I was very interested in trying out the Wet Naturals line because I am trying to only use lubricant which is both glycerin- and paraben-free, and the three products in this line are specifically designed for those who are sensitive to or trying to avoid these chemicals.

They also boast of being enriched with natural ingredients such as aloe, grapefruit seed extract, and red clover extract, though I’m not really sure the added benefit of these things. They are all “designed to enhance a woman’s natural moisture” according to the Wet Naturals website, and are supposed to be hypoallergenic.

Product Line: Wet Naturals

Manufacturer: Wet

Glycerin-free: Yes
Paraben-free: Yes

Organic: No
Vegan: Yes

Overall Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Name: Beautifully Bare

Type Water-based

Compatibility: Works with all toy types. Latex safe. Body safe.

Ingredients: Water, PEG, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polysorbate-20, Sodium Benzoate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus
Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cran-berry) Fruit Extract, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract, Ascorbic Acid.

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Experience

Usually water-based lubes that are glycerin-free are pretty thin, and unfortunately this is also the case for Beautifully Bare, which is annoying. The positive side is that the lube itself lasts quite a long time even without glycerin, though since it is quite thin you have to use quite a bit of it.

After a while it does end up absorbing into the skin, which is purposeful according to the Wet Naturals website, because “[o]nce absorbed, it leaves your skin silky soft and smooth.” A little strange for that to be part of it’s purpose, but it’s not really a negative though I wouldn’t really say that should be one of it’s main marketing points.

One big plus is that it has no negative taste or smell whatsoever, which is something I’ve run into with the last two glycerin- and paraben-free lubes. Overall it’s a great water-based lube, nothing too spectacular, but because it’s glycerin- and paraben-free I definitely recommend it over most other lubes.

Name: Sensual Strawberry

Type Flavored water-based

Compatibility: Works with all toy types. Latex safe. Body safe.

Ingredients: Water, PEG, Flavor, Aspartame, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polysorbate-20, Sodium Benzoate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cran-berry) Fruit Extract, Trifolium Pratense ( Clover) Flower Extract, Ascorbic Acid.

Rating: 4 Lotuses (out of 5) – Very Good & highly Recommended

Experience
It smells like strawberry soda, which is pretty awesome actually, but not everyone would like to be reminded of strawberry Shasta while having sex. The taste isn’t really very strong at all, which I like, and is very pleasant, which is somewhat rare for a flavored lubricant. This is the first flavored lube that I have no qualms with the smell or taste of, which is pretty impressive.

I’m not super into flavored lube in general, but I enjoy the natural taste of my partners and don’t usually want to cover it up too much. One thing I’ve thought flavored lube may be wonderful for is analingus, especially for those wanting to try it but worried about potential yuck factor. While thorough cleaning will usually take care of any potential negative taste adding flavored lube may just simply help someone who is worried about negative taste be less nervous.

As far as the lube itself goes, it’s quite similar to Beautifully Bare in almost every regard. This makes sense considering it is also water-based and from the same line. It is fairly thin, but doesn’t absorb too quickly into the skin, and overall is extremely pleasant and my favorite flavored lube to date.

Name: Silky Supreme

Type Silicone-based

Compatibility: Works with all non-silicone toys. Latex safe. Body safe.

Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Cyclomethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate).

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Experience

This is actually the first silicone lube I’ve ever used, mostly because I tend to prefer silicone toys and since silicone lube plus silicone toys is not a good idea. Because of that I’ve stayed away from silicone lube, though I’ve always been curious to try some. Luckily I have quite a few glass toys which silicone lube works well with, as well as the Njoy Fun Wand, so I was able to enjoy this lube alone as well as with toys.

Unfortunately, it being my first silicone lube I don’t have a whole lot to compare it to, but I did notice a distinct difference between it and it’s water-based counterparts. The silicone lube simply feels different, though it’s difficult to explain. It definitely lasts a lot longer, which is a plus, because it seems to create a layer that never goes away until you wash it off unlike the water-based lubes which have a tendency to absorb into the skin. It’s simply silkier, hence the name I would presume, not because it’s smoother but because of that added layer, the extra silicone ingredient which gives it it’s own special texture.

It has no particular taste or smell to it, but that silky feeling is left on your tongue if it is tasted. It’s not necessarily a negative, but it’s definitely strange, especially to someone who is not used to silicone lube.

Overall I enjoyed Silky Supreme, although I doubt I’ll end up using it too often since it is silicone-based and most of my favorite toys are made of silicone. However, it is wonderful for partner sex and for non-silicone-on-silicone experiences.

You can find water-based Beautifully Bare, silicone-based Silky Supreme and flavored water-based Sensual Strawberry Wet Naturals lube, along with other Lubes and Lotions and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com and Wet for letting me review the Wet Naturals line!

I started reading the Best Lesbian Erotica series in 2002 with Best Lesbian Erotica 03. It actually used to be my staple christmas gift from my best friend for quite a few years, since the next year’s edition comes out in early December. Somehow I missed the last few years, from 2007 on, though I plan to change that soon, so when I had the chance to grab Best Lesbian Erotica 08 I knew I had to get it to further my collection.

One reason why I’ve loved the Best Lesbian Erotica (BLE) series for so many years is because the stories are always fresh and unique, exposing me to something new in each one. The stories always have a wide variety of scenes and sexualities between them, always focusing on more than just the sex and more than strap-on sex. When I started reading the series six years ago I was relatively inexperienced, though I had already read a lot of erotica, and BLE exposed me to many different facets of sexuality and better written erotica than what I was reading online.

The theme of Best Lesbian Erotica 08 is transgression. Tristan Taormino describes it in her foreword as not just the transgression that occurs when one comes out as queer and tells their own story, but a transgression beyond what is “normal,” expected, and acceptable. Each story keeps you on your toes, delivering “erotic surprises” (according to the back of the book) and taking you to new heights of depravity and delicious transgression.

In one of my favorite stories in the book, “The Bridge” by Isa Coffey, what starts out as a butch/femme fling in a car turns into a veritable orgy through small extreme but mostly believable leaps. The story itself is written in a jagged almost disjointed manner which made me feel like I was experiencing the situation as it was happening, a vivid but jarring re-telling of something which seems more like fact than fiction.

Another of my favorite stories, “Domme’s Games” by Rachel Kramer Bussel, two femmes meet for dinner on a date set up by their friends, but that quickly transforms into a D/s fantasy game performed by a professional Dominatrix and a first-time submissive who can’t believe what she’s doing in public. Through a series of non-sexual yet sexually charged commands the pair gets through dinner and heads back to the Domme’s place, but before they go inside the submissive femme must strip and get herself off in the car.

There are over a dozen more stories each with their own delightful twists and erotic turns which very often kept me on my toes. While many of the transgressions in the book are not necessarily shocking, though some are unexpected, they are wildly enjoyable erotic romps into the fantasy life of a stranger.

As Taormino says at the end of her foreward: “Ultimately, what ties all these stories together is the desire to push something perhaps a little too far, to give the middle finger to ‘polite society.’ These writers have given us vibrant characters who defy roles and expectations and challenge traditions and norms. These characters don’t just go against the grain–they rub their leather-clad thighs, cum-soaked fingers, drenched pussies and saliva-coated cocks right up against the grain, leaving a mark so you know they were there” (ix-x).

You can find Best Lesbian Erotica 08 along with other Books and Erotica and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com for letting me review Best Lesbian Erotica 08!

Title: Best Lesbian Erotica 08

Publisher: Cleis Press

Editor: Tristan Taormino

Page Count: 240

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Dildo Profile

Name: “Melon Crank” Glass Dildo

Material: Glass

Manufacturer: Don Wands

Height: 6 inches from handle to tip, about 4 1/2″ insertable.
Thickness: 1 inch shaft, 1 1/2 inch head

What I love: It spins, it’s glass, what’s not to love?! Hits the g-spot while spinning. Nubby bumps make spinning super pleasurable. Fantastic all around.
What I don’t love: When lubed up the handle can be difficult to spin.

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Thank you very much to Tabu Toys sex toys for allowing me to review the “Melon Crank” Glass Dildo!

As I mentioned in my Large Rubber Whip review Onyx and I are big fans of impact play toys. SexToy.Com actually has a very extensive although somewhat disorganized BDSM and Fetish section which has almost anything you could desire from beginner to advanced BDSM gear. Because of this vast selection I got to pick out quite a few different fun toys to play with including the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat.

The handle and tip are black while the shaft of the riding bat is red, though they do have an all black version as well. The Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat is exactly that: wide-tipped, about two and a half (2 1/2) inches across at the leather tip and the entirety of it is about two feet (24 inches) long. It feels sturdy and well-made as well, it doesn’t feel light or flimsy like some other crops and bats I’ve held, which is definitely a plus.

According to XeroMag’s Kinky Dictionary (XeroMag has a lot of wonderful BDSM information especially for a beginner) the difference between a riding crop and a riding bat is that while they are very similar a bat is “usually slightly shorter and with a wider leather striking tip.” Although not all retailers abide by the same definitions, as I’ve seen implements with a wide tip like this referred to as crops, but even so it’s a good general distinction to make.

With crops and bats, unlike canes and floggers, one hits only with the very end of the bat instead of the majority of the object. The wider the end of the bat the less stingy the sensation, which was the majority of my reason for wanting this bat. I have a thinner tipped crop which has a sharper sting to it. While the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat does also sting, the sting it produces is much less sharp and more of a thud.

One of the benefits of using a crop or bat is that the striking area is very small, which means it is able to get in to smaller and more delicate areas than a large flogger for instance. It is also wonderful for striking back and forth between inner thighs or getting the tops or bottoms of breasts. Probably the most common use, of course, is on the ass.

With the right amount of force it can be wicked, just like most impact play toys, but it can also be massaging as mentioned above and a nice thuddy addition to any round of impact play. It’s really very affordable as well, at under fifteen dollars and while it can pack a pretty good wallop because it’s thuddier than a regular crops it is ideal for those who enjoy impact and sensation play but who shy away from the sting. Too often crops and bats are automatically associated with being stingy, and although this one can be stingy with enough force it’s much more subtle and pleasurable for us thuddy-loving folk.

You can find the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat (or Black Wide-Tipped Riding Bat) along with other BDSM and Fetish Toys and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com for letting me review the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat!

Name: Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat

Length: 29.5 inches
Width: 2.5 inches (striking tip)

Sensation: Stingy – 2 (out of 3)

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Between Onyx and myself we have a good amount of impact play toys, though there are so many out there I always am interested in new and different kinds of floggers, canes, paddles, and etc. to include in our play.

When I saw the Black Large Rubber Whip was available for review I was intrigued. Onyx and I had actually just been to Babeland not too long before I got it and had looked at their bdsm gear section. While it’s not extensive it does have a good amount of quality products, and this Rubber Whip is no exception.

It’s a very basic design, two knobs and a piece of plastic piping with dozens of strands of rubber looped through them, anchored on the other side by the wrist strap. They actually have two other whips almost identical to this one, the difference is color and length, the Pink Medium Rubber Whip and Red Mini Whip (the latter would be wonderful for whipping close sensitive areas like breasts or genitals).

I’m not really sure why it’s called a whip rather than a flogger. In contemporary usage, as far as I know, the term whip is generally reserved for single-tail whips–like what Indiana Jones uses–while the term flogger is actually used as a somewhat catch-all term for something with multiple tails (usually leather but also rope, rubber, or etc.) and a handle. That’s what I’ve found others to say as well. Though another distinction could be along the lines of the thuddy to stingy continuum, such as the thuddy toys are floggers while the stingy toys are whips, but this isn’t as widely used since floggers and whips can produce a wide range of sensation depending on how and where they are used.

That query out of the way let’s get to what you’re actually interested in: how it feels to use and to take it! ‘Cause the information about the toy itself is only useful if you know it’s going to do what you want it to.

Well, what I really like about the Black Large Rubber Whip is that it has a good amount of versatility to it, though most floggers do. It can be light and teasing, trailed softly across sensitive exposed skin. It can be soft and thuddy, launched lightly at a bare bottom to evoke pleasure more than pain. And it can be harsh and stingy, snapped quickly to make the tips lick at tender flesh.

This range of sensation isn’t rare in the stingier end of floggers especially, that’s part of why I love floggers so, because one toy can be so versatile. As a poly queer switch I’m all for versatility.

Because it has such a range, also, it can be useful to beginner and advanced kinksters alike, making it a nice addition regardless of skill level. Due to the material of the strands, rubber as opposed to a harder or thicker material, it is rare for it to leave marks of any kind. Now, this could be a negative for those of us who like marks (myself included) but there are times when you don’t want to have marks on your thighs, ass, and lower back or wherever else you are wanting to use it. This toy is especially nice for great sensation and impact play without the worry of getting marked up in the process.

It’s lightweight and the handle is easy to hold on to while using it. While the handle is smooth plastic there are knobs on either side so there was no slipping in my hand while I used it. It’s also affordable, and while it is simple it’s good quality. Overall I’d say if you’re interested in a versatile and affordable flogger to add to your collection, this is a good one to consider.

Much thanks to Babeland for letting me review the Black Large Rubber Whip!

When I found the Leather Hogtie on SexToy.Com I imagined using them with my Axovus Wrist Cuffs and matching Ankle Cuffs. I imagined a great way to tie someone up and fuck them. I imagined that was what I would be doing with this hogtie strap, but I was wrong. It was completely my fault that I was wrong, but I was wrong.

First, a little of the hogtie device itself. It’s really a very basic restraint device. It’s an O-ring with four strips of leather attached that have scissor snaps attached to them, making it so you can attach the hogtie device to four other things. It’s intended to be attached to four cuffs: two wrist, two ankle, to produce the hogtie position.

According to Wikipedia, Hogtie is “a method of tying the limbs together, rendering the subject immobile and helpless. Originally, it was applied to pigs (hence the name) and other young four-legged animals. In more recent years, the term has been applied to ways of restraining humans as well.” It can be accompanied by a gag or blindfold to enhance the helplessness of the situation, and the bottom could be left alone with little chance to escape.

The hogtie position is predicament bondage, not sex bondage like I was originally thinking. The position is just not good at all for sex, and I’m honestly not sure why I originally thought it was. I was just misguided or assumed it would lend itself to sex without really thinking about it.

I suppose for some sex would work in this position, depending on how wide you can spread your legs, but that would have to be almost all the way to get a comfortable position, so unless you’re extremely flexible it probably won’t work. Oral sex is possible in this position, however, and the bottom could be rolled on their side for cock play (should the bottom be male) or possibly fingering for the female, but no full on sex because it’s difficult to get at any orifices.

So, the reason why I got this device has failed me. If you are wanting a good device for sex bondage, this is not it.

However, it’s great for it’s original purpose: predicament bondage. It’s difficult to get out of while also being extremely simple and not terribly uncomfortable. How comfortable it is also depends highly on how flexible you are, but I’m not terribly flexible and it was pretty comfy for me.

Overall, if you want a fun and easy way to bind your partner, or be bound by your partner, I’d highly recommend it, assuming you have cuffs to clip it to (though they also have a Leather Hogtie with Four Rings which is meant for rope bondage play). If you are wanting something for sex, like I was, this is not for you.

You can find the Leather Hogtie along with other BDSM and Fetish Toys and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com for letting me review the Leather Hogtie!

Onyx and I both have back pain, which we often help each other with by massaging the other. His is generally located in his upper-back, while mine is in my lower-back, though sometimes we inadvertently swap symptoms through no design of our own. We sometimes even use the Hitachi as a back massager (unheard of, I know) to allieviate these symptoms.

When I had the opportunity to receive the Amazing Hot Heart Massager from Pink Cherry I jumped at the chance. Anything that makes massaging easier for the massager or better for the massagee was something I definitely at least wanted to try.

The massage heart also comes with a little packet of massage oil, so you don’t have to buy anything else for your first few massages with it. The massage oil was a citrus scent and very pleasant. The heart itself has a vinyl casing with pink liquid inside, which, according to the packaging, is non-toxic. There is a little metal disk floating around in the pink liquid of the heart which you are supposed to bend to activate the heat up the heart.

I bent the metal disk and immediately the pink liquid began to crystallize and heat up. The instructions say that you should knead the crystals to soften them while it heats up. The Hot Heart Massager can get up to 129 degrees Fahrenheit (54 Celsius)! Once it’s fully crystallized and heated up it slowly cools down. If you place a thin towel over it, according to the instructions, you can keep the massager from cooling as quickly.

Next: the use. First, Onyx used it on my back. He drizzled some of the massage oil that came with it and then began massaging and kneading my back using the massager. It felt wonderful. I especially liked pressure with the hot heart as that relaxed me the most. The scent of the massage oil coupled with the relaxing heat and massage was absolutely heavenly. The only negative was occasionally the edges of the heart would scrape against my skin, but they seem to curl up slightly to the front of the massager, so turning it over alleviated that for the most part.

Once I had gotten a good rub down we switched places. I drizzled some massage oil onto Onyx’s back and went to work. I found that working with the massager was very easy, and not at all awkward. The shape of it actually lent itself to holding, a finger could easily rest in the top v of the heart shape, and it was very easy to slide around his back, both softly and pressing harder. The entire heart got coated with massage oil, and it was slippery enough to slide around his back but not so slippery that I couldn’t hold on to it, partially I think because of the seam on the edge of the heart.

Once I had given Onyx a good rub down, as the heart cooled down even further, I lay down and just let the heart rest against my lower back, right where I have the most trouble. Even just sitting there I could feel my back relaxing due to the heat.

The Amazing Hot Heart Massager is not just a one time use massager, either. The instructions for use and re-use are on the back of the heart itself, which means you don’t have to worry about keeping an instruction booklet or the original packaging in order to re-use it.

To re-use you simply put the hardened massager into a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes until all the crystals are gone and the massager is back to it’s original pink liquid state. The only thing I’ve noticed while boiling is that the pink color on the vinyl gets scratched a bit, but that’s neither here nor there. Once the massager is liquidy again you let it cool to room temperature, which very slowly restores the crystals as it cools, and then it’s time for another heated massage. You can do this an unlimited amount of times, according to the packaging.

Since it’s easily reusable and such an easy addition to normal massage with advantages for both the massager and massagee I know I’m going to be using this many more times in the future. Another great feature of the massager is that it’s fairly inexpensive, and for something that can be used as many times as you’d like (assuming it doesn’t get punctured or otherwise destroyed) that’s a great deal! Much thanks to Pink Cherry for letting me review The Amazing Hot Heart Massager!

I’ve had the Super Strap Love Sling for quite some time, which has enabled me to play around with it quite a bit. It’s really simple, basically two nylon circles on the end of an adjustable nylon strap which also has a fur rectangle in the center of it. It’s made for a modified missionary position, mostly, to assist the legs in staying up in the air while being fucked.

The first time we tried the strap out it didn’t seem to work well, it was slightly uncomfortable and I just didn’t really like it, but I wasn’t going to give up on it after just one use. The second time was better, probably because I played around a lot with the length of the straps before Onyx and I were actually penetrating so that my legs were at the right length and I was actually getting support from it instead of just having it strain my neck and not do much.

The second and subsequent times were all wonderful. It was easy to use and super comfortable now that I had found the right length. I found it was best to have my legs straight up in the air, rather than bent, though I could bend them if I choose. The strap should be slightly too short so that your legs don’t have to lock into position in order to maintain the tension, but not so short that it’s uncomfortable.

I discovered the strap also enabled me to lift my head up to meet Onyx’s kisses, which is often difficult in a missionary position as he can only bend down so far and I can only lift up so far (we also both have back problems) and that was a wonderful added bonus!

It definitely gives the sensation of being restrained without actually having to do much work. Nothing unhooks or unbuckles, it just slips behind the head and slips onto the bottoms of the feet, then lift the feet up in the air and voila! It’s definitely not quite the same sensation as a heavy pair of cuffs or rope, but there is an immobilization factor.

I really like grabbing the straps with my hands or wrapping the strap around my wrists while my feet are up in the air as well, which tugs slightly on the straps, enables me to shift my position, and gives the impression that I cannot get out.

In addition to simply aiding the ability to keep legs up in the air the Super Strap Love Sling also assists in g-spot positioning. It can assist in tilting the pelvis up at just the right angle, so the penetrating object (be it flesh or silicone) can get at that sweet spot even easier.

And this is not just for use on females. Personally I prefer taking Onyx’s ass when he is in a doggy style or similar position, since it’s just easier to get at his ass that way, but the strap helps in gaining a comparable level of access when he is on his back, which I definitely like (and he does too).

The Super Strap Love Sling also can be used as a doggy-style strap by tightening each side of the strap (on either side of the fur-lined neck brace rectangle) completely. This makes the strap very short, the length of the rectangle and the feet handles, which can be easily slipped under the receptive partner and used to lift their ass for some penetration from behind. The loops on the end make for excellent handles and also aids in getting the right angle for g-spot or p-spot stimulation.

There are probably other ways this strap could work as well. If you’re small you may be able to slip the handles on the end up and around your knees rather than your feet, so you could have a sort of sling position instead of the legs up in the air. It can, of course, be used in conjunction with other types of bondage to enhance the sensations.

I love that there are multiple possibilities for this affordable and easy-to-use strap, and I know it’s something I have and will use over and over again. Thank you very much to Pink Cherry for letting me review the Super Strap Love Sling!

Cute, femme, and flirty, the Pink & Black Beaded Nipple Clamps bring a bit of class to standard tweezer-clamp style nipple clamps. Easy to use from soft and pleasurable to wicked and painful.

Thank you very much to Tabu Toys sex toys for allowing me to review these Pink & Black Beaded Nipple Clamps!

Find the Ophoria Bliss No. 12 and other Ophoria products on Babeland.

Much thanks to Babeland for letting me review the Ophoria Bliss No. 12!