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.

3 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Love Bunnies

May 10th, 2011

Love Bunnies

Love Bunnies
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued item

Some bunny loves me.. but it’s not one of the Love Bunnies. I requested to review these tiny vibrators from Babeland because they’re absolutely adorable. I didn’t know if they’d get me off but tis the season for bunnies and bright colors and all that bollocks.

So the Love Bunnies come in a super colorful box. It’s reminiscent of a child’s toy and you may even want to keep it out of your kid’s line of sight because of the design. While fun, it’s sort orf confusing. To add to the fun, the package comes complete with an “Official Adoption Certificate.” Lovehoney’s packaging is amazingly detailed with this product and I almost want them to come out with actual children’s toys.

The colorful Love Bunnies vibrator sits in a plastic holder inside the box against a brightly colored backdrop. The bunnies themselves are pretty straightforward. A tiny bullet vibrator sits inside a bunny shape—complete with ears and tail. You have to uncap and remove a paper tab before you can use the Love Bunnies. There’s a single push button for the single speed. I found that it likes to stick, so sometimes I have to press it twice or more to actually get it to work.

Of course, as any watch battery-powered toy, the vibrations are both weak and buzzy. They’re the type that I quickly become “numb” to after a short period. That is to say, I literally cannot feel them after a few minutes. This is a shame because the roundness of the Love Bunnies actually stimulates me in a way that I find quite enjoyable. You may prefer to surround your clit, nipples or other sensitive parts with the ears but I like round shapes and pressure rather than pinpoint stimulation. The Love Bunnies actually provide both, unlike some other novelty vibrators (coughIRubMyduckiecough).

What disappointed me even more was that, as I used the Love Bunnies vibe for the very first time, the batteries died–maybe 20 minutes in. As these type of batteries can be difficult and pricey to obtain, that’s definitely a major drawback. I toss toys that require specialty batteries or suck them dry into a drawer, rarely to be touched again.

Washing up was easy enough, although I don’t know if these vibrators are supposed to be water—or splash-proof. There’s very little information in the packaging. As I began to type this, I didn’t even know what the Love Bunnies were made of—silicone, as it turns out—but this information is sneakily printed on the bottom of the box.

So while cute and silicone, easy to use, and packaged quite nicely, the Love Bunnies best get to hoppin’. They just don’t cut it.

Comment

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Jopen Vanity Vr.6

April 28th, 2011

Jopen Vanity Vr.6
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued item.

I first ran across the Vanity by Jopen line a few months back. I was intrigued. Cal Exotics has really been trying to bring higher quality items to the market, and while it was good to see that from one of the big five (four?), none of the products I’d tried really caught my interest. While better designed, they all lacked power. So, while I was intrigued, I tried not to set my expectations too high because I’d been disappointed before.

Let me get straight to the point: Cal Exotics has finally gotten it right in terms of power. The Jopen Vanity Vr.6 has vibrations that show both great strength and depth. The vibrations are deeper than Lelo’s Ina, for example. For me, this means I don’t have to adjust them too much to find the right setting, and my G-spot responds ridiculously well. When I turn on both functions, each with their own motor, it’s a damned experience. A++++ as they say on Ebay. Of course, no toy is really whisper quiet. You can hear this one, although I can’t say it operates at an unacceptable volume level.

And turning them on is really easy. Cal Exotics has created two simple buttons. One push turns them on. Push and hold to increase intensity and push and release to turn it off. It’s similar to the Couture Collection wand I have. I can’t fault them because it works, but I can say it kind of feels like they’re reinventing the wheel and that if you frequently use other toys that require you to push to get to the next setting, you may find yourself turning off the Jopen vibrators and this can be frustrating. Really, I like the style of the controls, but I probably won’t be able to get used to them unless the entire sex toy industry adopts them.

Design-wise, the Jopen is attractive but not stunning. I still prefer the look of Lelo toys. The Vr6 is a bit boring with its all-over color, but I have to say that, in person, it’s a lovely shade of fuchsia that just doesn’t show up very well in pictures. It’s slightly more pink/red than the images show and is more attractive. It’s still purple, and that’s still majorly overused in sex toy design, but it’s an interesting sort of purple.

I usually yell at people who do not explicitly spell out what a toy looks like in their review, so the Jopen Vr6 is a rabbit vibrator with a shape similar to the Lelo Ina. The clitoral arm curves toward the boy while the shaft curves upward toward the G-spot. The shaft is quite thin but grows into a bulbous animal at the end. It’s a pretty typical design in terms of contemporary rabbit vibrators.

As I mentioned, the all-over color is due to the pure silicone exterior of the Vanity by Jopen line of toys. Like any claim of seamlessness, this isn’t quite the case. You can see it and feel it with your hand–although, not in use. It’s not one of those seams that’s going to let water in, however. In fact, California Exotics claims 100% waterproofness despite the fact that you still plug the AC adapter into a port on the back of the toy. The port is snugly surrounded by silicone that retains shape after removing the charger, like some of the newer Lelo toys. To be honest, I never play with toys in the shower, but I’m pretty messy when I clean them, so as long as a toy holds up to soap and water, I’m fine.

Speaking of silicone, the texture on this one is velvety and, yes, attracts lint more than my couch during shedding season (that’s now boys and girls!). It feels nice to the touch, offers a bit of drag which could be a pro or a con for some.

I haven’t mentioned how this performed for me, because, well, it sucked. California Exotics has finally created a quality toy that I want to love and I just can’t. The specific design of the Vr6 just doesn’t sit right in my body. The shaft struggles for space, against my pubic bone, in my vagina. The bulbousness, the length, and the angle all seem to be wrong for me, even though the numbers (1.5″ diameter and 4.25″ insertable) are not intimidating. It’s pretty run-of-the-mill. Yet, I can’t even fully insert this and because I can’t fully insert it, the clitoral arm comes nowhere near my clitoris. It just pinches against my pubic bone on the outside. So, really, they could call this the “Destroyer of Adriana’s Pubic Bone” and be right on the money. Nevertheless, I have long suspected that my bone sits at a unique angle and, perhaps, pokes out a little further into my vaginal canal, so I suspect that most will not have that problem.

One thing I am happy to announce is the Cal Exotics is slowly introducing better packaging. The white box is simple and the logo may not be that impressive but it’s not a giant, plastic box that cuts you and breaks open during shipping. The company has also included a storage pouch with this vibrator. A gigantic, stretchy pouch that I could probably stuff one of my cats in. It’s huge. A little overkill, to be honest. There’s almost so much fabric as to be unwieldy.

So, hats off to some great improvements. Overall, the Jopen Vanity Vr.6 is a pretty fantastically functioning toy, but be sure to take your time when picking out the vibrator that’s right from you in this line. They all seem so similar, but I’m willing to bet those subtle differences have an astounding effect.

6 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Battle of the BabeLubes

April 21st, 2011

BabeLube Natural / BabeLube
$6+ from Babeland

While Babelube Natural is no longer available, you can still buy the regular version.

I think we all know that I am not exactly a lube connoisseur. Generally, as long as a lube doesn’t irritate me or have some characteristic that I cannot stand (such as being silicone-based), it will go in my nightstand and whichever I happen to reach for is fine. I don’t usually do comparison reviews, but I figured it would be a good format for writing my review for BabeLube Natural, Babeland’s natural and “organic” version of its water-based lubricant.

There’s a major difference between ingredients. BabeLube actually has a shorter list but it includes chemicals like polyoxyethylene, sodium carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, and ethylexyglycerin. Glycerin, as you probably realize, is one of those ingredients that can cause irritation in some folks. On the other hand, BabeLube Natural’s slightly longer list consists of purified water, plant cellulose, aloe babadensis, vitamin E, carrageenan, extracts of hibiscus, flax, green tea and sunflower seed, citric acid, and potassium sorbate. The list definitely sounds more natural, and I know both aloe and vitamin E are common in products that are touted as natural. I’ve also heard of a few lubes with carrageenan. But does that make it a better lube?

In use, I found the BabeLube Natural to be slightly thinner, but it still has a gel-like consistency and won’t drip all over when you’re applying it to yourself or a toy. Regular BabeLube is a bit thicker and I actually find it difficult to apply. Both lubes come in a squeezable bottle with a press-top cap, and BabeLube doesn’t like to move. I have to take the cap off and stick a finger in or bang it around for a few minutes so it becomes mobile.

I did a quick rub test for both of these and the result was that, while BabeLube felt fairly slick, BabeLube Naturals felt even slicker and was longer lasting in terms of lubrication. As BabeLube dried, it became a little tacky but, once completely dry, I could no longer feel the tackiness and didn’t need to wash it off. BabeLube Natural, however, was tackier and remained tackier for a while. Eventually, you won’t notice but you may want to wash it off at first.

Because of its thickness and slickness, I’d opt for BabeLube Natural but I’d probably enjoy regular Babelube a little better for clitoral stimulation as I am quite bothered by tackiness around my vulva. Both are compatible with all sorts of materials and activities but neither is going to do you a lick of good in wet situations because they’re water-soluble. For those activities, you’ll want a silicone-based lube. I recommend Uberlube (read my review).

1 Comment

Categories: Lube, Reviews

Jimmyjane Little Afterglow Sampler Set

December 29th, 2010

Jimmyjane Little Afterglow Sampler Set

While Jimmyjane discontinued the Little Afterglow sampler, you can purchase full-size Afterglow candles.

One would think I would have learned my lesson after trying and not really loving Jimmyjane’s Little Ember candle set, but I opted to try the Afterglow Sampler Set anyway. Immediately, I was more impressed with the Afterglow set. Although the holidays have just passed us by, the entire set comes in a long, flat box that includes a ribbon. The box itself has several slits through which you can thread the ribbon to decorate the box as you see fit, making it perfect for gifting. My ribbon was only through one slit and tended to slip off. I also found that the slippery ribbon is difficult to tie tightly. The ribbon itself is wide and satiny in bright pink and stands out against the box. The top features a grey “ink spot” against a white background, and the Jimmyjane logo is displayed in the bottom corner.

Inside the box is a full sheet of paperboard that serves as a label for each candle scent included. In addition to this, the back side features an “experience guide” and the manufacturer gives suggestions for using multiple scents in one scene or setting. The guide also includes a coupon code for $25 off any $100 purchase on the JimmyJane website.

The candles themselves each sit snugly in the box. I appreciate the security and symmetry. The candle holders are rectangular, white ceramic, and although these candles are not full-sized, the holders stand about an inch tall; I expect them to last through several uses. However, the experience will vary depending on how much oil one uses for massage or if the user simply chooses to burn the candles for ambiance.

Each candle has a corner that is contoured to create a small spout for pouring the candle—an improvement over older JimmyJane candle products. It can be difficult to remove the holders from the cut-outs in the box because it is so snug, especially if there is wax residue on the exterior. The candles are individually sealed with a clear sticker that I had to peel back to open the candle for smelling and, then again, use. You can reseal these stickers but I found them a little difficult to remove and this resulted in several of them ripping, rendering the sticker unusable.

After opening the box, I gave each candle a good sniff and decided that not all the scents are my thing. Grapefruit is ridiculously sour and plant-like and I cannot imagine how anyone would ever like it. The bourbon scent is not quite as offensive; however, the heavy mix of sweet and spicy is rather masculine and overpowering. I was pleasantly surprised to note that I enjoyed Cucumber Water more in this set than the lone candle I previously reviewed for Babeland. It really smells differently to me and is a very crisp, floral scent. Pink lotus is my second favourite; it is a classic floral scent that is a bit perfumey. However, I adore Dark Vanilla above all the other scents. It’s a layered, sophisticated mix of vanilla and spices that is reminiscent of cookie dough. I have yet to burn the Truffle + Gardenia in this set, but it has another floral scent. This one is slightly less natural as it reminds me of soap.

This set is definitely heavy on the floral and I think it would be more balanced if one or two of the floral candles were replaced with different scents but that may just be me. I figure that liking four out of six candles is a pretty good deal

For those who are unfamiliar with massage candles, the wax is much softer than your typical candle. You can pretty much press a finger into the wax and remove a layer to rub right on the skin. Of course, burning the candle creates a pool of oil that is more efficient for this purpose and can be poured onto the skin from the candle holder. Because the wax is soft, it does not require as much time to melt as a traditional candle. Just five minutes yields a usable pool of oil.

The massage oil moisturizes the skin but it also feels pretty heavy on the hands. You will probably want to wash them after giving or receiving a massage with the Jimmyjane Afterglow candles because it doesn’t fully sink in. This is actually beneficial because you can give a longer massage with this oil than, say, regular lotion. I find it pretty typical that scent changes when it mixes with the chemistry of the human body. The same is true with these massage candles and I also find that the smell is simply stronger when burning the candle than during use. However, the strong is fairly subtle and not overpowering.

JimmyJane’s Afterglow Sampler set is great for introducing yourself to massage and JimmyJane products in general. Plus, the thoughtful packaging is excellent if you want to give it as a gift or even use it as a piece of décor in your home.

3 Comments

Categories: Massage, Reviews

Octopussy Dildo

December 9th, 2010

This is an archived review. Babeland no longer sells the Octopussy dildo. Furthermore, I have had a Pipedream dildo break because it is a lower quality glass.

I strongly recommend reading Lilly’s guide to glass sex toy safety before making any glass dildo purchases!

Octopussy dildo

When it comes to my sex toys, I do not especially like the weird but there was something about the Octopussy Dildo that called to me when Babeland offered it up for review. This glass dildo is stylized so that it looks like an octopus tentacle or, potentially, an appendage of an alien. The pink glass is shaped like the end of a tentacle with a number of bumps that aid in the fantastic design but do not appear like actual tentacle suckers up close. The bumps run in two lines along the length of the dildo, from the tip to the end of the handle, which curves back toward the shaft to create an open loop for easy maneuvering.

If you’re interested in this piece because of its looks, rest assured that it is more attractive in person. All the retail images I have seen appear pale pink but this one is a glistening, vibrant pink. Although glass, the colour makes it translucent and not quite transparent.

Like any other glass piece, the rigidity makes it feel larger than it is but the Octopussy Dildo is not especially large. In fact, it only offers 4.5″ of insertable length out of the 6.5″ or so of the entire piece. In addition to this, the dildo has a diameter of nearly an inch. However, the Octopussy Dildo does not have a round shaft but one that is oblong–wider than it is tall. This dildo has a slight curve that may cup the pubic bone but that is not drastic enough to reach all G-spots if the user does not angle the toy to do so.

I found it easy to feel that there was texture on the Octopussy but I could not necessarily determine what that texture was. Because my G-pot is fairly shallow, the Octopussy was able to stimulate it with minimal movement. Nevertheless, I am not sure that the texture is one that I found especially pleasurable.

I do like the handle, though. Because you don’t have to worry about mechanical parts, you may wish to take this dildo into the shower with you. Water and even lube can make slick glass even more slippery but the loop offers the ability to keep a handle on the toy despite these factors. Because it is so rigid, I would avoid quick movements that could pinch your fingers. Additionally, the loop is only large enough for one finger–maybe two, if yours are small.

Glass is easy to care for: the slickness makes it easy to wash with soap and water or you can boil it for 3 minutes to sterilize (making it safe for sharing). Furthermore, you can dunk it in a bowl or warm or cold water for temperature play, if you are so inclined. If the Octopussy has been unused for a while, it is likely to be cold when you first take it out but it will warm to body temperature with use.

Although I have no major complaints about the dildo itself, I am sad that Pipedream did not include any storage options with it. There isn’t even a cheap pouch. You will want to purchase a toy pouch, make your own or store it in some protective fabric to prevent chipping, breaking or annoying clanging when it comes into contact with other toys.

If you’re into tentacles or odd toys, you may want to pick up the Octopussy Dildo but I’m not sure it’s worth the price tag in comparison to other glass toys and considering the manufacturer.

1 Comment

Categories: Dildos, Reviews

Crystal Whip

October 16th, 2010

Crystal Whip

Crystal Whip

This product is no longer available from Liberator, but Babeland now sells a nearly-identical version from Icicles for less than $50.

Babeland carries a flogger with crystal details and a glass handle that I thought was ridiculously gorgeous. I pooled my resources and soon this whip was in my hands. It’s a piece by Liberator, who you all know for their sex position pillows and furniture but whom I also know for a glass piece I have.

The Crystal Whip comes in a suede pouch that ties with ribbons. It’s much bigger than the actual toy and you could steal it for another toy if you wanted. The whip itself really isn’t a whip–but a flogger (it’s not the only one I’ve tried, either). The handle is a glass cylinder that is etched witch smooth wavy lines down the length. There’s a bulbous shape on the end which is good for grasping but may also be used for penetration–maybe. I thought the handle would be larger than it is. It’s a bit over 6″ long and has a diameter of .79″. As it’s glass and rigid, it can certainly feel larger than it is but it’s quite narrow and requires some maneuvering to reach the right places without a curve.

If you do use it internally, you’ll want to be careful when washing to keep the tails out of the stream of water. You’ll also want to carefully wash and lubes from the shaft so that it won’t be slippery during use as a flogger. It would absolutely suck to have it fly out of your hand and hurt someone unintentionally, or break something (can we say Wiimote?) or simply break itself.

Of course, this isn’t really the type of flogger that you aim and swing with all your might. I think it’s best suited to light play. If you aim at extremely sensitive areas and the tails fall so just the tips hit, there’s a tingly sting but it’s really quite light. If you’re not aiming quite so precisely or flogging an area that’s not exceptionally sensitive, it’s really not painful. The lambskin tails are ridiculously soft and I personally just felt them sliding silkily over my skin. It’s like a massage.

And the tails are super sensual–shiny leather on one side and unfinished on the inside. Both feel delicious when they touch the skin and if you hold it under your nose, you can detect the scent of real leather. Sorry vegans. In all, there are 32 tails that are flat strips of lambskin. They’re wrapped in circles around the end of the handle and, I assume, glued. The upper edge of the leather is then wrapped in a silver material that could be metal or painted plastic in four flowery, filigree type designs. In the center of each of these flowers is a crystal. Sadly to say, it took less than five minutes for one of these crystals to fall off after opening the Crystal Whip. I guess it just wasn’t glued on very well. The crystals catch the light and glisten with colour but I don’t think they really add that much to the appearance of this piece. Just my opinion.

The tails are about 2″ longer than the handle itself and are cut to angled points. When swinging, the tails stay together nicely and you don’t have to re-gather them to perform moves such as a figure eight. Because of the petite size of this, it’s super easy to wield and make quick movements that larger floggers would hinder. The handle is the heavier party of this flogger but, as it’s so small, it won’t tired your arm as quickly as heavier floggers or whips.

The tails of this feel so luxurious. I need more leather and suede in my life. I don’t want some bachelor pad but, my God, this is an awesome piece. If you have any interest at all in glass, lambskin, flogging or simply attractive sex/BDSM gear, then the Crystal Whip should go into your cart the next time you visit Babeland.

4 Comments

Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.