When I first started reading sex blogs and toy reviews many years ago, there were a few products that would consistently be referenced across all of my favourite websites. They were things like the Njoy Pure Wand, Vixen Creations VixSkin Mustang, and Magic Wand Rechargeable, legendary toys that continue to maintain a cult following even today. But the main toy that I kept hearing about over and over again, regardless of what the actual review was about, was the versatile We-Vibe Tango. Widely regarded as the most powerful bullet vibrator on the market, it wasn’t long before I got one of my own and fell madly in love with it just like everyone else. A marvel of simplicity mixed with raw power, We-Vibe’s unrelenting lipstick-shaped ABS plastic was the perfect vessel for rumbly vibrations that were ahead of their time, and the fuss-free design complimented them perfectly. But it had a dark secret, with a battery life that was unable to meet the demand its users placed on it. I’ve spoken to people who have owned over ten Tangos in order to get their fix, but when mine died back in 2019, that was it for me, and eventually I found a replacement in the Dame Kip. Since then though I have been just wishing We-Vibe would fix this issue and re-release it, and so when JOUJOU got in touch recently to let me know that was exactly what was happening to celebrate the toy’s 10th birthday, I couldn’t have been happier.
Review: Femme Funn Versa Bullet & Sleeves
Last time at the blog we were taking a look at sustainability in the sex toy industry and what products are currently making a difference, namely the new Lovehoney X Love Not War Amore. Designed as a modular toy so you only need one set of electronics across the entire range (even if it’s currently not being sold as such), Love Not War aimed to reduce both the waste and cost associated with their toys. But while it may not look as fancy, the idea of being able to take one core toy and then transforming it into a range of different styles has been around for years thanks to sleeve attachments. This concept has always intrigued me personally, but aside from the fairly out there Uberrime Tentare Tentacle, there is a distinct lack of reviews for them at my blog. Why? Well I have given these sorts of things a go at conventions and stores, and I’ve always been seriously unimpressed at just how well the vibrations transfer through. But when I heard Femme Funn, makers of the popular Ultra Bullet, were releasing their own version named the Versa earlier this year, and For Her Box offered it to me for review, I figured it was time to finally give bullet sleeves a proper go.
Review: Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore
I’ve spoken here about the need for a greater emphasis on sustainability within the sex toy industry quite a few times. It’s something I’ve been passionate about for as long as I can remember (I was one of three members of the sustainability council in primary school), and as I’ve gotten older this has only increased. Plus, when you receive as many sex toys as I do, you quickly realise the sheer level of waste they create, from the oversized packaging, huge instruction manuals, unnecessary plastics, and more, and that’s before you even begin think about the toys themselves and the vast amount that must be sitting in landfill right now. Typically though when I address it here it’s because of steps a small business is taking, from the eco-conscious creation of Deeper Blue Ceramic’s gorgeous pieces, to the low-waste packaging of Geeky Sex Toy’s orders, but this year for the first time I’m starting to see bigger brands consider changing things up too. Recently at the blog we’ve seen a lot of Lora DiCarlo’s beautiful storage bags that are proudly made from 100% recycled plastic found in the ocean, and now with announcements from more major brands about their commitment to sustainability, such as Womanizer’s new PREMIUMeco, I think we’re finally on the right track. So today we’re taking a closer look at one of the products that’s got me so excited for the future of this industry and finding out if Lovehoney’s latest collaboration with sustainable brand Love Not War feels as good to use as it does to support.
Review: Lora DiCarlo Carezza
Often times the sex toy industry feels like something of a close knit community. So when big new Silicon Valley-style companies launch with their ignorant yet sweeping assumptions about sex tech and big claims about how they’re going to “reinvent” it… it’s easy to dismiss them. After all, considering the rapidly increasing worth of this industry, which has only skyrocketed since we all collectively spent more time at home than ever before in 2020, tech companies would be foolish not to look into it, even if their obliviousness usually ends up being their downfall. One of the companies that I felt this way about until not so long ago was Lora DiCarlo, a new brand that looks more tech than sex, calls their products “robotics”, and recently appointed actress and model Cara Delevingne as co-owner. But after trying their unique oral sex stimulator Filare in January, thanks to For Her Box, I couldn’t deny that it was indeed the closest replication of those sensations I’ve ever experienced from a sex toy. So for today’s review we’re taking a look at another new innovative toy from Lora DiCarlo, the Carezza, to find out if this brand is really worth your time or just a one hit wonder.
Review: Faux Phallus Agapanthus
I love being a sex toy reviewer more than anything. But there are some obvious downsides to doing it in Australia. There’s no major manufacturers located here, popular toys aren’t always stocked by local stores, shipping prices from everywhere else are ridiculously high, and in terms of a blogging community… well most of the time it’s just me. There is one thing, however, that has disappointed me most over the years though, and that’s the lack of independent makers. Overseas, but particularly in the USA, there seems to be an abundance of people creating silicone toys from their very own homes and selling them places like Etsy, allowing them to push the limits of what is considered a sex toy by producing imaginative designs in a kaleidoscope of colours that would have never been able to occur within a larger mass-producing company. I could browse these stores all day, and often do, but with shipping typically costing far more than the products themselves, actually making a purchase is sadly not an option for me. It’s because of this that I have spent a good part of the last six years wishing and hoping someone would kick off a similar community here (and making my own plans if I were to ever move to a bigger apartment), and now in 2021 it finally seems my cries have been answered.
Review: Hot Octopuss KURVE
If I had to choose just one company that I get most excited for new releases from, it think I would have to be Hot Octopuss. Unlike most other brands who are pumping out new toy ranges all the time, this award-winning UK team only announces a few select products a year, and you can always tell that each piece has been carefully designed to not only provide immense pleasure, but also to stand out and bring something new to the table, whether it’s just to their brand or the industry as a whole. Starting out in the world of penis and couples toys, their masturbators are the only solo sex toys my partner uses, and they make up some of our favourite dual devices too. As for me, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying watching Hot Octopuss slowly expand to produce a small range of clitoral toys over the past few years, starting with the now discontinued Queen Bee, and more recently with the DiGiT and AMO, which is one of my all-time favourite bullets, placing in my Top 10 Sex Toys of 2020. But the G-Spot is one area I’ve still been eagerly awaiting to see them tackle, and now with the release of the KURVE it seems it is finally happening!