Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Currently in Testing:

I'm thinking I'll make this a staple of the blog: those who follow me on twitter see pictures and thoughts on items I've received, but the blog doesn't hear much until the actual review is out. Depending on how often I get new items for review, you'll get a sneak preview with pictures and thoughts.

What I have in testing right now is the Tantus Little Flirt in Copper (currently in their Closeout section for only $15!), a Crystal Delights Plug, and White Hemp Rope from the Bedroom Bondage collection at Lovehoney. 




First up is the Tantus Little Flirt. I was lucky enough to score this 100% Pure Silicone plug for under $20. Seriously, I say it all the time: check out Tantus' closeout section. It will improve the quality of your life.

In the various pictures of the Little Flirt to be seen above, you can see it in it's packaging, by itself, and with some other toys (Lelo Gigi, and the Fun Factory Booty and Laid P.3 Cockring which haven't been reviewed yet because they belong to my partner- he got toys before I did, because I'm nice and like giving him presents. There will be reviews eventually). There's also a picture of it with the Crystal Delights Plug below.

Thus far, I've only used the Little Flirt once. I'm new to anal toys, and as excited as I am about these new additions, they're still intimidating to me. Insertion was ridiculously easy with a little Sliquid Organics Gel, and the sensation was different but not unpleasant. I used the Gigi in tandem and my butt spit it out when I reached climax. I'm assuming this is normal, especially considering how smooth this toy is.

The Little flirt came in a completely discreet box- no one would have known what was going on if I hadn't told everyone and showed it off, because that's how I roll. It doesn't even say Tantus anywhere on the address, so unless other people have memorized their address like I have (creepy, I know- but in my defense, I have sent them something via mail and I tend to memorize things like phone numbers and addresses without really trying) no one will have any idea.




Next up is the Crystal Delights Plug. This beautiful borosilicate glass plug can be described as eye candy, shiny, ooooooh, ahhhh, and pretty. Words are not enough for the in-life beauty of the thing. I can't stop taking pictures of it- it is definitely the most photogenic of my collection.

I haven't used this one yet, but my partner has used all three of the anal toys we have and it seems his bum greatly prefers glass to either silicone toy. He'll be co-reviewing this one with me (and probably the other anal toys) so look forward to that.

I don't know what shipping is like; Shelly herself stopped by my store to drop this off to me. I really appreciate the gesture, and loved meeting her- it was great to show her around our little store and talk about adult products and glass and all sorts of other things. I look forward to be able to meeting her again in the future.

The toy comes with a storage pouch which is certainly beautiful, as well- you can see part of the quilted interior in the second solo picture of it. The black silky material has a pocket for the toy and you then roll it up and secure with elastic loops- the layers of fabric protecting the toy inside. It also included a product card certifying that it's authentic, includes a product ID# and the month in which it was inspected. Shelly explained to me that it's so people know it's a genuine product, and because apparently in Asia genuine US Handcrafted products are greatly sought after- including the product card helps assure buyers that they're getting the real deal.


Last but not least (though this is the newest addition to my collection, so there aren't really pictures of this yet) is the White Hemp Bondage Rope from Lovehoney's Bedroom Bondage line. 

Packaging was discreet and it arrived soon after I was told it was being sent to me. Upon opening it, I was transported back to my childhood; this rope smells strongly of earthiness and well, barns- it reminds me strongly of the various barns I explored as a child- our neighbor's, that of family friends. A slight kerosene smell is below the earthiness and the smell of the actual fiber, not sure if that's a coincidence or has something to do with a treatment applied to the rope. 

We unraveled it yesterday and it's really quite long- stretches almost from our kitchen in the back of the house to the front of the house (not that that's a particular feat- out house is a Philly row house and not very large)! According to the product info, it's 10 Meters long. 

I haven't used this one yet (been under the weather), but I really like the scent memory it holds for me and the material seems soft yet sturdy. Looking forward to playing with this! It's the first 'bondage' addition to my collection, so exploring it's possibilities will be interesting. I feel like we should get a book on Shibari... 

2 comments:

  1. So, a lot of "traditional" (and also generally cheap, mass-produced, or shitty) hemp rope is processed with kerosene as a preservative. I double checked on this with dear friend and ropemaker extraordinaire Twisted Monk (of TwistedMonk.com) and confirmed. This is one of many reasons why I get my rope exclusively from artisan crafters who hand-finish their rope. This way I know it's not treated with kerosene, and I also know that it's sourced in an ethical manner (the hemp trade in europe can be pretty brutal, and it's still illegal to grow here in the USA). While I am personally partial to Monk's rope, there are also folk like Maui Kink who offer a huge variety of exotic and unusual fibre ropes.

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    1. Huh! Very interesting. I'll have to look further into this. If you could email me contact info for your friend so I can learn more about this, that would be very useful. Thanks for the info, Elspeth!

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