This is an archived review of a discontinued product.
When it comes to flavored lubes, Sex Tarts is a pretty common/popular brand and is readily available, so I thought it would make a good brand to review for TabuToys. I decided on the Tangy Lube Sampler set for a couple of reasons, mostly because I wanted to try more than one flavor but also to have a backup just in case I didn’t like what I tasted.
This set includes 1 2 fl. ounce flip top, squeeze tube each of Green Apple Fizz, Strawberry Punch and Cherry Pop lubes – all of which are flavours I generally like. The tubes are bright green, a medium orangey red, and a dark pinkish red, respectively. In the event that you are not down with size, these are much bigger than sample packets, and the “sampler set” might actually be a bit misleading unless you drink flavored lube for breakfast. There’s really a fair amount of product in this set; there’s also more than enough plastic. The 3 bottles are packed in a plastic container as well, and it’s really big. Upon opening the package it came in, I really thought it was wasteful both in space and materials.
Packaging aside, I gave each lube a taste/smell test. Immediately, Cherry Pop smelled most true to life, with Strawberry Punch Coming in second. The Green Apple Fuzz didn’t have much of a scent at all, maybe a sort of generic sweet scent. I found the same to be true about taste. Cherry Pop came in first being the most true to life. Strawberry Punch had a very strong, sweet, and tangy flavor but tasted more like strawberry flavoring than the actual fruit. Green Apple Fizz came up short, being generically sweet and rather unlike anything apple. My husband and I both noticed that the tastes and smells seemed to be covering up something else. I thought it was sort of Nutrisweet-y, but he thought it was more reminiscent of lube or even plastic. In his words, no matter how much the tastes covered it up, “It’s still lube”.
Lucky for him, I seem to have less of an aversion to it and was more than happy to glob some on his cock for the sake of review. While I enjoy giving him pleasure, oral sex is generally pretty uncomfortable for me physically. I don’t need lube for oral sex – although some folks with dryer mouths might – but I figured flavored lube might distract me from my discomfort. I was sort of right.
For starters, this water-based lube was pretty damned thin and came squirting out of the tube like it had a mission. I wound up with way more in my hand than I meant and forgot I had tissues on the nightstand, so I wound up wiping it all over my husband’s thigh. 😉 A smaller hole would easily fix that, however. I also noticed how sticky it was immediately. My hair was constantly sticking to my mouth or his cock, and while it can sometimes be a nuisance, it was generally more so because of the lube. It was also quite sticky for giving oral sex and impeded my efforts a bit. I guess it’s a good thing that it was quickly whisked away by my tongue and mouth, allowing for my saliva to create a better environment. On the other hand, if you want long lasting taste, this is not the product.
I am glad to report, however, that Sex Tarts lube does a good job of masking the smell and taste of ejaculate (as long as there’s still some left). If you’re not a big fan of either characteristic of a certain man seed, this might making giving oral easier for you.
Though, the taste was better on him than straight from the bottle. I did enjoy licking it up and it did make it a bit more fun. I felt more eager than I sometimes am to give head. But this was easily negated by the stickiness of the Sex Tarts lube.
Although you could technically use this lube for penetrative sex, and it is latex-safe, I wouldn’t. Even if you love sticky lubes (but, really, who does?), Sex Tarts does contain parabens and glycerin, which can be problematic for some vaginas. Interestingly enough, the Cherry Pop and Green Apple lubes have “sugar free” labels on them. I’m not sure if this means Strawberry Punch does contain sugar because the ingredients are nearly the same for all 3 bottles.
They all contain:
- Water
- Glycerin
- Propylene Glycol
- Sucralose
- Flavor
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Diazolidinyl Urea
Cherry Pop and Green Apple also contain Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose and Citric Acid, while The Strawberry Punch is the only lube that has Cellulose Gum- which I guess is the sugar. This definitely isn’t a lube for vaginal use for anyone who is sensitive to any of those ingredients and I honestly wouldn’t really want to use it clitorally, either.
Ultimately, I wasn’t thrilled with the Sex Tarts Tangy Lube Sampler Set. Although it isn’t the worst product I’ve ever tried, it wouldn’t hurt if it tasted a bit better, wasn’t so sticky, didn’t gush from the tube, and had more body-friendly materials. While I might recommend the sampler for someone as a starting point, I will probably be looking for better-flavoured lube next time.
Sounds really mediocre, but that’s better than I dare to hope for with a flavored lube 🙂