent company makes a water-based lube for use with toys.

To be fair, Pink Silicone Lube is not horribleI did not experience irritation with it like I did Wet Platinum, and besides silicones, the only ingredients are Vitamin E and aloe vera, which seems to make it pretty healthy to me. I just really didn’t love the way it feels, which is entirely a personal preference. Maybe I’m just not built for silicone lubes (are there any that feel.. not so silicone-y? LOL). It is worth a try, however, if you do like silicone-based lubes.

4 Comments


What conspiracy is this?

January 3rd, 2010

At best, my flirtation with dolphin toys has been mediocre. Why is that? And why did it suck this time?

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Get up to 30% off at MysteryVibe

BSoft

December 31st, 2009

Bsoft

Bsoft
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

When the Bsoft first came out, I was intrigued. The unique shape still reminds me of the Jetsons, and I am always drawn toward original clitoral vibes. The reviews came out and none of them really raved. The lack of power was mentioned consistently, along with a few other issues that I, too, have now had the chance to experience firsthand.

It’s difficult to describe the shape of the Bsoft accurately. If one were to draw the Bsoft from either the top or bottom, it’s sort of pear-shaped, wider toward the center, with curved points on either end. The slightly sharper point is capped with a plastic cover to protect the port for the charger cord (like the ports on your phone or camera might be covered). As nearly every review has mentioned, this cap does not fit snugly and is constantly flipping up and around. I had to rearrange it several times during use; in fact, it was off right out of the box. It stays on because it is attached; however. Some folks have cut theirs off, but I’m wary of water or lubes getting into the vibrator, so I’ve kept mine on.

The design of this toy means only one side can really be used for stimulation. The side with the controls had a sleek border in blue (or pink or purple) around a center piece of more silver plastic where sit the 3 control buttons. The buttons are round, made of soft grey plastic and sit slightly higher than the plastic that surrounds them. There is a slight clicking which can be heard then they are pressed and they’re significantly larger than the controls on most toys which makes it incredibly easy to use. There is a master power switch and a plus and minus button. Bsoft starts at a low steady vibration, increases to a medium and tops off with one more level. There are 4 modes of pulsation, escalation and even a mix. But, because the vibrations are so high pitched, they tend to tickle rather than to deeply satisfy. Putting pressure on the vibe also seems to dull the vibrations.

The stimulating side would be the side which is made of hard, silver plastic. It’s entirely smooth, except for a seam about 1/2 an inch down from the plastic cover. This seam is definitely a place that can collect gunk, and I would carefully clean it with a damp Q-tip because of its proximity to the port. I do everything I can to prevent soap and water from getting in there (the loose cover doesn’t provide help), and toy wipes would probably be the best option for cleaning.

The hard plastic rises to create a soft ridge in the middle. It runs from the top where the cap is, gradually lowering toward the other end, where it diminishes toward a gentle curve and the vibrator is thinner. It is here that the vibrations are strongest, and I guess this area is intended to be used against the body. Although the sides of the ridge and the curving end are slightly broader when compared to the ridge itself, I really didn’t find any part of the Bsoft optimum for getting the pressure I like. Of course, the capped end really shouldn’t/couldn’t be used for stimulation either.

However, the entire piece fit fairly well nestled between my lips, which I liked. Because the entire toy curves slightly toward the back, the non-cap end stimulated the entrance of my vagina. If it were a bit longer, it would likely hit my G-spot but just missed it. I think the Bsoft would be more effective if it were simply a bit smaller. It measures 6″ long, 2.5″ at the widest, and about 1.5″ deep at the thickest. A smaller size, in addition to more of a soft curve instead of the ridge on the back would enable me to grind this toy against myself and still take advantage of how it fits against the vulva.

The Bsoft is super light because it requires no batteries. While the quality seems generally good, I find myself distrustful of toys that are so light. This vibrator comes charged, and I have yet to recharge it, although I used it for 20 minutes tops. The DC charger easily plugs into the toy and fits into any typical (American) socket. There is no indicator light, and the instruction manual does not say how long the vibrator needs to be charged but does say not to charge it for over 24 hours or to use it during charging.

The vibe comes with a fabric pouch (which is almost fleecy on the inside) to protect the plastic of the Bsoft, which seems to scratch easily (like an iPod). The bag is thicker than that which came with my BNaughty but isn’t what I would consider plush (perhaps the thickness of some flannel).

The unique shape of the Bsoft seems to be inspired by reality but is just a bit too surreal to provide the stimulation that I need to orgasm. Combined with the buzzy vibes, I can’t see it being useful for much more than warm up, which is a shame because few vibes seem to be designed to complement the vulva (and not just the clit). I recently bought Bswish’s newest clit vibe – BCurious – and I am definitely curious to see how it pairs up with this first effort.

3 Comments


Fallen

December 27th, 2009

Fallen

Fallen

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

I am a relative porn newbie, I admit it. Most of my porn watching has been done with short clips found for free online and, usually, that covers my needs. I thought I’d get to know porn a bit more with Fallen because the cover really intrigued me. It was well done, and this award-nominated porn flick has been praised for its unique and expensive approach to pornography. Maybe it’s just my lack of expertise or my particular tastes, but I have no idea what these people are praising and celebrating.

Granted, Fallen is presented grandly. It comes in a larger-than-average case that is only slightly smaller than your average sheet of printer paper. The inside flaps give some insight into the bonus discs (there are 4 discs, including the feature title), and a regular DVD case holding these discs sits inside. Both cases feature an image of Jessica Drake – the lead actress – with wings and arms spread in a scant white dress. It’s not exactly family-friendly, but it’s on par with some movie covers, and you could potentially get away with it sitting with the rest of your movie collection – as long as you toss the larger, which is pretty ostentatious.

Fallen is a Wicked Productions film that revolves around the plot of Angel, an angel banished to Earth after her charge met an untimely death. Angel thus loses herself in sex and, in the end, tries to redeem herself. And it works, sort of. I know many appreciate the acting in this film, and there are a lot of non-sex scenes, which makes it seem like they’re aiming for the couple’s and women’s porn market, but the acting is really not all that great. Maybe it’s good when you consider it’s a porn star, and Brad Armstrong does manage to play a generally likable guy in the second half of the movie, but Jessica Drake falls flat and talks with a strangely breathless monotonous voice as she narrates the movie.

And that would be okay if all the sex scenes themselves were not so incredibly uninspired. Most of the scenes involve PIV sex with anus fingering. That seems to be the running theme. Sure, there are position swaps, some lesbian sex, and an MFM trio, but they all seem hash ups of what we’ve seen before. There were only two scenes that really caught my eye – the first scene between Jessica Drake and Brad Armstrong where he puts a little more thought into performing oral on her to a wonderful jazzy background and a scene where Angel is watching another woman in a sex booth (which either turns to sex between the two or perhaps Angel just imagines it). But the novelty soon faded after more than a few minutes of the same thing happening in each scene. Maybe I have a short attention span but they seemed to drone on forever.

As did the entire movie which runs almost 3 hours. I really wanted to watch it in one sitting and I know a lot of people don’t do that. I just couldn’t. It took 3 or so sittings and, by the end, I was fast forwarding through it just to see how it ends. The ending actually reminds me a bit of Hancock in theme and revolves completely around the plot, but I quickly grew tired of the plot and poor acting, if you couldn’t already tell.

I am also unsatisfied by the pitiful excuse they call oral sex and manual stimulation on a female. It seemed like it was all just thrown in to look good for the camera but it was always sloppy and short, two things I cannot stand in my own sex life. I found it hard to believe any of the countless stars were having any fun, and the ridiculously fake moans only convinced me more. It’s hard to believe anyone actually enjoyed making this movie. It’s all so contrived. Luckily, there is an option to turn off the moans and only have music play, and I must say, the music is chosen rather well. Still, it’s kind of odd not to hear any moaning.

As long as I’m talking about music, I had quite a difficult time hearing Jessica Drake’s breathy voice over the background music, which is the main reason I lost track of the plot. The sound techs need to do a better job next time.

The box talks about the unique style of Brad Armstrong, who also directed Fallen, and it may be a step above most porn, but it’s also distracting at times. In the scene with Jessica and Brad, which I initially liked, I grew frustrated with all the fading to black, and many scenes are washed out from natural light, which may be on purpose, but I feel that using professional lighting would have really been the better move. On the subject of style, I originally liked Angel’s costume on the cover but soon came to realize that most of her outfits look straight off the Hot Topic website. Uninspired, again.

You won’t find many actresses who stray from the typical blond and big-breasted stereotype, either. Jessica Drake certainly fits it to a T as do most of the countless other porn stars. I don’t know many porn stars from face alone but they all blended together and there were so many actors/actresses simply in for one sex scene that they never struck a chord with me.

I have to say that there is quite a lot of bonus material including a digital copy of the movie, deleted scenes and the ability to choose from multiple endings. You can control Angel’s destiny which I find really cool but I was so wiped from having to watch almost 3 hours of uninspired sex and acting that I honestly could not force myself to watch more. However, if you like Fallen I bet you would enjoy these features immensely.

So, is Fallen really all that and a bag of chips? Maybe if you like your porn typical-but-with-a-bit-of-plot. Maybe if you have a thing for Jessica Drake or Brad Armstrong. Maybe if you want something a little different but still inside the box. Maybe if you like to flip from scene to scene without watching the whole thing. Maybe if you’re not me. Pirates is much more my kind of big-budget porn.

3 Comments


I’m Over Here

December 23rd, 2009

I’ve been a little slow with reviews lately. Mostly I’m just lazy. But you can also find my writing over at EdenCafe. Some of my recent posts include:

Okay, so some of them aren’t exactly “recent” per se. I’m just a slacker in all things but it’s great to have been writing different kinds of posts on EdenCafe and the gift cards aren’t half bad either. As I understand it, Carrie Ann is always looking for more writers so drop her a line if you’re interested!

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Afterglow Wipes

December 23rd, 2009

Afterglow wipes certainly glow. They come in a bright orange and yellow package with rays emanating from a sun in the center. At first look, the packaging isn’t entirely discreet (bright colours, after all) nor does it scream “XXX.” In small print, it does say “toy/personal tissues,” because these wipes can be used on intimate bit (though not in) and sex toys alike. It makes them useful for a variety of uses in my mind:

  • Cleaning toys after use
  • Wiping lint/dust from toys before use
  • Freshening up before playtime
  • Cleaning up lubes and other fluids after playtime

While I’ve used wipes in the past, they seemed a little unnecessary when they only served one purpose, and while I really like and trust Pjur Med Clean Spray, I have to wipe off physical debris with a tissue, and some materials don’t mix well with tissues. Enter Afterglow wipes to save the day, mostly.

These wipes are 7.9″ by 5.9″ which is fairly big but smaller than your average tissue. These pre-moistened wipes are fabric-like and thicker than your average tissue. They come in a plastic pack which reseals with a sticky flap, like many other wipes. It seals pretty well and would work well in a bag if you’re away from home, but it is great to have on the nightstand. Devine, the maker of these wipes, has formulated them to disinfect, kill bacteria and stimulate with the following ingredients:

  • Water
  • Propylene Glycol
  • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
  • PEG 14m
  • Polysorbate 20
  • PEG-40
  • Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  • Bergamot
  • Chlorhexidine
  • Digluconate
  • Idopropynyl Butylcarbamate

I have used Afterglow Wipes several times and experienced no irritation. They’re really handy to freshen up just a bit or clean up after. Before, I would clean up after sex but still feel a bit sticky; these wipes do away with that stickiness entirely. After using, I just toss ’em. There is a warning on the package not to flush. It would be nice if I could but it’s a trivial point.

I don’t think they have much taste because I’ve used them before oral and my husband has never said anything either. However, they do have a scent even if they are unscented. They smell exactly like baby wipes. This isn’t bad. It reminds me of general cleanliness, but it does make me wonder if I should just buy a tub of baby wipes because I’ll probably save money, and they’ll work just as well. A 20-pack of wipes run $7, or you can get 1 for $1. It only costs $2.39 for 60 baby wipes on Amazon. =/

I don’t know if that’s a real complaint, but I can say that they don’t do much to remove lint from matte silicone and sticky materials. I tried to remove some cat fur to no avail and finally had to pick it off with my fingers. Of course, some materials just attract fur and such but I wish these better dealt with that.

Overall, the Afterglow Wipes are pretty handy. I do like using them over other cleaning methods but they work better with certain materials (basically anything smooth and frictionless) than others. As personal wipes, I’ve gotten a lot of use out of them. A surprising amount, really but, at that rate, they’ll run out soon and then I have to decide if they’re worth the price.

8 Comments


Bijoux Indiscrets cosmetics for better sex

Sinn-what?

December 21st, 2009

It was a long wait for my Sinnflut Intensity. I didn’t know if I could throw down that much money for an insertable vibrator. After all, I haven’t had much luck with them in the past. And I couldn’t request it to review; too many folks already had. So I opted to try to Reality but, to my chagrin, I was denied. There I was, back lusting at the Intensity until I finally decided to take the plunge with some hard earned affiliate commissions and gift cards from writing at EdenCafe.

Then, the Intensity was in my hands and I wasn’t regretting it. I was drooling over the power, impressed with the design and excited to have a vibrator stored conveniently on the nightstand but, wouldn’t you know, not all stories have a happy middle. It wasn’t long before I noticed the pitiful whining and despite draining the toy completely (what a chore that was for me) and recharging it fully, the sounds remained. When I turned it on for my husband, he actually yelled for me to turn it off! Turn it off! After a while, it sounded like a train was coming straight at me, like some eery music in the back of a horror flick. It was sometimes downright scary.

So I decided to exchange it for another and, like usual, the folks at EF were quick and great about it. I had to wait a couple weeks for my replacement (damned holidays) but it showed up and made considerably less noise. I was relieved. I let myself breath again, among other less PG activities with the Intensity. Then, I wrote a review about it. You should read it.

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