Vixen Creations - Galaxy G

Rating: 2.5/5
Impressions: Pretty, nice design, but it needs stronger vibrations.
Price: $56 from Wild in Secret

Ever since I discovered the joys of g-spot stimulation, I've been trying to find the ideal g-spot vibe. One that's made to target that hard-to-find (for me, anyway) spot but strong enough to actually do some real work once it gets there.

I picked the Galaxy G because it's made by a company that I love (Vixen), is made from a material I feel safe inserting into my body (silicone) and has a design that's fascinatingly specific. Granted, I don't have much luck with vibes that involve bullets (which I love and are often some of the most effective sex toys I try) or other vibes stuck inside silicone sleeves, but I'm always willing to give toys a chance. I never rule something out entirely based on past experiences with similar toys (at least not without trying it).

I have to admit that part of what drew me to the Galaxy G was the pretty, sparkley silver silicone. I do love glittery toys and silver. I admit. I love a pretty toy. But that's not the only reason I was drawn to this particular model. I like the idea of a toy that's tailored exclusively for the purpose of g-spot (or prostate) stimulation and the little "fins" on the base of the body were fascinating. For me, any kind of stimulation is sort of fun but meaningless without some serious clitoral stimulation to back it up, and the Galaxy G looked like it would offer at least some of the stimulation I crave with the positioning of the top fin.

But, alas, while the design itself is damn near perfection (the fins do exactly what I expected them to do, although the top one could be a tad longer for my tastes - on me, it hits me about halfway up my clit and misses the most sensitive spot at the top), the vibrations just aren't strong enough for a power tool girl like me. For someone else who doesn't need as strong of a vibration, I'm sure that this would be a great toy and a lot of fun to play with, but for me, it falls short.

Part of the blame obviously lies in the bullet itself, which isn't nearly as strong as most that I've encountered. It's highest setting (on a continuous dial, which I've gotten to be biased against since getting my Seventh Heaven bullet) seems to be about equal to the medium setting on many other bullets I've owned. But I've never owned one of the longer torpedo bullets that comes with the Galaxy G before, so maybe they're all like this. I can't say for sure.

The rest of the blame lies with the very thing that makes me like this toy: the silicone. Silicone, by it's very nature, muffles vibrations. It also makes the toy body friendly, soft but firm and pretty, but there's bad to go with the good. Even the strongest of bullets would be dampened quite a bit by being encased inside the silicone sleeve on the Galaxy G, and the fact that a weaker bullet is combined with the muffling power of the silicone means that very little vibration actually gets through to the intended spots. I can tell that it's vibrating and it feels pleasant, but it doesn't really do anything for me, sexually.

I may try upgrading this with a better torpedo bullet if I come across one (I could try using an egg-shaped bullet, but then the vibrations wouldn't be transferred throughout the entire silicone body as effectively and there would be hollow spots that would be prone to collapsing under pressure), but as it is, this isn't really the right toy for me. But remember that I'm a power tool girl. Even the Magic Wand isn't a match for my tolerances sometimes. If you prefer a toy that's gentler or don't need the intense vibrations that I need, the Galaxy G might be right up your alley.

(Buy from Wild in Secret)

nJoy - Pure Plug 2.0

Rating: 4/5
Impressions: Beautiful, impressive but a bit too much for me to handle as foreplay. As its own show, it's great.
Price: $115 from Wild in Secret

As I've mentioned before, I love anal play. And I love anal plugs. I love big, bold, steel anal plugs the most. And while I adored my original large Pure Plug, I have to admit, it was a thrill to open my package from WIS and find this steel behemoth inside, waiting to test my limits.

Sure, my old one was wonderful. It was just the right shape, just the right size to be comfortable but big enough to make an impression. It was (and still is) anal plug perfection, but there's something about the sight of 1 1/4 pounds of highly polished steel designed solely for my anal pleasure that makes my heart wander.

Trust me when I say that the 2.0 version of the Pure Plug is big. And bold. It's impressive. And heavy. Very heavy. This is not a beginner's plug. It's not even a moderately experienced plug user's plug. This is a plug for those who want a challenge. Yes, there are far bigger plugs out there to test your capacities. I'm not going to say that this is the biggest thing you're ever likely to shove up your derriere, because it's not, bit it is more than a bit of a stretch (my apologies for the bad pun, but it's true) even for an experienced user like me.

Right out of the box, it has the look of some sort of aerodynamic secret anal technology with it's sleek lines and the intriguing new divots. Maybe it is. I haven't tried throwing it to see how well it flies for fear of busting a hole in the wall or breaking a lamp. Either way, the new features are definitely impressive, although I'm not sure that I prefer the new texturized body to the old simple, sleek shape simply for the fact that I don't like a lot of texture on my anal toys. It's unnecessary for me and, often, downright unpleasant. I prefer slick lines on my anal toys, but your mileage may vary.

Inserting this bad boy was harder than I'd expected. Granted, I'm not an expert in huge anal toys and there are a great many people out there who can put me to shame by shoving things three times this size up their backdoor, but normally I have little to no trouble with bigger anal toys. The 2.0, however, put up a bit of a fight. Even with a generous slathering of lube, it didn't want to go in as easily as I'd anticipated.

After a minor battle, though, we (and I say we, because my husband was actually at the controls) got it in and I have to say, it felt incredible once it was finally in place. It retains the original's thin stem, so that while you've got a nice feeling of extreme fullness, there's not undue pain or pressure on your rosebud while it's in place.

In theory, it should have made anal sex a lot easier, having stretched and prepared everything ahead of time, but, unfortunately, once it was removed, it was downright painful to have anything else reinserted. Apparently, I either need more training with this monster or it's just too much for my body to handle as foreplay. On its own, it's fantastic, but not as a precursor to actual anal sex, which makes me sad because I want to give this an absolutely glowing review. As far as truly large plugs go, I would say this is nearly perfection, but practically speaking, I prefer my original large Pure Plug for the simple fact that it doesn't overexert my delicate tissues.

(Buy from Wild in Secret)

Wild in Secret - WISBedroom Double Or Nothing Bondage Sash

Rating: 4/5
Impressions: Gorgeous and oh-so-versatile. They're like the world's most sensuous Waldorf toys for adults!
Price: $72/sash from Wild in Secret

I've always been a bondage traditionalist, or perhaps a bondage purist, you could say. Restraints to me mean leather--black leather, to be precise, although I do own a lovely pair of red leather wrist restraints--and buckles. Or maybe it's not just that I feel like bondage isn't bondage without leather, maybe my brother is right and I just have a fetish for leather and buckles (incidentally, he told me this when I was about 9 years old, if my memory is accurate, so I've been this way for a looooong time, probably my whole life, come to think of it). Considering the fact that I'm hopelessly drawn to any item of clothing combining the two, he's probably right.

Either way, it was a break from the usual when I fell in love with WIS' gorgeous silk bondage sashes and decided that I needed them in my collection, even if they weren't what I would normally choose in the way of restraints. Not only are they made from (gorgeous) silk charmeuse but there's no buckles or fasteners of any kind. They're freeform, completely open to interpretation and the limits of their user's creativity. They can be anything from a blindfold to gentle wrist restraints to a luxurious obi-like waist sash. They're like Waldorf toys for adults (and I'm an eternal child at heart, so maybe that's what drew me to them...that and my love for the feel of pure silk against bare skin).

Kudos to WIS for creating something so beautiful (and versatile). While the plain, one-color sashes are beautiful, the two-color Double Or Nothings are downright gorgeous. I picked the red/black combination (one of my favorite color pairings, incidentally) and it's just beautiful. It almost seemed like a crime to take them out of their box (whoever packed them gets a round of applause from me; there's no way I'm going to be able to refold them so nicely) and use them, knowing that they were going to get wrinkled and rumpled, but there's no point in owning them if they just sit in their box and look beautiful.

There's something about leather restraints that makes me feel down and dirty (a feeling I like quite a bit, to be perfectly honest), but not with the Bondage Sashes. They make me feel classy...sophisticated, even. They make me want to put on the pencil skirt that makes me feel so deliciously sexy, a pair of peep-toe pumps--maybe even a string of pearls--and let myself be tied up, gently but securely. A far cry from my normal preferences, but there's something about these sashes that touch a part of me that's just now starting to make itself known. The part that loves soft, silky things and feeling sexy in a slim-fitting skirt and heels, not the leather-loving tomboy with the scars on her knees who likes rough treatment and spends most of her life barefoot or in beat up Birkenstocks.

For my inaugural use of these little beauties, I cheated a bit and used them in combination with my usual leather restraints--leather suspension restraints on my wrists and hands and a Double or Nothing wrapped, figure-eight-style, around my forearms (strictly speaking, I didn't need the bondage sash to restrain me even further, but I liked the combination of leather and silk...plus it was a nice transition from only leather to only silk).

First, maybe I should point out the differences between my gorgeous new silk restraints and your standard leather bondage cuffs, because it's a whole new ball-game when it comes to using the Bondage Sash and there was some trial and error involved in adopting to the change in material and style.

The main difference is in material. Leather tends to grip itself and hold tight without much issue, but silk charmeuse, (as anyone who has experienced the hedonistic joy of wearing it knows) flows. The very thing that makes it feel so wonderful against my skin works against me when I try to use these the way I would normally use leather restraints. Because the silk is so...silky, it tends to slip over itself, which means that knots and wraps tend to loosen easily (rather than gripping itself and staying taut like leather would). That wouldn't be an issue at all if I were using it as a simple blindfold or waist sash or if it was being used to tie my wrists--with a simple bow--to the headboard of our bed. But it didn't quite work out perfectly the way we were using it. A minor quibble, really; more an issue of learning what you can and can't effectively use these for than anything (and how to compensate for the difference in grip between leather and silk).

The other difference is the very thing that makes the Bondage Sashes so versatile: their lack of buckles, clasps or any other sort of closure. Where your run of the mill leather wrist or ankle cuff generally has a buckle closure and a design that keeps the wearer from easily being able to pull their hand or foot out, the Bondage Sashes' combination of slipperiness combined with the way that silk expands and loosens when it's been warmed by body heat means they're easier to slip off in the heat of the moment. Where leather is generally stiffer and more binding, the silk is softer and more gentle.

That's not to say that they're a poor restraint, because they're not. They're just different than what I'm used to, which means that we need to keep the differences in mind and compensate for them.

Differences and teething pains aside, I genuinely have to say that I love these. The difference in sensation is, in my humble opinion, the best part. Leather feels strong and dirty while the silk feels luxurious and pampering. It's a change in mindset, at least for me. Granted, the leather mindset is generally the one that I'm after in situations involving bondage (only because bondage to me is about submitting and being dominated, which lends itself more to the traditional leather restraint than to the pampering of silk), but every now and then I want to feel beautiful and worshiped and those are the times when the Bondage Sashes are just what I need.

The thing I love the most about these, though, is the versatility. The Bondage Sash is as at home outside the bedroom as in (it can be a belt/waist sash, a hair wrap/tie, even a scarf if you were so inclined, as long as you didn't mind the "Bondage Sash" script written on the center of one side of the sash) and I'm already brainstorming ways to use mine.

(Buy Double or Nothing Bondage Sashes from Wild in Secret)

California Exotics - Impulse Ultra 7 Bullet (Seventh Heaven Bullet)

Rating: 5/5
Impressions: This is it, the perfect bullet for me.
Price: $46.75 MSRP, $48 from Wild in Secret

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: the lowly bullet was my first sex toy love and no matter how many fancy schmancy toys I have in my collection, there's always at least one bullet among the dizzying array of objets d'sexe (and it usually gets as much--or more--use as anything else in my cabinet of erotic treasures).

Sure, I've got a million toys in a million different shapes (okay, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but considering that I had to buy a cabinet just to store my expanding collection in, there's more than a kernel of truth to that statement), but there's nothing as versatile (or reliable) as the lowly bullet. But the Seventh Heaven Bullet? Lowly isn't the right word for it. Maybe magnificent would be a better choice.

As fate would have it, I got my Seventh Heaven right as my very last double egg (an amazing invention; if the makers of this little gem created a double version, I'd be in, well, seventh heaven, especially if they could use their technology to make the bullets operate independently of one another) was gasping its last breath. Talk about timing!

Based solely on looks, this one was a winner right off the bat. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for an oil slick paint job and the controller on this little beauty boasts a fairly nice one (although after only one use, part of it had rubbed off on the back, followed by some of the front in a couple more uses; but in all fairness, I'm rough on my toys and there is a lovely shade of violet underneath the aurora). Sure, it doesn't scream classy or sophisticated the way the Iris does, but there's something beautiful about it in a sort of 70's retro way. At least to me, at any rate.

But as I always say, looks are completely irrelevant if a toy doesn't get the job done. If it looks pretty and feels fantastic, so much the better, but looks alone don't cut it. I went into testing the Seventh Heaven with high expectations, though. I've only encountered one bullet in my entire sex toy testing career (shh, let me pretend that I've always been a sexual scientist and not just a girl who happened to love sex toys up until several months ago) that didn't work out for me. Even the cheapest bullets seem to generally pack a punch, even if they do have dismally short lifespans, so a fancy bullet (complete with LED technology and push-button controls!!) that packed twice the normal amount of battery power (4 AAs instead of the usual 2) seemed to be a sure bet.

And did it live up to my admittedly high expectations? The answer to that is a very enthusiastic "YES!" The Seventh Heaven is, without a doubt, the best bullet I've ever used. I have to say, the price tag is high for something that's a glorified version of an extremely basic toy that's known for its budget-friendly pricing, but it's actually worth it, believe it or not.

I've never been much of a fan of vibration programs (the changing vibration speeds don't jive with my body, I need constant, consistent, strong vibrations), but even I have to admit that it's a pretty nice perk to have a bullet that has multiple vibration strengths and programs. Pretty high tech for a toy that normally is about as simple as it gets.

But the real seller for me--aside from the awesome vibration power of this thing on the highest setting, which is, incedentally, plenty strong for even a power-tool girl like me--is the push-button controls. I hate the dials that normally serve as the controls on bullets. They're hard to get just right (unless you're like me and always set them as high as they'll go) and they tend to get bumped out of place in the heat of the moment or rolled into the "on" position during storage (or while lying on the floor where they're been dropped during the aftermath). They're a pain, pure and simple. The Seventh Heaven, on the other hand, has an extremely simple, push-button control system. One button turns the bullet on or off (without having to scroll a wheel all the way down to get your toy to turn off) and the other scrolls through the strength settings and vibration patterns (while the LED display changes colors to show which setting you're on).

It's literally so simple that I had no problems at all turning the Seventh Heaven on and finding the right vibration program while blindfolded and wearing suspension cuffs on my hands and wrists (the bulky fingerless mitt type that make any sort of fine-tuned motor control impossible). Could I have done that with a regular bullet? Probably (only because I always set dial-controlled bullets to the highest setting which would mean rolling the dial until it stopped), but it wouldn't have been anywhere near as easy (or as quick) as with the Seventh Heaven.

This is literally the bullet for me. It has power, accurate, incredibly easy-to-master controls, a pretty oil slick paint job and--like ketchup--it seems to go with everything. I use it with all of my dildos (nothing compares to a Maverick/Seventh Heaven combination) and even my beloved Iris for a perfect internal/external vibration combination. And, of course, it feels incredible on its own.

(Buy a Seventh Heaven Bullet from Wild in Secret)

LELO Iris Pleasure Object (2007 model)

Rating: 4.5/5
Impressions: This one's got it all: beauty, intelligent design and power.
Price: $134 from manufacturer, $119 from Wild in Secret

Readers of my blog may or may not remember my last experiment with a LELO "pleasure object," the ill-fated Nea. For those who don't, allow me to sum up the experience as succintly as possible: beautiful design, gorgeous presentation, not enough power.

Yes, I am a power tool girl. Any toy that feels like a small earthquake (with the exception of the Hitachi Magic Wand which, for reasons other than vibration power, didn't quite float my metaphorical boat) generally gets a thumbs up from me and any (vibrating) toy that lacks that power tends to leave me slightly less impressed.

But, never let it be said that I'll discount an entire brand because of a poor experience with one product (or even, in some cases, several products). Don't get me wrong, everything else about the Nea (aside from the nearly non-existant - at least by my high standards - vibration strength) was top-notch. It's beautifully designed (something that's true of all of LELO's small line of products), the presentation is downright posh (especially compared to some manufacturers on the market) and it really does give the impression of being worth the money. For someone who prefers a kinder, gentler vibrating experience, that is. Me, I want a jackhammer, but an aesthetically pleasing jackhammer, preferably made from silicone, my most favorite of all sex toy materials.

The Iris Pleasure Object may not be a jackhammer exactly, but it proved itself in other ways and its won a very big thumbs up from me all the same.

First up, let's just take a moment to ogle this gorgeous piece of sexual machinery. I'm not a girly girl, nor have I ever been one (although lately I've developed an obsession with high heels and pencil skirts, but that's another story altogether). Flowers aren't my thing and I don't generally go in for ultra-feminine anything (aside from my aforementioned blooming obsession), but I'm in love with the look of the Iris (especially now that it comes in blue for those of us with an aversion to pink). Look at it. It's gorgeous. It's classy. It almost seems too decadent to actually use, like a beautiful cake that you don't want to eat.

Granted, some of its features initially left me wondering whether it was even going to be practical. The ridges on the insertable portion for one. I hate to admit it, but after drooling over the beauty of it, I was suddenly struck with the notion that the ridges reminded me a bit of those reverse tire damage spikes, only backwards. Instead of feeling fine going in and hurting coming out (like some toys have actually done in the past, not that I'm naming names...::cough:: Magnum ::cough::), I couldn't shake the fear that it would hurt going in. Take a close look at the Iris and you'll see that the ridges forming the "petals" are actually fairly pronounced. Sure, it makes for a more aesthetically pleasing design (in my opinion anyway), but it seemed to have the potential to cause some serious unhappiness in my naughty bits.

Let's set aside that potential reservation for now, though, (I promise to come back to it later) and move on to the dynamics of the Lily, shall we?

You won't find anyone (leastways me) accusing LELO of putting all their effort into making the Lily beautiful on the outside and skimping on the insides. This piece of sexual technology has not one but two engines. Two. One in the tip and one in the base. Not only that, but they can be operated independently or together, depending on your preference. Slick designing, that.

The controls are another winning feature in my book, although Arthur was less impressed with the newly redesigned control pad. Indeed, the old controls were more polished, but the new ones are more (in my humble opinion at any rate) "user-friendly" to those who are more visually-inclined (I'm not one of those people myself, but there are several of said persons in my family who would, should they be handed an Iris with the old controls, have a hard time making heads or tails of the operation even with the instructions in front of them--and that's not to say they're stupid, they're just visual learners). Simply put the controls work like this: up and down control the program you're on (tip vibrating, base vibrating, tip and base vibrating, etc.) while left and right decrease and increase the vibration strength respectively.

I feel the need to point out, though, that the very fact that you can adjust the vibration strength of each program rather than cycling through low, medium and high and then having your choice of vibration programs on one speed only seems to be fairly rare among sex toys, at least in my personal experience. Granted, it's normally not an issue for me because (A) I don't generally use the program modes since I prefer a steady, strong vibration and (B) if I were to use a vibration program, I'd want it on the highest setting anyway, having the inhuman vibration tolerance that I do, and most toys' programs operate on the highest setting anyway.

And so all this waxing poetic about the sheer awesomeness of the Lily's design leads to the question that really matters: does it feel as good as it looks?

I'm happy to report that it most certainly does.

Those ridges that I was so nervous about before? I barely registered them. Either I'm in the same boat as Kelly and am insensitive to most textures or they've just got more bark than bite. I'm honestly not sure which one it is, but either way, no pain. In fact, from the little I felt of them, they had a nice, mild stimulating effect (a less pronounced texture and I don't feel anything).

I also have to say that the shape of the Lily is just phenomenal for lack of a better word. Ever since I discovered the joys of the g-spot, I've really come to appreciate toys shaped to stimulate it (ones that actually achieve that goal, I should say) and the Lily gets top marks in that category. The combination of the shape, the "petals" and the dual motors really hits the right chord with my finicky g-spot and it...is...glorious. Some slow, gentle thrusting (which also should tell you something as I'm generally much rougher with my insertable toys--something about this one lends itself better to a slow pace that lets me focus on every movement and vibration) with the Iris on the last vibration mode (tip and base vibrating and pulsing) and I'm one very happy reviewer. Add a nice strong bullet and I'm over the moon.

My only complaint is that--par for the course--it's not quite strong enough for my liking. I love my Lily, but I would wholeheartedly adore it if it were maybe 15-20% stronger. Of course, most of the time I use it in combination with the Seventh Heaven bullet (review coming soon, dear reader), which packs one hell of a punch to where I really need power and makes up for the slightly lacking power getting applied to my internal naughty bits.

I do feel the need to qualify what I've just said, though. I have an almost superhuman tolerance for vibrations. I like them strong. Really strong. Even toys that are more than strong enough for most women sometimes fall short of my standards, so that's not to say that the Iris isn't powerful. It most definitely is. Actually, I'm downright impressed with its vibration strength, to be perfectly honest. It truly is a case of "it's not the toy, it's me," and it doesn't stop me from raving about the Iris one iota.

(Buy an Iris from Wild in Secret)

Twisted Products Limited - The Cone

Rating: 5/5
Impressions: Versatile, body-friendly and fun!
Price: $94 from Wild in Secret

The Cone is one of those fairly rare toys that I never knew I needed until I saw it. That's the power of the internet for you, apparently. I'll admit that I can be quite suggestible when it comes to buying some things, but when it comes to sex toys I'm a bit of a tough sell. Simply put, I'm picky. If it vibrates, it has to fit several criteria (a general redux is below):

1) It has to be strong enough to feel like a small earthquake and have some sort of power source that won't die on me in the middle of things (even better if it has internal rechargeable batteries or is AC powered)

2) It has to be made of a material that I feel safe inserting into my body (or resting against my body as the case may be with The Cone)

3) It has to have a shape and/or function that appeals to my finicky tastes and needs (generally, that rules out rabbits - although I plan on trying to find one that agrees with me - and the majority of vibrators intended purely for insertion)

So when I saw The Cone, I knew I had to have one. It runs on C batteries which is generally an indication that the toy is going to be strong enough for me (in spite of my husband telling me again and again that it's all about the amperage and that bigger batteries with identical amps only last longer and aren't stronger - personal experience has taught me that the bigger the battery and the more of them there are, the stronger the toy's vibrations tend to be), it's made from body-friendly silicone (my favorite sex toy material) and it has a strange, intriguing shape that's hands free and suited to external (i.e. clitoral and maybe even a little anal) stimulation.

I'm not going to say I didn't have my reservations (It's pink for one thing and I hate pink...why couldn't they make it black? Everyone needs a ninja vibrator! And then there's the issue of that pointy tip...would it hurt? Would the vibrations be concentrated there or in the body? That would have an impact on how effective it would be for me.) but I was fascinated, completely and utterly, with it's design (and by the intriguing "orgasm button").

So imagine my excitement when I saw that WIS was carrying The Cone and I might be able to get one after all (I'm desperately trying to save my money and spending almost $100 on another sex toy just isn't in the budget right now). So close! But like a good girl, I put it on my WISh list and waited to see if the powers that be would send me one rather than launching a guerrilla campaign to get myself one of the pink, vibrating, conical wonders.

The astute reader will have probably reached the conclusion by now that I did, in fact, get one and they would be right. Just this morning, a innocent white box appeared on my doorstep with the mythical Cone inside, begging to be tried out in spite of the fact that I'm currently getting over a severe cold (or maybe it's the flu, but I'm calling it a cold because I got a flu shot and I don't want to believe that it was a waste of money that could have been spent on something fun like, say, oh, I don't know...a Cone).

Once I got it out of the oh-so-mod pyramid shaped packaging, I was impressed all over again by the design. It's magnificently simple. A grey base that holds the 3 C batteries topped by a squishy, bubblegum pink silicone cone (who would have guessed?) with a very discrete control pad consisting of two unlabeled buttons (although they're not really buttons, exactly...more like higher areas of silicone that are extrusions of the rest of the body - the whole thing is one piece, except for the base) that control the "on" and "off" functions as well as cycling through the 16 vibration programs.

The Cone is about as minimalistic as sex toys get. It strikes me as a design that Stanley Kubrick might have come up with for one of his futuristic movies: futuristic in its simplicity but at the same time almost retro. While the fact that the buttons aren't labeled might be an issue for some people who don't think intuitively (obviously the buttons must control The Cone since they're the only sort of controls on the entire thing), the instructions are clear and a bit of experimentation would eliminate any other questions about how to make it work. The only thing that I doubt anyone would discover (unless they accidentally managed to stumble on it while trying to turn The Cone off) is the "orgasm button," which is, in reality, the on/off button held down for 2 seconds, which jumps to vibration program #16.

The material is squishy enough (it's comparable to Fun Factory's silicone) to be comfortable pressed up against sensitive body parts, but firm enough to allow for pleasurable pressure against said parts when they're pressed firmly against The Cone's body. The squishiness also makes even the point of The Cone's body soft enough to set on (something which many users are likely to do, given The Cone's positioning possibilities). Simply put, the entire thing is body friendly. There's nothing here to poke or prod or stab sensitive bits at the wrong moment.

Normally, a toy like The Cone with multiple vibration programs would impress me with its variations (both the sheer number and their individuality), but in the end I'd end up using one of the plain, old-fashioned, consistent vibration levels rather than one of the fancy programs (apparently my clitoris is finicky and/or old-fashioned and doesn't hold with those new-fangled vibration programs and their escalating and decelerating and stopping and starting), but apparently the innovativeness of the design extends to making my body more accepting of a varying vibration pattern because while level #5 (a consistent, strong buzz) is easily my favorite of The Cone's 16 levels, #15 and #16 (the level that the magical "orgasm" button takes you to and which can also be reached through old-fashioned cycling) are also strong contenders.

In spite of its idiosyncrasies (namely the unlabeled buttons and slightly odd operation), The Cone lives up to my expectations 100%, something that doesn't happen as often as I'd like. While I could stand for it to be even a little stronger (I've mentioned before that my personal vibrator motto is "the stronger the better"), it's plenty strong to get the job done and its design makes me one very happy girl.

I love being able to use The Cone and have both my hands free without having to worry about tenuous positioning or having it slip out of place at the wrong time. The bottom has enough grip to keep it safely in place on a smooth, hard surface (like a toilet seat for example...not that I've tried it there or anything, even if the bathroom wall is at the perfect distance to prop my feet against....yeah, right...) while the solid, chunky design means there's plenty of surface area to press up against without having to concentrate on not moving "out of position" and allows for a little anal stimulation if one is so inclined (I know I'm very much inclined towards it and it makes for a very pleasant experience.

I haven't managed to get through anywhere near all of the positions recommended by the manual the manufacturer's helpfully included, but so far I've tried a sort of cross between "the lotus" and "the on the way out" and simply pressing The Cone against my clit and holding it firmly in place with my thighs in a sitting position, both of which felt very nice, although I have to say I prefer the latter, myself, mainly because it seems to provide more contact with my personal erogenous zones and lets me vary the amount of pressure against my girly bits whenever and however I like.

All in all, there's very little I dislike about this little marvel. It's one of those rare toys that completely lives up to my expectations. Bravo, Cone!

(Buy a Cone from Wild in Secret)

Vixen Creations - Maverick

Rating: 4.5/5
Impressions: This is one big boy. I've definitely found my limit, but it feels good, even if it hurts a bit.
Price: $105 from manufacturer, $92 from Wild in Secret

All of my other Vixskin™ dildos have been in the Vanilla color (which isn't anything near what I think of when I think of vanilla, Peach would be far more accurate since it's not white, cream or even a dark brown like vanilla beans) but WIS sent me this one in Rootbeer (which really ought to be called Chocolate if you ask me), the size and color of which immediately brought to mind an episode of Sealab 2020 that had a brief segment involving a buzzing box full of sex toys ("The black one's their leader...he tells 'em what to do...gives 'em chores...") and had me laughing, thus completely ruining the impressive unveiling of this behemoth of a dildo.

And I really do mean behemoth. Picture the Lonestar with an extra 1/8" of girth and an additional 2" of length and a less realistically designed shape and you've got the Maverick. Style-wise, it's actually extremely similar to the Tex only bigger. A lot bigger.

Funnily enough, while there was never one of those "Oh my God, how am I going to fit this thing in there?" moments with the Lonestar, I had one with the Maverick, at least until I compared them side by side and reassured myself that they were similar in girth (length isn't anything to be terrified of if you ask me - unless it's being used for anal play since there's no built-in anatomical insertion depth limiter like the cervix involved there, although I generally prefer a shorter length to go with a wider girth for some reason). I can only think that it had to be the extra length that threw me off and had me thinking it was huge as opposed to being only slightly bigger than Lonestar.

But even considering the perceptual illusions of extra length making it look even more enormous than it really is (and, honestly, Maverick is big - even my husband who always says my toys "aren't that big," Lonestar included, commented on how big this one is), an eighth of an inch in diameter can make a difference in whether a dildo is pleasurable or painful given that 1/8" diameter translates into just over 1/3" of circumference if my math is correct. Yes, 1/3" doesn't sound that big, but when you're putting that extra 1/3" into a confined area, it can feel like a big change. And of course, there's a limit to what feels good. You can't add on 1/4" or 1/3" indefinitely and still have a toy feel good. That extra 1/3" can very well be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

That being said, I think I can safely say that I've reached my size limit (girth-wise) with the Maverick. I might be able to go a tiny bit bigger without being in pain, but I'm not sure I'd want to try, honestly. Part of enjoying a sensation that's a breath away from being painful is to know when to draw the line and 2" of width is apparently where my line is going to be drawn. The funny thing is, I remember opening the my Magnum and having one of those moments where you feel like your eyes are bigger than your stomach ("Oh my God, how on earth am I going to fit that thing in there! It's huge! It didn't sound that big..."). That thing looked enormous to me at the time (a mere 3 months ago) but next to the Maverick that thing looks like a sapling and it makes me realize how my impressions and tastes have changed with experience.

I haven't tried the Tex dildo in the Vixskin™ line (although I'd like to at some point, in spite of it being on the small side; sometimes you want something smaller), but the Maverick is like Tex's big brother. Maybe Tex's big brother on steroids. Maverick retains Tex's g-spotting curve and ridged head, but supersizes them (7" x 2" vs. 6" x 1.6"). Everything on Maverick is scaled up from the length to the relative size of the head and ridges, which also means that the ridge of the head is quite pronounced on the Maverick. That can be a bad thing if you're like me and find it painful when a toy has a larger head with a distinct ridge, but the material once again saves the day and keeps the pronounced ridge from being painful (as long as you can handle the size of the Maverick, of course; if you can't, it may very well hurt anyway simply because of the sheer size of the entire package).

For me, a toy this size required some warming up (it was possible for me to get the Maverick in without warming up with some other, smaller toys first, but it hurt), but once I'd gotten everything primed and ready for the big act, the only pain I had was a bit of pinching on my inner labia, but that was easy to ignore thanks to the very pleasant feeling everywhere else. The Maverick definitely hit areas that rarely get stimulated and combined with the ridges and curved shaft, the girth made g-spot stimulation a very nice feeling, possibly even better than with the Pure Wand (which is saying something, considering how much I enjoy using my Pure Wand), most likely because of the fact that the Maverick fills you up everywhere and doesn't just provide g-spot stimulation.

I did find that thrusting was more difficult than with the smaller toys (even more than Lonestar), but with the size, there was plenty of stimulation even without vigorous thrusting. Don't get me wrong, it's not impossible to move the Maverick (at least not for me; obviously, I can't speak for the logistics of thrusting for someone else since our bodies and tolerances are all different) but it's more resistant to thrusting than a smaller toy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though. Sometimes with a larger toy it can be more pleasant to keep it mostly in place and just rock it up and down or back and forth.

Personally, I think that the Outlaw might be a slightly better choice for me for a couple of reasons (the anatomical rather than round base and the straight shape), but the Maverick is still a definite winner in my book.

(Buy a Maverick from Wild in Secret)