The VibeReview Silver Bullet: My BFF
August 25, 2008
When I’m stressed out, when I don’t want to work too hard, or when straight-up banging with a partner just isn’t quite getting me there, there’s one toy I’ve been reaching for consistently for years: The Silver Bullet.
I’ve gone through several incarnations, from double bullets to cyberskin-coated flicky bullets, to bullets whose controllers glowed in the dark, but one fact has remained: The bullet is one of the least expensive, most sure-fire masturbatory aids I’ve ever had the pleasure of convulsing around.
The design is simple; straightforward. There are no variable pulsation patterns or glowy switches, just a simple bullet connected to a slim plastic controller with an easy-to-work-even-if-you’re-having-issues-focusing heart-shaped slider. The best feature of the Silver Bullet, in my opinion, is the fully adjustable speed. I like not being stuck with one or the other, and the easy, one-handed operation means no fuss when I need a little less buzz.
Use it on its own for a leisurely, cliterrific roll in bed, or pair it with an insertable dong or vibe for fully adjustable, mind-blowing stimulation likely to result in a well-deserved nap.
In my other role as a sex advisor for all my friends and countless others on the innerwebs, I recommend this toy over and again. There are no worries about parts lining up, as some of us have experienced with rabbit-type vibes, and you can use it on girls and boys alike. Technically, you’re not supposed to put it up your butt, but I’ve been known to throw a condom on one and stick it into a boy while I’m blowing him. Two tips: Keep a hold on the condom, and never pull it out by the cord. You don’t want to expose the copper wire that runs into the motor end of the bullet.
At least, um, that’s what I’ve heard. Zing!
Also, since it is so reliable and simple and easy to keep inside a pillowcase, I tend to use this toy for long periods of wanking and I’ve found that I need to switch the bullet from left to right and back to avoid the dreaded Clawhand. You know what I’m talking about.
The Silver Bullet is a pretty universal accoutrement, and as such will get you virtually NO stares (let alone bag searches) at airport security. Just remember to turn the batteries around, or your carry-on might give the dude sitting in front of you the Best. Plane. Ride. Ever.
Get yours here, and save 10% until November 4th!
The Snakebite Kit: Unsung Hero of Sensation Play
August 21, 2008
The name of the game for a lot of sex toys these days is discreetness. As more and more people own sex toys, there are more and more people from whom to hide them: kids, roommates, parents, etc. Nothing fools people more than the snakebite kit.
Imagine that you are hiking in Yellowstone and you get bit by a rattlesnake. We’ve all heard that it’s possible to suck venom out of a bite but say that you’re hiking alone and you don’t have a friend that can help you (or your friend is scared of cooties). Simply open the snakebite kit , find the appropriate size, squeeze and put over the bite. Like a good hikey, the suction in the cup will pull out the venom. It’s easy, small and needs no electricity or fancy tools.
Now imagine that you’re hiking (or anywhere, really) and you want to have some extra sensation in your nipples or clitoris. Simply follow the directions above, squeezing the snakebite kit and placing it where you want the extra sensation to be. Once it’s there, you can tap on it for extra sensation, or just leave it there for a few minutes and let it do its magic. When you take it off, the suction action will have brought a lot of blood the surface of the skin, possibly enlarging the nipples or clitoris and definitely increasing the sensitivity. They work like nipple clamps but instead of a pinching sensation, it’s suction which I like a lot better.
I really love my snakebite kit – it’s so easy to use and can travel with me anywhere I go without raising any eyebrows. If anyone asks, I just say that I’m deathly afraid of snakes.
You can pick up a snakebite kit at any camping/outdoors store, or you can go to any Babeland location and grab one there.
Iris by LELO
August 15, 2008
Let me start by saying that I’m a pretty no-nonsense girl when it comes to jacking off: Fancy features like Internet connectivity on sex toys basically serve to annoy and frustrate me. I want to know that the object I choose is going to be simple enough to use, yet stand up to a) rigorous use and b) my elitist snobbery regarding things I put into my vagina.
For years my favorite G-Spot vibe was my trusty Celebrity/Slimline/Orchid G. It’s a ball on a stick, folks, nothing fancy, and yet very consistent in producing some very intense orgasms. So imagine my chagrin when, not only would I burn through vibrator motors every two months or so, batteries were constantly being changed and I started to think of ways to be able to afford my wanking habit. Should I brown bag it? Keep the thermostat at 78 degrees in the summer?
Well, I already do those things, so a rechargeable G-Spot vibe seemed the next most economical solution. So I went to Vibreview.com and ordered the Iris vibe by Lelo.
The Iris is, firstly, an attractive vibrator. It looks like a flower coming into bud, and has a lovely curved body, which puts the business tip of the shaft right in contact with my G-Spot tissue. I liked that I didn’t have to fiddle with the placement much: The Iris just slides into my body and stays right where I need it. My version is pale blue and white, and when I charged it for the first time, I left it out on my dresser because it looked so pretty.
It wins points on the snobbery side as well. Iris is non-porous hard plastic, and its insertable shaft is covered by silicone material. No smelly jelly or sticky cyberskin. Smooth, substantial and ergonomic, this is a beautiful piece of machinery. Art meets engineering. Porn meets innovation. Madeline meets Iris. How do you do?
Iris has variable speeds, which I like, since often I like to slow down when I’m about to come, and sometimes the jump from HIGH to LOW leaves me frustrated and confused. There’s an intuitive toggle button in the plastic handle portion of the vibe that adjusts the speed and controls the vibration patterns. It took a little getting used to, but a few minutes into my wank I had it down pat. My favorite pattern for clitoral stimulation is the constant buzz, at varying speeds. Once I inserted it, though, I definitely liked the short bursts vibration pattern, which my sexy assistant Kelly dubbed “Spin Cycle.”
Another feature I love is the dual motors on the Iris. One is up at the tip (makes sense), and the second is right at labia level when the toy is inserted. Finally, I can have labial stimulation without having to use a second or third toy because, frankly, I was running out of hands.
The only issue I had—and it’s a very small issue—is that the little silicone tab on the handle that covers the charging port kept popping up while I was wanking. I’m sure the chance of juices or lube running into the port and frying the inner works is slim; still, I’d prefer if the tab were more secure.
Iris is considered a “high end” toy, being a little on the spendy side. But look: I’ve spent $90.00 on six G-spotters in the past year, none of which lasted longer than two months and all of which required massive quantities of alkaline batteries, putting my annual investment in my G-Spot over $120.00. Put in those terms, if you’re wanting reliable orgasms, this vibrator just makes good financial sense.
The Iris made me come, and it did it well. Not too quickly (it could; I’m just not into that), but easily and with enough variability that I think I’ll have a lot of fun cracking new combinations with it.
And I’ll never resort to stealing batteries from my kids’ walkie-talkies again.
Save 10% when you shop VibeReview via this link!
Live Girl Review Marathon Episode #1 – Audio Version
August 14, 2008
Listen to the AUDIO only version of Marathon Episode #1 – you can download the episode directly to your desktop as well. It will also be on iTunes soon!
If you’re so inclined, you can subscribe to the RSS feed for the audio only version, or you can check out its very own Libsyn page.
Here’s what you’ll find in the episode!
Reviews
Book: Dagmar Herzog’s Sex in Crisis: The New Sexual Revolution and the Future of American Politics
Sex Toy: Magma Toys’ Phoenix
Movie: Madison Young’s Writers and Rockstars — you can also see my review of her film Undone here on Live Girl Review
One Hot Minute – new feature!
My good pal sex educator Jamye Waxman is now the sex tip correspondent for Live Girl Review! In this episode, she dishes on deep dicking – or rather, shallow dicking.
Jamye is the author of Getting Off: A Woman’s Guide to Masturbation
Bad Press – new feature!
Highlighting bad things you should avoid! This week’s shame-light (you know, like a bad spotlight?) goes to Vigorect, an “oral gel shooter” to improve erections. Ugh.
Fan Girl Moment – new feature!
I am having fan girl moment over The Wet Spots, and as a special treat, here’s a video of their live performance of the song “Kinky Neighbors.” I also did an episode of Naked City TV about them – you can see it here.
Goodies! – comment (with a moderate amount of thoughtfulness!) to win. I’ll pick one of the first five commenters as the winner, and you’ll receive the following:
Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica
The ultimate couples kit – vibes with multiple attachments
Miracle Massager and Attachment
August 14, 2008
Take note! You can get a 10% discount on your order at Vibe Review if you shop through this link!
I haven’t played with many massagers before but word on the street is that the Miracle Massager is the toy to beat.
First off, aesthetics. I’m not the biggest fan of the color scheme; red and black seems a bit crass (well lots of things seem crass when paired with black, I’m not sure why). Of course colors seem irrelevant when you take into consideration the fact that this is an item that will be buried between my legs. If I’ve played my cards right and have a friend along to help, I can reliably close my eyes and pay little attention to anything except the vibrations. And oh does this vibrate.
Now, I’m a fan of subtle vibrations. This is subtle like a rock between the eyes. For me, something like the Miracle Massager feels like cheating because I can get off in just a few minutes. You might be thinking that isn’t such a bad thing. You are probably right.
Plus, there are a lot of good other good uses for this toy. The curved handle actually makes it good as a back massager (stop snickering, I’m serious!) The excellent vibrations are strong enough to conduct vibrations through other materials (I’m thinking crotch rope). Also, it plugs into your wall instead of eating up batteries. I wish the cord was a bit longer but I have no idea how it stacks up against other massagers on the market.
I did not try the Miracle Massager all by itself, though. I also got a chance to test it out with the Miracle Massager Attachment that is sold separately. My feelings about this attachment are somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, I experienced amazing orgasms with it. The shape of the attachment is perfect for stimulating my clit and my g-spot at the same time. Without needing to do any thrusting I was able to get off in a few minutes.
With an endorsement like that, what could possible be wrong, right? Well, first of all, I’m not sure that the attachment was actually designed for the Miracle Massager. It fits on and stays but is sort of wobbly. I tried it out on a friend’s Hitachi Magic Wand and it fit like a glove. I wonder if it was designed for that toy originally? This isn’t a very serious problem as I haven’t had any issue with the attachment actually falling off.
My biggest complaint is that it is made out of jelly rubber PVC and is not pthalate-free. For this reason it has that tell-tale chemically smell. While I usually opt for phlalate-free toys, the ones I have always get covered on condoms. There is no conclusive information about whether these materials are harmful but I prefer to play it safe.
So, this presents a dilemma. Indeed, the attachment is shaped remarkably well and really increases the utility of the Miracle Massager. I also think that the price for the attachment is quite modest. I desperately wish it was made out of another material but nothing is completely perfect. I still plan to play with it on a regular basis because it works so well.
Take note! You can get a 10% discount on your order at Vibe Review if you shop through this link!
Episode 1 – Sex in Crisis, Magma Toys’ Phoenix, Madison Young’s Writers and Rockstars
August 13, 2008
This week, I’m proud to present the new and improved longform Live Girl Review – after seventy episodes, I’m going bigger and longer! And I’ll mention it right up front – I’ll be picking one of the first five commenters on this post to receive a delivery of free goodies! Details below in the list o’ links.
The episode is just under ten minutes long, and in addition to being available as a trusty old video podcast, I’m also producing an audio version, which you can check out at Libsyn and at iTunes as soon as its processed. At the moment, the audio version isn’t any different than the video (um, except the obvious), but in the future I may add longer interviews and such to the audio version.
I’ll be producing two of these long episodes every month, and they’ll go up on the second and fourth Wednesday. I’ll still occasionally produce a quickie episode too. Every marathon episode will feature a book, a movie, and a toy, plus other fun features – like special guest Jamye Waxman!
I’m also going to start adding contributors and text reviews to the site – so if you write reviews on your blog and might be game for cross-posting them here on Live Girl Review, email me at dacia[at]livegirlreview[dot]com.
Here’s what you’ll find in the episode!
Reviews
Book: Dagmar Herzog’s Sex in Crisis: The New Sexual Revolution and the Future of American Politics
Sex Toy: Magma Toys’ Phoenix
Movie: Madison Young’s Writers and Rockstars — you can also see my review of her film Undone here on Live Girl Review
One Hot Minute – new feature!
My good pal sex educator Jamye Waxman is now the sex tip correspondent for Live Girl Review! In this episode, she dishes on deep dicking – or rather, shallow dicking.
Jamye is the author of Getting Off: A Woman’s Guide to Masturbation
Bad Press – new feature!
Highlighting bad things you should avoid! This week’s shame-light (you know, like a bad spotlight?) goes to Vigorect, an “oral gel shooter” to improve erections. Ugh.
Fan Girl Moment – new feature!
I am having fan girl moment over The Wet Spots, and as a special treat, here’s a video of their live performance of the song “Kinky Neighbors.” I also did an episode of Naked City TV about them – you can see it here.
Goodies! – comment (with a moderate amount of thoughtfulness!) to win. I’ll pick one of the first five commenters as the winner, and you’ll receive the following:
Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica
The ultimate couples kit – vibes with multiple attachments
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