Berman Adonis G-Spot and Clitoral Stimulator

August 8th, 2009

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy.

I don’t know much about Dr Laura Berman except that she’s been on Oprah a time or two (even her Wikipedia page is scant, which is shocking for “America’s leading expert in female sexual health”) . I think we all know that the Cult of Oprah readily accepts the people and products that are on her show, giving them attention and praise (not to mention revenue), whether or not they are worthy of said attention and praise. Needless to say, I was dubious about how well a Berman Center product would work, especially with the disappointments I’ve had with Sue Johanson’s line of toys. After using Adonis, a dual stimulator, I now feel that Dr Berman knows her shit; she just doesn’t know how (or care) to put it together in the perfect package.

Right from the package, I noticed some differences between Dr Berman’s toy and every other toy I’ve ever tried. First, the box is a cool rhombus s shape from the top or bottom and I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve used that word since geometry. LOL The outside panels boast the name, type of toy with the Berman Center logo a woman/uterus and a tidbit of information about Dr Berman and the toy itself. The front is actually a doubled-over flap, which opens to provide more information and a list of other Berman Center products. Initially, I didn’t even notice this, it sat so flush with the box.

This is a shame because the instructions for use explain the location of the G-spot when on your back and even explain that you may feel the urge to urinate. Although it’s not a complete guide to the G-spot, it makes this toy a lot easier to use for beginners. There’s also a note to only use oil or water-based lube and not to submerge when washing. I really wish every company provided this much useful information.

Inside, the box was fairly impressive too. It was made very secure by a piece of thicker cardboard which lined it. The Adonis G-spot and Clitoral Stimulator was inside a sealed plastic bag and that bag, in turn, sat inside another clear plastic bag with the control/battery pack. For anyone who has opened a box to find their toy floating alone amongst packing material after coming out of a horribly secured package, this is a step up for sure. There is also a thin, purple, organza bag included. The bag is nothing amazing but is definitely better than nothing at all. I like it, even if it doesn’t match.

The Adonis is a narrow C-shaped toy with a G-spot hook on one end and some soft nubbies on the other. It’s made of a pliable TPR silicone, not pure silicone. I don’t think the package actually makes this differentiation. On the plus side, it doesn’t seem to pick up lint at all. There is a slight texture which provides a bit of friction. Even at its thickest, the Adonis is no more than average penis girth, if that. It filled decently. I found the G-spot end provided very adequate stimulation but the clitoral nubs sat a little looser against my vulva than I’d like, resulting in a very light touch. If you like only a light touch, I would recommend this. Unfortunately, the shape wasn’t conducive to pressing it against my pubic bone how I like, despite the so-called finger dents. My fingers fell nowhere near those indentations, and the round shape of the toy didn’t offer a good handhold.

The Adonis is detachable from the control pack via removable plug-in jacks. Normally, I am not a big fan of removable jacks like this, but the Adonis does it uniquely. There are two motors in the toy with independent controls and jacks. One features 3 functions of steady vibration, and the other has 7 functions (low, medium, high, roller coaster, fast pulsation, stair stepper, and super speed). You can choose which jack to use for each motor, so if you prefer pulsation on the inside and vibration on the outside or vice versa, you’re set. This made me feel like I had control over the toy.

There is a single On/Off/Function button for each motor, which is raised and easy to find. This isn’t rocket science and is okay for the motor, which only has 3 functions but becomes a little frustrating with the 7 function motor. You have to page through the rest to the right one or turn it off. There’s also no universal off button; although, I suppose you could just pull the wires from the jacks if you had to. Ideally, there’d be a universal off button and up/down buttons, too. Plus, the control lacks balance as the batteries sit in it kinda weird. They sit in 2 rows or 2 (like this: ==), rather than doubling up thickness so it’s pretty long. The wires between toy and battery pack are a whipping 32″ long and don’t hinder movement. I did find them to be strangely thick but it doesn’t detract from use.

Overall, the vibrations were okay. The pulsation was actually really strong, so strong that pulsation on the clit alone also easily provided G-spot stimulation. On the other hand, the steady vibrations seem to have less life than the pulsations and were a high-frequency type of vibration. I also felt that using both motors at once was perhaps a bit distracting.

There is one major design flaw which is highlighted by the amount of noise this toy makes. The internal bullet typically operates as more than an acceptably low hum, but, strangely, its wire runs through the toy and sits right against the other bullet. This makes the external bullet much louder, almost painfully loud. It’s very distracting. In certain positions, this wire also rattles against the clit bullet even when only the G-spot bullet is on. Another strange construction decision is how the wires exit the toy. The wire from the clitoral bullet; they simply come out of a hole in the toy with no cover or cap. Care is a must when cleaning and I wouldn’t even try this toy in the shower.

In the end, I feel that the Berman Center Adonis G-Spot and Clitoral Stimulator has a strong foundation. It works well for my shape, and with some thought given to the wires and an easier handhold on the outside, I would use it frequently. With the current flaws, I think it should be price more reasonably.

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Decadent Indulgence

April 30th, 2009

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy

Years ago, before we were concerned with environmentally friendly or safe materials in our sex toys, we focused on function alone. The toys which were best loved, like the Decadent Indulgence, came with a high price because they performed so admirably and, even though it may now be considered inferior by some, there were hordes of women who were singing their praise for this rabbit vibrator. Despite the fact that I have tried more than my share of rabbit vibrators, and I usually find a fault, I knew it was my responsibility as a reviewer to try out one of the Decadent Indulgence vibrators. I went with the original because it’s the original for a reason, right?

Back in my early days of sex toy exploration, people raved about the Decadent Indulgence. I never once read a bad review. Women wanted to marry it, despite the fact that it cost over $200. Today, this rabbit vibe costs only a fraction of the price at just under $100. Some wonder if a toy that is made of only TPR is really worth the price, but I have to tell you, it’s not the material that will blow you away! Powered by 4 AA batteries, the original Decadent Indulgence is pretty much a powerhouse of vibration and rotation.

Let me back up a bit. This pink rabbit vibrator by California Exotic, as mentioned, is made of TPR over a rotation shaft and beads, as well as a bullet in the hummingbird-shaped clitoral attachment. The box claims TPR is “hygenically superior” but not only is it spelled wrong, it’s just wrong. Pure silicone or even a silicone composite would be better if hygiene is your concern. Also, considering the stiffness of this material, it wouldn’t make much difference if it were upgraded to silicone. In fact, that is my one major complaint about the Decadent Indulgence. The wings and beak on the hummingbird are cute and vibrate loosely when the clitoral stimulator is on, but they’re rather thin, pointy and sharp. It’s not something that bothers my hands, but I found using the clitoral stimulator to actually be painful unless I was firmly pushing the bullet against my clit so that those appendages were more stationary instead of vibrating freely against me. Because my use of dual stimulators tends to focus on clitoral pleasure, this is a big issue for me. I really wish there were no protrusions at all, just a TPR-covered bullet.

There are two controls for the functions, one for the vibrating hummingbird and one for the shaft/bead rotation. I always prefer separate controls for shaft rotation and beads, so I would like to see that here. The buttons are not the hard-to-press digital kind; they are easy to find and press which I like. In fact, they might be too easy. I hadn’t realized there were 8 levels for each function because the “ultra sensitive control pads” tend to increase 2 or 3 levels at a time. There is also a button in the center that switches modes from basic vibration and rotation to a slower pulsation and back-and-forth rotation and then a much faster mode. The mode applies to both functions so the rotation and beads occur at the same speed as the pulsation, resulting in a more profound effect than if they operated at separate modes. Overall, the combinations are endless.

I found the vibration to be adequate, but the increases were more of speed than size, as is typical with bullets of that size. What I really liked were the pulsation modes. They were incredibly strong, almost too strong at some points, and not at all like the high-frequency pulsation of other vibes, which left me wanting. Even as I lay thinking about how the beak was painful, the pulsation led me orgasm. It was really the first orgasm I had without even trying, and that was vibration-induced alone, so it was something of a milestone, even if it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. If that doesn’t say something about the value of this toy, I’m not sure what can.

For once, I quite enjoyed the rotation of the shaft. The 3 tracks of 3 beads each move in the same direction and at the same speed as the shaft and were noticeable, but the overall effect felt like there was only one internal function. The rotation was also rather powerful and stood up to clenching but it was hard to tell if both the shaft and beads stood up to my muscles or if it was just the shaft or beads. Either way, I have had few rabbits that stand up at all to clenching, so it was nice.

One of the things I especially like about rabbit vibes is how they hug my pubic bone, and the Decadent Indulgence did a decent job. The TPR, while pliable was stiffer than some jelly I have experienced, and helped with this. I wouldn’t complain if it was a more snug fit. The bullet seemed to be a little further away from the shaft than in some rabbits I have used, resulting in a clit stimulator which is a bit too flexible. I found that in order to place the bullet as high as I like on my vulva, the beak was simply in the way, poking at my mons, and the shaft did reach a little further than I prefer, but this was less of an issue than the beak.

A few other thoughts on this toy. The TPR will attract a little lint and has a slight rubbery smell, but it’s really not offensive. The battery pack is closed with a slide-on cover which doesn’t seem super secure. This toy should not be submerged and you should only use water-based lube. However, TPR should be safe with both water or silicone-based lubricants, so I am not sure why this would be the case.

In the end, I loved the functions of the Decadent Indulgence. The pulsation truly lived up to the name of this toy. However, I could really do without the painful clitoral stimulator. California Exotic does have a lot of toys with similar functions so I will definitely keep my eye out for something that has all the strengths of the Decadent Indulgence without the bite.

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