Wet Together Couples Lube

December 3rd, 2009

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

His and hers lubes are so of all the rage these days. KY did a fair job applying attractive colors to their Yours+Mine lube and then advertising the shit out of them. A little more recently, Wet introduced their take on his and her lubes: Wet Together Couples Lube. Packaged in pink and blue bottles, Wet Together pairs water with silicone-based lube and tingling with warming properties to further stimulate sexual arousal and satisfaction.

Besides the colors, which are quite striking, these 2fl. oz bottles are nearly identical. They are press-top style, which is easy to use and generally easy to control the amount you squeeze out. Ostensibly, the lube in the pink tube should be applied vaginally, while the blue tube goes on a penis,

The color coding of this product makes it easy to tell “how” (or who to use it on) to use it, but it also makes it clear that this product is intended for a very specific and heterosexual market. I guess because these types of products tend to be marketed toward the tamer sides of sex and sold in drug stores, I see the point. Still, I’m not totally down with promoting the idea of gender-specific colors, either (is there a better term for this?), and it leaves other couplings out in the cold.

Of course, you can certainly ignore the implied suggestions and use each lube separately or put the warming on her and the tingling on him. If you’re a rule breaker like that. 😉 We didn’t, at least not on the first try, because I wanted to try the product how it was intended.

For Her, it is a silicone-based lubricant meant to tingle (cool). It comes with a short ingredient list which is chock full of silicone, so use with silicone toys is not advised. I suspect it’s the same as Wet Cool Tingle, which contains silicone, even though the ingredients list clearly contains silicone, so it should probably be considered a hybrid lube. The clear lube is thin and slick with a medium-strength minty scent.

When applied internally, I definitely noticed a cooling sensation. It reminded me a bit of Intimate Organic’s Discover Gel, but I’m not sure if I found the sensation pleasant. What I can say with absolute certainty is that there was an increase in sensation from pairing the lubes during sex and that the motion of sex (stroking/thrusting) increased it until a “maximum” point.

I’ll be honest and say that the first time we used Wet Together, the sensation became so much that it was distracting and I just wanted it to be over and done with so I could rinse off the lube. It could be that we simply used too much so I would advise starting slow, with just a tiny dab.

On the other hand, For Him is a water-based lube with only one ingredient listed on the bottle: glycerin. I’m not sure on that one. The box also lists tocopheryl acetate but I cannot help but find it strange that “aqua” isn’t even in the ingredients list. Of course, as glycerin is sometimes a culprit for irritation, proceed with caution. In fact, that’s not a bad idea with any sensation-giving product (as I did learn).

For Him is also thin and clear with a sweet taste and not much of a discernible scent. At least, it’s hard to tell after smelling For Her. It is meant to warm and I could easily feel it doing so before I was done applying it to my husband and he seemed to generally enjoy it.

There was definitely a silky slickness to the lube because of its silicone contents, and it definitely lasted as long as we needed it to. Focusing on lubrication properties alone – and not sensation – I was fairly pleased. I’ve definitely tried worse, and this may not be the best lube ever, but it worked. It’s probably not as slick as silicone lube alone, but there was a noticeable difference over water-based lube.

By itself, the silicone lube (Her) is pretty slick and doesn’t get sticky as it dries; it just leaves that sort of tangible “layer” on the skin, which needs soap and water to come off. The water-based (Him) has a nice texture that becomes a little tacky as it dries, but not nearly as much as some water-based lubed I have tried. The combination seems to reduce or perhaps just overshadow the water-based lubricant’s less desirable qualities, feeling mostly like silicone.

I am not entirely sold on Wet Together Couples Lube as a set. I didn’t find the tingling to be particularly pleasurable, especially when combined with the warming lubricant. I found myself thinking, “Is it over yet?” and that’s not how I like to enjoy my sex. However, I feel that the combination produces a solid lubricant that makes sex quite comfortable, and because my husband did enjoy the warming sensation of For Him, we may use it again when we want a warming lube.

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Intimate Organics Hydra Water Based Lubricant

September 14th, 2009

Editor’s note: Intimate Organics is now known as Intimate Earth.

No one could argue that Intimate Organics went wrong when naming their water-based formula. In fact, I can think of no product that is more aptly based than Hydra. Plus, it gets cool points for being a mythical monster. But Hydra’s name is not the only remarkable characteristic about it so, listen up!

Hydra is absolutely, without competition, and I mean no-other-water-based-lube-even-comes-close, the slickest water-based lubricant I have ever used. It is so very slick that even though I knew it was water-based and I knew its name, I still checked the bottle after first use to make sure it wasn’t silicone-based so I wouldn’t accidentally, you know, ruin my toys. Yep, you read that right: it’s water based and incredibly slick and silky. And it’s not just my opinion, either. My husband, who usually thinks “Lube is lube” really enjoys this one because of its texture. So if slick is your thing, and maybe you usually prefer silicone lubes, you might give Hydra a try.

However, Hydra is rather thin and I do find myself always squirting out more from the push-top bottle than I intend to. Unless you prefer thinner lubes for anal sex, I’d skip Hydra for a thicker lube (like Maximus) for backdoor play.

Or if you like lubes that dry so completely that you don’t even feel the need to wash your hands, you might also give Hydra a try. After rubbing my fingers dry of excess lube, I didn’t feel tacky or gummy whatsoever. There was literally no residual lube like there frequently is.

But wait, there’s more!

If you like your lubes animal-friendly, completely vegan, and without harmful ingredients like parabens, glycerine, or DEA, Hydra might just be perfect for you. Like other Intimate Organic products, the company has been careful to use naturally devised ingredients rather than so many chemical ones which makes Hydra a good solution for those folks who have lube sensitivities. I usually don’t and, if you recall, the only other hypoallergenic I lube caused sensitivity (ironic, isn’t it?). I had no issues with sensitivity with Hydra.

Is there a catch? I’m glad you asked. Unfortunately, there is. While I enjoyed the feeling of Hydra right out of the bottle at the end, there were some less-than-desirable effects in the middle of the play. Hydra tends to be sticky as it dries (but, obviously, that fades when it’s dry), which requires reapplication of lube or the addition of water more than other lubes. This wasn’t a problem for vaginal sex, as I usually only need a little lube to get going if my husband hasn’t gone down on me. Past the initial penetration, I pretty quickly produce my own lube.

However, I noticed the stickiness much more when it came to clit stimulation. The hard and fast movements were really impeded by the stickiness of Hydra. I’m certain that adding a bit more lube would’ve freshened it right up, but, to be honest, I don’t like to do that. I’m a one-application-of-lube type of girl, I guess. Of course, I did apply the lube a few minutes before heading clit-side so it had time to dry. When I applied lube to a toy and used it right away, it was less sticky. All I can offer is a warning: If you want to avoid the stickiness of Hydra while it dries, be prepared to reapply fairly frequently or do have sex in an airless environment.

Not everyone minds reapplying lube, though, and if you’re one of those and the rest of Hydra’s properties sound appealing, I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s very uncommon for my husband to like a lube as much as he liked this one and I’m fond of its slickness as well. I was really surprised that Hydra is as silky as it is, just your run-of-the-mill lube; it may be the inclusion of aloe that does it. I usually like my lube a little thicker (like ID Glide), but Hydra definitely feels great in the beginning and isn’t messy at the end. This has been my second positive experience with Intimate Organics products and, despite the fact that I don’t care a lot about organic products, the quality I’ve seen thus far really has me intrigued.

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Sex Tarts Tangy Lube Sampler Set

September 10th, 2009

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.

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ID Moments

June 25th, 2009

ID Moments

ID Moments
N/A from

ID no longer sells Moments lube, but you can buy ID Free, which seems similar.

I’m a big fan of ID Glide. It’s my go-to lube, and it’s versatile because it’s water-based, so when I got my last package from PinkCherry, I was surprised to see a little 2.7 oz bottle of lube by the same company. Moments seems to be ID’s take on a hypoallergenic water-based lube for folks with sensitive skin by removing ingredients like paraben and glycerin and, while I’ve never had many issues with sensitivities to lube, it seemed like a nice addition. Somewhat ironically, ID Moments is one of only two lubes that has caused irritation to my skin.

However, let me describe the specs of this product before going into use. ID Moments comes in ID’s typical round, flip-top bottle with the top and labels in a deep shade of pink. Because it’s water-based, it can be used for any activity or with any material and easily washes off with water (so wet activities might not be the best use). While it has no glycerine or parabens, it does have nearly a dozen other ingredients. The bottle was also sealed (beneath the top).

The very first thing I noticed – I mean how could you miss it? – was the atrocious scent of this lube. It does seem like I’m the only one whose nose was offended by this, though; some people even seemed to really like it. The smell originally reminded me of something which had fermented, in a bad way. In fact, I checked the expiration date (it was fine) because I was sure no company would intentionally make a product smell like this. Furthermore, I could find no mention of this product having a fragrance, so I checked ID’s website, and it says it is fragrance-free. Even if my preference for certain smells is unique, I would be very disappointed in this lube if I bought it believing it was fragrance-free. I am happy to note that the smell seems to have eased up, and now I interpret it more as a very, very sour, fruity smell – like the scent equivalent of a Warhead (which I hate, LOL).

I did a quick taste test and ID Moments has a slightly sour/fruity taste as well. I also wanted to check out the thickness. ID Moments is not the thinnest lube around but it’s not as thick as ID Glide which is a con for me; I like my lubes thicker because I don’t like to deal with the mess. On the other hand, ID Moments is rather silky and rubs into the skin without becoming sticky at all.

But I can’t say how it works internally because I was too busy wondering why my genitals were burning to notice. I have double and triple checked and can’t find any mention of this being a warming lube so the logical assumption here is that ID Moments and my girl parts just do not mix. It’s just kind of funny that the girl who has only been allergic to 2 things in her entire life would be irritated by hypoallergenic lube, right?

I wanted to be really thorough so I used the lube 3 times, each time with a different toy just in case it was toy material and not the lube causing the problem. It was the lube. Luckily, I never used a ton of lube (I don’t normally) and the sensation quickly went away as soon as I stopped my activities.

I know that mine might be the only experience that goes badly, but I’d rather err on the side of caution and just not recommend this lube to anyone. With that said, PinkCherry also carries Wet Naturals Beautifully Bare (read my review), a lube that is also paraben and glycerin-free, which I have used to much success.

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System Jo H2O

January 26th, 2009

System Jo H2O is a water-based lubricant that aims to mimic the slickness of silicone-based lubricants while remaining odorless, tasteless, and tack-free. In these pursuits, I think System Jo H20 has performed admirably.

Packaged in a clear bottle with a fairly minimal silver and blue design, System Jo H2O comes off a bit futuristic to me. It’s not entirely discreet, nor does it scream “lube.” A person would likely be able to determine just what this bottle contains by its general shape but it’s not so gaudy that it would be necessarily embarrassing to have out. Complete with the narrow, push-top style cap, as opposed to the flip-top styles of many lubes, I find using this lube less messy. The cap style also helps to control how much lube is dispensed and I feel it’s very secure when closed; flip tops tend to leak if a bottle should tip. However, it’s not as easy to use as a pump.

When it comes down to it, System Jo H2O is a very good water based lube. It’s not as thick as some I’ve used, like ID Glide, so it may not be great for anal sex (System Jo does have an anal lube as well). However, it is very slippery and feels more like silicone lube. Despite being a bit thin, I’ve had positive experiences with it so far. It’s all I’ve used when inserting my rather well-endowed Passion Wave Stimulator, which has a circumference of 5 1/4″. This is definitely bigger than any other toy or penis I play with, so I feel confident that System Jo H2O will meet all my needs.

Although my sessions with the Passion Wave tend to be quick, they are hard and heavy with many quick thrusts. This lube has worked wonderfully. I have not had to reapply any time I have previously used it. Furthermore, the application doesn’t leave my hands sticky and goopy. This is one lube that comes through on its promises that it will not be tacky. For review purposes, I applied lube to my palm and rubbed my hands together quickly until the lube wore away. While it did not absorb completely – my hands felt slick, still – it did not become dry, clumpy or uncomfortable. I would recommend washing away any excess lube or the remains of the lube after play (soap and water will do the trick).

I have not experienced any negative results with System Jo H2O. It has been odorless and tasteless, as advertised. Although there is no ingredient list on the bottle except for Vitamin E (or on the website, it seems), I have had no bad reactions.

System JO H2O has proven to be a slippery lubricant that rises above other water-based lubes. It contains no oils or silicone, making it perfect for play with toys or partners, and it’s completely safe for use with latex condoms. The System Jo line of lubricants includes warming, and anal lube as well. Based on the high performance of System Jo H2O, I would likely consider System Jo over other lubricants if I were shopping, and I will probably stick to System JO H2O when it comes to water-based lubes..

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