Last night I finally watched Free Guy, and I can’t help but think back to Taika Waititi as the CEO of a video game company saying “Make an original? Why would I do that when I can make a sequel?“, when writing this review. Sequel culture is everywhere these days, with films, television, video games, and just about every other form of entertainment choosing to stick with what their customers already know and love rather than risking doing something remotely new or inventive. So, when a brand manages to create one of the most popular sex toys in years, so much so that it goes absolutely viral on social media, it was only a matter of time before the sequel arrived. Introducing the Rose Queen, the next evolution of Sohimi’s massively popular ROSE suction toy. Also known as the Rose Toy Pro, this version keeps everything that was great about the original, while adding an insertable arm and vibrations for G-Spot stimulation. Plus, with a design that reinforces, rather than takes away from, its predecessor’s floral charm, this is one sequel I can get behind.
Review: YY Horse Mini Banana
Every week I spend hours sorting through press releases and trade magazines to find the best and most exciting new sex toys to bring you reviews of. It’s how I end up finding gems like the Hot Octopuss KURVE and Lovehoney X Love Not War Amore despite them being barely off the manufacturing line, alongside warnings for products that didn’t quite work out before you risk spending your hard earned money on them. So that’s why when a retailer like Honeysx comes along and says I can choose anything from their store to review, I can’t help but want to put my feet up a little and review something purely for fun instead. And that is exactly what the YY Horse Mini Banana is all about. Going full form over function, YY Horse (which is the brand name, and no, I don’t know why) have created what looks to be a terrible sex toy. But with one of the most adorable designs ever, the Mini Banana has truly won my heart.
Review: Satisfyer Dual Love & Dual Pleasure
From the moment I tried the legendary Pro 2 back in 2016, Satisfyer, and their groundbreaking suction technology, became one of my all time favourite brands. For years this continued, with each Satisfyer being somehow better than the last, until finally culminating in 2019’s Satisfyer Luxury, their most ambitious (and expensive!) toy yet, whose powerful clitoral stimulation made it more than worth the price tag. But after this, things started to change. Satisfyer rebranded, switching their previously luxury feel to one more aimed at newcomers, and begun to release a wide range of products (ending their suction specialisation) at much lower prices than before. Cautiously pessimistic, I held back on reviewing for them for some time after that, until finally I broke my silence when I tried their first app compatible toys, the Curvy 1+ & 2+, around this time last year. With the pair all but confirming my fears about the declining standards of the brand however, it wasn’t the return to Satisfyer I had hoped. So when Betty’s Toy Box recently contacted me about trying the Curvy’s successors, the Dual Pleasure and Dual Love, it seemed only fair to give the brand I once loved so much a second chance.
Review: We-Vibe Touch X
There’s understandably been a lot of hype lately surrounding the We-Vibe Tango X, considering it’s the long-awaited upgrade to one of the most popular vibrators ever made. In fact, the expectations have been so high that when I reviewed it a few months ago, I was somewhat unimpressed, as while there wasn’t anything necessarily wrong with it, I just felt it wasn’t able to live up to its predecessor’s legacy. But while all eyes have been on the Tango X, another new We-Vibe product has quietly begun making waves of its own. The We-Vibe Touch has long been the lesser-known sister toy to the Tango, with the two of them being released together originally and for every upgrade since, including the latest X generation. Despite both being clitoral vibrators using the same powerful motor however, the two cater to complete opposite ends of the spectrum, with the thin and rigid ABS plastic of the Tango being ideal for pin-point stimulation, whilst the soft silicone and sculpted body of the Touch boasting broad vibrations. So, with the Tango not really doing it for me anymore, I figured now was the perfect time to finally get to know the Touch X, and JOUJOU agreed.
Review: Blush Novelties Avant D17 Lucky
The Avant line by Blush Novelties has been at the top of my wish list for far too long. One of the best bigger brands making dildos and other silicone goods right now, their refined designs matched with eye-catching colours are hard to miss, and as the range has grown over the years so too has my desire to try one. The most popular of the line however has been their Pride (or “P”) range, which are a series of toys featuring the colours of flags relating to some of the more common sexual and gender identities. So, because I’m still in the process of deciding which flags best represent me (and I’d feel strange reviewing something not all my readers may feel is for them), it has put pause on getting one of these toys for myself. But when Blush announced their newest additions to the line last June for Pride, and the absolutely stunning D17 Lucky was part of it, I couldn’t quite resist any longer. Even better then was that despite its release date and resemblance to the bisexual flag (which I do identify with), it isn’t actually intended as part of their Avant Pride range (as denoted by the “D” in its name, presumably for dildo, rather than “P”), making it accessible for everyone.
Review: Darque Path Cthulhu
Over the last few years I’ve become a massive fan of the work of H.P. Lovecraft and the Mythos he inspired. Growing up with little exposure to horror films or books (even the The Little Mermaid gave me nightmares as a child), his wide collection of short stories has served as the perfect gateway into this world for me, especially when you consider how much of it has formed the basis of the genre today. I often spend evenings reading over annotations of his work (yes, including analysis on the unpleasant racist overtones), have forked out way too much money on the Call of Cthulhu role-playing game (considering I have no one to play it with), and even though I still have a long way to go with catching up on horror as a film genre, I’ve just recently taken my first steps with John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy (which was also inspired by Lovecraft). But with my job being what it is, there has always been one thing missing, and that is, of course, a fantasy toy inspired by the most famous of all his creations: Cthulhu. For the longest time I had my eyes on Uberrime’s version, but size concerns and US shipping prices held me back, until finally it disappeared from their store. Just when I thought all was lost however, I discovered Darque Path and their very own interpretation made right here in Australia!