Would you like to be in my Masturbation Month Illustration?

You may or may not have heard, but I'm working on a Masturbation Month illustration- I'm hoping to get everything said and done by the 30th, so I can offer prints for sale, part of the proceeds of which will be going to dildology.org.

I wanted to include a rabbit, vibratex is well known for theirs because of the Rabbit Habit, aka the rabbit in Sex And The City and the sex toy I talk most about at work. However, the Rabbit Habit isn't non-porous so I'm including the Violet, which is silicone. 

The essential idea is that I'll have hands holding various tools that can be used during masturbation- a favorite vibrator, dildo, whatever. All, however, are going to made of non-porous materials and body safe ingredients- for sex toys, that means silicone, glass, metal, or sealed wood. For lubes and such, this means glycerin and paraben free, preferably more on the natural side.

I have a lot of different toys I want to represent in the illustration, but I also want to have a lot of different hands holding them. This is where you come in- if you're really awesome, you could send me a picture of your hand holding a sex toy or a favorite lube. The only requirements are that the toys may be made of a body-safe material and the lubes and such should be made with safe ingredients. You get extra bonus points if you send me a picture of a toy or company I'm looking to represent (list below), though this isn't necessary. If you like, I'll credit you for your reference photo- I'm planning on including a "map" of the illustration, with descriptions of each sex toy. I can write your name, screenname, blog name, whatever at the end of the description and thank you for your reference photo contribution- and you'll be a part of something really cool, supporting a good cause.

Toys I'm looking for:

- Hitachi Magic Wand with Silicone head attachment of some sort.
- Pure Wand
- Eroscillator
- Violet Wand
- Any Nobessences Toy
- Any Crystal Delights Toy
- Any Aneros Prostate Massager- have Aneros Tempo, will accept others
- A Vixen VixSkin Dildo
- Any Tantus Toy- have Tantus Cush O2, will accept others

I'll cross these off as people send me reference photos with them.

You can include any non-porous (pure silicone, glass, metal, sealed wood) product, any lubricant with natural ingredients/without glycerin or parabens. Heck, you could even include a picture of your favorite feminist porn (on DVD, your phone, a tablet, whatever works!)- as long as it can foreseeably be used somehow to aid masturbation, we're go.

Fun Factory Flexi Felix! Weirdest looking anal beads, but that's how I like 'em.

I want it to look like the hands are reaching out or holding the products up- look at my sketches to get a good idea of what I'm looking for. I just want to have a bunch of different hands holding sex toys in somewhat cool ways; it doesn't have to be a great photo as long as I can see some details, we're good.

Email me at sex.ationally@gmail.com with the attached photo, who made the product and the name of the product if possible, and whether or not you'd like me to credit your reference photo.

iGino One: "What Women Want"

The iGino One has a lot of big dreams behind it. It uses a patented "iMoove" technology (essentially, the little nub where vibrations are focused also moves side-to-side) which is supposed to mimic manual finger stimulation. It is USB rechargeable, meant to be travel-friendly (it's small and has a cap that goes over the little vibrating nub- with the cap on it's about the size of an iPhone and even comes with a small velvet pouch), and has what they call a "skin touch head" which is a little flower shape that slips over the vibrating nub to make it softer and perhaps bring down the buzzy-ness of the vibrations. The iGino one was partially funded via Indie Go Go (their campaign is over and did not reach it's $30,000 goal).

I have a lot of issues with the iGino One, but the biggest is the "What Women Want" slogan. If the iGino One were what every woman, whether cis- or trans- gendered, young or old, no matter what their sexuality or color preference was- every woman would want a vibrator that is pink and white, travel-friendly, and features a little pink ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA, or foam rubber, which is supposedly chemically inert but is at least porous) flower-shaped 'skin touch head'. They would all want something that is strong yet meant to simulate finger movement. My issue with this is that people's needs and desires are incredibly varied; there is no one sex toy that works for everyone and even those that do their job well aren't for everyone. Why? Not everyone is interested in pinpoint clitoral stimulation like what the iGino provides. "Holy Grail" products like the nJoy Pure Wand which gives very direct, intense g-spot stimulation are not for everyone despite the fact that the pure wand does it's job very well: some people just don't like direct, intense G-Spot Vibration. That's just how things work. While it is true that a vast majority of women like clitoral stimulation, they like it in different ways, in different situations.

Beyond all that, the iGino One needs some re-thinking. Yes, the typical gender-binary pandering details like the color and flower shaped skin touch head should be nixed or at least expanded upon, but I have some gripes about the actual functioning of the product.

It only has two settings: on and off, which are controlled by a button on the side of the body of the vibrator. There are two things I don't like about this. Firstly, the one setting just feels like a very strong, very buzzy vibration. Secondly, although there is some resistance on the button, it could easily be flipped into the on position while in your bag or suitcase. It's pretty loud, so it would definitely be heard.

The vibration, as mentioned, is very buzzy, though very strong. It has brought me to orgasm, but it was probably one of the most uncomfortable orgasms I've ever experienced. The buzzyness of this thing resonated throughout my internal clitoris in a way that was actually quite irritating, despite the fact that I wore my underwear as a slight barrier. I was too distracted by the buzzing going on to actually feel my orgasm when it happened.

I think the addition of other settings- a lower setting, another one where the iMoove is slower or perhaps in a pattern, and other such iterations would be good. If you patent a new technology, why not capitalize on it and offer variation? I feel that this would be a lot less irritating just if the iMoove slowed down to "stroke" rather than something more akin to vibrating like what it does right now.

The Skin Touch attachment is a good idea, I suppose- it's softer material, which a lot of people would prefer to a hard one, myself included. However, a better option would be soft silicone attachments in different shapes- still small, but different shapes, perhaps one that basically covers the nub, another that's shaped like a fan brush but is a thin silicone, different things for different sensations. This product would be a lot more interesting just with these kinds of options included, no other changes necessary though probably still appreciated.

I just don't trust the EVA flower power "skin touch head". Not only is the material questionable to me and the shape a bit too girly for my tastes, it just isn't interesting. It doesn't offer much if any textural difference aside from being softer than the vibrating nub. I'm also annoyed by the addition of the little rings (they include multiple because they are apt to break) that go around the vibrating nub, presumably to keep any lube or bodily fluids from going inside the machine. There has to be a better way to do this; this seems to be not only a huge hassle but eventually you'll run out of them and then what? This product isn't remotely water-proof; in fact, they mention that you shouldn't wash it under running water in the manual.

Overall, I think the iGino One has some good ideas behind it but once again- a company is too busy with their pink girly design and cute packaging (the packaging is definitely very nice and even quite sturdy) to actually make something new and unique. The most unique aspect of this product, the iMoove technology, is completely lost because it's moving too fast and ends up just jackhammering your clit rather than stroking it lovingly. Maybe some people like their clit jackhammered, but I'm not one of those people. Maybe the iGino Two will be something I'm more likely to enjoy, if they get around to making one.

The iGino One was provided to me by the Creators of the iGino One free of charge in exchange for a thorough and honest review. It will be on sale for $99 at http://www.i-gino.com/ sometime soon.

Lovehoney Flash USB Rechargeable Vibrator... Part 2

Have you ever had one of those moments when you're in the middle of, say, ringing a customer up at your place of work ("yes, that rabbit is ok for that price range, I can show it out of the box if you'd like") and your eyes probably glaze over as you go elsewhere and your brain drops the realization upon you that you missed some mildly important things in that review you posted last week? ("Shit, I didn't talk at all about what the vibrator actually does, just how it performs!").

Well, in between cramps and calls from a lady who I think was trying to get me to give her an item she didn't buy ("yes, I bought a Bree Olson Vibrator and It Isn't In My Bag?") exactly this happened to me. What a coincidence. Thankfully I gave the couple buying that pink monstrosity the correct change.

Welcome to Part Two of my Lovehoney Flash Review. This part doesn't come with the cool personal story about how I discovered the internal workings of my clitoris (not to be confused with an Inner Goddess*, mind you), but I will explain, briefly, what you get in technical terms when you buy the Lovehoney Flash USB Rechargeable Vibrator. 

As the name suggests, The Flash is a rechargeable vibrator that charges using any USB port- whether it's in your computer, or that thing you plug in to your wall to recharge your iPod- as long as  you have a port for a normally sized USB, you should be golden. The Flash comes in a somewhat flimsy box with little explanation about the actual workings of the vibrator. It's hard plastic with a "velvet finish" except for the silicone tip, which is shaped kind of like the first two digits of a crooked finger, and has a white silicone-like button that is oriented towards the body. The velvet finish hard plastic handle unplugs from the silicone vibrating portion to reveal the USB port; only the handle plugs in, not the vibrating portion- if someone doesn't know about this product in particular, they will never be able to tell that it isn't a just a flash drive of some sort if you plug it into your computer. It helps that it will not vibrate unless it is plugged in to the silicone vibrating portion.

The Flash has six functions: 3 speeds and 3 pulsation patterns. The speed patterns confuse me a lot; there is no obvious increase or decrease in speed across them. The second 'speed' is a lower frequency than the first when you listen to it and has a deeper vibration, which is why I generally start with that. The third is seemingly stronger than the first, but the second seems less strong than the first. The pulsation patterns are exceedingly simple, but the first is somewhat unique in what I've seen and I really enjoy it: the best way to explain it is that it accelerates and is kind of pulsing while accelerating, it plateaus for a moment, and then it decelerates in the same pulsing fashion. The second setting is a typical, consistent pulse, and the third is pulsations in series of four, with a short rest in between each set of four.

The flash, for me, has been comfortable to use during intercourse but my partner purposefully positions us so we aren't sandwiched together- generally propping my bum up with some pillows or blankets. This may be a more comfortable way to try using a smaller vibrator during intercourse.

My biggest complaint function-wise about the Flash is that there is no indication of if it needs to charge, no indication of how long it needs to charge or if it's done charging... To be fair, it holds a charge for a good period of time; I haven't had it die on me yet and I've had it for a few weeks, and have only charged it for any period of time right after I got it- which ended up being a good idea because it apparently wasn't completely charged (I noticed a marked difference in the volume of the vibration and the strength after charging it).

As I mentioned in Part 1, the Flash is buzzy. It can be kind of loud. The best practice I've found for using it is pressing it firmly against my clitoris, which eliminates the buzzyness (the silicone tip visibly moves when vibrating, so I think that's what the buzzy sensation derives from).

In any case, there you have it. The Lovehoney Flash USB Rechargeable Vibrator.

*"Inner Goddess" is basically what Anastasia Steele, the 'heroine' in E.L. James' "Fifty Shades" Series, calls her vagina. I kid you not. It also does Salsa. 

Lovehoney Flash USB Rechargeable Vibrator

Warning: personal stories ahead. Nothing triggering that I can think of, but if you're not interested feel free to skip to my review below.

I didn't want to like the Lovehoney Flash. It's too buzzy, it's too loud, and the toy snob in me thought that would immediately throw me off. I was wrong- the Lovehoney Flash has irreversibly changed my life.

There's something I haven't really talked about on my blog that's a big part of my life: I believed that I could not orgasm during penetrative intercourse. I only have noticeably once that I can recall (it was likely a G-Spot orgasm) and my partner at the time and myself were unable to replicate it. With my current partner, I was noticing that after a minute or two I became incredibly disinterested in penetration and it honestly became a huge issue in our relationship. He thought I wasn't attracted to him and this made me anxious and I started avoiding sex altogether, except on rare occasion. I'll admit that my anxiety really got in the way of me properly communicating, but I also had no idea what was going on.

Que our trip to visit his family in Ohio. We ended up having a day to ourselves and I was feeling feisty. My partner had been insisting for awhile now that I squirt- that I ejaculate, which is commonly linked to g-spot stimulation for women- and I had been brushing it off. In our haste, he didn't take his shirt off, and when we were done I looked over and there was a huge wet spot on the bottom of his tshirt. A lightbulb went off.

Essentially, I've been orgasming... but I haven't been feeling it. This made a lot of sense to me; when I orgasm I generally lose interest in whatever's going on- So, I was orgasming and not feeling it but my body lost interest once that passed. My partner was too good and I didn't even know it. This sort of thing is all too common amongst women; since we have internal sexual apparatus it can be more difficult to figure out how to manipulate than men, who are right out in the open on most occasions (though the prostate is an often overlooked asset, pleasure-wise).

What does all this have to do with the Lovehoney Flash? I had been using it solo to surprisingly good results. The vibrations, though buzzy, are much stronger than what I get from the Lelo Gigi and if I press the silicone tip of the Flash firmly against my clitoris, it reverberates throughout the internal clitoris. Once I realized what was going on with my ghost orgasms, I decided it was a good idea to try the Flash during intercourse.

So, my partner propped me up on some pillows, I held the Flash to my clitoris.... and I could actually feel everything that was going on in my vagina.

The internal erect clitoris. that little nubbin on the very front? that's the external clitoris. Like an iceberg or the Tardis, the clitoris really is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. 

For those of you unawares, the clitoris is erectile tissue just as the penis is. It's made up of the glans, which is the external portion, and a large interior structure which may or may not include the g-spot. The body of the clitoris extends up from the glans and separates into the corpora cavernosa, which reach around the urethra and vagina, and the crura, which are two wings or legs extending out parallel to the Corpora Cavernosa. When these are engorged with blood, women report more luck with g-spot orgasm (the g-spot is spongy tissue that encircles the urethra, and is therefore in contact with the Corpora Cavernosa) and often feel intercourse more readily, which is the case with me. Vibrations extending from the glans into the internal clitoris can help this process, but you generally need a relatively strong vibrator for this to be the case. Check out this blogpost from the Museum of Sex for more info on the internal clitoris!

Now, I'm not saying that the Flash will be this magical for everyone, but I find it necessary to recount my experiences. The flash is buzzy. It can be on the loud side (not too loud, but if it's the middle of the night and quiet and someone stops outside your bedroom door they could probably hear it). Some people cannot stand buzzy vibrations and I understand- my first attempt at using this left me cringing in horror. Once I learned how to dull the buzz by pressing it firmly against my clit, that wasn't an issue. The tip is silicone and finger shaped which is nice but you can see it vibrating, especially on pulsation patterns, which is probably what leads to the buzz. There is no indication of how long it should charge (even on the packaging or in the instructions), when it needs to charge, or when it's done charging. There's a light in the single button of the vibrator, so I don't see why they couldn't have it indicate when it's done charging.

Though not as intuitive when it comes to knowing when it's charged, it is at the very least discreet while charging. 

The flash is comprable to the Lelo Mia 2. The differences are of course that the Mia 2 isn't as strong, it's completely round and only ABS (non-porous) hard plastic, it's quieter, and it indicates when it needs to charge and when it's done charging. The button on the flash is oriented towards your body, whereas the shape of the Mia 2 means that you can turn it any which way is most comfortable to you. The vibrating portion of the Mia is what plugs into the USB port- the part of the Flash that plugs in is the hard plastic body, not the silicone tip. The Flash is $39.99 and the Mia 2 is $69 on the company websites. So, depending on your preferences and the price range you're looking in, I'd say decide from there.

Considering buying the Lovehoney Flash or other products? Check out the item with my affiliate link; if you buy something through the link you're supporting me and my blog, and helping me get more things to review and have more time to write, educate, and improve my blog.

The Lovehoney USB Flash Rechargeable Vibrator was provided to me free of charge by Lovehoney in return for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine. 

Ad Space Open.

After some thought, I've decided to bring down all but a few of the affiliate banners I was displaying on the sidebar of my blog and I'll be opening up ad space. No worries, affiliates: I'll be putting your banners and links in all blog posts that pertain to your company.

Currently, I'm only going to be putting ads in my sidebar; I will only sell ad space to companies who align with the goals and ideals expressed on my blog. That means they must be sex positive, accepting of different gender identities and sexual orientations, and they must offer or make body safe (read: non-porous, glycerin/paraben and pthalate free, safe for actual use) products. They must be truthful. The more a company embraces these ideals the more support they get from me, and this is true of all my dealings.

I will be offering month, 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year spaces.

For an added, one-time-only fee, I'll design a one of a kind ad for you. I am a professional freelance designer and illustrator, and the price is incredibly reduced from what I'd charge a normal client for the same service. We can work together to create the ad or you can let me run wild with it, and I'll double check with you before putting it up that you're ok with it representing your company.

I'll be getting in touch with a few companies I'd like to represent on my blog, but feel free to email me at sex.ationally@gmail.com and I can give you the numbers.

Dildology.org: Finally.

Finally. We finally have a neutral, non-governmental, third party non-profit organization that tests sex toy materials. 

Why is this necessary? Firstly, you know how I feel about materials: I'm strictly against porous materials like jelly rubber, elastomer, and others because they harbor dirt and bacteria. Pthalates are used in porous plastics to soften the material and can be harmful: they've been banned in children's toys and there's some research that links them to cancer and reproductive health problems, though there is not much research that has been done on the full effect of the substance. Not to mention that they stink to high hell and leach out of the low grade materials, leaving a greasy sheen that gets all over your hands and if you're like me, you react to it. My hands: which are nowhere near as sensitive as the thin mucous membranes in the vagina and anus, not to mention the mouth. 

The sex toy industry is unregulated, so companies can say whatever they'd like on their packaging.  They can say 100% Silicone, Pthalate Free, Medical Grade: and none of that has to be true. However, this doesn't mean that the government needs to regulate the industry. As Dangerous Lilly, one of the people behind Dildology.org stated on her blog post about the launch of the non-profit: 

"We can cry out for the industry to be regulated by our government, but really what will that get us? A higher priced dildo. A “luxury sex toy” that costs double what they do now, and their current costs are already prohibitive to many. Sex toys that take twice as long in development resulting in fewer, quality new sex toys being introduced to the market every year. When you bring the FDA to the party, you get mountains of paperwork, costly fees and annual 3-4 week-long audits to retain your FDA classifications. The better solution just might be to let the industry self-regulate, but with a little help from a neutral party."

The best thing in my mind that can be done is raise awareness: give the consumer the knowledge they need to know what materials are safe and which aren't, and why. The consumer changes the industry more than anything else. If people won't buy porous or harmful products, companies stop making them because they can't make money off of them, simple as that. I've been working towards this goal as best I can on this blog but a non-profit can do a lot more than I can. Dildology.org will not only be testing products but educating people- bringing industry knowledge to the public. This is, as I view it, an incredibly necessary service to the industry and comes just as people are becoming more conscious about sex toy materials in relation to their bodies. 

How can you help? spread the word. donate so dildology.org can pay for the (very pricey) testing of materials. support their cause with kind words and the many thanks they deserve.

Get in touch with Dildology.org and the people behind it:

Dildology.org: Facebook | Twitter
Crista Anne: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr
Dangerous Lilly: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
X. Valentine Orenda: Blog | Twitter | Tumblr

Read Dangerous Lilly's Press Release about the Launch of Dildology.org:

Dildology.org: The Science of Sex Toys

Butt Plug 101: Butt Plugs that are Actually Good for Beginners

[Edit: I looked into it and the PicoBong Tano is the anal toy they have, but Cosmo put up a picture of the Honi, which is a bullet vibe and a bit misleading, both because it isn't the toy and because it may encourage people to try something that isn't anal safe as an anal toy. Either way, it's wrong]

I tried to avoid writing a blog post about this, but I'm still reeling hours later so I might as well.

If you're friends with me on my blog facebook profile (feel free to email me if you're interested in being friends- though I will only accept friend requests of companies I like, sex educators, other reviewers, etc, so you know) you'd have seen my angry comment on an article from Cosmo. I know, good sex ideas rarely come from Cosmo these days, but they had a writeup titled "Just Putting it out there: Best Butt Plugs for Beginners" and I had hope, because they included Tantus products.

This, or anything shaped like this, should NEVER EVER go in your butt. Perineal Massage? Ok. Vibes on the outside of the anus? Sure. However, anything without a base should not be inserted- wholly or partially- into the anus. Read on to find out why. 

The problem is, though, that not only are most of the plugs featured not great for beginners- they're too big, too advanced in shape, etc- but they featured the PicoBong Tano. The Tano is an anal safe toy from PicoBong, but they featured a picture of the Honi, their bullet vibe. This is misleading and may cause people to believe that something that isn't anal safe is.

The basic requirements for a butt plug are that it be relatively firm (it's difficult to insert anally otherwise) and that it have a base. The reason for the base is that the anus has two sphincters: the one at the opening of the anus, which you have conscious control of and need to relax in order to put anything in it, and the secondary sphincter, which is a little farther inside the anus and is controlled by the subconscious, like breathing and heartbeat. You need to be relaxed and stress-free for this sphincter to allow anything in the anus. Scared? Worried? Expecting Pain? This sphincter will clamp shut and won't want to let anything in, which is why people expect anal penetration to be painful in the first place. I won't get into how to get to a place where anal penetration can be pleasurable (because yes, it can!) here, because I've got other things to focus on- but you can pick up Jack Morin's Anal Pleasure and Health, which is a fantastic resource, to learn more.

This guy was using a vibrator anally which ended up stuck inside him. He then used salad tongs to attempt to remove it, which also were sucked into his rectum. Then he did the smart thing, and went to the hospital. 

The reason the two sphincters require there to be a base on any butt plug you use is that, since the second sphincter isn't controlled by you, if you put something in the anus that doesn't have a base, it is likely to spasm and pull the object into it. You can't retrieve that- you have to go to the emergency room (which is pricey here in the US, I might add, especially if you go in an Ambulance) to have it removed. Unfortunately, but fortunately for those who end up there, the ER sees a lot of these cases; it's not an uncommon occurrence.

So, what is a good butt plug, specifically one for beginners? You're going to obviously look for something with a base- some are more comfortable than others, depending on the material. Round bases are usually uncomfortable for long term wear (consider butt cheeks), though some toys with round bases are more comfortable than others (crystal delights plugs, for example, though they are more intermediate than beginner). If it has a thinner neck just above the base, it will also be more comfortable- the sphincters want to stay closed, so for beginners who are trying to learn how to relax, the smaller the neck of the plug is above the base, the better. I would also recommend going for a non-porous product- something made from silicone, stainless steel, or glass- because the bum has bacteria in it and porous products will harbor dirt and bacteria and have to be thrown out. A non-porous product is sterilizable, and therefore can be shared between partners once cleaned. Here are my suggestions:

Tantus Little Flirt

I have one of these, and it's a fantastic toy for beginners. The silicone is fairly firm, and though the toy isn't very apparent, I can definitely feel my sphincters relaxing and getting more used to having something in there. It's small and non-intimidating, and the price is pretty hard to beat too. They're $33.99- and two of the colors are on closeout (copper and pearl pink) for just $15. These products are 100% pure premium silicone, the colors are bonded to the toy, they are boilable and can be thrown in the dishwasher to sterilize... They'll last you a lifetime if you treat them right.

Vamp Amos

The Vamp Amos was actually featured in the Cosmo article, and it's one of the toys I agree would be a good beginner. They come in 3 sizes with two densities (regular and softskin). Though I recommend the regular density because it may be easier to insert, the softskin might feel really nice. I can only find the regular density for sale online, but with some sleuthing you could probably find it, or you can contact Vamp Silicone themselves to see where you could find the Amos Softskin. Also really love that on their first page, there's a video featuring the Spare Parts Joque and the Vamp Talula, which I'm considering buying. This one's also silicone, which means it's boilable, dishwashable, and can be completely sterilized.

Happy Valley Silicone Pip 

The Happy Valley Pip is a little different in shape from other beginner butt plugs, which is why I'm including it. Happy Valley does also produce a pretty run of the mill beginner's plug called the Pleasure Plug, but the Pip is definitely an interesting one, and very non-intimidating for people who are just starting out and need to get more comfortable. It's very small (only 3.5 inches in length) and has a long neck and small bulb at the end. It's kind of like anal beads, which are another great anal beginner's toy, but with only one bead. Not only is it a great silicone beginner's toy, but it's only $19.99- making it about in the same price range as beginner jelly rubber (a porous material) plug. If you're nervous about anal play but want to get more comfortable, this may be a good and safe way to start.

Fun Factory Bootie

Another product that was actually in the Cosmo article that I agree with is the Fun Factory Bootie. It's small, has a comfortable base (depending on a few things- if you have a short perineum aka taint, it may poke testicles or tickle your labia) and it's fairly flexible. This is another toy I have in my arsenal, and I think it's a nice one. It has a bulbous but pointed tip, it's curved (great for introducing a male bodied person to prostate stimulation), and it has a thin neck and a thin but long and sturdy flexible base- making it more comfortable if your butt cheeks are sensitive. This is another silicone product, so again- easily sterilizable, will last forever. The bootie is $34, so it's also reasonably priced, especially considering it should last you a long time.

Njoy Pure Plug 

Njoy Pure Plugs are a slightly more advanced toy; though the smallest size is probably good for beginners, it's heavier because it's stainless steel and you can change the temperature of the toy by putting it in cold or warm water (don't boil or freeze, anal tissues are sensitive and thin and extreme temperatures could harm them). However, if you've tried a silicone toy and are looking for something a little different- something hard, heavy, and cold or warm to your liking- the Pure Plugs are a good option. I don't have one myself, but I've heard that the small is a bit smaller than may be necessary. I'd suggest trying to see them in person at your local friendly adult store so you can get a good idea of the size and weight yourself. These products are really fantastic; easy to clean, incredibly smooth surfaces that make for frictionless, easy insertion... I'd highly recommend them if you're looking for something new, even though I haven't tried them myself. Because they're curved, they're also good for prostate stimulation, like the bootie, and the base makes it easy to remove and comfortable. These ones are a little pricier, but SheVibe (check the link) has them on sale as of this writing for just under $50!

Crystal Delights Plug

If you've seen my review of the Crystal Delights plug, you know that it's a little bit big for a beginner. However, You may be able to talk to Shellie of Crystal Delights and find one that has a smaller bulb- all of their products are handmade, so there's some variation. These products are great because they're made of glass; this means of course that they're non-porous and easy to clean, but also that they are frictionless and easy to insert, like the Pure Plugs. Glass, however, isn't as heavy as metal is, which makes it a little bit easier to get used to. Glass can also be put in cold or warm water to change the temperature. Did I mention that they have swarovski crystals in the bases? Or a vintage, glow in the dark medallion? Or you can get them with a vegan or ethical fur fox tail? Yes. They also have a colors for cancer line- plugs made of colored glass that benefit cancer research. These products are the priciest of the ones mentioned here, but I think they're well worth it because they're hand crafted and gorgeous.

In conclusion, you can do good things for your butt. With the right beginner plug, you can help it be more comfortable with penetration and get to know your body better. Just please, please don't put anything in your butt without a base- it'll end badly.