Archive | March, 2011

Review: Kama Sutra Treasure Trove


treasure troveSince I’ve spent so much time reviewing things that go ‘buzz’ in the night, I thought I’d get my hands on something completely different for my next review. When I saw the Treasure Trove Kit, made by the folks at KamaSutra, I instantly knew I had to have it.

*Fortunately the folks at Eden Fantasys are pretty cool with letting reviewers pick their own products, so getting my hands on it wasn’t too hard!

Packaging

Like all of the products KamaSutra makes the packaging is respectful, professional, pretty and sturdy. There is nothing on the delightful pink box that’s rude, embarrassing or ‘inappropriate’; it lists the items included, scent/flavor and uses the word “lover” to hint what it’s for.

Maybe it’s just me, but I found it rather stunning and extremely high end in both appearance and feel. Fortunately the level of quality shown on the outer box is mimicked on all of the included products, with nothing having any rude or possibly embarrassing writing on them.

While I was a little disappointed to see that each item didn’t come as it would if bought independently (no outer case/packaging), I was rather surprised to see that the Oil Of Love and Stimulating Gel were securely sealed in clear plastic bags to ensure there was no mess should they accidentally open during transportation. A very nice thought on their behalf.

Products

Included in the Treasure Trove are 3 items, all ofwhich are “Strawberries and Champagne” scented/flavored; a 3.4oz bottle of Oil of Love, 8 ounces of their fantastic Honey Dust (with the feather duster) and 1.7 oz tube of Stimulating Gel.

Rather than just doing an over all review of the products I’m going to break each one down into its own separate mini review:

oil of loveKamaSutra Oil of Love:

The Oil of Love is a pretty, translucent pink, sweetly scented fluid that warms when rubbed on the skin or blown.

The consistency is slippery, thin and rather fluid, though it tends to get sticky and gummy if too much is used or it’s not licked off before it has a chance to oxidize.

With the exception of a sticker around the base that says “KamaSutra”, “Oil of Love” and the flavor/scent, it comes in a very pretty glass jar with nothing on it to state what it is.

*If you’re into reusing bottles for perfume, homemade oil mixtures or anything else you can dream up, this bottle is definitely worth saving.

Having said that I wouldn’t personally use it for massages, instead I would use it as a body topping or during foreplay to arouse and excite during oral teasing. On that note, I also wouldn’t suggest it for cunnilingus since it contains both glycerin and sucrose (which may cause a yeast infection for those that are prone to them), when it comes to blow jobs, enjoy!

As for the taste, it’s sweet, a little tart, slightly artificial but very yummy. There’s no harsh aftertaste, burning in the back of the throat or slimy feeling left on the tongue, something I’ve experience with other “oils”.  Aside from that it doesn’t tingle or numb the tongue, allowing you to do what you want without feeling like you need to go brush your teeth to get rid of the sensation.

*the 3.4oz bottle does not come with the container pictured above left.

Final Verdict: Overall I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars with a deduction for the sticky feeling and slightly artificial taste.

KamaSutra Honey Dust:

KamaSutra’s Honey Dust comes as pictured with a lovely satin red bag to contain the powder and an extremely soft feather duster for application.

There’s nothing on either of the items to state what they are, allowing you to leave it out in the open without any worry someone might come to the automatic conclusion it’s for a sexy rendezvous.

As for the taste, it’s light, sweet, flavorful and extremely tasty. There’s no burning, tingling, stinging or horrible aftertaste, just a yummy candy flavor that lingers deliciously on your taste buds.

Whether you use it to dust on each other and lick off, as a sweat absorbing powder before a busy day (it’s great for under/between the breasts), something to leave your skin delicately and deliciously scented or to sprinkle on your pillows before you hit the sheets, this product does it all!

Fortunately it doesn’t get sticky, flakey, gummy or pasty over time, instead leaving your skin feeling soft and velvety smooth.

*The feather duster can also be used to tease and gently tickle your partner during a night of foreplay and fun.

Final Verdict: I easily give this product  5 out of 5 stars  for its high end quality, designer look and feel, longevity (the 8oz lasts a long time) and delicious scent/taste.

KamaSutra Stimulating Gel:

Considering that the previous two KamaSutra products were so fantastic I had extremely high hopes for the Stimulating Gel. Sadly I sit somewhere on the fence between pleased and uninspired.

The Good: It’s not excessively sticky or tacky when rubbed into the skin (just a little of each), comes beautifully and professionally packaged, goes quite a long way for the little that’s used, cools when blown on and is latex safe.

The Bad: It tastes and smells like medicine (think cherry Halls or a fruity Vapo Rub), numbed my tongue, contains glycerine (which may cause a yeast infection if used vaginally) and didn’t really “tingle” like I expected (I can say it warmed, but “tingled”, not really).

*You could use it on the nipples, clitoris, penis, earlobes or other erogenous zones to help stimulate and excite, but I wouldn’t suggest it for internal use whether anally or vaginally.

Final Verdict: It’s not the worst product I’ve ever tried, yet it’s also nowhere close to being the best – 2.75 out of 5 stars.

Value For Your Money

When it comes to kits like these there is one question I’m always asked – “is it really worth it?”…

In this case I’m a little torn; if you bought the Honey Dust, Oil of Love and Stimulating Gel separately you’d easily pay over $50.00 (including tax, not including shipping), yet you wouldn’t get the pretty box for storage (which also makes giving it as a gift extra special). Since EdenFantasys offers it for $40.99 you’ve got a savings of $9.00, which is pretty sweet.

Having said that, I think the current asking price is a little bit much and would have been much more excited it if was somewhere around the $35.00 price point. Regardless, it’s definitely still worth it.

Overall Final Verdict

Even though I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Stimulating Gel, I do think the overall package is pretty amazing; everything is easy to use, body safe, professionally and beautifully packed, tastes and smells great, comes ready for gift giving, can be used by anyone and definitely adds a whole new way to explore, whether  it’s between the sheets or anywhere else you can dream up.

If you’d like more info, to purchase the KamaSutra Treasure Trove or to take a look at any of the other products KamaSutra has to offer, make sure to check out Eden Fantasys where shopping is affordable, discreet and exceptionally easy.

*Don’t forget to take advantage of the different specials going on each month like discounts on kits, sales and even FREE products added to your order!!
Sex toys - EdenFantasys adult toys store

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Review: Split Dildo

I usually have a really hard time writing reviews about products I don’t like. It’s not that I don’t like voicing my opinion. It’s that I understand how my experience might not be common and therefore, not necessarily something that would apply to everyone.

Besides that, when it comes to disappointing aspects of a product i.e. that’s it not the most powerful, not waterproof etc, well those are not necessarily issues I think are worthy of a general ‘disliking’, and for the most part, things I can live with (for the record I will include them in my reviews just so everyone knows what they’re getting).

Pain on the other hand, especially when not expected or wanted, I cannot.

*I’m talking real pain, not the kind you ask for in the throws of a passionate, throwing caution to the wind, heat of the moment situation. Nor am I talking about a preplanned or arranged BDSM scenario. Those are all together different and usually enjoyable.

Having said that, and considering the discomfort (read pain), confusion and frustration the Split Dildo unleashed on me and my poor unsuspecting vagina, well, I really don’t feel so bad about giving my two cents.

The Good

Like most of my reviews I’m going to start this with the positives, of which (for me) there were only two;

1.) It’s crafted out of 100% medical grade platinum silicone that feels soft, smooth, velvety and very supple to the touch.  Because it’s made of such high quality material it’s non porous (so it won’t absorb bodily fluids, lube or bacteria), hypo allergenic, hygienic and phthalate/latex free. Simply put, it’s body safe in regard to material… it passed the flame test, so I’m not going to argue with them on this.

2.) The packaging is simple, plain, respectful, and can be very easily recycled. Having said that, it’s just a plain pink box that feels like construction paper with the word “STIC” written in silver print on the front. It’s not overly dramatic,  nor is it quality made, yet considering the fact that it’s not covered in half naked men or women in compromising positions, I’ll take it.

The Bad

Ugh, where do I begin…

When I got the Split Dildo out of the package it smelled like gasoline, paint thinner or some other weird kind of harsh chemicals. I wish I could describe it, but I can’t. All I can say is that whatever it was it gave me one hell of a headache. This lead me to believe that it wasn’t silicone, opting to do a flame test, of which it passed. With that in mind, I have no clue what caused the smell to begin with (shipping?) or why it still stinks. I originally thought it was just mine but after tweeting to a fellow sex toy reviewer I was told that hers smelled as well. Maybe yours won’t stink. Maybe it will. Either way, I warned you.

*for the record, I’ve boiled it, let it sit in soapy water, washed it 4 times and while faint, it still smells bad enough to give me a headache.

UPDATE: I messaged my contact with the company regarding the smell and this was the response I got (forgive the language barrier);

SplitDILOD made from 100% platinum silicone and can’t smell. Probably your item has not normaly polimerized becouse in Russia been very froze minus 25-30 degree C and in our factory been very cool. When item has been shipped and been in a bag the smell rise up. Sorry, it shock for us!

After reading the response I wrote back, stating that ‘freezing temperatures’ usually shouldn’t have any effect on the silicone, to which he replied:

About smell we found a reason. We use high quality gazoline for clean a table and cloth from silicone. I think we cleaning a table and your item contacted this it. Sorry again and do not worry, gazolin smell will go out and not danger for health. It never case again!

So now not only was the product smelly, but it also *may* have come into contact with gasoline. I’m sorry but even if it’s “high quality” gasoline, I don’t want my vagina coming into contact with it. Period.

*Over the last 5 years I have managed to collect literally 2 FULL bins of silicone sex toys… NEVER ONCE! did any of them smell of anything. Not gasoline. Not cleaner. Not chemicals. Nothing. The Split Dildo was the ONLY time this has happene. Clearly they need to sort shit out at the factory.

How To Use… Just Don’t.

Aside from the horrible smell, insertion is far from easy. If you ask me, it’s almost unusable. Between trying to hold the ‘splits’ together when all they seem to want to do is fling apart the second you let go, to relaxing and becoming aroused so it enters easily, trying to hold onto the damn thing when your hands are covered in lube (I needed a lot) and finally trying not to to get lube everywhere in the process it’s just one giant, frustrating, irritating mess. #fail #fail #fail!

Unfortunately there are no instructions or information about the product that could help me figure out how to use it or what to do with it. On top of that, there’s no website listed anywhere, whether on the box or the product. Nor is there any help or suggestions to make the usage of the product easier when you do get to the website. All you get is some wacky .gif images (shown below) that don’t even resemble a body (it’s a square with a few lumpy parts).

Maybe it’s just me, but after all the mess and stress of the Split Dildo I assumed the sensation would be worth it. Wrong!

After about 20 minutes of wrestling with it I finally managed to get it inserted, not comfortably I might add. In all honesty, once it was inserted it felt like someone had rammed some kind of prod inside me and cranked it open. Not fun. Not pleasurable. Not something I’d want to thrust and definitely not arousing or orgasm inducing. Shit, going to the gyno and having my Dr. crank me open with the speculum is more fun.

On that note, it’s thick, very thick. We’re talking 5 inches thick (the website lists diameter, not circumference). For me, that’s painfully thick. Suffice to say I don’t think it’s a product that someone who’s not used to inserting things would like, especially those that don’t like the additional feeling of having something pressed against their cervix (it’s 6.3″ in length). That in mind, it seemed like the deeper it went the more it hurt. Clearly my vagina is not a fan of being forcefully stretched open.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, removal was no breeze either; the entire time I was pulling it out, it was expanded internally, so it felt like I was being stretched from the inside out. The ‘dragging’ sensation wasn’t very nice either. As I said earlier, not fun.

No matter how much I tried, the experience was just too frustrating, annoying, painful and disappointing for me to maintain any level of arousal. When I’m not aroused, I’m not enjoying myself and for the most part, I feel like quitting. And yet, I didn’t quit. Instead I gave it four separate attempts on four very separate occasions…sadly, none of them worked out for me which is why I’ve written such a scathing review. Maybe your experience will be different and maybe you’ll love the Split Dildo. I just know that I didn’t and don’t.

My Suggestions

Having pointed out all the negative issues with the product, I sat down and tried to think of ways they could be remedied. This is what I came up with:

1.) It should be thinner. I measured the circumference and 5″ is very thick, especially for a product that stretches open even wider. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think people who have never used toys, haven’t had much inserted in them and have a smaller body would not find this comfortable or enjoyable. Maybe if it was thinner a larger market of people could try it and in turn enjoy it.  (offering 2 sizes might be a good idea)

2.)Make the split less extreme. As I said in the previous suggestion, the product stretches rather wide, which for me was the main reason it hurt. If  the manufacturers could find a way to make it less forceful when it opens, having some kind of dial or way of adjusting it to accommodate different body types might make it hurt less. (Je Joue did it with the  G-Ki which is somewhat customizable)

3.) On that note, coming up with a way to close or clench it for insertion and removal might be a good idea as well, especially considering that holding it together to insert it was one giant pain in the ass and removal hurt, really hurt.

PS – Spot?

For those of you curious about the design, the whole point of the Split Dildo is to stimulate the G-spot AND the PS-spot all at once. What’s that you say, the PS-spot?…ah yes, the ever elusive and rarely talked about PS-spot: for those of you not in the know,  the “PS” stands for perineal sponge, which lies between the vagina and rectum (usually otherwise known as the “taint” for guys).  This sponge is a mass of erectile tissue that when stimulated, fills with blood and becomes engorged, just like a man’s penis and a woman’s clitoris do when aroused.

Fortunately jabbing at it from inside the vaginal canal (shown in the .gif images above) isn’t the only way to stimulate the PS-spot, it can also be stimulated from inside the anus (for those of you into it) by gently pressing toward the front of the body (opposite the g-spot). If inserting fingers into your anus isn’t your forte you could always insert a curved silicone dildo or vibrator that’s meant for g-spot stimulation, just angle it toward your lower abdomen. Who knows, you just might like it and like they always say, you’ll never know unless you try.

Cleaning and Care

Considering that many of you won’t heed my warning and instead, want to try it for yourself, I figure it’s worth including the necessary info to help it last;

Since it’s made of silicone you can bleach it, boil it, place it in the dishwasher, wash it with anti bacterial soap and water as well as spraying it with a compatible toy cleaner. Keep in mind it’s made of high quality silicone so it won’t absorb any bacteria, bodily fluids or lube.

As for lubes, I’d only suggest a good water based lube as using a silicone lube with a silicone product will eat away at the surface of the product and may, with time, cause it to deteriorate. Considering that one of the great things about silicone products is the fact that they’re non porous, using a silicone lube may just defeat the whole purpose.

Final Verdict

All in all I think the Split Dildo was a really great idea, one that very likely could have brought a whole new level of pleasure to the market. Sadly (for me) it wasn’t very well executed in regard to the design. Like I said, it hurts – a lot.  That’s enough for me to bid it a very fond farewell and never think twice about it or wonder what I’m missing.

If you think it’s a product you’d like to try, whether out of curiosity sake, thinking it’s a product that may work for you or because you enjoy the euphoric bliss that being in a state of pain can sometimes bring, well, more power to you. Feel free to check out the Split dildo website where the product is available in four different colors.

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Review: Trust Massage Oil


trust massage oilAs someone that has extremely sensitive skin,  so bad that I can’t use most soaps, shampoos, conditioners, creams, body washes or “oils” without breaking out in a horrible rash, I’m going to start this review by saying that I think I may have just found my miracle product – Trust massage oil!

The Goods

I know toting it as a “miracle product” is a very big statement, however I stand behind that 110%.  Never have I found a product that treated my delicate skin so wonderfully;

  • I’ve used it after I shaved and it minimized the red bumps (don’t you just hate those?!) while also leaving my skin feeling soft, supple, moisturized and pampered.
  • Living in a part of the world that has a pretty cold climate often = very dry skin that flakes and itches like crazy. I can use Trust oil on my elbows, arms, legs and it instantly soothes my skin, yet doesn’t sting, burn or irritate, a problem I find with a lot of other “oils” I’ve used.
  • It’s fantastic for massages as it allows the hands/ to slide gently over the skin without any pulling or tugging.  Even better, it doesn’t leave you feeling oily, coated in product, slippery or sticky.
  • Speaking of pulling or tugging, it’s great for hand jobs and using as a lubricant during clitoral stimulation (just make sure that you’re not using it as a lube with condoms as they’ll break).
  • Last but not least, it’s great for taking care of your hands and nails. My biggest problem has always been that my nails split, break, peel and tear, yet ever since I began using it my nails haven’t split, cracked or peeled half as badly as they used to. #winning

Basically put, it’s quality made and you can feel the difference!

Packaging

Trust massage oil comes packaged in a beautiful deep blue 10oz glass bottle. It’s professional, respectful and looks very high end. If I didn’t know better, I’d expect to see it on the shelf of major department stores and high end boutiques (Sephora etc).

There is nothing on the packaging that is rude, crude or embarrassing; just the ingredients, use suggestions, warning (do not use with latex etc) and where to go for more info (the website).

*side note: when I received my bottle of oil there was no extra packaging, instead it came wrapped in bubble wrap to ensure it didn’t break during transport. Eco friendly packaging for the win!

All Natural Ingredients

What makes the product so fantastic (for me) is the lack of parabens, petrochemicals, glycerin and preservatives. Instead, Trust only uses quality, organic, food grade and kosher ingredients like all natural Grape Seed Oil, Avocado Oil and Apricot Kernel Oil.

For those of you not in the know, there are numerous benefits to each of the ingredients:

Grapeseed Oil

Grapeseed oil is a light, odorless natural oil derived from Italian grape seeds that’s suitable for all skin types. Because of it’s high amount of Linoleic Acid, it’s often used in beauty products for its anti-inflammatory and moisture retention properties. It’s also known to be a powerful antioxidant that protects skin from premature aging and is effective in fighting acne. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also great for helping to diminish stretch marks and does a fantastic job of moisturizing and repairing the delicate area around the eyes.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is rich in vitamins and minerals as it contains vitamin A, B1, B2, D and E, in addition to lethicin, beta-carotene and potassium, all of which are wonderful for skin rejuvenation. It has also been purported to provide moisturizing, nourishing and revitalizing properties particularly for dehydrated, delicate, mature and sensitive skin.  It’s also great for relieving the extreme dryness and itching of skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis.

Apricot Kernel Oil

Avocado oil is purported to have a higher degree of penetration into the epidermis than most carrier oils thereby providing a moisturizing and softening affect on the skin. It is often used on dry or mature skin, people suffering from eczema, psoriasis or similar skin complaints. It is also used for to treat sun or climate damaged skin that is dehydrated and under nourished, as it is purported to help with the regeneration of the skin and softening of the tissue.

*information taken from the Trust website.

On that note, there is one thing missing that I almost expected in an oil – a smell. Very surprisingly there is no scent. Okay, fine, maybe a slight hint of something (oil?), but it’s not harsh, heavy, overwhelming, powdery or otherwise offensive and it doesn’t give me a headache. Matter of fact, unless you’re really looking for a scent, you wont find one. Of course you could add a few drops of your favorite organic aromatherapy oil to give it a scent, but for all intensive purposes it’s odorless and I like that.

The Bad

When it came to things I didn’t like there were none. Seriously, I love this stuff!

Final Verdict

If you’re looking for a multi purpose oil, one that’s made of all natural, organic, food grade, vegan, kosher ingredients and not filled with harsh chemicals that leave you feeling sticky, tacky, oily or coated in product, I suggest you stop looking and grab yourself a bottle of something every relationship needs – Trust – your body will thank you!

*The product regularly retails for $39.99 – however, and big thanks to the company for this, if you use code KARA SUTRA at the checkout you’ll only pay $29.97. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!!

 

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