Kink In Exile

Okay this is one of those toys that I oggle in the store but am actually a little intimidated by in real life. The Tantus Alumina collection is made of aeronautic grade aluminum. These pretty purple aluminum dildos comes in a variety of shapes and are all lubricant safe. I started with the smoothest one in the collection – the Tantus Flow – even though I got the Tantus Motion as well.

The first thing I noticed about this toy is the weight. Unlike plastic or silicone toys I already have, these guys are heavy! They also get frigidly cold. Aluminum actually holds temperature really well and you can adjust the temperature of the toy by running it under hot or cold water. My favorite game along those lines is to play with the cool Tantus Flow before fucking my boyfriend who is of course amazingly warm by comparison. I haven’t tried warming it up yet…I was a bit distracted by the contrast play

The Tantus toys unscrew in the middle, though I am unclear as to the benefit of this. You can mix and match but they come as a set, so you will still have to buy multiple full sets. Why not just use both toys? I guess being able to interchange them lets you make your perfect toy and not have to find two different toys when you want them, but I’m still unconvinced. Over all though, I like this toy lot. It’s not my go-to toy because it is too intense, a little too intimidating, and much more fun with a partner at least for me, but it is definitely one that offers a new range of sensation distinct from what I already had.

You can check out all the Tantus toys as well as other dildos and sex toys at Sextoy.com!

A while back I reviewed the Liquid Silk lube, which if not for our love/hate relationship with chemistry would be my gold standard for lube. Today I have a natural alternative. Sliquid Organics natural lube! Yup, it’s Berkeley safe.

Sliquid has a lot in common with Liquid Silk, same amazing texture, about the same endurance and no overwhelming plastic-y scent. Sliquid is also 100% glycerin and paraben free for the health conscious (and when it comes to those nasties we should all be conscious). Picking between the two is hard…they have so much in common. Sliquid seems better for me: I’ve never had an adverse reaction, and it has ingredients I can pronounce. Liquid silk on the other hand, has a very slight hand up on texture, but occasionally doesn’t quite work for me.

Luckily, both come in tester sizes, so check them out at Babeland.com where you can also find a wide array of sex toys to try them with!

Maybe because I was visiting a printing press yesterday, maybe it’s just because I’m a dork, but the first thing I noticed about the Bliss 3 is the packaging. The outside cardboard sleeve has a really nice use of embossing that makes it look like a fancy DVD box set. The outside sleeve also has half circle cuts at the outside edge so you can easily grip the inside box and pull it out. The inside box, a purple two part pull-open, is less impressive but still nice. The inside is clearly inspired by a mac book box though, complete with branded tab that lets you pull up the top toy holding tray to reveal the batteries, storage baggie, and manual bellow.

Why do I mention all of this? Because packaging adds a lot to the perceived value of a product, and it seems to be on the forefront of the sex toy revolution. Think about it. Put the same vibrator in a transparent plastic blister-pack with a picture of a porn star on the front and you have a different product. Make it beige and put it in a brown paper bag and you have a different product. I’m not saying that the qualities of the vibrator aren’t important, they are, and we’ll get to them shortly. What I’m saying, however, is that the care and attention paid to the packaging of high-end sex toys highlights the engineering and design that went into the actual toy and changes our opinions of who should buy this product, where, and for how much.

I guess non-geeks out there might want to know about the actual toy though, right? The Bliss 3 is about 5 inches long and over an inch in diameter. It is made out of silicon, and powered by AAA batteries (which are included with the toy in the little sub toy compartment that looks oh so much like a mac book box). The toy claims to be super quiet using “whisper-quiet” technology but I didn’t think it was any more or less quiet than the bulk of high-end vibrators I have seen. The 9 vibration patterns range from 3 levels of continuous vibration to more exotic pulsing patterns and are very, very nice (try #4!) These are all controlled through one power button at the base. I like the simplicity of just one button, but it would actually be nice to be able to go forward and backward instead of having to cycle through all 9 patterns if you miss the one you wanted.

Long story short: Nice vibrator with plenty of options to choose from and a very pretty presentation that makes this a great spoil-yourself-silly kind of toy.

I while back I realized that some lubes, like some condoms, leave me feeling irritated, so I started the search for a better personal lubricant. Thus far, I’ve had mixed results. I’ve tried all natural products that weren’t worth their weight in pachouli, and a handful of completely artificial ones that felt good. I’m still looking for something that not only doesn’t irritate me, but also feels good, doesn’t get sticky and is viscus enough it doesn’t feel like water.

I’m starting my search with Liquid Silk, an old friend that once left me irritated, but I decided to put the blame on the Nuva Ring I was using at the time and give Liquid Silk another try. Liquid silk is glycerin free, water based, and most importantly, feels amazing. In fact, this is the lube consistency I judge all other lubes by. Liquid silk has a thick but not sticky consistency. This condom and silicon safe lube lasts long enough to get the job done, and resent experiments seem to suggest that it doesn’t irritate me one bit. Frankly, I’m happy to call it my new best friend and stop the search, but I actually have an organic product in my line-up that I think is worth a try, so stay tuned.

You can find Liquid Silk, as well as a full range of women-friendly sex toys at Babeland.com.

Tired of the industrial looking clover clamp? I’m not, but hey it could happen! Even those of us who love the cold weight of a chain between our breasts need something a little softer from time to time, and these feather nipple clamps from Sextoy.com are decidedly softer. Think of it as show girl meets bondage.

You get a soft spray of black feathers attached to a tweezer style clamp with a screw that controls the pressure. Beware though that while titillating feathers descend gracefully in the picture on the box they won’t do that if have nipple piercings like I do. The barbells in my nipples don’t allow me to attach the clamps from the side of my nipple, so I had to fuss a little to get these pretty feathers positioned just right.

Add a black feather boa, shiny stilettos, and a pretty thong and you’ll be ready for a night on the town. (Trench coat recommended for those living outside of the Las Vegas Strip)

You can find the Fetish Fantasy Feather Nipple Clamps, as well as a collection of other BDSM related items, vibrators, and sex toys at www.sextoy.com. (You’ll have to email me for pictures of my feathery evening finery!)

Ok, I have to say I’m not much of an anal fan, though I’ve enjoyed butt plugs in the past, and I like vibrators so a vibrating butt plug seemed promising. The B-Bomb Vibrating Silicone Butt Plug by Tantus from Good Vibrations is a 100% silicone plug with a removable bullet vibe in the base. Couple of nice things right off the bat: it’s made out of a safe and easy to clean material, the vibrator is removable so you can use it as a normal plug or add the bullet for something a little different, if you’re not using it with a condom you can use oil based lubes with this plug, and it’s totally waterproof vibrator and all. And one problem: it’s bigger than any other plug I’ve tried.

The B Bomb is 4″ long and 1 1/4″ wide at the widest point. Well within what I would call the range of reasonably sized objects to put up ones bum, but too big for me. To be fair I gave it the old college try, lots of lube (don’t use silicone lube!) and a sexy bed-time story to help it along. The verdict? I’ll give it another try, but I think this might have to be reclassified as a reasonably sized object to put up someone else’s bum. I hear tell the B Bomb is harness compatible though so I’m looking forward to adding a little buzz to my strap-on play.

I’ve been thinking for a while about the nature of sex guides and how a lot of them start with “have sex with the lights on” and sadly end there. The Connoisseur’s Sex Guide, however, is a great little book that not only gives a solid overview of the basics, but touches on some more graduate level topics.

This 240 page pocket-sized book has lovely glossy pages and full color photos that are sexy without being pornographic per se. It starts with sexual positions working it’s way from missionary and variations there of to a balancing act involving the bathroom sink. Then the book turns to a chapter of T words: tips, tricks, tantra and Tao. I haven’t tried tantra, but the beginner lessons in Connoisseur’s Sex Guide seem like a good stepping stone. The book lists a couple concrete Tantric exercises without overwhelming readers with the history and emotional/religious implications there of. Moving on from tantra we get roleplay and fantasy — areas I’m more familiar with but still feel that the Connoisseur’s Sex Guide provides a nice sampler plate with enticing illustrations, and specific suggestions to get you started. Helpful shaded boxes are provided to give the reader some extra hand holding, and occasionally partner exercises, for potentially more nerve wracking activities such as phone sex (oh hush you, some of us are the quiet, reserved type!)

Finally, Connoisseur’s Sex Guide includes sections on sex toys, dressing for sex and sensual fabrics, as well as a glossary of fetishes and an informative description of the sexual response cycle. Because this book covers such a range of topics in such a short time it feels superficial at times. However, I would encourage readers to look at it as a tasting menu — an opportunity to flip through a couple dozen fetishes in an afternoon’s time and decide if they should consider a vibrator or a crop as their next purchase.

Given my earlier post about holiday sex toys it seems fitting that I review the Red Diamond Vibe from Babeland. The Red Diamond Vibe is a pretty red jeweled vibe that comes in a festive holiday tin with, you guessed it, a red bow. Think of it as the holiday version of the Jewel Vibe. The red velvet-coated ABS plastic vibe uses one AA battery and is fully waterproof, but I’ll admit, I got it for the jewels. The Red Diamond Vibe has a double line of little jewels around its base, which I love. I know, I know, bling on a vibe? But I have enough vibrators that I really need to see something different to get excited, and the little accent makes this a fun and sexy toy. After all, who wants a clinical looking vibe?

I want a vibe that’s quiet and powerful, but without sacrificing form to function. The Red Diamond Vibe does that for me. It has a variable speed controlled by a twist dial at the bottom. It is small enough to travel, and quiet enough to use in a hotel with paper-thin walls. On the form side, this little guy is pretty and comes with more than a dash of holiday spirit.

You can find the Red Diamond Vibe on the Babeland site, and while you’re there check out their holiday packages! Oh, and if you are in a huge rush to get all the goodies before Santa comes around, Babeland does offer rush shipping in time for the holidays.

And in keeping with the cute and fun theme, if you’re still looking for a Halloween costume, check out the Party Time Bunny Costume from Sextoy.com. Comfy headband with soft, fuzzy, adjustable bunny ears is supper cute. And I love that you can position the ears just the way you want them, cause I bent a corner in to make a sad bunny. (Bad bunny, no cookie!)

The costume also comes with a cotton tail that’s attached to a thong panty. I would actually like a bigger tail to draw more attention to my bum, but this one is in keeping with the cute bunny look. I’m actually planning to wear the ears to a party on Halloween, but I think I’ll save the tail for the after party…

If you want a bunny costume of your very own (or if you’re looking for vibrators and other sex toys) check out Sextoy.com.

What could make for a nicer Sunday morning than sitting in a sunny courtyard, with a cup of tea and thinking about Bondage? well, ok, I could have a human table to balance my tea on, but I guess I’ll just have to make do.

In the mean time, lets talk about bondage. Bondage-lite perhaps. I recently got a pair of Tickled Pink Restraints from Babeland.com. I usually associate bondage with leather and all sorts of metal clasps, so fuzzy pink cuffs with velcro closures were somewhat of an anomaly. What I discovered is that these are actually a lot less threatening then black leather with metal locks. They’re “fun” and “cute.” A nice holiday stocking stuffer for an otherwise vanilla lover (vanilla with fudge swirl).

The cuffs were comfortable and soft though not intended for hard core resistance play by any means. The velcro closure was secure enough that you can pull on them a little and feel restrained but was ultimately easy to open once you’re done…or once you’ve decided to turn the tables. The cuffs also had these straps attached to them which I used to tie my partner to the bed. I may have preferred clips, but the straps give you some flexibility to work with what ever kind of bed-frame you have.

Long story short: if you’re just getting into bondage or want to surprise a partner with something a little different this is for you. If you already own half a tack shop worth of crops, and every sex toy known to man I might suggest something a little sturdier.