Sex Toy Reviews Archives - Page 5 of 10

Skinny Dip May 17, 2014

Introducing the Afterglow – The World’s First Laser Vibrator

One of the super awesome perks of being a sex and relationship blogger is that I get to try things that I never would have had a chance to otherwise. On this list is The Afterglow – the world’s very first laser vibrator. Yes, you read that right.

The Afterglow is the world’s first sex toy with light technology a.k.a pulsed infrared rays. The toy was developed by Dr. Ralph Zipper – a urologist based in Florida. Zipper has been using the same light technology as a therapeutic way to treat women with pelvic pain and overactive bladder disease. However, during the clinical trials an interesting side effect occurred: subjects saw improvements in their sexual responses. Women reported everything from sensations of arousal, to improved orgasms to having orgasms for the first time.

It makes sense – the low level laser targets blood flow to the genitals, which in turn boosts arousal and leads to mind-blowing orgasms. If you’re interested in reading more about the science behind the Afterglow you can here.

Armed with this knowledge and 30,000 worth of technology, Dr. Ralph Zipper got to work. Three years later, the Afterglow was born.

The concept of the Afterglow vibrator is actually kind of similar to what Viagra does for men — but with a sexy twist. Our bodies produce a chemical called cyclic guanosine monophosphate, or cGMP, which causes muscles around the blood vessels to relax. When this occurs, more blood flows into our genitals, and we feel more aroused. Viagra works by preventing the breakdown of cGMP – think of it like a bath tub plug that blocks the water from seeping out . However, the pulsed, infrared light used in the Afterglow actually increases the production of cGMP – a process that is similar to turning a tap on full throttle (yippee!)

Light therapy is also known to restore tissue, decrease inflammation, and ward off bacterial infections — in other words it’s kind of like giving your vagina a spa weekend at Canyon Ranch. Add to that the fact that the Afterglow promises killer orgasms and I couldn’t wait to try it.

The Afterglow is a rabbit style vibrator designed for both external and internal stimulation. It’s made of silky soft, medical grade silicone. It’s about 9 inches in length total, however only about 4 inches of that is insertable. As you can tell from the photo below with Joe the Intern, the Afterglow is similar to my beloved Lelo Ina 1.0 in shape, but with slightly different proportions. The Afterglow is fully rechargeable through USB cord, however it is not waterproof.

Along with a charger, dust-bag and instruction manual, it comes encased in a gorgeous white leatherette box that’s lined with velvet and can be locked with a key. It’s perfect for someone who maybe has kids and wants to keep their toy on lock-down. However, for someone like me who has a bunch of toys the padlocked box seems a bit excessive. It’s beautiful but it’s also quite large and bulky – not ideal for someone like me who stores all of their toys discretely in a cabinet.

(FYI, my Mom accidentally mistook the packaging as a “new jewellery box,” only to open it and burst out screaming. True story.)

But wait, there’s more!

Skinny Dip May 7, 2014

Because Toys For Men Deserve Some Love Too

When it comes to reviewing sex toys for the awesome companies that I work with, they’ll often ask me for suggestions on what I’m interested in reviewing. Often this happens weeks or months in advance, before the actual toy arrives. For a long time I’ve been interested in reviewing (or I should say, having someone else review) some male sex toys on Skinny Dip. Male sex toys like The Fleshlight have always intrigued me (How do they work? What do they feel like? What’s it like having sex with a robot-vagina? Which ones are the best?) however being that I have a vagina, it’s impossible for me to try them out. What’s a cis lady on the search for the best fake pussy to do? To make a long story short – not so long ago, California Exotics sent me the Apollo Power Stroker to review on the blog.

The Apollo Power Stroker is a vibrating male masturbator lined with stimulating waves and nodules for what is designed to be orgasmic bliss. The toy allows you to caress the head and shaft of the penis with your choice of 30 vibrating speeds and patterns and enjoy hands-fee fun thanks to its suction cup feature. Measuring approximately 8.5 inches total length with 3.5 inches in internal length, the Apollo Power Stroker is made of skin safe rubber and is phthalate free.

When I originally suggested the toy I was dating someone who would have been able to test the toy for me, but alas my relationship status changed, leaving me with one Apollo Power Stroker and no testing penis in sight. File this under #SexBloggerProblems. Luckily though, when I shared my sex blogging woes with one of my good friends, she volunteered her boyfriend as my “stunt penis.”

I passed the toy onto them to enjoy and sent over a series of questions about the Apollo Power Stroker experience. You can read her boyfriend’s feedback below –

How to you use this product? (Does it vibrate? Does it pulsate? How does it work? Walk me through it!

“This thing is battery operated and vibrates with 30 settings. you have to put some lube on your penis and then stick the power stroker on the end. it only goes a few inches deep. turn it on and move it up and down slightly. the lube creates a sucking effect and vibrations add a little extra sensation. It also comes with an suction cup attachment so that you could use it hands free against a wall or whatever.”

What does it feel like? (Good? Bad? Weird? Somewhere in between?)

“At first it didn’t seem to do too much for me with just the vibrations. the sucking effect is what actually makes this thing work. it feels good, but you’d have to already be aroused for it to do any good. Works best with porn.”

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Skinny Dip March 5, 2014

Is That A Wheel of Tongues In Your Pocket….

…or are you just happy to see me?

Exciting news guys! Remember the Sqweel – that crazy sex toy that looks like a wheel of tongues?! Of course you do, because as I mentioned before, I get asked about this toy all the time. In fact, whenever I’m out for brunch there’s at least a 70% chance that someone will bring up the Sqweel. I kid you not. I spend a lot of time discussing the intricacies of masturbation over pancakes and eggs benedict. Everyone wants to know about the Sqweel’s tiny, fake tongues. Can you blame them? So, I’m very excited to share that the masterminds at Lovehoney recently came out with a new version of the Sqweel. Skinny Dippers, meet the Sqweel Go, one of my new favourite additions to my toy collection.

As you may remember from my original review of the Sqweel 2, the only thing I didn’t love about the toy was the fact that it ran on batteries and felt slightly awkward to hold. The Sqweel Go remedies both of these issues. It’s fully rechargeable and is designed ergonomically to fit in the palm of your hand. Also, unlike the Sqweel 2 which was fairly large and bulbous, the Sqweel Go is designed as a travel sized toy… or as I like to call it, “pocket sized” (for simulated oral sex on the go!)

The Sqweel Go is a pocket sized clitoral vibrator that is equipped with a rotating wheel of 10 silicone tongues and 6 speeds & patterns for intense stimulation. Apply a drop of water-based lube to the rotating wheel of soft silicone tongues, switch it on and experience orgasmic sensations as each of the 10 tongues lick your clitoris. Use your Sqweel Go anywhere you like to be licked, including your nipples, perineum (boys can have fun too!) or anus.

The Sqweel Go is body safe and is discretely rechargeable via USB. Simply plug it into your laptop, computer or USB mains plug and charge for 2 hours for up to 1 hour of play.

Although I was super excited about the new features of the Sqweel Go, i.e. that it’s rechargeable (me and purchasing batteries are not friends), I was also slightly apprehensive. Would the small stature of this toy live up to the glory of the original?

The answer: yes. In fact, I actually think I like the Sqweel Go better. Because of it’s size, I found it way easier to control. I was able to apply it to my clit but also easily manoeuvre it to massage other pleasure spots without it ever feeling awkward. Also, the tongues are softer and more flexible, which I found worked really nicely for me. The end result was that I ended up having a really delicious orgasm & then went back for more!

Instead of impeding pleasure, I feel like this smaller version of the Sqweel actually enhances it. I love how small and discrete the toy is. Whereas the original Sqweel screams out, “Yo, I’m packing a wheel of tongues!”, this little guy (or gal) kind of looks like one of those tiny pocket sized fans that they sometimes give out at conferences (but a lot more fun.) Also, it has a one touch control button: hold it down to turn it on/off and press it once to cycle through the various patterns and intensity levels.

The Sqweel Go retails at the same price as the original ($59.99) and given the option, I would choose the pocket sized “Go” hands down. Not only is the fact that it’s rechargeable a huge asset, overall I just think it’s a much more user friendly toy – especially if you’re a beginner.

Btw, if you’d like to give the Sqweel Go (or something else!) a try, Lovehoney is currently offering Skinny Dip readers 15% off their purchase if you spend $70 because they’re cool like that. Just click here or enter the code LOVEUS15OFF at checkout. Enjoy!

Psst! This review was brought to you by the lovely folks at Lovehoney (thank you!) I received the Sqweel Go free of charge in exchange for my honest assessment of the product. All opinions are my own because that’s how I roll.

Skinny Dip February 19, 2014

Should You “Embrace” This New Couples Toy?

One of the more challenging aspects of writing about sex toys is when a company sends you a couples toy to review and you have no boyfriend or “sexual lab partner” in sight. This is exactly what happened when Cal Exotics sent me the Embrace Lover’s Remote right before Valentine’s Day. However, I’ve learned (through trying more sex toys than most people ever get their hands on), that a lot of couples toys can also be enjoyed solo. Therefore, I have done my best to try and give you guys an idea of what it’s like to use the Embrace Lover’s Remote vibe set.

Basically, the Lover’s Remote is two vibes in one. It features an insertable bullet shaped vibrator and a smaller external vibrator that’s also a remote control. In theory, you can either “point and shoot” – using the the external vibe to control remotely the vibrations being experienced by the partner who has inserted the bullet, or you can use both at the same time by using the remote to also stimulate the clit or provide stimulation to other erogenous zones.

Both pieces of this set are made of body safe silicone with silver plated ABS plastic accents. The bullet is approximately 3.5 inches long and the remote is 3 inches long. Both offer 7 different vibration functions & intensity levels. The bullet is waterproof, whereas the remote is only “splash proof.” Both can be cleaned using soap and water or anti-bacterial toy spray (how I clean my toys.)

The Embrace Lover's Remote. Everything fits in the palm of your hand.

This toy definitely has a few good things going for it:

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Skinny Dip December 20, 2013

The Perfect Gift For Lovers

You guys, I think I have found the cutest vibrator ever…and no, I don’t mean “cute” in a creepy, hello kitty vibrator kind of way.

Lately, I’ve noticed that a lot of adult pleasure products are really stepping up their game when it comes to creating fun and elegant packaging. The Lovelife Discover vibrator by Ohmibod is no exception. The “Discover” from OhMiBod’s new LoveLife line is a small sized, compact, luxury vibrator that can be used externally or internally. When the lovely people at Sexcuse Moi offered to send me my very own to try, I couldn’t resist. I mean, look at it?! It’s adorable.

Before I get into what this toy does & how it feels, I need to show you guys the stunning yet discrete packaging. When I unwrapped my parcel from Sexcuse Moi this is what I found:

The LoveLife Discover comes in a pink box with a suggestive cut-out. When you remove it from the outer box, inside you find a sturdier box adorned with hearts.

Along with the actual toy, inside the box you’ll also find an instruction manual, a silky storage case and a charger – the LoveLife Discover is fully rechargeable through USB and doesn’t require batteries.

The toy itself is gorgeous. The LoveLife Discover is made of 100% body-safe silicone and has a silky, smooth skin-like texture. Measuring about 4.5 inches long, this is a small sized toy that can be used for clitoral stimulation or inserted for some penetration. The insertable portion is about 3.5 inches long, so approximately the length of a finger. The easy to use controls are all based in the circular “head” which is adorned with a heart – naturally.

I know what’s probably going through your head: “Okay, Simone. We get it. It’s pretty. But how does it feel?” The answer: quite awesome!

The vibrations are definitely strong enough to get you off, but not so strong that they’re overwhelming. This toy actually feels very similar to the Lelo Siri which I reviewed a few months ago. Intensity wise, I think I still prefer the We-Vibe Touch or the Crave Duet, however, like the Lelo Siri I think the LoveLife Discover would make an excellent toy for couples play. It’s non-intimidating in size and unlike the toys I just mentioned above, you can actually insert it internally. At 3.5 inches, you’re not going to get very deep penetration, but it will feel good and sometimes that’s all you need. In other words, think of it as a vibrating finger that will add that extra je ne sais quoi to your sexy times.

Also, because of it’s small stature and bulbous head, the LoveLife Discover is actually a great toy for anal play. As I may have mentioned before, anal play isn’t really my jam (I tend to think of it like Indian Food – something I enjoy sometimes but don’t often crave. When it’s good, it’s good and when it’s bad, it’s really, really bad.) With that said, if anything is going in that area you damn well believe that it’s going to be pretty. Oh hi, LoveLife Discover.

To conclude, I think the LoveLife Discover is a great vibe for beginners and couples alike. Because of it’s compact size and the fact that you can recharge it by USB via your lap-top it’s also super travel friendly. Not to mention, at only $59, the Discover is a high-quality, luxury item with a very reasonable price tag.

Thank you to Sexcuse Moi for providing me with the LoveLife Discover free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. If you’d like to explore the “Discover”, Sexcuse Moi is currently offering free shipping with the code LUXESHIP.