Review: Maximus Lube

Note: This product was provided by Erotic Toy Town in exchange for an honest review. You can check out all the lubes available at Erotic Toy Town right here. 

The Product
Playing with toys often requires good lubrication. We have tried a variety of lubes and have come up with a list of qualities we like in our lubes. They are:

• Water-based: While we've tried silicone-based lube, we weren't that impressed. Plus, we have a lot of silicone toys so purchasing silicone lube still requires the purchase of a water-based lube for use with our toys. Silicone lube is then restricted to hand/foot jobs. We'd rather just have one main type of lube on hand. That makes water-based lube the winner in our home.
• Glycerin free: While this seems like a simple and "duh" requirement, it is shocking how many lubes out there include glycerin as a product. Glycerin is a huge danger ingredient for women with yeast infections. Consider fingers and dick and toys tend to wander, I don't want this ingredient anywhere near my pussy.
• Parabens: I try very hard to stay away from parabens in my lubricants. There is a lot of controversy and scientific studies that debate whether they are or are not dangerous. For me, I prefer to stay on the safe side and just avoid them altogether. I am not allergic to them, although I've heard some horror stories of having burn-like reactions to them. So if a lube has any parabens as an ingredient, then I will not use it for internal use. If I have it on my hands or feet, I'll wash off immediately when done.
• Flavoring: We don't use lube for oral sex at all, so it really doesn't matter to us if it tastes like anything. Normally we don't bother with a flavor because of this.

Photo courtesy of Erotic Toy Town

Believe it or not, the glycerin narrows our water-based lube choice by about 50% it seems. If we pick something without parabens, cut out another 25% at least. That leaves very few choices for lube.

Whenever I ask for recommendations on lube, the Maximus brand lubricant is always one of the most popular suggestions. It seems everyone likes this lube! I was a little hesitant to try it because of the parabens, but since I so rarely use lube internally, I thought I would give it a try. I'm very glad I did.

The bottle is a larger bottle of lube with 8.45oz (250ml) of lube in it.


The Sex (for Her)
I give my boyfriend a lot of handjobs and the occasional footjob. I always like to take my time, and this normally requires a lot of lube application and reapplication. Normally with a water-based lube I'll apply lube 4-7 times depending on the lube. It can be a real pain as it interrupts the action. This lube was an excellent surprise! Where other lubes fall short in duration, this lube wins the prize. It lasts like a silicone lube!  It has a slight oily feel to it, but its very smooth and doesn't end up tacky like most other lubes. This lube just becomes "less" the longer you use it, so pleasant sensation isn't lost to a rubbing feeling.

And I like to play with the balls as well.

When I give him a handjob with this lube, I start out with 2 pumps and start lightly stroking his cock. This lube isn't super thick like some others I've tried, but it isn't runny either. It glides very easily across his dick and covers him very easily. Two or three strokes up and down and his cock is covered in lube. I will toy with him by jacking him off and teasing him lightly, increasing the intensity and, at my pace, bringing him to orgasm. At some point I'll add another squirt just to keep his dick slick enough for easy gliding. Toward the end of a handjob I focus on either the head of the penis or long, fast strokes up and down his dick. I give a lot of pressure so having a smooth, long lasting lube is key! 

I gave him a footjob with this lube last weekend. Similar to the handjob, I normally require multiple lube applications. This time, we only needed 1 application! We covered my toes and his dick and off I went jacking him off with a combination of jerking him off in between the arches of my foot or scrunching my toes around him and moving my feet along his dick. I loved being able to concentrate just on him, not the amount of lube we were using.

The Sex (for Him)
The boyfriend likes this lube because it keeps us both focused on the moment. He masturbates once or twice a day while I'm at work and almost always uses lube (another major reason we go through a lot!). This lube has been used quite a bit in the week we've had it with almost all of it ending up on his dick. When he applies lube he does maybe half a pump onto his palm while jacking off his dick. This requires several pumps while masturbating, but he doesn't seem to mind -- actually he does it to make the whole experience last longer. 

Beautiful boyfriend dick.

I gave him a prostate massage with this lube a couple of nights ago. This was done with my finger, so I wore a glove to help with cleanup and further protection against my fingernails. With other lubes, I start with 2 pumps to generously cover my finger(s) and the exterior of his anus. With the Maximus lube, I was able to just do 1 pump and that was enough to cover everything and leave him feeling slick and comfortable for sliding my finger in. It also kept him sufficiently lubed for the entire massage so we didn't need to worry about reapplication.

The Judgement
Overall, we give Maximus a 3/5. We are so excited to find a water-based lube that lasts this long and doesn't have any tacky/sticky feeling. The first time we used it he asked, "Are you sure it's water-based?" Yes, I checked the ingredients! We love this lube. There are two things we didn't like about it. First, the clean-up. The oily feel made washing hands take a bit longer than other lubes. Also, I let some dry on me for about a half hour (ok, I fell into a sex coma) and when I woke up, it was completely dry. It didn't flake off like I expected, but rubbed off into little sticky balls. It was very odd and I had to use water and wipe or scrub it off. Second, because it has parabens, I won't suck his dick with any of this lube on it, even hours later. With paraben-free lubes I will do that gladly but this one with the weird way it dries and the ingredients, it's not an option. And I really like to have that option.

It's a great lube and I think it's one we'll be purchasing Maximus in the future due to its great qualities for hand and foot jobs.

Review: SLUT Paddle

The Toy

SLUT paddle by Sportsheets

You know we like spanking, right? Well, we do. Specifically, I like to spank him and he loves to be spanked. I haven't received much spanking, it's not my thing like it is for him. However, I'm not opposed to it. The problem with spanking is that, when you use your hand, it starts to sting the spanker pretty quickly. And then, at least for us, my hand/arm gets tired of the repeated spanking. We needed and wanted an aid to help spanking last longer.

Handle detail

We saw this toy in our local sex shop and then I had the opportunity to buy it at a discount online. It's made of leather by Sportsheets (who makes a lot of great kink sex toys like paddles, crops, restraints, and more). In general, the paddle is well made. The leather is great quality and well cut. The word SLUT is cut-out on one side of the spanking end. The lettering is very precise and there are no stray bits of leather that could stray off of the paddle. The spanking The bright pink is a piece of paper inbetween two pieces of leather that are unattached except to the handle that really help this toy achieve a good slap. The handle is comfortable for my (medium-size) hand to grip for 30-45 minutes at a stretch. The paddle is light weight and does not feel heavy even after prolonged use. The end has a loop for hanging by a string for storage if you choose.

The Sex (for her)
First, as the spanker, I love this paddle. It takes all the sting out of my hands, making spanking much easier to deliver on his ass. This paddle is the right length where I can sit or stand behind him or next to him and give strong, swift strokes. I can vary the hits so they are light and teasing or sharp and stinging. Unfortunately, despite the cut-out of the word SLUT, I could not get the word to show up on his ass no matter how light or hard I smacked him.

Last night he spanked me with this toy for the first time. To my surprise, I was able to handle the hits he gave me pretty well. He had me lay down on the bed, and then started spanking me. He started out with lighter hits, but then moved pretty quickly to sharper, harder blows that left a stinging feeling for the briefest moment. Repeated hits, of course, made it last longer. Each hit made my entire body flinch, so he varied his rhythm to make me  unsure when the next slap would hit me. Only a minute or two passed before he told me my ass was turning quite red. I enjoyed the spanking, but without any clitorial stimulation I doubt I'd cum from him. My spanking only lasted a few minutes with this item before he turned me over and fingered me to orgasm. My ass was definitely sensitive for a few minutes, but no more than that.

Just the right size!

The Sex (for him)
As the spanker, he liked using this. He has spanked me with his hand before and the slaps always sting and hurt so much I try to get away as fast as I can. This toy helps regulate his hitting strength so I can actually enjoy a spanking. We didn't use anything for clitoral or vaginal stimulation with this toy; I think that needs to happen in future use to make it more enjoyable for both of us. Otherwise, just spanking made him a little bored as he really wanted to see me orgasm.

He loves being spanked with this paddle. I make him retrieve it and I remind him how much of a slut he is when I spank him with it. I make him confess his love of cock, cum, boys, trannies, and call him names like sissy, fag, boy-lover, slut, cum-slut, boy-whore, and gay. I love to make him say, "Oh yes I'm a slut! I'm a slut!" as I paddle him over and over. I start out spanking with lighter, shorter slaps that come every so often on his ass. After a bit of a warm up, I'll lube up my free hand and start to jack off his cock while continuing random spanks. Sometimes I'll spank in the same spot over and over, bringing it to a bright red color. Sometimes I'll alternate back and forth pretty quickly to make him wonder how much longer and harder the spanks will go.

His cum spot from one night of spanking

I love to smack him very hard with this paddle. It makes such a loud, satisfying SMACK against his ass and his whole body tries to twitch away. When he's close to orgasm, he begs for "harder, faster, don't stop!!" and its during these moments I can't spank him fast enough. I'm also jacking off his dick hard and fast. In the few times I've dedicated an evening to truly spanking my naughty gay boyfriend, I really smack him hard with this so he is bruised the next day. His orgasms are always strong and covering the bed in a great bit of cum.

The Judgement
Overall, I give this toy a 4/5. It's great for spanking and we love to use it. However, it doesn't leave the impression of the word SLUT which was a hope and a key selling point in this item. If the word did show up, it would have been a 5/5. This is definitely well made and worth the investment if you're wanting to give spanking a try - or just need an alternative to your hand.

Review: the Hitachi Magic Wand vibrator

The Toy
For months and months I have been craving and lusting after the Hitachi magic wand. And why not? It's a powerhouse vibrator; and I do love a good vibrator. The comments I see from women on twitter and some pictures I've seen on tumblr made the need all the more acute. I NEEDED to try out this toy. I accumulated a few Amazon gift cards and purchased it as a gift for myself... and the boyfriend, really. As always, its a toy I planned on using on both of us. What fun is a toy that has a single use? We can always find a way to use it on both of us.

It arrived while I was at work and I opened it at once. It was a bit heavier than I expected. I cleaned it off with an antibacterial wipe; since it is an electric item, I did not want to use any water on it. The head of the toy is made of vinyl that has a slightly textured surface, not smooth as I anticipated. The head is attached to the long handle with a narrow attachment that does have some slight flex to it. The handle is long with a button that has a low/high setting. The weight of this item allows it to have a good pressure against my body, but holding it for periods of time longer than 10 minutes really makes my hands and arms tired. The cord is long enough to plug in next to my bed and use in the center of my king-sized mattress.

There are many attachments for this toy, but I do not (yet) own any.

The Sex (for her)
It's hard NOT to orgasm quickly with this item. When I first turned this on low, I was shocked how strong the vibrations were - I could feel them not in my clit but my pussy lips, my mons veneris, my vagina, and throughout my pelvis. They were so strong that I could not isolate my clitoral sensation over the pleasure that was spreading over pussy. This was a very new experience for me; I'm not used to being overwhelmed like this. It took a minute or two to adjust myself to it. I didn't need a lot of pressure to feel my orgasm building - everywhere (although that certainly felt so good if I did do that). It was only a couple of minutes before my orgasm hit.

I'm not used to an orgasm coming from my whole pussy; not just a "clit orgasm" or "g-spot orgasm" or "vaginal orgasm." It wasn't either one but a kind of blend of the three, I think. It was intense. The boyfriend was shocked at how fast it happened. I took the Hitachi off of me for a few seconds to recover, but I wanted more.

Back onto my pussy, this time spreading my pussy lips wide so the Hitachi could directly touch my clit. The problem was - the head of this vibrator is so big that while it touches my clit, it is still touching so many other parts of me! The power and stimulation on my clit was a strong, rumbly vibration. There was no end to the strength of the vibrations; it felt like the vibrations ran through my pussy in neverending waves of pleasure. The overpowering feeling was almost too much, and yet not enough. My pussy was confused at how intense it all was.

I switched it onto high, and let it rest against my clit again. It felt easily three times more powerful than the low setting and made me practically scream out. I moved it around my pussy, holding it just outside my vagina. I could feel the vibes running up my vagina several inches; it was a wonderful feeling. Eventually my second orgasm did come, and boy was it a good one.

Another time, I started playing with the Hitachi, and the boyfriend was jacking off. I came once, quickly, and wanted dick in me. Now. So he got on top and pinned the Hitachi between us. His thrusting kept it on my clit, and the force of his fucking pushed me me over the edge again so quickly. He could feel the vibrations in his penis through his pelvis. Having him push it into me made the clit vibrations very noticeable while his dick stimulated my vagina. I had three orgasms and from the second one until he was done I was screaming and unable to control my body! It was very satisfying; I considered myself well fucked for the day... so much so, that I didn't want sex later that night.

The Sex (for him)
I've used this vibrator on him a couple of times. I tried using this on his cock, but the vibrations didn't do anything for him. I also used it on his balls and while it felt good, that's about the extent of his pleasure. It isn't an orgasm aid that way.

However, how it does feel good for him as an anal stimulation device. I've used this two ways. First, while plugged, I put the Hitachi on the base of the butt plug and let the vibrations travel through his ass. I alternated this with jacking off his dick and spanking him. The Hitachi was pleasurable, but not earth-shattering.

The other time I used this was the Hitachi itself up against his bare asshole as he jacked himself off. I started on low, and the strength of the vibrations surprised him; he couldn't believe it was low. He could feel the rumble of the vibes spreading up to his prostate just on low; I flipped it onto high once I saw his orgasm was getting closer; he loved the vibrations spreading through his ass. He came spurting extra hard.

The Judgement
Overall, I'd give this toy a 3/5. While this toy is excellent for masturbation and a quick orgasm, it can easily overpower you and, for me, make it harder to cum. The vibrations almost make my pussy go numb if I use it too long. Being numb from vibrations makes it really hard to orgasm. I've heard of buying a dimmer switch which can help me control the vibrations and really improve my experience.

I'd also like to get some of the attachments for targeted G-spot stimulation. That is really where I think this toy will shine.

Review: Passionate U

A few weeks ago, I was offered the chance to review the website www.passionateU.com. I've followed this website since I joined twitter late last fall and have wanted the opportunity to watch their videos ever since. When the opportunity arose to have a free 2-week trial to the website in exchange for an honest review, I immediately agreed.

I will start by saying I completely underestimated the value of this website. If I could offer a sex-ed course to every person on the planet, it would be made up of many videos from this website. (Every person would benefit, even though they may not all appreciate it!) This video has a great mix of topics (discussed further below) and not all of them contain nudity. The experts for these videos contain a mix of sex educators and porn performers as well as sex researchers. Some of the experts I found were also those whose real-world lives I admire (and follow on twitter) such as Courtney Trouble, Ned and Maggie Mayhem, and ReidAboutSex.

The variety of videos on this website is fantastic. They cover many topics about and relating to sex. Some of the topics include: how to have a difficult relationship talk, how to masturbate (separate videos for male- and female-bodied persons), legal considerations for polyamory, how an uncut penis can be played with, tickling, making out, the importance of foreplay, different ways of spanking, sex with disability, strap-on sex, how to use condoms, and much, much more. Three of my favorite topics were:

1. Deep-Throating. ReidAboutSex has a video about deep-throating (one of several deep-throating videos on the site) that really drove home some clear points about deep-throating. Actually, it was this video that enabled me to deep-throat the boyfriend for the first time! I watched all of the deep-throating videos, but this one I watched several times and really found the tips useful. And for those tips, the boyfriend and myself will be forever grateful.

2. Squirting/G-spot play: I was very happy to find that there are MANY video's about squirting and G-spot play on this site. Many of these are multi-part videos that are 6-10 minutes each. The experts are in pairs with one working their fingers or toy while the other is the receiver. What is so great about these (and all pair/group videos on this website) is it is part live example, part lesson. Each step is explained by the experts and why. What kind of stimulation does the receiver like? What motion is the giver doing inside and why? What does it feel like for both of them? What I really liked about these videos is that the receivers were different women who had entirely different perspectives and experiences with squirting. I am in a passionate pursuit of squirting myself, so it was refreshing to hear some perspectives that differed from anything else I've heard before.

3. What to expect from a pelvic exam: This video uses a mold to show the different steps and tools that take place during a female pelvic exam. The expert uses the tools and explains each step of the process, including modeling the finger movements the doctor will do and explaining its importance. This video contains no nudity, which makes it very appropriate for any female who is undergoing pelvic exams. I was fortunate to have a doctor who explained each step of the process during my first pap smear at 13, but if she had not, I would have been very frightened and surprised at all of the steps. This video makes the exam very straightforward and non-threatening. What great information! One great point the expert makes is that you can bring your own lube to the exam if you are concerned about glycerin (or, I would add, parabens).

The site lets you set your own curriculum of videos you want to watch or you can watch some of their pre-arranged curriculum which gathers all or most video's on a topic and lists them for you to follow. There is also a friendly search feature for you to find and browse through your topics at your leisure.

The only criticism I have of the website is that the volume of the videos can vary greatly between the different videos, so be ready to adjust your speaker volume from video to video! Overall, this isn't a terrible thing and it speaks to the originality of the videos where each was filmed separately and in different locations or settings; really, it's an annoying detail but completely unimportant compared to the quality of information that can be found in the videos.

Thinking of trying Passionate U? They have a free page where you can try out some of their videos and see how helpful they are. In fact, the video I mentioned in #3 is in their free section, so you can watch it yourself for free. (men, if you've ever been curious... here's your chance to understand!)

This website is an incredible source of knowledge for dating, relationships, and, yes, sex. It covers every topic in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner that has a reassuring, non-threatening tone. Sex is normal. Masturbation is normal. Want some tips on how to try new things? Or improve your existing skill set? This website is a great investment to do just that.

Disclaimer: I was given a free 2-week membership to passionateu.com in exchange for unique and fair review of the website. While the membership was free, this review is entirely my own.

The best little sex-toy invention

If you've been following my tweets for a while, you know that I love my bullet vibe. Seriously, I love this thing. It is my most favorite, treasured toy. I bought my first one  years ago at Babeland in one of their NYC stores. It was my very first toy purchase.

Unfortunately, it received very little use in the following few years. My partner at the time was scared of toys (I practically had to drag him kicking and screaming into the store - how in the world did I think it would improve from there?).  In fact, the sex pretty much sucked all around... it didn't last.

I used the toy for masturbation play. Normally, I'm fine with my fingers, but this toy is perfect for giving me orgasms on another level.  Another fucking level of orgasm, people!  Since the BF and I started our sexual relationship last summer, the bullet vibe has made regular appearances in our sex life. In the nights where normal sex does not occur (aka, penis-in-vagina), the bullet vibe is there about 40-50% of the time. Why? Because I fucking love it so much.

My favorite way to play with this toy is where I control the bullet placement, and he controls the scale of vibration. Its like a sexy tug of war - if I think I'm getting to close and I don't want to cum, I pull the vibe away from my clit and place it elsewhere, but if he doesn't want me to cum yet, he keeps teasing me with that vibration level, making the pattern change and bringing me to the edge without really bringing me to orgasm.

This toy doesn't just stay on my clit, although its certainly my favorite spot to keep it. I start with it on the top of my clit, all the way up at the base where it starts to rise out of my body. I let the vibrations move through my clit, feeling how it changes based on where the vibe is placed. I like to hold the bullet so its rounded tip (where the vibrations are focused) is on my clit. I like to move it down to my vaginal entrance, slipping it just slightly inside and letting the vibrations thrill me. Running it up from clit to vagina is heaven. My favorite spot to place this when I'm ready to cum is just after my clit, so its vibrating my clit in the most sensitive spot and the U-spot. I just hold it there, not moving, letting the vibrations torture and tease me. This is normally the position where it sends me over the edge to an incredible, fantastic orgasm.

I usually rate my orgasms as good - great - awesome. This vibe is guaranteed to hit the awesome level and beyond every single time. Awesome means the build-up is long, titillating, and worth the journey in itself (almost). But when that orgasm hits, my eyes are shut, my fists are clenched, my toes are curled, and my body acts completely independent of my mind. I'm almost sitting up and then arching my back and forcing hips into the air. My legs are struggling to stay open, fighting with my mind to stay open for more orgasms. The screamer in me is silenced, as all sound and thinking is blocked for the 5-10 seconds while I'm lost to the world. The whole house could crash around me and I wouldn't notice it at all.

Then all of a sudden the world clicks back into view, but my body is still jolting, crashing, thrashing, and every other violent motion that happens when your mind is blown and you're lost to the moment. The screamer in me is released and I'm screaming, screaming as loud as I need to. I don't hold back. The screaming usually lasts another 5-10 seconds, starting out at my loudest volume then falling slowly. At the end I'd say I'm no longer screaming, just moaning incredibly loudly.

Normally about the time my screaming is falling from the peak, the BF is taking control of the vibe and forcing it on my incredibly sensitive clit, bring more orgasms, and my screams start rising again and again.

Another way we've used this toy is slipping it inside me while the BF and I have sex. His penis pushes it far in, pushing it up near my cervix. He gets the benefit of having the vibe on the head of his penis and I can feel it on my G-spot and throughout my vagina, especially on high.

We've also used this for cowgirl position, where I grind away on it and he feels it at the base of his penis. He always handles the vibration controls, and I handle the placement. I can come again and again this way.

I've also given the BF a handjob with this toy, holding it in my hand as I stroke his cock. The sensation of the hard metal against his cock, along with the different levels of vibrations brought something new to the table. As the giver, its certainly not the easiest to do, but for variety and playing, its fun... oh, and his orgasm was incredibly after a lot of teasing with the vibration sensations.

So my dear pervy geeky readers, what do you take away from all of this? Simple: A bullet vibe is a cheap (read: inexpensive) sex toy with guaranteed pleasures. Its also what I would recommend as an excellent first sex toy. It has a lot of uses, isn't hard to use or handle, and it allows for a lot of exploration and discovery, whether alone or on your own.