I know, I know.  You’re thinking “oh, great, yet another Hitachi comparison that will suck.”  Nope, not this time.  In fact, I’m not going to compare this thing to anything else. I’m not even going to…  gasp…  talk about if it gets me off.  Because, sometimes, a massager really just needs to be a massager.  And sex toys — or things sold on sex toy sites — need to be about sensuality and mood and relaxation instead of hot monkey sex or wild masturbation.   Feeling good is part of our sexuality, feeling good effects our sexuality, even when it’s not about actual sex or orgasm.  Getting rid of that headache, the stresses from the day, the knot in your back…  all those things make sex itself feel better.  So lets talk about using this massager, the California Exotics InfraRed Massager, for massage, hmmm?

I actually got this to go with the Good Clean Love Gift Set I reviewed earlier.  I figured warm, spicy oils and a warm, vibrating massager would be a fantastic combo.  And I was right!  The mixture of the subtle heat from the massager and the reduced friction and heady aroma from the oils made for an incredibly relaxing atmosphere and an excellent massage.

I have weak hands and Taylor, my partner, has arthritis so traditional massage, while we can do it, never lasts long enough for either of us.  This massager, with it’s attachments and the addition of heat, seemed like it would be ideal for us.

And it was!  The InfraRed Massager, from Eden Fantasys,  is a standard, plug into a socket in the wall, flexible head massager.  It’s dual sided and dual speed.  The massager is 12 inches long, red, with a textured grip on the handle and  a simple high/low switch mid way up the shaft.  One side is black plastic, dome shaped, while the other is red plastic with a nub for attaching the accessories.  The attachments — it comes with five, all of which are a rubbery plastic material — include a foam like pad buffer, a pinpoint cone, a dual cone, a nubby disc and a tickler type disc.

Each attachment slides on to the nub and fits quite snuggly.  Vibrations can be felt really well thru the attachments as well as thru the black, dome shaped side.

The dome side of the massager is the side that heats up.  When plugged in and turned on, it glows  red to signal heat and warms to a nice, noticeable, yet not hot temperature.  Turning the massager on low vibrations gives you high heat.  High vibrations gives low heat.

The attachment side does not provide heat, just vibrations.  All are fairly strong, even on low.  On the low vibe setting, vibrations are sort of rumbly.  Turned up to high, they’re more buzzy and quite strong.

The attachments are really nice, each giving a different sensation when dragged, pressed or rolled along the body.  I love the nubby one for scalp/head massage.  The buffer pad one is terrific for facial massage (on low power) — in fact, it really helped my sinus headache the other day!  The single cone shaped one is excellent for pinpoint massage, the dual cone for deep massage of large areas.  The nubby disc is great for all over use.

But more than anything?  I LOVE the domed, heated side.  It gives good pressure when sort of rolled/dragged along the body, especially the back.  And the heat really adds a lot to a massage.  Normally, large plug in massagers leave me feeling numb, even my hands from holding them. This one does that less and the heat sensation negates a lot of it for some reason.

It can also be used with those oils I mentioned earlier.  Warm, spicy scents, a warm, relaxing massager, candles going, a comfortable bed…

This thing eases away knots, worries, stress.  It’s one of the best things I”ve picked up lately.  Focusing on sensual, on relaxation, on feeling good in general instead of just between my legs, have been some of the best things I’ve done lately.

I’m not entirely certain how it would work for sexual use but that was never my intent when I got it.  This thing is being saved for sensual use.  For relaxation and feel good.

All the attachments as well as the domed plastic side reacted fine to the massage oil, with no damage.  Clean up is easy with a damp cloth for the massager itself, soap and water for the attachments.

InfraRed massager Massager by California Exotic Material: Plastic Safety: $34.99 Buy from EdenFantasys
Rating:	Vroom:	Bee:

It’s pretty rare to find nice smelling massage products that have an ingredients list that contains only a few words, much less to have those few ingredients be all natural.  With Good Clean Love All Natural Love Oil, that’s exactly what you get.  Each scent contains only four ingredients; Apricot Kernel oil, Jojoba oil, Vitamin E and an essential oil blend.  No parabens, no glycerin, no petroleum (mineral) oil, no L-argentine or DEA.  These oils are totally natural, totally vegan, totally edible.

They even come packaged in a cute and eco friendly little cardboard envelope when you order the gift set.  Each 1 oz bottle is cobalt blue glass with a snap up top (sealed inside so they don’t leak before you even get them opened).  Both bottles and envelope feature the Good Clean Love logo (their name in text with two hearts making up the o’s in good) as well as some informational text.  Sexy yet not porn-like , you could definitely leave these sitting out and no one is going to look at you too funny.  (Our local grocery store even carries this brand)

The oils themselves are nice.  Really nice.  If you haven’t used natural oils you’ll be pleasantly surprised.  Unlike baby oil or many mineral oil based massage and body products, you don’t get a greasy feeling from them at all.  The oil is slick and slippery but not greasy.  It absorbs really well — in fact, I had some on my fingers and it’s absorbed to the point where I’m typing easily without my fingers feeling coated or slippery.  Natural oils are really so much nicer than synthetic and petroleum based ones.

A small amount — about the size of a dime — is enough to cover the entire back for a good, long massage with just enough friction that you can really feel the hands and fingers kneading into the muscles but not so much slippery-ness that it’s messy.  If you like more slickness, of course, just use more!  Personally, I don’t like to feel oily and like I need a shower after a massage so I use a bit less, adding more if I need it.  These oils absorb beautifully into the skin so that by the time your massage is done, you don’t feel greasy, just soft and relaxed.

Good Clean Love describes these oils as edible — and they are.  But they don’t exactly taste great.  They’re made with essential oils, which are edible and taste like the plant/herb/flower/spice they’re derived from but are not sweet, nor do they have any artificial sweeteners or flavors.  Essential oils are also said to have mood enhancing properties; lavender to help make you sleepy, for instance or peppermint or lemon to give you a lift.

The gift set comes with three scents; Origins, Indian Spice and Caribbean Rose.  The Origins is both a relaxing and warming scent, said to lift emotional blocks to sexuality and reunite you with your sexual nature.  It’s woodsy and spicy.  The Indian Spice is pungent and spicy and is supposed to create a euphoric release of stress and anxiety, giving you a new appetite for love.  It smells, to me, of cloves and cumin.  The Caribbean Rose is, as expected, a rose scent though it’s not a bright, light rose.  It’s a smoky and earthy underneath the warm rose scent.  It’s said to open the heart and reestablish warm, loving trust and self acceptance.

Now I’m not sure if the oils are that good but they do create a certain mood depending upon which you use.  Each of us react differently to scent so what that mood might be for you is…  up to you.

The scents are very natural, not sweet, not false.  Those who don’t like natural scents or essential oils may not like them.  They are not the scents you get from Bath and Body Works.  They’re more like the scents you find in the health food store.

And, as I mentioned earlier, though they are edible, they aren’t exactly tasty as we’re accustomed to.  They’re more reminiscent of herbal tea than sweet candy.  Depending upon your tastebuds you may find licking or kissing skin that’s had these oils applied to it either very pleasant or horribly horrid.  Personally, I’m not super fond of the taste but I do enjoy the scents quite a bit so I simply avoid lapping up the oils or applying them where I’m going to be giving oral love.

These oils are not latex safe so don’t use them with condoms.  Because they’re natural oils, they should be okay for vaginal use but if you’re sensitive and prone to infections or imbalances, use caution.  Essential oils should NOT be used by pregnant women.

Good Clean Love is a member of Eden Link and Eden Fantasys carries quite a few of their products!

$27.99Good clean love gift set Oil by Good Clean Love Buy from EdenFantasys

Snow Bunny by carvenaked

Pleasurists is a round-up of the adult product and sex toy reviews that came out in the last seven days. For updates and information follow our RSS Feed and Twitter.

Everyone’s talking about the new bCurious from bSwish; the rechargeable, 7 function, waterproof silicone clitoral vibrator we first saw when Victoria brought home pictures from ANE in July and is now available at Eden Fantasys.

How about you? Are you curious about the bCurious? Would you like to… win… the bCurious?

I hope so, because I sure want to give one away. In fact, I want to give one away so badly I’m going to make it simple.

Between now, December 8th, and midnight, December 13th, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment here. That’s it! Comment on this post and I’ll enter you to win a bCurious.

One comment per person, please.

To make it even more exciting, I’m going to let you enter by tweeting about it, too. Once a day you can tweet the text “Curious about the ALL NEW bCurious? Enter to win one from @EdenCafe! http://bit.ly/4Q9mRv “. Only once a day, though! We don’t want to spam people. You must be following EdenCafe on Twitter and must include the @ sign or we won’t see your tweets.

Winner will be drawn randomly and announced on Monday, Dec 14th.

Good luck you curious kitties!

Perhaps celebrate isn’t a word most would choose in conjunction with AIDS.  But it’s not AIDS itself we’re celebrating. No, what we’re celebrating is speaking out, sharing stories, life changing moments and being open about the effects AIDS has had on all of us, on the world.  We’re celebrating support and activism.  We’re celebrating action and awareness.

World AIDS Day is December 1st.  Tomorrow.  To commemorate this, Eden Fantasys is doing a week long project comprised of articles, both academic and personal, on both SexIs and here on Eden Cafe.  This week of dedicated articles and essays begins today, Nov 30th, and runs through Friday, Dec 4th.

I’ll be posting excerpts and links to the SexIs articles here. We’ll have pieces from Dr. Dick, Luxury Holmes, Dr. Elizabeth Boskey, PHD, G.L. Morrison, Kal Cobalt, Mandy Van Deven, The Bloggess and Sarah Sloane.  Here on Eden Cafe, many of your favorite authors – and even some new ones! – have offered up their thoughts, reflections and opinions on AIDS related topics.

We also have a very special announcement that’s been made over on the forum.  Please go check it out!  We’re doing something totally rocking to benefit ASC NYC and you can help! And all you need is a Twitter account!

You can also spread the word by putting a banner on your blog, site, facebook or myspace page, pointing folks to the wonderful content we’re hosting this week.  Help us celebrate World AIDS Day.  Help us celebrate action, activism and awareness.

<a href="http://www.edenfantasys.com/sexis"><img src="http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss6/carriereviewpics/aids-day-218x180-hp.gif" border="0" alt="SexIs"></a>

Want to be a part of things in a bigger way than spreading the word and posting the banner?  Want to share your thoughts and stories, personal and academic?  E-mail me.  We’d love to have you on Eden Cafe this week.

Jollies LLC makes some of the most intriguing, ergonomic, body friendly dildos out there.  Designed to work with your body, I’ve found that Jollies toys are sort of… a wonder.

Not that long ago I reviewed the Jollies Thrust on my own blog and was fairly floored that this floppy, crooked looking dildo could do so much wonderful stuff.    Awhile back, I also reviewed the Jollie and was equally astounded by how amazingly it filled and hugged and plain old worked with my body.   This week? We’re going to talk about the Jollet and how it compares to the Jollie — since that seems to be the biggest question of them all.

The Jollies and the Jollet are very similar dildos; the Jollie has a ridged handle that can hold a full sized bullet vibe and stimulates the clitoris as you rock it while the Jollet has a flared base that holds a mini bullet.  Both are made more to be filling and gently rocked rather than vigorously thrusted.  (Jollie is pink in the image, Jollet is purple)

The Jollet has the same odd shaped head as the Jollie, which slides sort of under the cervix rather than slamming in to it.  It has the same g-spot bump, which massages the g-spot with every shallow thrust or rocking motion of the toy.  It almost can’t miss, since it’s thick and hearty and completely fills your vaginal canal.

The Jollet, unlike the Jollie, has a flared base and a couple of stimulating ridges at the lower end of the shaft.  I could, personally, barely feel the ridges but I’m fond of a lot of texture.  Those who prefer less texture may find they notice them more.

The Jollet, with it’s lack of handle, leaves you room to stimulate your clit as you use it with fingers or the toy of your choice, rather than relying upon the handle as the Jollie does. This is their main difference and opinions are fairly equally mixed regarding which one is “better” amongst those who have tried both.

Dangerous Lilly, who has done reviews of both (and even an interview with Luze, CEO of Jollies LLC. Totally check it out) prefers the Jollie.  She says a hitachi pressed against it rocks her world.  And while she likes the Jollet, especially with a partner, it tends to turn more inside her so that she can’t keep the hump in the right spot.  Red, on the other hand, while she loved both, prefers the Jollet.

And me?

I like the Jollet but love the Jollie.  The Jollet is nice.  More than nice, it’s a fantastic dildo.  But I really prefer the way the Jollie cups and nuzzles my clitoris and vulva.  Both of these are meant to be tapped or rocked rather than thrusted, as previously mentioned, and I found it easier to do that with the Jollie.

For you?

It probably depends on how strong you need your vibrations to be.  If you need them directly on your clit you’ll probably like the Jollet better. (Unless, like Lilly, you use the hitachi)  It leaves more room for accessing your clit and is a bit more versatile and easy to use with a partner, during oral sex or manual masturbation.  If you like deep vibrations thru dense silicone, a hugged feeling against your clit and longer, slower masturbation sessions, you’ll probably like the Jollie.

Either way, both are excellent toys that do exactly what they’re designed to do.  Molded after the interior of real vaginas, they fill and stimulate in a manner unlike just about any other toy out there.

The Jollet is thick, if I haven’t mentioned it before.  It’s 7.5 inches long with 6 inches of insertable length and is an eighth of an inch away from being two full inches in diameter at it’s widest point.  This thing is filling and, once again, is not meant to be thrusted.  Thrusting with something this thick, shaped in this particular way, can be uncomfortable.  Tapping, rubbing, rocking and twisting it a bit, however, feel superb.

The silicone itself is dense and heavy and firm, but not hard.  The Jollet has plenty of give and even bends some.  Because of the shape, it should be manageable for nearly anyone with the use of a good amount of water based lube and some patience.  (I’ve not found a silicone lube that is compatible but you can always do a spot test if you want to try yours – otherwise, stick to water based) If you really can’t handle large toys, however, or are a total novice, I’d recommend finding something else.  The Jollet IS big and can be intimidating.

Because it’s silicone it’s completely body safe, odorless, tasteless and sterilizable.  Boil it, bleach it or put it in the dishwasher to sanitize, clean with soap and water for simple cleaning if you’re not sharing.  Silicone does tend to pick up lint and dust so be sure to rinse before use as well as clean after use.

Packaging was a simple plastic box, not really suitable for storage.

As a  side note, the color of the Jollet was, as you can see from the images, a bit lighter purple than the onsite pictures appear.  More of a medium purple than a midnight.

(picture next to the Tantus O2 Rascal for size comparison)  The Jollet does not come with a mini bullet but any will fit, from the ones that come with cock rings to the high intensity bullet (which I love because of it’s three speeds)  to the ro 80mm to the Love Honey Death By Orgasm bullet.  Intensity of vibrations will depend upon the bullet you use but just about all of them turn the Jollet into a thick, filling, vibrating, g-spot massaging wonder.  Just make sure to use a dab of lube on the bullet for easy extraction.

Even though I prefer the Jollie, the Jollet is definitely an excellent toy crafted of the finest silicone, made to do wonderous things to a woman’s body.

The Jollet, with it’s flared base, is certainly safe for anal but due to it’s girth, I didn’t attempt it.

$62.99Jollet Dildo by Jollies LLC Material: Silicone Safety: Buy from EdenFantasys

pull by aeric meredith goujon

Pleasurists is a round-up of the adult product and sex toy reviews that came out in the last seven days. For updates and information follow our RSS Feed and Twitter.

Did you miss Pleasurists #54? Read it all here. Do you have a review for Pleasurists #56? Use our submission form and submit it before Sunday November 29th at 11:59pm PST. Be sure to read our submission guidelines.

Want to win some free swag? All you’ve got to do is enter.

• What Are You Thankful For? Deadline: November 26th.
• ToyDemon.com Gift Certificate Giveaway Deadline: November 30th @ noon Eastern.
• The S Spot Sexy Short Story Contest! Deadline: November 30th.
• Luxury Sex Toy Scavenger Hunt Deadline: December 12th @ midnight Pacific.
• Tons of Glass Contest! Deadline: December 27th @ 11:59 Eastern.

Looking for something other than reviews?
The latest (and first) edition! e[lust] #1

Editor’s Pick

• LELO Elise by Scintillectual

Remember when I said I was on hiatus from relationships? Well, I lied. I know, I know! I can hear my friends railing now about the fact that I jump into things too quickly and yes, she has already moved in with me. But, really, I do think she’s THE ONE. Before you get all hot and bothered, let me introduce you. Dear reader, this is LELO Elise.

Note: Apparently I’m loving LELO reviews again this month (last week’s EP was LELO Ella)! I’ve read many many Elise reviews so they have to be special in order for them to catch my eye or make me want to finish them, and this one is written in an extremely entertaining manner so even if you’re burned out on LELO reviews like I thought I was it’s definitely worth the read.

Editor
Scarlet Lotus St. Syr

On to the reviews…

Vibrators

• Mini Gallant by Dani Darling
• Thumbelina by Undressed Reviews
• Cal Exotics Spellbound “G” by Alley
• OhMiBod Club Vibe by Mystyfi
• Lovemoiselle Cecile by Laurel
• Jimmyjane Iconic Bullet by Sexorcism

Dildos

• Colorful Spiral Wrapped G-Spot Wonder by Melen’s Rayne
• Zodiac by Joanna Cake
• Fun Factory Curve by Curvaceous Dee
• Jollies Thrust by Carrie Ann
• Tantus Alumina Flow by Carrie Ann
• Purple Rain Wand by Kyle Jones

Toys for Cocks

• Tenga Flip Hole by Tales from the Porn Store

Lube, Massage Oil, Bath Stuff, & etc.

• Jimmy Jane’s Contour M + Afterglow Sensory Set by HotMoviesForHer Sex Toy Crew
• Bare Essence Gift Box by Dangerous Lilly
• System JO Aroma Mist by Alley
• Root Beer Fizz Lube by Tales from the Porn Store
• Sliquid Organics Stimulating O Gel by Lady Evyl
• Flower Balm by Garnet Joyce
• Sliquid Organics Stimulating O Gel by Sexorcism

BDSM/Fetish

• Spartacus Wide Tip Bat by Wilhelmina Wang
• Leatherbeaten Bondage Kit by Melen’s Rayne
• Silk Scarf Restraints by Sommer Marsden
• Slave Utility Wrist Cuffs by Mistress Kay

Adult Books/Games

• Anneke Jacob’s As She’s Told by Nadia West
• Frenzy – 60 Stories of Sudden Sex by Dangerous Lilly
• The Art of Sensual Female Dominance by Mistress Kay

Adult Movies/Porn

• Blacklight Beauty by Saraid
• Nina Hartley’s Guide to the Ultimate Sex Party by The Duchess
• Impure Hunger by J.D. Bauchery
• Glamour Smoke by FrzKey
• Deep In The Vivid Vaults by The Porn Librarian
• The Masseuse by J.D. Bauchery
• Haitoku No Shojo – Girl of Debauchery by FrzKey

Lingerie

• Industrial Net Stockings by Valyn

Miscellaneous

• Sportsheets Chest Harness & Dildo by Dragon Mage
• KinkAcademy.com by Dangerous Lilly

• A mindblowing 205 reviews were turned in last week.  Two hundred and five.  Whoa.
• The Weekly Review Roundup held 5 new community members this week.  Woot!  Let’s hear it for new folks and a growing community!
• We have a new expectations of conduct to help keep things happy and sane and polite and respectful.
• We also have a flagging system, thanks in part to DBD’s suggestion.  We’re hoping this will be a useful tool for those times when things get heated.  It happens in every community on occasion and we’re hoping this new feature will help us deal with those types of moments a bit more easily.
• Sammi is going to be the evening time forum mediator.  Everyone knows and loves Sammi and knows she’s even tempered and doesn’t get wrapped up in a bunch of drama.  Feel free to talk to her if something is going on that upsets you or if you need to point out something yucky going on in the community in the evenings.
• Don’t forget you can contact any of the staff via email if you need something; job descriptions are listed on the Eden Fantasys profile
• Gary won the Weekly Review Rumble last week but it turns out it was a Wild Card Week and, instead of Gary getting a gift card, the other four runners up are getting…  wind up wankers!  I have the hots for Sergeant Stroker.  I do.  Don’t forget to put your votes in for this week as well as your nominations for next
• Have you been keeping up with Eden Link?  Fleshlight joined the party and word is Vixen will be doing so soon, as well.  Remember you can ask any of those manufacturers questions at any time. Eden Link is all about communication and sharing.

I think that’s about it for this week.  Lots going on around EF and it’s not all about just a few reviews so we’re going to do the community roundup each week rather than just the review round up.

Feel free to let me know if there is something you want to see included!

Do video reviews!  Really!

Eden Fantasys is still looking for folks to add a short video to their review of products — and is sponsoring those reviews!  While you do need to be a verified reviewer, the video reviews don’t count as your monthly assignment and don’t interfere with your extra manufacturer sponsored assignments, either.  They’re a bonus.  Extra.  Totally separate and so easy to do!

All it really requires is that you pick a product, use it a bit, and talk about it on video for a few minutes.  Are you super creative?  Show that in your video!  Are you more of a standard, stick to the facts reviewer?  That’s okay too!

Regular, full text reviews are, of course, part of the deal but that’s easy enough, right?

And best of all?  You get paid for your video, upon completion, in gift cards.

Want more info?  Have questions?  Just shoot me an email at carrieann@edenfantasys.com.

Specifically, let’s talk about prices in sex toy and product reviews. I know a lot of reviewers will say whether or not the price of the product is worth it. I don’t discuss price in my reviews and I’ll tell you why. First, I will admit that I have mentioned price in one or two of my reviews. In one, the item in question was a toy company’s version of a popular toy. I noted that the item was cheaper than the popular version, but that’s all I said about it. In another pre-official sex toy reviewer post, I mention the price outright and called it a good buy, but that was before I decided to not talk about price. So, what are my reasons for not discussing price?

1. All of the items I review were given to me for free, whether specifically for a review or as contest prizes. A couple were even gifts from others. I think there is one or two reviews for toys I’ve bought up on my blog, but that was before I started reviewing full time. Because I get these items for free, I don’t feel that it’s my place to say if the price is sensible or not. I believe my readers are quite capable of deciding that for themselves. If they click on a product link and decide the price is too high, then they don’t have to buy the item. It’s as simple as that.

2. I have a hard time justifying paying money for sex toys. My family has always struggled to keep our heads above water and we still do. Sex toys are a luxury to me. Some people think nothing of spending $50-$100 and beyond for sex toys, but there’s always something more important I can spend my money on. Besides, I’ve got hands to pleasure myself with and it’s not that difficult to pervert things that are already in my house. When I did buy toys, I looked for the best deals and cheapest products and I still would if I bought toys now.

3. I know there are people out there with limited funds who can’t afford high-end toys, either. Although some people preach about saving up for those expensive toys, it’s just not a viable option for a lot of people. Someone needs to do reviews for them. I get to review those pricier items now, but I never forget how it once was for me so I’m not afraid to ask for cheaper items to review.

4. What is an acceptable price to one person might be unacceptable to another. I keep to the specifics of the product and my personal experience in my reviews. I try to be as objective as I can while making sure I don’t sound completely like a copywriter. I could buy an item and say it’s worth the price, but another may think I’m crazy for thinking so. Who’s right? Both of us are because they are our opinions. But the most important opinion in this matter is that of the consumer.

5. Like all good reviewers should, I cover quality in my reviews. I once reviewed a pussy pump that had barely any suction to it. I didn’t have to mention its price to illustrate that it wasn’t a good buy. If despite my negative review someone wishes to click on the product’s link, that’s their choice. Who knows, they might find something better to purchase on the retailer’s website.

6. I feel that if mention the price in a negative fashion it might put the reader off of visiting the toy retailer’s site altogether. Even though I write honest and unbiased reviews, I still owe it to retailer who was kind enough to let me review free items a few clicks of the links. Once the consumer has done just that, the rest is up to them. Why deter them from doing that?

Leaving the price out doesn’t affect the quality of my reviews. I’m sure some people might not appreciate the fact that I do, but I stand by my reasoning. My readers should be discerning enough to figure out what is an acceptable price for them based on my reviews and their personal experience. Will I ever mention price in my reviews? Possibly, but only for items that I buy outright. Even then I’m not entirely sure it would be necessary. We’ll find out once I’m able to buy toys again, won’t we?