The Tease doesn’t have any of the amenities of high-end vibes: no locking device, not rechargeable, only one setting/speed. This toy is practically rustic. And yet it knocks my other pin-point vibrators, like the Lelo Mia and the bswish bcurious, out of the water, easily. I think this has something to do with how the tip of the toy isn’t a solid point; it’s more like a miniature feeler. And because the tip is so light, it doesn’t just vibrate – it shivers back and forth very quickly; a sensation I’m finding that I like quite a bit better than straight-up vibrations. This shape works wonderfully well for me, as well: my clit is very sensitive, and there is one tiny spot that’s even more sensitive than the rest of it, so I can set the feeler against that spot and orgasm in, like, ten seconds.

The Tease is also as cute as hell. I mean, it’s lime green, for heaven’s sake. This color was one of Tantus’ original neon offerings, which they brought back as a promo, stating that if sales went well, they would start offering those colors again. I suppose the lime green must have been popular. Its shape makes it look like a little alien thingy, and makes for easy grip due to the dip around the middle.

Cute and powerful as it may be, however, it is still a bullet vibe in a silicone sleeve, and comes with all the usual caveats of bullet vibes: a low, yet clearly discernible buzzing noise, high-intensity¹, difficult-to-find N-batteries. Although this bullet is (supposedly) longer lasting than regular bullets, you’ll still have to deal with changing the batteries or the bullet itself eventually. The toy came with the bullet already inserted into the sleeve. It must be a pretty long bullet, since the entire toy is stiff and immovable except for the tip. I tried pulling the bullet out, but try as I might, it stayed put. And I didn’t want to get violent with the thing for fear of wrecking my new beloved.

Size comparison. From left: Fun Factory Gigolo, Tantus Tease, and Lelo Mia.

The Tease is part of Tantus’ new-ish Little Secrets line (perhaps the company’s answer to Toyfriends?), which includes four other equally adorable and colorful silicone sleeves + bullet vibes. What I’d really like is the option to purchase the Little Secrets as sleeves alone. I’m very curious as to how the Tease would work in conjunction with my new Lelo Mia 2.0. IMHO, Tantus’ thing is definitely producing well-made, pretty, silicone toys, so maybe making sleeves for bullet-styled toys would make sense? Like how Vixen makes attachments for the Hitachi? I guess the problem with that idea would be that the Tease is quite a bit longer than a regular bullet, there is no “go-to”, well done bullet that I know of, and bullet toys are available in subtly different shapes², so a one-size-fits-all deal would probably be out of the question. …But I still want to try pairing the Tease with the Mia, dammit!

On top of all this? All the Little Secrets only cost ~$30. So if you can’t afford to splurge on a luxury vibe that may cost $50+, purchase a Little Secret and get a good bang for your buck.

To sterilize the Tease, you can wipe it with 10% bleach solution. If you put it in the top shelf of the dishwasher with no soap, or boil it for 5 minutes, you’ll have to take the bullet out, so I don’t recommend these modes of cleaning. Silicone toys are not compatible with silicone lubes.

Edited 12/7/11: Corrected after a representative at Tantus confirmed to me that Tantus does not make any electronic components, including bullets, but sources them from elsewhere.

Thanks, Tantus!

1. Well, for me, anyway; but then I’m the vibrations-wimp who uses Lelo toys on only the third or forth intensity level.
2. Compare the Lelo Mia with the Ohmibod with the X-treme Pack G-spot Bullet, for instance.

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1. Review: Laid D.1 When Babeland offered the Laid D.1 for review, I was...

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The D.1 is a mid-sized, silicone dildo that’s marketed as a G-spotter; its pièce de résistance is its asymmetrical head that’s provides both a rounded surface and a pointed surface to stimulate your G-spot. You can supposedly switch between them with a gentle twist. Also, it’s bright blue! Seriously, more manufacturers need to move away from purple and pink, and incorporate bright, candy-colors into their product lines.

Unfortunately, its revolutionary design doesn’t work all that well in practice. It was quite unintuitive for me to use, and it took me a while to find my G-spot with it, although I did manage after a while. I couldn’t feel much of a difference between the two surfaces; except I could tell when the pointy side wasn’t on my G-spot because I could feel it poking my vaginal walls. I tried the “handle” end, as well, but it was too pointy for me to find pleasurable. Since the surface is so smooth, also, if I get lube on the handle or on my hand, things get slippery very quickly, which makes maneuvering the dildo difficult.

During my lengthy toy reviewing stint, I’ve found designs that really work for me; and maybe I’m just being inflexible, but now that I know what works, I’m loath to deviate much from it. For G-spotting, I like the wide, flattened head of the Lelo Gigi or Lelo Ella, and the large, ball-like head of the Pure Wand or Ophoria No. 3. The blunt-head style took a bit of maneuvering at first, but felt amazing once I got the hang of it, and the ball-head style honed in on my G-spot almost instantly. Both of these styles were more effective than the D.1. And when I’m not using a dildo to stimulate my G-spot, I prefer toys that are heavily textured (e.g. the Tantus Echo), while the D.1 is perfectly smooth.

However? I am terribly enamored with the Laid D.1 Stone, which is made of – get this – Black Norwegian Moonstone, or Blue Pearl Larvikite. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Damn, I should have tried to review this one instead. Okay, it’s exactly the same shape as the silicone one, but maybe the material would improve upon it somehow?

Anyway, to sterilize the Laid D.1, you can wash it with 10% bleach solution, put it in the top shelf of the dishwasher with no soap, or boil it for at least 5 minutes. Also, silicone toys are not compatible with silicone lubes.

I guess I just know what I like, and the Laid D.1 isn’t it. It is a well-made dildo, though, and perhaps it will suit your needs better than mine.

1. It introduced its first products in 2010.
2. Lelo is Swedish, and Fun Factory is German.

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I was drawn to the bcurious’s design – the black and pink color scheme and curved shape – and that it’s rechargeable. Besides the Lelo toys and Fun Factory’s click-n-charge line (which is relatively new), I’m hard pressed to name other rechargeable clitoral vibes, and I definitely prefer recharging over using batteries.

My feelings about the bcurious are lukewarm. In many ways, it’s an excellent toy, but there are a couple of things that bug me about it and prevent me from giving it a stellar rating. Firstly, the positive: its shape doesn’t just look snazzy, it feels completely intuitive in my hand. It fits in my palm, my index finger curls over the top and my thumb rests on the controls. It’s not evident from the picture, but a dip runs along the back of the toy that my finger rests in very comfortably. Plus, can we get a cheer for pinpoint stimulation? This is the only clit toy I currently own that is both pinpoint and ergonomic. The Lelo Siri and Layaspot are round and blunt. The Lelo Mia is pointed, but rod-shaped. The Lelo Lily is just a little too small to fit well in my hand. I can see myself reaching frequently for the bcurious for its shape alone.

The bcurious is made of black matte plastic and has pink silicone accents. The charging port is at the side of the toy and is sealed with a tab-like thing similar to what you find in cell phones and digital cameras. The toy is marketed as waterproof and, while I haven’t tried it underwater, the seal and lack of perceivable gaps in the toy make me feel fairly confident about it.

As for the vibrations, there are seven different options: low, medium, high, escalation, pulse, fast pulse, and short-short-short-long pulse. The low is great for warm-up, but I usually switch to medium before long. And here’s the first problem: apparently 3 vibration levels is just not enough for me. I can usually make do with the low and medium settings alone, but sometimes the low is just a little too low and the medium is just a little too high. If there was a mid-point between the two, that would be perfect. As for the patterns, I generally don’t use them much, but I do like the pulse settings alright. Noise-wise, the bcurious emits a buzzing sound that you could probably hear across a room, but not through a wall.

The controls consist of two buttons at the toy’s base: one button turns the toy on, and the other starts the vibrations and cycles through the different settings. The buttons are at the perfect place for my thumb, and depress in a very satisfying pressy-button way. There’s no way to “lock” the controls, but I wouldn’t be worried about traveling with this toy since you need to press both buttons to turn it on. I actually put the bcurious in my checked luggage on a number of flights and long bus rides with no problems. My second issue with the toy, though, concerns the controls: you can press the button to progress to the next setting, but to get to the one before, you have to cycle through them all. Or you can turn the toy off, then on again, to start at the beginning. I find this irritating because I sometimes want to go from the medium to the low setting, and can’t.

The bcurious comes with a manual, a storage pouch, and a charging cord. The pouch is made of what feels like the same material that sweatpants are made of, has a drawstring top, and a tiny tab on the side with the name of the company, but it’s barely noticeable. The charging cord can be plugged into a USB port (!), or into an adapter and then into a regular outlet. Charge it for 2 hours to get 2 hours of play. The control buttons in the base blink blue when the toy is charging, and glow continuously once it’s done.

So there you go. I can’t call this toy a favorite, but I definitely like it and wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to recommend it to anyone else.

sex toys | palm-sized massagers

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Now, I don’t actually find much point in flavored lubes. I typically like the taste of my partners and don’t feel compelled to mask or sweeten the taste at all. The few flavored lubes I’ve sampled before have all, well, unfortunately tasted like ass, also.

I’m happy to say that this lube does not, in fact, taste like ass. Actually it tastes pretty good. It smells and tastes like sour green apple candy, which I quite enjoy in its non-lube form. It doesn’t have any aftertaste whatsoever, and isn’t overpowering. It actually tastes like a combination of sour green apple and nothing. This lube’s flavor comes from aspartame and green apple flavoring, so no worries about yeast infections or anything like that (some people’s bodies react negatively when they ingest aspartame, though, in which case you might want to skip out on this product).

In terms of consistency, it’s quite than and feels slightly oily (but not sticky or unpleasant). Sliquid Swirl is based on Sliquid H20, their water-based lube, which is marketed as feeling very much like the body’s natural fluids. I daresay I agree.

Used during penis-in-vagina sex, I had to reapply a couple times since, like Sliquid Organics, it’s not particularly long-lasting. I also don’t see this lube being at all thick enough for anal sex. It is water-based, though, so you can use it with all your favorite silicone toys.

L had this to say about it: “Well, I guess for people who don’t like the taste [of oral sex], it’s good… but for me it just wouldn’t be worth it.”

I pretty much concur. This lube is flavorful enough, but I still prefer the body’s natural taste. Well, I’m still in possession of a good lube I can use for everything except oral.

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The Champlette is actually a smaller version of the Champ, which for some reason has been discontinued. It is a short and stumpy dildo, with a small-ish head that tapers out to a wonderfully thick 1 ⁵/₈“. This dildo didn’t strike me as particularly unique in any way, but turned out to feel much more interesting than I would have expected.

Due to the taper, the toy slides in very easily, and its relative girthiness isn’t overwhelming at all. I wouldn’t have pegged this toy as a G-spotting toy, since it doesn’t have a very pronounced head or curve, but the bump on the head ended up stimulating my G-spot beautifully. I also very much enjoyed clenching around the toy’s girth. I found that the toy felt good when I thrusted with it, but also when I left it stationary.

I feel like this toy would be a bit much anally, but it would be simple enough to warm up with the first inch or two, and save the rest for when your butt has become more experienced.

The Champlette has a harness-compatible base, and I can already tell I would love having this dildo strapped on. This picture really doesn’t do the toy justice, because it looks much more distractingly shimmery and sparkly in person. (I can see it going so well with my Aslan Jaguar harness.) Since I’m going to be floating around between locations for a while, I stored a bunch of my stuff with a friend, and unfortunately the Champlette is one of those items. I really regret doing that, because I would love to fuck L with this dildo. Or at least get him to give me a blowjob while I wear it.

Like all Vixen Creations dildos, the Champlette comes in a plastic tube that works well as storage and apparently helps preserve the shape of the toy. It’s made of silicone, so it can be shared and sterilized. To sterilize the toy, you can wash it with 10% bleach solution, put it in the top shelf of the dishwasher with no soap, or boil it for at least 5 minutes. Silicone toys are not compatible with silicone lubes.

Thanks, Fascinations!

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The plugs come with several different colored crystals to choose from, and in two sizes – short and long, referring to the length of the neck. The company that stocks and produces the plug actually created the short version after Britni reviewed & criticized the length of the original plug. If that’s not great service, I don’t know what is!

Since I’m a small person, I picked out the small version. I couldn’t decide between any one color, so I ended up getting the Aurora Borealis, which has hues of topaz and turquoise among its multiple colors.

The plug is on the small side, but the hardness of the glass makes it more substantial than the size might suggest. However, I found it comfortable enough to wear. The short neck fit perfectly, and was very snug.

I cannot get over how gorgeous and glittery it is. The first time I put it in, I snapped a picture and sent it to L immediately. (No, I’m not going to post it.) He really liked how it looked.

The toy also comes with a nice velvet and leather padded case that closes securely with two elastic straps.

The only complaint I have about the plug is that it isn’t suitable to wear under your clothes, or if you’re going to be sitting down for a long period of time. The base is fairly thick and bulky, so felt a little awkward under my jeans. I also couldn’t sit comfortably. It was better when I sat on something soft, like a padded chair or a sofa, but hard surfaces were completely out of the question. When I wore it underneath panties and a miniskirt, then sat down on a wooden chair, I could hear the glass clunking against the surface.

However, I don’t think that should deter anyone from getting the plug. This plug is meant to be flaunted, not hidden away under clothing! Let your partner(s) appreciate it, or use it during sex. Wearing this plug made me want to walk around the apartment naked (unfortunately I still had roommates at the time, so I didn’t indulge). If you want a plug for long-term wear, there are plenty of other, more affordable options on the market.

A lot of care seems to have been put into this product. Each piece is hand-made, and since it’s made of glass, it’s completely non-porous and body-safe. You can sterilize it by wiping it down with 10% bleach solution or rubbing alcohol. (I hesitate to suggest boiling for 5 minutes since I don’t know how the crystal is secured in the base, and I don’t know what effect boiling might have on that. I’d be reluctant to put it on the top shelf of the dishwasher due to potential damage of the crystal, also.)

Next time you have to buy a significant other a gift, you won’t have to pick between a fancy sex toy or jewelry… you can get the best of both worlds.

You can buy your own short AB plug here.

Thanks, Crystal Delights!

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Siri is incredibly cute. It looks kind of like an easter egg, and comes in 3 different colors – including a beautiful, vibrant red that I was really excited about. (Red is one of my favorite colors and I’ve found that there’s an unfortunate shortage of red sex toys.) I got sent the pink version, though. Oh well.

I don’t think I’ll be able to delve beyond appearances without comparing Siri to Lelo’s other products. Let’s see how Siri stands up compared to the old product designs, and to one of Lelo’s other clitoral vibrators, the Lily.

New Packaging & Control System

First off: the packaging. One thing Lelo is known for is their elegance and attention to detail when it comes to presentation. Siri’s packaging is much the same as the old packaging: a flimsier outer box, then a plain black storage box. However, once I lifted the lid of the storage box, my heart sank a little. I expected Lelo’s typical plastic “mould” that holds the toy in place, and houses the manual, charger, 1-year warranty, 10-year quality guarentee and satin storage pouch underneath it. Instead, I found a paper & plastic clamshell. This looks significantly tackier to me.

Looks aside, the new packaging poses a problem because you need to tear it open to get at the toy. Once you do that, you have to throw the clamshell out. With the old system, you could use it to store your new toy safely in the storage box if you wanted. Now, the toy will be left loose; rattling around in its box if moved.

The other noticeable difference is the control system. Siri has four buttons: the top and bottom ones control strength, and the left and right ones control mode. Hold them all down for a few seconds to lock and unlock the toy. Pretty intuitive. And the buttons still light up.

Compared to the old controls, there are things I like and dislike about it. The old button was a big circle, with each spot on the circle corresponding to the aforementioned functions. On the plus side, these buttons are bigger and easier to press. On the minus side, I can’t distinguish between the buttons with my fingers as easily. Usually when I get off, I’m under the covers and so the toy is under the covers, too, out of my sight. With the old controls, I could move my finger around the circle and feel for the part of the circle that I wanted. I find it harder to differentiate between these buttons, which means I sometimes don’t press the right thing on the first try, which can be a little annoying. Annoying also is the fact that I have to press these buttons harder to make them work, so I’m usually pressing one button twice, because the first time doesn’t work.

Siri is rechargeable (2 hours of charging time for 4 hours of use), displays a white light when charging and a red light when the battery is low, and is made of matte silicone (colored part) & plastic (white part). To sterilize the silicone area of the toy, you can wipe it with 10% bleach solution or rubbing alcohol. Also, silicone toys are not compatible with silicone lubes.

Is it stronger than Lelo’s other vibes? My answer is undoubtedly yes. I’m very happy with the Siri and look forward to trying even more new Lelo toys! (I’m looking at the mint-new Insignia line next.)

Check out the Siri & more sex toys at Your Adult Toy Store.

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