If we go by the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 has been the Year of the Snake. However, if we go by my sex toy reviews, it’s more like the Year of the Rabbit. Over the past year I’ve reviewed a lot of rabbit vibrators. No complaints here! I love a good dual stimulation toy, so when a company offers to send me something new & shiny to try, I can’t resist. To prove my point, here are most of the rabbit vibrators that I own. At least half of them were reviewed in 2013. Crazy right?! It’s been um, a busy year.

The year is almost over, but one more rabbit managed to arrive just in time to still be reviewed in 2013. The nice people over at California Exotics surprised me with this purple beauty (thank you!!). Guys, I’d like you to meet Isabella from Cal Exotics’s Entice line. Isn’t she pretty?

Isabella is a stylish dual stimulation vibrator made of silky soft, body-safe silicone and elegant metallic plating at her base. She has dual motors designed to stimulate both the g-spot and the clitoris. Isabella is about 8″ long, with 5.25″ of insertable length, making it a really decent sized toy (not too big, not too small). It has 8 different vibration, pulsation and escalation modes and some of the easiest to use controls I’ve ever seen on a vibrator – there’s one button for on/off and another to change the vibration settings. Isabella is powered by 2 AA batteries that are easily inserted in her base. Oh, and she’s waterproof! (hello, bath time fun!)

Isabella actually reminds me a lot of another vibrator I reviewed – the Picobong Kaya. They’re both medium sized battery operated rabbit vibrators that are very elegantly designed. I don’t usually review a lot of battery operated toys because I prefer rechargeable toys, however the I was really impressed by the overall quality of Isabella. The silicone is seriously so freaking soft – it’s amazing. Isabella definitely has a very luxurious feel. The shaft of this toy is a really decent size and feels really great when inserted. Unlike my last review, there is absolutely no discomfort or irritation with this toy. Yay! Also, it goes without saying that the vibrations definitely lead to some toe curling orgasms.

By the way,  yesterday when I asked Joe the Intern if he’d help me with the photographs for this post he told me he wanted to sit this one out (“Simone, I’ve been walking around the mall all afternoon Christmas shopping. I really need some me time.“) However, five minutes later, he was on my desk asking me why I wasn’t taking photos of him. Sigh, interns! So, I’ve included this photo so you can get an idea of the scale of the toy.

Although I love almost everything about Isabella, I felt that the toy could have used just one or two more levels of intense vibration to really make it the perfect toy for me. Intensity wise, I still think I prefer the Body and Soul Lover (I can’t. quit. you.) With that said, although this toy may not satisfy advanced toy users, this is a great option for beginners. The vibrations are definitely enough to get you off and the quality of the toy is amazing. The price point is also super reasonable. At approximately $50, this is the perfect toy for someone who is looking to experiment with their first rabbit vibe and wants something that feels like a luxury toy without a high-end price tag. It also makes for a very nice stocking stuffer 😉

If that sounds like you, you can find the Entice Isabella at one of my favourite retailers, Sex Toys Canada for $47.95. Don’t live in Canada? You can also find California Exotics Entice Isabella  on Amazon for $33.94.

Once again, I just wanted to thank California Exotics for sending me this lovely toy for review. I received this toy free of charge as part of the Cal Exotics Sexpert program in exchange for my honest review. As always, all opinions are my own because that’s how I roll. 

If you’ve read some of my reviews of sex toys and lingerie, you’ve probably noticed that the majority of them are overwhelmingly positive. This is no coincidence. Although I’m always honest with my reviews, I try to only review products that I know I’ll enjoy or that will be value to you guys. This year I’ve reviewed  lots of toys that I have really enjoyed like the Lovehoney Happy Rabbit and the Nick Hawk Gigolo Dildo. I’ve also reviewed some that I’ve absolutely fallen in LOVE with – like the Body & Soul Lover and the Crave Duet. Although I enjoy most of the products I get to review, occasionally I’ll come across a toy that just doesn’t work for me. The Body and Soul Bliss vibrator by California Exotics is one of those toys.

The Body & Soul Bliss is a sleek dual stimulation “rabbit” style vibrator designed to stimulate both your clitoris and g-spot at the same time. The toy features two independent motors and 10 different vibration modes both in the shaft & the clitoral stimulator. For a rabbit vibrator, this toy is definitely on the smaller side. The total length of the toy is about 7 inches, but only 3.5 inches of that is actually insertable. The clitoral arm is also quite small at only 1 inch in length.

The Body & Soul Bliss definitely has some good things going for it:

1) It’s fully rechargeable by USB. No batteries required! Just plug it into your computer or another USB port like this and it charges completely within 8 hours.

2) It’s light weight and super easy to use. The toy weighs almost nothing, has a one touch on/off button and a flexible shaft.

3) The smaller size of the toy is great for beginners. There’s nothing overwhelming about this toy. It also is relatively neutral looking so it would work well for anyone who doesn’t want anything that looks too anatomically correct.

4) It’s pretty. The design is really sleek and it has a nicely raised bump at the tip of the toy designed to stimulate the G-Spot.

I was really excited to try this toy because I love me a good rabbit vibrator, plus one of my favourite toys, the Body & Soul Lover vibrator, is from the same line. In theory this toy should also be super awesome. However, unfortunately my experience with the Body & Soul Bliss was anything but blissful.

Everyone’s bodies are shaped differently, so there’s always the chance that what’s one person’s favourite sex toy is another person’s worst nightmare & vice versa. The Body & Soul Bliss didn’t work with my body at all. Here’s why –

1) The clitoral arm is way too short. At one inch in length, this clitoral stimulator doesn’t come anywhere close to reaching my clit, which kind of defeats the purpose of being a dual stimulator toy. Instead, the clitoral arm hovers in a weird limbo area, almost reaching my clit but not really, which is totally frustrating. At 3.5 inches the insertable portion also doesn’t do much for me either – length or girth wise. I tried thrusting this toy, I tried contorting my body into weird positions, but at the end of the day it took me forever to have an orgasm with this toy.

To give you a better idea of how the toy is shaped compared to the other toy I own from the Body & Soul line, here they are right next to each other.

As you can see, the Body & Soul Bliss has a much shorter clitoral arm and overall length.

2) High pitched, buzzy vibrations – I love deep, rumbly, powerful vibrations. However, unlike the Body & Soul Lover which I love for it’s intense, body quaking vibrations, the “Bliss” is much less powerful. Instead of a deep, rumbly sensation, the vibrations feel very high pitched and buzzy.

3) Texture – Instead of a silky smooth silicone body, the Bliss feels very rubbery and has a lot of drag. If you’re going to use this toy, you’re going to need lots of lube because it doesn’t slide in easily.

4) It makes me feel like I’m burning up (& not in a good way) – When I initially inserted the toy, I was overcome with a strong stinging sensation. It was really uncomfortable and only eased up slightly after using the toy for a few minutes. The worst part was I couldn’t figure out why I was having any kind of reaction. Almost all of my toys are silicone, so why was I reacting to this one in particular?! I found my answer when I re-read the information on the box and noticed that the “Bliss” isn’t made of silicone, it’s made of TPR. Although sex toys made of TPR are considered body-safe, I’ve had the same kind of reaction before to toys made of this material.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, TPR (Thermoplastic rubber) is hypoallergenic, nontoxic and phthalate free. According to Discreet Sensuality’s Sex Toy Materials Guide, TPR is less porous than toys made of jelly- like materials (which usually aren’t body safe – read why here) but way more porous than Silicone. Therefore, it’s recommended that condoms be used with sex toys made of TPR to prevent the spread of bacteria and other infectious agents – something I only learned after reading up on TPR as a sex toy material.

Joe the Intern, once again being a good sport & standing next to the "Bliss" so that you can see the scale of the toy.

In theory, if I was able to overlook the other challenges with this toy, I could put a condom on it and use it anyways (therefore, avoiding the irritation issue), however in the words of Sweet Brown…

Using sex toys should be fun, easy and most of all, pleasurable. The lesson here: if a sex toy causes you this much grief, it might be that it’s just the wrong toy for you. 

California Exotics makes some truly awesome products, I just don’t think this is one of their best. Although this toy might work nicely for someone who isn’t sensitive to TPR and requires a very short clitoral arm, I would still recommend their Body & Soul Lover vibrator over this one hands down – especially if you’re looking to buy your first rabbit vibrator. It’s a similar size and price point, but it’s made of silicone & packs a lot more punch vibration wise. Plus I think the shape is more likely to fit different bodies.

Both the Body & Soul Bliss ($41.95) and Body & Soul Lover ($76.99) are available at PinkCherry Sex Toys

So, there you have it. Have you ever tried a toy that didn’t work for you?

This review was made possible thanks to the Cal Exotics Sexpert Program. Thank you Cal Exotics for sending me this toy! I received the toy free of charge in exchange for my honest review of the product.  All opinions are my own because that’s how I roll. 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canucks! I hope you’re having a wonderful long-weekend with your friends & family.

When it comes to reviewing sex toys and lingerie, people often ask me whether I get to choose the products myself. The answer is both yes and no. The companies I work with are really great and usually will let me pick out the products I want to feature on my blog – however, there are always a few surprises! Falling in the “surprise” category is the  Posh Silicone Ice Massager Kiss – a vibrator that you fill with water and freeze before using. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s an ice vibrator. 

Although I own a lot of different sex toys, I’ve never tried anything remotely like this so I was excited when I received this toy as part of the Cal Exotics Sexpert program (thank you!!)

The Posh Silicone Ice Massager Kiss is a small, lipstick sized vibrator that measures approximately 2.5″ by 2″. The toy is made of food grade material and is Hypo-allergenic, Latex free, Non-porous and Phthalates free. The toy consists of a pink silicone “body” with a removable bullet vibrator. It is powered by two watch batteries which are included in the package along with extras (because really, who keeps spare watch batteries on hand?)

Now, this is where things get interesting – you fill the pink “body” with water and pop it in your freezer until it gets hard (heh). When it’s time to play, just insert the bullet, turn on & go!

Why would you want to use a vibrator that’s basically made of ice?! Because it feels awesome – that’s why. Whether it’s ice cubes or hot wax – experimenting with different temperatures can take sex to new, interesting, tingly places. Whereas men tend to respond best to warm sensations (think anything that mimics the inside of a mouth or a vagina), the clitoris actually responds to cold temperatures. This is where ice-play comes in. Whether you want to rub ice cubes up and down your partner’s body or experiment with temperature play solo, this toy does it all without freezing your fingertips in the process.

The Ice Massager Kiss by California Exotics comes with a silicone massager (or "body"), a removable vibrating bullet and several watch batteries.

I was all ready to pop this little guy in the freezer, however when I tore open the box and looked at the toy closely I noticed something –  It has a mouth and lips. Suddenly it dawned on me why this toy is called the Ice Massager Kiss. You know how I feel about sex toys with mouths. They freak me out. As soon as I saw the set of lips on this thing, they couldn’t be unseen.

Needless to say, Joe the Intern is terrified of the Ice Massager Kiss. As soon as Joe caught sight of it, he spent the next 90 minutes hiding behind my armoire in a cold sweat.

Although the mouth on the Posh Ice Massager was a bit unsettling at first, I knew I had a job to do. I decided to take one for the team & give it a whirl.

As a heads up, using the Ice Massager Kiss requires a bit of pre-planning. After cleaning the toy thoroughly with anti-bacterial toy cleaner, I filled it up with water before placing it in the freezer for a few hours.

The Ice Massager takes about 3-4 hours to freeze.

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