Sexuality Happens

Back From Vegas

Essin' Em at the AVNs

Check me out at the AVN awards, wearing a sassy blue dress (my first ever One-Strap Dress), and the awesome 3-D glasses for the 3-D segment of the awards. Yep, I’m that cool.

Like last year, lots of queer and sex positive movies were nominated for the awards, including CrashPadSeries.com for best alternative website, Courtney Trouble’s Seven Minutes in Heaven for Pro-Am, Dangerous Curves for best niche movie (starring April Flores, directed by Carlos Batts), Good Releasing for best company, Jamye Waxman’s Sex Positions for Couples, etc. None of them won, sadly (although Good Vibrations and Babeland did win the two categories that Fascinations was nominated for…if we had to lose, what great companies to lose to!). JeJoue won both best small toy company and best toy for women with the JeJoue G-Ki.

Also, I got an Njoy Eleven. Get ready for my entire life to change. Well, I mean, at least the sexual part and art collector part of it. I also now have a La Palma harness from Spareparts to try, which I am super excited about, and a sample of one of Buck Angel’s new AWESOME glass toys! I can’t wait for his whole line to come out.

Smitten Kitten threw a fabulous party on Thursday night, and I am incredibly grateful to them. In this field, it can be extremely hard to be a sex positive person, particularly since many of us are the only people in the industry in our area. We are often alone in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wisconsin, LA, or wherever it is we happen to be. Outside of San Francisco and New York, there are not many groupings of sex educators, sex positive toy store owners, etc. However, attending this party was like coming home, meeting all sorts of other awesome people in the field, sharing triumphs and tribulations, asking questions that related to our own ethical views of certain toy lines, talking about the latest this, and the most interesting that. My hat goes off to Smitten Kitten for organizing such a great event (and with such delicious vegetarian and organic food/drink options to boot!) and helping to connect sex positive people in the adult/sex industry in a way that rarely has happened before. Plus, their crew is awesome.

Sometimes, I feel like I’m straddling the mainstream world and the sex positive world, and I don’t quite fit either. Where I work is sex positive, but we also have 16 stores and a website, so we do things very differently than a small company with just one or two stores. On my own, I am as sex positive as I can possibly be, but when I’m seen as part of Fascinations, I feel like I’m sometimes shunned from the sex positive community for having chosen to work with a more mainstream company, and that the literally dozens of free classes we offer, sex educators we employe, products we choose to carry (and not carry) don’t even matter, because it’s not my own store, or a well know store in the sex positive world. It’s tough. I felt that same way working for HotMoviesForHer, because at the time, few people were ok with the fact that many women DO like porn, and like more than just super touchy feely couples porn at that. I’m always feeling a little like a black sheep…but at least black is my favorite color, and I think sheep are cute. I do look forward to moving back to Colorado for many reasons, and one is being closer to other sex positive people in the adult industry, and the folks at the Denver SK are awesome.

That’s it for now…I’ll try to get back to posting more regularly from now on.

-Essin’ Em

2 comments

Sex Toy Review: B Curious

B Curious Vibrator at Babeland

Today’s review is courtesy of the great sex positive company Babeland. It’s of another rechargable clitoral stimulator/rechargeable vibrator the B Curious.

As we know, I love the option of having rechargeable vibrators, because not only is it less annoying than having to find random batteries at the last minute when your batteries in your vibe die in the middle of sex, but also because they are easier to travel with and are far more sustainable. 

However, the problem with many of the rechargeable vibrators is that they are pretty expensive — many of them break the $100 price point. Are they worth it? Mostly yes, especially the Lelo line. On the other hand, lots of people cannot afford to stop $150 on a single toy, so I really was excited when this toy came out, as its price point is under $75, yet is still rechargeable. Love it!

Regarding the color choice that they went with (there are not color OPTIONS, there is only the one that it comes with), I love the black, but dislike the pink. Is anyone surprised?

Charging it was easy, and it actually packs a decent amount of vibration for its size and weight. It was actually WAY lighter than it looked — I’m used to more heavy/hefty vibes, so it took some time to get used to. However, for the price and size, I was actually pretty impressed. It’s very similarly shaped to the Fun Factory Layaspot (a GREAT first timer’s vibe), but unlike the Layaspot, it is rechargeable and a bit more light weight.

It’s much better (as far as shape) for use on yourself than trying to hold and use on others — it’s shaped oddly for that, and is hard to hold if you’re trying to put it on a partner. Can you make it work, yes, but it’s not ideal.

I think that this is a great first time vibrator, or even a first time rechargeable vibrator for someone who likes the Layaspot and wants it to be more sustainable, or for someone who wants the Lelo siri, but can’t yet afford it.

Click here to get your own B Curious Vibrator at Babeland.

-Essin’ Em

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Sex Toy Review: Ophoria Beyond 3 Dildo

Ophoria Beyond 3 Dildo

As you may remember, earlier this year, I reviewed the Ophoria Beyond 1 vibrator/dildo like toy. I liked it, but I had some problems with it, most notably that while I love love loved the shape of it, when I was using it either on myself or a partner, the bloody thing would go slipping and sliding. Any lube (which I put down as a must have) made it impossible to grip.

And so, I am excited to tell you that I have now gotten to try the Ophoia Beyond 3 Dildo, which is pretty much exactly the same shape, just without the vibrations. And guess what? It ROCKS. I love that it has a little loop/handle like thing at the end…it doesn’t matter how ridiculously lubricated my fingers get — I can still hold on to it like a bucking bronco.

My Beyond 3 was red. Beautiful. The options for this dildo? Red and black, my two favorite colors, making it hard to decide. It was so nice not to have to choose between pink and “whatever the other option” is. Thanks Ophoria for providing diversity in dildo colors!

The shape of the toy, as mentioned before? AWESOME. I love using it on myself, and when I use it on my partner, I can angle it so that not only is it penetrative, but that it hits alllll the good bits on the way out. Score.

I like the matte silicone (similar to what Fun Factory uses, although not exactly the same), as with lube, it doesn’t drag, but isn’t toooo slick, like I’ve had in some toys. The handle is beyond brilliant, although I wish they’d made it just slightly bigger, in order for me to be able to fit two fingers. One and a half just does not cut it.

Like all Ophoria toys, it’s 100% medical grade silicone. You know the drill; soap and water by day, 10% bleach/dishwasher/3-5 minutes in boiling water to sterilize it. Keep it away from other silicone (toys and lubes). Take good care of it, and it’ll take good care of you…oh will it.

Not my absolute favorite dildo (not harness compatible) or g-spot toy, but definitely makes the top five list for each. Four strong stars, that may eventually lean towards being five as I get to use it more and more. Bonus points for gift-friendly packaging.

Want your own? Click here to get a Beyond 3 Dildo for yourself (or lover!)

-Essin’ Em

1 comment

Sex Toy Review: The Vamp

Ok vampires, you may have met your match. Behold:

The Tantus Vamp Dildo

Not really, but I think it’s still a great idea. What is it? Well, Tantus made a new sex toy called the Vamp. It’s basically a 100% silicone dildo. What makes it vampire like?

First of all, it’s a much harder silicone than many of their toys. It feels quite firm, like the alabaster like penis possessed by a certain vampire written about by a certain member of the LDS church.

But it gets better, and even more Edwardian, if you will; if you take it out in the the sunlight, it sparkles. I’m not even kidding. Full on sparkly goodness, just like E.C. Does it sparkle under regular light? Not at all, which kind of makes it even more awesome.

Third thing to make this a vamp-tastic sex toy, almost Cullen-esque? You can freeze it, to make it cold, just like Edwards naughty bits.

Now, can you free any silicone dildo? Yes. But the rest of them aren’t as firm, and they certainly don’t sparkle in the sunlight, making this really a unique item in the Vampire Sex Toy craze (think I’m crazy? Have you seen the vampire fleshlight? Yeah – it’s called the Succu Dry).

What about what I thought of it? Well, I liked the suction cup like base, that seemed to work pretty well on the side of the bathtub until I wanted to take a picture of it, and then of course, it wouldn’t stick, not for love nor money. Le sigh.

I like the silliness around it. I LOVE sex toys with stories behind them. However, I wasn’t that impressed with the actual toy itself. It’s fairly true to penis shape (which is good — Tantus hasn’t had a ton of realistic cocks before, so I’m happy they did it with this one), which my own body parts don’t happen to be a fan of. And the silicone? A little bit too stiff for my own personal taste. It didn’t really hit the G-spot, which is pretty important to me, and so I was kind of let down by the actual use.

However, I am a sex toy collector, and actually have tons of unopened toys that I’ve collected just because they’re cute (like the whole “I Rub My…” line — I just need the penguin and the fishie, and my life will be complete!). I totally will be boiling the Vamp, and putting it out on display, like the amazing Vampire Parody Penis that it truly is. It’s a MUST HAVE for any serious vampire or sex toy collector.

As a side note, some other reviewers have love love loved this toy. I didn’t. Please make sure you read lots of reviews before you decide whether it is or isn’t worth it, as opinions vary.

-Essin’ Em

Toy was given to me, for free, in exchange for an honest (and pervy) review. Ta-da!

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Pleasurists #94

Slow Enough to Scream by wynnesome

Welcome to Pleasurists, a round-up of the adult product and sex toy reviews that came out in the last seven days. For updates and information follow our RSS Feed and Twitter.

Did you miss Pleasurists #93? Read it all here. Do you have a review for Pleasurists #95? Be sure to read our submission guidelines and then use our submission form and submit it before Sunday September 12th at 11:59pm PDT.

Want to win some swag? All you’ve got to do is enter.

Looking for sexy posts other than reviews?

e[lust] #19

Editor

Scarlet Lotus St. Syr

Editor’s Pick

  • Cobra Libre by Dr. Ruthie
  • While I’ve seen a lot of great men’s masturbation toys, it’s become clear that, largely, they fall into two categories: full-penis-length stroking sleeves meant to enhance the usual jacking-off motions, or anal toys meant for prostate stimulation. That’s why the arrival of the Cobra Libre, Fun Factory’s new vibrating men’s toy meant for relaxing, luxuriating stimulation to the glans (the penis head) was extra exciting for me.

On to the reviews…

Vibrators

Dildos

Anal Toys

Toys for Cocks

Lube, Massage Oil, Bath Stuff, & etc.

BDSM/Fetish

Adult Books/Games

Adult DVDs & Porn

Storage

Miscellaneous

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Sex Toy Review: Vortex Glass Dildo

Vortex Glass Dildo at SexToy.com

This, my dear readers, is my newest sex toy. It’s a glass dildo by Ruby Glass, also known…as the VORTEX glass dildo. I just really like saying Vortex. Particularly as Q and I are headed to Sedona today, and they are all about these magical vortexes that they have there which are also known as lay lines that come together, and do magical things.

Is this a magical vortex? Well, let’s get the stats first. It, like most (if not all) glass dildos is made of glass. Not, say, the type of glad you’d drink from, or even a window pane, but some pretty hard core glass. I’ve only ever once broken a glass dildo, and it fell from the top of a dresser onto a cement floor— only one small piece broke off. Ergo, they are pretty hardy, and vagina (and butt, if they have flanged bases, like this one) friendly. The Vortex was no exception. A nice thing about glass toys is that they’re compatible with water-based lube (like all toys), but also silicone lube, which I love, and most toys can’t deal with.

As far as packaging, I was NOT impressed with the bag it came in. Most glass toys come in luxurious velvet bags, some of which are plush, but even if not, they are just nice velour and good for storing the toys so they don’t clink and chip. Sadly, the Vortex came in a weird bag that felt almost like felted plastic, or something like that. I was very much underwhelmed.

As far as cleaning glass, you can always wipe it down with soap and warm water, but it’s 100% sterilizable; you can boil it (3-5 minutes), run it through the dishwasher (top shelf) or wipe it down with a 10% bleach solution. Perfect for sharing with friends, or using both anally AND vaginally.

Let’s talk toy: the Vortex is very very pretty. It’s clear glass interspersed with black, white and green lines. I could have done without the green, but even so, it’s a beautiful glass dildo, hands down. Its design isn’t bad at all; it feels quite good sliding in and out. I was hoping for a little more G-spot action from the shape, but I didn’t really get what I was looking for. On the other hand, it just felt really good, smooth, and it has a base, so I’m pretty sure it would feel good for anal stimulation and play as well.

I love glass toys; putting them in ice water to cool them down, or warm water, to heat them up. I love how they feel sliding in and out, and how beautiful they truly are. I wish the Vortex had been a bit more G-spot magical for me, and had come with a nice pouch, but that aside, it’s a pretty rocking toy. 3.5 stars (out of 5) from me.

All in all, this is a pretty good beginner or middle of the road glass toy, and definitely a beautiful one. Click here to get your very own Vortex glass dildo. Thanks SexToy.com!

-Essin’ Em

2 comments

Pleasurists #93

The Goddess Aphrodite by DarkAlchemyStudios

Welcome to Pleasurists, a round-up of the adult product and sex toy reviews that came out in the last seven days. For updates and information follow our RSS Feed and Twitter.

Did you miss Pleasurists #92? Read it all here. Do you have a review for Pleasurists #94? Be sure to read our submission guidelines and then use our submission form and submit it before Sunday August 29th at 11:59pm PDT.

Want to win some swag? All you’ve got to do is enter.

Looking for sexy posts other than reviews?

e[lust] #18

Editor

Scarlet Lotus St. Syr

Editor’s Pick

  • njoy Fun Wand by Elodie
  • I already adored my new toy before I knew how the end with three bloops felt in my butt. When K used the Fun Wand in my rear (with plenty of lubricant), it was a revelation.

On to the reviews…

Vibrators

Dildos

Anal Toys

Toys for Cocks

Lube, Massage Oil, Bath Stuff, & etc.

BDSM/Fetish

Adult Books/Games

Adult DVDs & Porn

Storage

Miscellaneous

No comments

Sex Toy Review: Velvet Vibrating Corsette Harness

Velvet Vibrating Corsette Harness

I haven’t gotten to review a harness in a while, so I have to thank the lovely feminist sex toy store (in Canada) Trinity Romance for this chance to review the Velvet Vibrating Corsette Harness.

As far as harnesses go, I love love love my Spareparts Joque harness. There is nothing quite like it. However, as has often been pointed out to me, even my custom made leopard print one is not quite as femme-y as some would like. Ergo, I have endevoured to finding a fat-girl-friendly, femme-tastic, dual strap harness.

This one is pretty damn close. The promo pictures show the harness making your ass look pretty good, and in real life, it comes pretty close. Here is a picture of me in the harness, with my ass nicely framed (thanks Q for taking the photo!)

vibrating velvet corsette harness back

Ok. So ass looks good. Check. Plus size friendly? The straps fit up to a 60″ waist. This meant that even as a big girl, I had a LOT of extra strappage going on. A lot. To the point where I might cut them, and burn the ends so they don’t get in the way as much. So big girl fit-able? Hell yes.

Now, I have the black one, but this also comes in purple, if you’re like me and like to coordinate. It also comes with a vibrating bullet that fits in a pocket in the front and THREE adjustable O-rings. I really appreciated that; most adjustable O-ring harnesses don’t actually come with other O-rings for you to switch out.

The vibe? Meh. I could have don’t without it. Didn’t have much oomph to it, and like most small bullet vibes, it dies quickly, and has expensive batteries to replace. However, if you have a smaller rechargable vibe, like the Lelo Mia, you can use that in the same place, which is nice.

The harness looked pretty damn good on me, and fit quite comfortably, and I loved the tie-up in the back. My one issue with it is that if you choose to use a bigger cock, either thick or long, it’s going to be heavy, and honestly, this harness is not meant for heavier cocks. The velvet and stretchy rubber O-rings just don’t provide enough support. This means you might end up with a bit of a limp dick, or even worse, your cock popping out into your partner. I’m awkward, yes, but that earns a total awkward calamari from me.  Also, because the front part is solid (unlike the Joque, or the Sportsheet Bare as You Dare), you cannot use it to support toys like the Feeldoe, Nexus and Share.

All in all, this is a great, sexy harness, that fits people of all sizes, is an awesome vegan harness, a bit femme-y, and with adjustable O-rings. If you’re looking for a first time, or occasional use harness, this would be perfect. On the other hand, if you’re rocking the cock (femme cock or otherwise) on a regular basis, I’d suggest something a bit more sturdy!

Thanks to Trinity Romance for this lovely harness. If you live in B.C., Canada, tell them to bring me in for a class — I’d LOVE to teach there!

-Essin’ Em

trinity romance sex toys

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Review of Discreet Romance

I have been asked to write a paid review of the sex toys website Discreet-Romance.com.

First impression? The site needs a bit more of a face lift on the front. It’s incredibly busy, and has issues with word combos like “man sex toys” and “vaginas and dolls.” I had a hell of a time trying to find an “about” sections. Returns policy? Yes. FAQ sections? Yes. A whole hell of a lot of different vibrator options, and a variety of adult toys? Yes. However, I was never able to find a mission statement, or even an about section. So really, I can’t tell you much about who owns/runs the site, what their views are on sexuality and sex positivity, etc. There is an “about our store” section on the front page below the blog, but it is not informative, and is full of typos, which annoyed me.

First thing I always do when reviewing a sex toy/adult toy site is to search the site for anal eaze. Yes, they do indeed carry it. HUGE black mark in my book. They also carry shrink creams, which is a big no-no to me. Moreover, they have really racistly-named shrink creams, which I have huge beef with. Not impressed with their selection.

As far as body-friendly items, they do carry the full line of Tantus silicone (and aluminum items), including butt plugs, dildos, harness kits and vibrators.They also have the line of Lelo toys (some of my favs as well). On the other hand, they do NOT have any Vixen, Jimmy Jane, Liberator, etc. If you’re looking for high end toys, this is not the site for you.

However, if what you want is cheap toys, you may have found your match, Each page displays lots of sale items, including rabbit style vibrators for under $20, bullet vibes for under $5, etc. If you know what you’re looking for, their search button is ok, but I find their left hand menu of items very difficult to search, and it’s extremely hard to find the few body-friendly and quality items in the mess of everything else.

On the front page, they do have a blog, that unlike many of these one-off toy sites, seems to be updated on a fairly regular basis. The writing isn’t amazing, and I personally don’t agree with many of the topics/advice given, but I do appreciate that they have one, unlike many similar sites.

All in all, I say meh to Discreet Romance. I don’t approve of many of their products (anal numbing creams, shrink creams, etc), and find the navigation fairly difficult, especially if I’m looking for a decent toy. However, their prices are low, and they actually have a sexuality blog, which is more than I can say for most of these sites that sell adult toys.

-Essin’ Em

5 comments

Giveaway: Tenga Egg

Tenga Egg at Babeland

Ok…so this contest is mostly for the boyz. When I say boy/boi, I mean someone who has a body part that they’d like to use the freaking awesome Tenga Egg on (or a partner for such). On the other hand, it’s been pointed out to me on the Tenga Egg page at Babeland.com (contest sponsor!) that you can even turn the egg inside out and use it on a Hitachi as a fun bumpy cover, so really, it is for anyone and every one.

It’s simple to enter. Just comment and tell me your favorite food/story/word that involves eggs. Think humpy dumpty, eggs benedict, who knows!

Deadline: Friday, August 27th at 11:59PM PDT.

Shipping included for US residents. Must be 18 or over to win. That’s about it for the small print.

Here is a picture of the different individual insides of the Tenga Eggs, whether you use them as male masturbators or Hitachi Magic Wand covers.

Insides of Tenga Eggs

And that’s all for now folks. It’s a pretty EGG-citing contest, so comment away!

-Essin’ Em

12 comments

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