Because 2013 has really taken off for me, you’re going to be seeing a LOT more toy reviews! I’m so lucky to be working with some amazing companies, and one of them is Vibratex.
Fun fact: Vibratex made the Rabbit that was featured in the iconic Sex and the City episode, in which Miranda (not Samantha) introduces the ladies to their new dual-action friend. I actually hate rabbits, and that’s neither here nor there. What we’re talking about today is not a rabbit, but the Mystic Wand.
If you’re familiar with the Hitachi Magic Wand, the Mystic Wand shape is already familiar to you. It has a 6″ long handle that’s easy to grip and comes in either pink or black. Where the Mystic Wand really sets itself apart from the Hitachi is its materials. The head of the Mystic Wand is made out of silicone, and has a lovely smooth texture. Usually, I prefer rechargeable toys, because I just don’t have my shit together enough to keep batteries on hand. However, I love that the Mystic Wand takes 4 AA batteries – usually, to find power like the kind it provides, you have to use plug-in toys. Plus, you get 3 speeds and 3 vibration patterns, instead of the Hitachi’s 2 speeds.
Right off the bat, I was amazed by the power. Speed 1 is rumbly, you can actually feel the head of the vibrator shake. Speeds 2 and 3 are noticeably stronger, and actually proved to be too much for me. I’m not big on vibration patterns, but the Mystic Wand comes with 3. Not too shabby at all.
Now, unfortunately, I’ve discovered that I absolutely need pinpoint clitoral vibration. The strength of the Mystic Wand cannot be beat by any of my smaller vibes, but the shape just doesn’t work for my body. I actually find that the strength of the vibrations when they’re spread out across the vulva to be a little distracting. I tried several different hand grips trying to make pinpoint contact with my clit to no avail.
However, I still would recommend this toy if you fit any of these descriptions: If you like to be able to feel vibrations in your labia. If you need a toy that packs one hell of a punch. If you’re a Hitachi devotee and you want something smaller, easier to travel with, or less restrictive. If you have used/currently use massager-style, non-pinpoint vibrators with orgasmic success.
If the Mystic Wand sounds like it might fit your bill, you can purchase one from SheVibe for $49.99.
Vibratex Mystic Wand
Oh, YES: Vibratex Tulip Mini
If you have a clitoris, you need this vibrator.
When I received the Vibratex Tulip Mini (henceforth, the Tulip), I was expecting to enjoy it. What actually happened? I was blown away. I need to include a picture of the Tulip, because otherwise, it’s going to be very hard to explain what’s so special about this little wand-style clitoral vibrator.
The entire toy is only 6″ long, with those petals making up about 1.5″ of overall length. The petals themselves are made of soft, velvety, flexible silicone, and they surround a bullet coated in pink silicone in the middle of the wand’s head. The effect is pinpoint stimulation combined with fluttering petals, which in my opinion combines the two best methods of clitoral stim.
Using the Tulip is very easy. The base (which brilliantly allows the wand to stand up by itself) easily twists off, and you then load 2 AAA batteries into the compartment. The presence of a dedicated ON/OFF button is welcome – far too few toys have one. The other button allows you to cycle through 6 functions, but honestly, I only ever had to use the first 2 speeds.
While in use, I actually had to back off my orgasm a few times because I wanted to continue using the toy. This was on the first vibration mode, which is a low, steady rumble. This toy is really shockingly powerful and effective. Every time I used it, I needed about 10 minutes and settings 1-2. That’s it, and it was guaranteed bliss.
If you’re looking for an amazing clitoral vibe, or if you want to try a new combination of sensations, I highly recommend the Vibratex Tulip Mini. At $25.99 from SheVibe.com, it’s a steal. Thanks, SheVibe!
A Peek at My Toy Chest
Ah, the long awaited Toy Chest post! Er, hopefully somebody’s been waiting for it. Or is excited about it now. Anyway, for your reference, I will be bolding my favorite products, ones that I recommend the most fervently.
Oh, we fancy huh. That’s right. I keep my toys in a Sterilite 3-drawer box, next to my rat cage. Give me a break, I just moved!
Ah-ha! The top drawer! This is where I keep my chargers, my lubricants, my spare bottles of cleaner, edible body powder, and all of my samples. It’s also where I throw my neck massager, because I’m a weirdo and I actually have a vibrator that I use on my neck.
Body Candy, System JO H20 Cherry Burst, Pure Romance Sensations in Hot Buttered Rum, Intimate Organics Defense, Sliquid Sassy, and Pure Romance Pure Silk
The middle drawer is kind of a clusterfuck, pun intended. It houses all of my odds and ends as well as our couple toys. I absolutely love that Intimate Organics Massage Oil in Sensual, which doesn’t stain my sheets. This drawer houses our Sportsheets Doggie Style Strap, our furry handcuffs, our WeVibe II, our favorite cock ring, and some plugs.
I can’t even tell you how much I love this ring. Cock rings have this stigma, and many men will say things like “I don’t need that!” Here’s the thing: you’re up, you stay up, you get harder than normal, a good ring doesn’t cause a big loss of sensation, and it can even make you a little bit bigger. I love this ring in particular because the beads make it ultra easy to roll down and roll back up to remove. (We got ours at Adam & Eve Pittsburgh.)
The WeVibe II is one of those novelty toys that’s very cool, but doesn’t seem to find a place in our day-to-day sex life. I’m a small gal, and I find the design to be a bit overbearing. The silicone collects dust like no other. I still recommend the WeVibe III to couples who are looking to spice things up and want a couples’ vibe that can be used underwater, but I really prefer the design of the Lelo Tiani 2 overall.
I never thought I’d add a plug to my collection. Legitimately was not even on the horizon for me. After working for a while at A&E, though, I began to view the butt as “just another hole.” (Eloquent, right?) I ordered the Doc Johnson Mood: Naughty plug in Medium, and I’m kind of in love with how soft and velvety the silicone is. At only $15, it’s a pretty great starter plug if you’re also thinking of exploring the other side. Please note: I have very small hands – the plug is actually quite a manageable size!
The vibrator drawer! As you can see, I like to store mine in satin drawstring bags, with the exception of my Je Joue Mimi, which is stored in its own little keepsake box. I also keep a bottle of toy cleaner with my vibrators to make that drawer a one-stop shop (Sliquid Sassy usually sits on our nightstand, tbqh).
Oh, Mimi, my egg-shaped love who looks kind of like Eva from Wall:E. Now that there’s a new 3 button version, I more highly recommend Mimi than ever before.
Standing O, Thumbs Up, Micro Bullet, Ultimate 7th Heaven, Daddy from the ‘Nati (all from Pure Romance)
These are what make the Standing O so great: the nubbies. For me, those are 10x better than those piddly rabbit ears you usually see. Three little stimulators, right in a row! You can no longer buy the Standing O through Pure Romance, but you can find it on Eden Fantasys by looking through the Cal Exotics dual stim vibes. For the price, though, I think you can do better – it’s nearly $100.
I really did not expect to fall in love with this toy. It has 3 speeds, it’s hot pink, it’s soft and it looks kind of like a jaw bone. Seriously, though, if you see the Thumbs Up at a Pure Romance party or a vibrator of the same design (made by Cal Exotics) like the one we carry at Adam & Eve, pick it up. They’re $19-26 and they’re definitely one of the best bargain vibes around. They are also phthalate free.
I received this glass dildo as a free gift with an Eden Fantasys order. It had gotten rave reviews, so I was pretty excited about it. As easy as it is to hit my g-spot with this toy, it just refuses to finish the job. I actually got it caught behind my pubic bone at one point (ow) so at the moment, I’m less than thrilled with its performance.
…and last, but not least, I present you an awkward photo of me with my Mini Winachi. It is really freaking hard to take a selfie using a DSLR on manual settings.
All photographs were taken by me with a Canon Rebel XS. All opinions are my own and no companies paid to have their products shown on marvelous-darling.com.
On Being a Toy Snob
Happy Monday, Darlings. (Oxymoron?)
In working at Adam & Eve Pittsburgh, I’ve discovered many things, from how to choose a great lube to how to foster a productive coworker relationship. I have also discovered that I am a little bit of a toy snob.
My first toys came from Pure Romance. I ordered the Standing O, the fetish tape, and Pure Silk lubricant. At that time, I knew literally nothing about toys. Not a damn thing. That was last August (2011).
Fast forward to February 2012. I’d just split with someone and was feeling a little pity-party on Valentine’s Day, so I ordered myself a Je Joue Mimi. That little pebble was a game changer. Silicone, rechargeable, totally waterproof, beautiful keepsake box… Mimi makes me feel glamorous. Mimi also does a killer job with clit stimulation, which is what really counts. At full retail price, Mimi costs $90. (You can find the updated version at SheVibe.)
After my first tryst with my Mimi, I have to admit – I have a hard time justifying shelling out for anything less than luxe. If it’s not silicone, glass, or something equally clean and smooth, I’m probably not terribly interested. How can a girl be expected to downgrade after she’s had quiet, strong vibrations coming from an aesthetically appealing, rechargeable vessel? She just can’t.
I still enjoy my TPR/TPS and bullet-style vibes. I still bring my Thumbs Up out for a romp. There’s a time and a place for my warming flavored lube that’s full of glycerin and parabens. That time and place is blowjobs. But when I’m adding to my collection, I’d rather save for a Lelo, a Je Joue, a Vixen Creations dildo (I’m drooling), or another glass piece than stock up on battery-op toys that just don’t have the same oomph.
…all of that having been said, you bet your ass I’ll continue to review all manner of toys, searching for anything to prove me wrong.
Look for a post later this week about the breakdown of my toy box and its contents.
Lazy Sunday
Hi darlings!
I have to head to work in about 12 minutes, but I wanted to get this post up and off the ground because there’s a chance I’ll be pulling a Ke$ha and leaving for the night (I ain’t comin’ back).
& First of all, despite my not having a Facebook page for the blog (good idea? bad idea?), I absolutely love the ideas from Kira’s post on Her New Leaf about fan-only content.
& Kara of I Just Might Explode and Stuff Kara Made blows my mind. Check out her shop, her 40 before 20 list (which she completed, because she’s a badass), and her classes, if you want some awesome to brush off on you.
& For some reason, I’m always skeptical of low-priced products touted as “high quality”, but I think I might have to make an exception for Ladygasm’s Cici, which is currently on sale for $25. Ladygasm makes their own line of silicone toys and I have to say, they’re really unique. The clitoral stimulator on Cici has little nubbies, which have made me kind of obsessed with it. (Also, remember my love MiMi? Obviously I must own Cici.)
& I really can’t take any credit for locating Laura of Wrapped Up In Rainbows, since she followed me on Twitter and I was like, “Oooh, Rainbows you say?” Just the first few posts on her home page right now include: VW camper vans, ice cream, and a super simple DIY apron tutorial. If you want anything more than that, I just don’t understand you at all.
& All this week, I’ve spent basically every free second reading Epiphora’s sex toy reviews. The woman knows what she likes and she is not afraid to be blunt. Some day, I hope to have amassed the toy knowledge and collection that she has!
