I’ve always been a big supporter of buying local. After all, one of the reasons I started my blog was to help support Australian adult retailers and businesses. But over the course of the last two years, shopping local has felt less like the right thing to do, and more like a necessity. As what was once “unexpected” shipping delays becomes the norm, and more and more international retailers remove Australia from their standard shipping lists, purchasing goods from overseas no longer feels like an option for me, especially with the holiday season fast approaching. That’s part of why the opening of Faux Phallus and Darque Path, some of Australia’s first proper fantasy makers, earlier this year was so exciting. But in addition to this, there has been another, and perhaps even more vital, area of the industry that has recently saw local growth for the first time in a long time, and that is Australian-made lube. Within just the last year, four new brands have popped up around the country to ensure Australian’s aren’t without this pleasure essential, and today I’m going to be having a closer look at each of them.
Today I’m doing something a little different at the blog, with my very first round-up review. This is something I’ve been wanting to implement for a while as a way of producing shorter reviews for more products by grouping similar items together, and I thought what better way to start than with this emerging local industry? Before now I had never even tried (or heard of) an Australian-made lubricant, let alone one made with Australian Native ingredients. But out of the four lubes here, three of them use these frequently overlooked local resources. A different three are based right here in my home town of Melbourne, whilst another is located in Sydney. One of them, Lucy, I have already given a full review to, but I figured it’d be remiss to not include it here for comparison alongside the others. Two of the brands, Frenchie and LBDO, sell other items alongside their lubricant, including their flagship sex toys, the The Double Entendre and Essensual Vibe, respectively. Whilst FIGR, alongside Lucy, currently have their full focus on their lubes. All are water-based designed primarily for vaginal use, and all are free of parabens and glycerine. From the actual ingredient lists to bottles and branding, however, each of these four products are very different, and so I was beyond excited to be able to put them to the test side-by-side.
The Lube
FIGR Fluid
Location: Melbourne
Price: $22 for 20mL or $35 for 80mL
Packaging & Bottle
As the most expensive of the four lubes, I had big expectations for FIGR’s packaging, and was not let down. Simple and refined, both the bottle and box for Fluid are visually pleasing and high-quality. Keeping to their limited brand colour palette of white and orange, the minimalist packaging still manages to include all the information needed, including an ingredients list, whilst the bottle strips back even further to just the brand name, size, and a reference to being formulated with Native Australian Extracts. I have the 20mL version, which does feel quite small, especially compared to its oversized lid, which is larger than the actual glass portion of the bottle. Still, the thick frosted glass creates a stunning effect, and when turned so you cannot see the writing, it almost looks like a bottle of nail polish. On that note, this is very discreet, and also makes for a perfect travel-friendly option.
Ingredients & Consistency
In addition to being 100% vegan and latex friendly, FIGR uses the Native Australian Extracts of Finger Lime and Strawberry Gum in their lubricant. It is also fragrance free and has been formulated with the intention to mimic your own natural lubrication. You can find the full ingredient list here, where FIGR have done an amazing job breaking down the purpose of each element. Following on from its desire to act as an extension of your own fluids, FIGR’s lube has little body and is almost water-like. The thinnest of the lubes here, this means that it runs very quickly and provides little to no barrier when being used for penetration.
Application & Play
FIGR Fluid uses a pump-style nozzle, which is my preferred type as it makes application easy. However, I find myself frequently having trouble getting anything to actually come out, and generally need to pump it quite a few times to get it to work, which can make the lubricant result in a strange bubbly consistency. When it does come out, it also sometimes shoots off into the distance rather than onto what I’m holding under it. Plus, even without any issues, the hole provided is very small, meaning you would need to pump it quite a few times anyway to get an appropriate amount. Once applied though, this lubricant doesn’t clump like most others due to its thin consistency, and instead quickly runs off whatever it’s applied to. Due to this, I’ve found Fluid tricky to use with toys, and instead prefer it during PIV sex, as it does a great job of easing entry whilst blending seamlessly with my own lubrication.
Frenchie Oh La La Love Lube
Location: Sydney
Price: $24 for 100mL
Packaging & Bottle
The box for Frenchie’s lube features their regular beautiful branding which is reminiscent of the French flag, with the colours of white, blue and red flowing across the smooth card. Their logo uses an eye-catching red foil to give it that extra va–va–voom, and all the information you could possibly want is included, from directions to an ingredients list. It is the bottle, however, where I feel Frenchie fall short. Made entirely of an opaque white plastic, nothing about it is pleasing to the eye or sexy in any way, instead reminding me of some kind of medicine bottle. Some information is provided here, including the Frenchie logo on the front and directions on the back, but this isn’t enough to help this typically fun and playful brand recover from what is otherwise quite boring. Plus, as the only bottle here that doesn’t allow you to see the lubricant within, it is hard to tell how much of it is left. The plus side to all this is that it is discreet, although its large size and unusual colour does allow it to stand out on a nightstand.
For the extra fee of $4, Frenchie offer the Love Grip as an attachment for their Oh La La Love Lube. Coming in either red or blue, this silicone band greatly improves the bottle’s appearance by adding a much needed hit of colour. Plus, it adds extra grip, which is ideal for when things start to get slippery. So considering this is the cheapest lubricant on the list (even with the Grip), I think it’s a worthy addition.
Ingredients & Consistency
Frenchie’s Love Lube is made from naturally derived ingredients, with the most prominent of these being Aloe Vera. Australian Natives are also included though in the form of Lemon Aspen, Davidson Plum, Lily Pilly and Tasmanian Mountain Berry. Vegan friendly, fragrance free and latex compatible, Frenchie have also provided a rough PH level of 4.5 – 5.0, and for a full list of ingredients you can check out their website. While on the thinner side, Frenchie have found a good balance with their lubricant still having some body, allowing it to provide a small amount of cushioning when used internally.
Application & Play
Frenchie also uses a pump-style nozzle for their lubricant, and this works very well, with application being smooth and of a good size. While Oh La La is a fairly thin lubricant, is does have a habit of clumping up, which can be good when applied directly to the body. However, when put on toys, such as the head of a dildo, it means these clumps frequently fall right off (as opposed to running or dripping) as they seem unable to properly “stick”. This can be solved by immediately spreading the clumps out over the toy with your finger, but it does make use of this lubricant for toys more difficult than need be.
LBDO Essensual Lube
Location: Melbourne
Price: $29.95 for 100mL
Packaging & Bottle
With one of my favourite brand aesthetics here, I was so glad to see that followed through to the look of LBDO’s Essensual Lube. The box features a range of information, including directions and ingredients, and puts particular attention into highlighting the Australian Native extracts that have been used. While it is visually pleasing however, the use of white writing on light grey card may be difficult to read for some, and even my eyes quickly tire from it. This muted colour scheme does pay off though, as it makes opening the box to its bright orange interior so much more impactful. As for the bottle itself, this is quite simple, with the small amount of text on it briefly mentioning things such as the brand, recycling and size. While I like the way it looks though, I will say that the clear plastic bottle and lid do come off as fairly cheap and unoriginal, as this is not the first product I’ve seen using this design. In addition, it may not be the most discreet, although I do think its size, which values width over height, definitely helps.
Ingredients & Consistency
With a purely organic formula, LBDO puts Aloe Vera front and centre in their Essensual Lube alongside Australian Native’s Kakadu Plum and Quandong. Aiming to be hydrating as well as high in antioxidants Vitamin C and Vitamin E, LBDO is 100% vegan and latex friendly. It also features no fragrance or taste, and you can find a full list of ingredients at their website. As for the consistency, it is slightly thinner than Frenchie’s, but not so much as FIGR’s, allowing it to still have some body.
Application & Play
LBDO is the only lubricant on this list that uses a squeeze-style nozzle, which is a type I am familiar with due to Sliquid. The plastic on the Essensual Lube is harder than what I am accustom to however, and so this can make squeezing it to apply the lube a little taxing on your hands. Still, other than this I haven’t had any issues with it, and I like that I can control the amount and speed it comes out more than with the other bottles. The lubricant itself then clumps up and runs when applied (kind of like a cross between FIGR and Frenchie’s versions), but it does so slow enough that you should be able to manipulate it with your finger before it’s lost. It’s then easy to spread out over toys, and the thinness means that it’s ideal for smaller non-textured options, such as G-Spot Vibrators or Dual-Stimulators.
Lucy Lube
Location: Melbourne
Price: $24 for 70mL
Packaging & Bottle
Out of the four lubricants here, Lucy’s is the only bottle to come without a box (which, in my opinion, is totally reasonable for something that comes in a bottle anyway and much more environmentally-friendly). As you’d imagine, this does mean it has a bit more going on than the others though, with the bottle now needing to list all necessary information, such as ingredients and directions. Despite this, Lucy do a great job of balancing what could have otherwise been a very overwhelming label, and while it does mean the bottle can’t compete with the minimalist discretion of some of the others, it still looks good. The tallest of the lot, despite only containing 70mL, Lucy Lube is contained within a long tube of frosted glass, though most of this is covered with the label that features the brand’s colours of blue, orange and white. A clear plastic cap then sits over the pump, and while it does stand out, the neutral colours go a long way to allowing it to hide in plain sight.
Ingredients & Consistency
While being vegan-friendly, Lucy Lube is the only lubricant on the list that sadly doesn’t include any of our native ingredients here in Australia. Instead, it simply contains Aloe Vera for those seeking something organic, and for a full list check out their website. No fragrances are found in the Lube either, and Lucy have also kindly provided its PH level, which is 4.3. With the thickest consistency here, Lucy Lube is unique in that it rarely runs, however between your fingers it does still feel fairly light.
Application & Play
Lucy Lube uses a pump-style nozzle, and while I don’t have as many issues with it as I did with FIGR’s, I don’t find it as smooth as Frenchie’s either. It uses more effort to press down upon and feels somewhat rigid, and due to this it can sometimes result in the lubricant shooting out straight ahead rather than on what I’m trying to apply it to. Once out though my experience with it has been quite different to the others, as it simply clumps up on whatever it has been applied to and stays, rather than running or falling off. This then gives you the chance to take your time spreading it out, and upon doing so it becomes much thinner. So despite how gel-like it seems as first, Lucy still isn’t the sort of lubricant that would be appropriate for heavily textured toys or anal play, but it does offer more cushioning than LBDO.
The Verdict
Lubricant, perhaps even more so than sex toys, depends on your preference. So my favourite may not be for everyone, as I already know I have a somewhat uncommon predisposition for thicker-style lubricants. What’s more, the type of lubricant you choose can depend on your play, with thinner-styles being good for vaginal sex and those that are more gel-like being preferred for adult products, such as dildos. So rather than just having one winner, I’ve placed the lubes into categories of what I believe they’re each best for, and I hope this combined with the descriptions I’ve provided here will allow you to determine what would suit you best.
The Best For PIV Sex: FIGR Fluid
While the water-like qualities of FIGR’s lube make it difficult to use alongside sex toys, it meant that it could excel when applied directly to the vulva. The aim of Fluid was to “mimic naturally occurring lubrication”, and I feel they have fully met the brief in that regard. Once put on, the lubricant blends seamlessly, and doesn’t leave me feeling overly slippery. My only wish was that the nozzle of my otherwise favourite bottle (in regards to both looks and discretion) worked better.
You can get Fluid directly from FIGR or from my recommended retailer JOUJOU!
The Best Value: Frenchie Oh La La Love Lube
Even with the addition of Frenchie’s Love Grip, their Oh La La Love Lube is by far the cheapest item on this list considering you get a whole 100mL to play around with. Plus, while the bottle was my least favourite visually, I did find it to be the easiest and most satisfying to use. As for the lubricant itself, there wasn’t anything wrong with it, but its tendency to clump and fall off toys made it tricky to use with them. Being fairly thin though, it would absolutely still work for both toy use and sex, it might just require a little more effort, which seems a fair trade for the lower price.
You can get the Oh La La Love Lube directly from Frenchie or from my recommended retailer Lovehoney, plus use my code HONEYX10 to get 10% OFF your total order!
The Best For Vibrators: LBDO Essensual Lube
LBDO’s Essensual Lube was a pretty perfect example of a lubricant. It was thin enough to not create so much of a barrier that any feeling would be lost during play, whilst not being so water-like that it would fall off upon being applied. In fact, for most people I think this would probably be the ideal lube, and if it wasn’t for my love of thicker-styles this would have likely been the best overall. While Lucy Lube took out that spot though, the Essensual Lube is still my pick for many external toys and smaller dildos, as well as vibrators of all types.
You can get the Essensual Lube directly from LBDO!
The Best Overall: Lucy Lube
I gave Lucy Lube a pretty bangin’ review earlier this year, so this was always going to be the one to beat. But as the only product here that is able to actually stay on toys without running off, there was little competition for me. As someone who uses countless sex toys each week, I go through a lot of lubricant, and the easier that is for me to apply (and the less of it that ends up on my bedsheets), the happier I’m going to be. Plus, despite this it still feels quite thin when spread out, so you don’t need to worry about having it take away from whatever you’re using either. Lucy Lube really is that all-rounder that would suit any category I’ve mentioned here, although, as with the others, it’s just not going to be ideal for larger textured toys or anal play.
You can get the Lube directly from Lucy or from my recommended retailer Nikki Darling, plus use my code GRACE5 to get 5% OFF your total order!
Additional products in featured image are the Darque Path Upir Maw, the OSUGA Cuddly Bird, and the JIMMYJANE Afterglow Massage Candle.
I received some of these products in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Affiliate links have been used in this post.
1 Comment on Review Round-Up: Australian-Made Lube
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This was super informative – thank you so much! :)