I’ve tried a good handful of harnesses at this point in my life and the Jaguar Harness is at the top of my list thus far. First of all, mine is sexy black leather that feels gorgeous against my skin and slides across my hips and thighs in a most becoming manner. The quality and construction is phenomenal. I think it is really important to have a strap-on harness that makes you feel sexy. So many I’ve tried have been a bit awkward and that really makes a difference.

The Jaguar will accommodate a variety of O-rings and also works with a double-ended toy. This was a big benefit. I tried it with the Feeldoe and it worked great. The Feeldoe is intended to work without a harness but I never had much luck with that. The Jaguar  was the perfect harness to keep it in place.  The three strap design also allows for easy access to my pussy while I’m using it with a standard dildo. That is never a bad thing.

The leather cleans up very easily with a damp cloth and mild detergent. The metal fasteners were sturdy and have not shown any sign of rusting after several cleanings. Just use common sense and clean as you would with all leather products and the Jaguar should last for a very long time.

Thanks to Babeland for providing this product.

So, when I had the idea for this post, I scribbled a quick note to myself to remember to write it. It looked like this.

Well, I ended up not needing to refer to it when I sat down and wrote the post. I was pretty handily able to remember the details and get them down without my helpful note. Hence, the note was temporarily buried underneath a book on the coffee table. It wasn’t until recently that I picked up the book again and two notes came falling to the floor. Both my original note (above) and another. This one.

The top item, “Documenting events.” Apparently, Mr. Vanilla decided to document me documenting with a list of things he wanted to remember. His list made me laugh in delight and then promptly made me cry (apparently just as he had done while thinking about how awesome I am.) He is good at that. Poignant and hilarious and sweet all at once.

Oh, and just because I thought you might be wondering. “Bowl of dildos” isn’t some hilarious inside joke it was just another thing (like “noisy cat attention whores” and me “sleeping sweetly”) that he was observing that morning. As long as we’re documenting, here is the proof, or, to state it in the vernacular, “pics or it didn’t happen.”

Of course, if I wanted to nitpick, I’d mention that some of the toys are vibrators and they are in a colander, not a bowl. But, you know me, I’d never want to nitpick.

JimmyJane makes some seriously sexy toys. They tend to be sleek, streamlined, and beautifully packaged. In fact, once you count the aluminum bodies on the vibes, they have a lot in common with Apple products. One of their most inventive and sensual products is the Afterglow Candle. Babeland was kind enough to send me this gorgeous sex toy to try out.

Afterglow comes in a ton of gorgeous scents: Dark Vanilla, Bourbon, Pink Lotus, Cucumber Water, Grapefruit, and Ginger Snap. This means you can evoke a different mood based on which one you select. If you’re picky about scents or just unsure of which one to select, another fun option is the adorable Afterglow Sampler Set which includes a mini candle in each of the scents.

I tried the Pink Lotus scent and found it to be feminine and delicate but not overly sweet and cloying. It was distinctly floral with the slightest hint of earthiness to tie into the heat of the candle. These candles work by melting at a relatively low temperature and turn into a luscious massage oil. You or your partner can then pour out some of the oil to apply to the body. You can choose between pouring it into the hand first or if you want to turn the heat up you can carefully drizzle it on your partner. The porcelain holder of the candle even has a pouring spot built in!

Because the Afterglow is massage oil, it doesn’t behave in the messy way that playing with wax candles can. If you’ve ever played with wax, you know it can be very fun but also pretty painful or even have the risk of serious burns.  You won’t have to worry about that with the Afterglow. It is a perfect way to try this fun activity without running any risks. Of course since you’re playing with an oil, be sure to be careful around any toys that are oil-reactive and be extra careful with your latex safer sex supplies.

Between the gorgeous smell and the sexy glow of the lit Afterglow candle, you’ll find yourself transported using this item with your partner or by yourself.

The Laya Spot is another cheerfully colored vibrator from one of my favorite brands, Fun Factory. Babeland was kind enough to send me this toy to try out and now I get to tell you a bit about it.

The controls on the Laya Spot are intuitive with a simple plus and minus button that changes the intensity of the vibration as well as allowing you to change the vibration pattern. The toy is battery powered and splash-proof for easy cleanup. It takes two AAA batteries. I generally prefer rechargeable toys because keeping up with batteries can be a pain. But at this price point, it is uncommon to find rechargeables. Fun Factory does make several excellent rechargble vibes such as the Delight if you prefer that style of toy.

But the real question is, how does it work, right? I really enjoyed the shape of the Laya Spot because I tend to lay on my stomach when jilling off. The toy nestled against me and provided just the right amount of pressure against my pubic bone. I haven’t tried it during sex just yet but have read that some people have great sucess using it during intercourse since it is relatively unobtrusive.
The LayaSpot is a fun clitoral vibrator that goes beyond the basics of a simple Silver Bullet-style model. It would be an excellent choice because the versatility that it offers.

Sleek, cold, heavy stainless steel. I had been lusting after this toy by Njoy for a long time. So, when Pink Cherry offered me the chance to try out a Pure Wand, I was thrilled.

Like many high-end toy manufacturers, Njoy has put a lot of thought into attractive product and package design. The Pure Wand is gorgeous, shiny, and just a bit intimidating.  It comes in Njoy’s signature black box nestled in a bed of red satin. The box isn’t just pretty, it doubles as a very practical display and storage case.

Of course, the real question is always about the sensation and experience of using the toy. The Pure Wand gives you options. Either end can be inserted and enjoyed. It can also be used anally. The experience reminded me of my first time using a glass toy. Every sensayion was heightened. The cold was colder and the hard was much harder. I was stunned by just how much the Pure Wand was doing. It is designed as a G-spot toy and either end provides for great stimulation. I especially enjoyed the larger side for the fact that it gives a feeling of fullness but not a pokey sensation on the G-spot.

Because it is made of stainless steel, like all Njoy toys, it is completely sterilizeable and can be shared between partners with the proper cleaning. Overall, the Pure Wand is a work of art that can open up new types of pleasure in a variety of fascinating ways.

[FYI: You can get 20% off your order at PinkCherry right now by using discount code LOVE2009.]

I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing a few LELO toys at this point including the Nea, Gigi, and Bo (review coming soon). So, when Good Vibrations offered me the chance to try out the Mia, I thought I would pass the toy along to my gorgeous girlfriend Ariel so she could weigh in on this vibrator. Here is her report.

I love love love the design of this one. The size is unobtrusive and the shape is organic, but understated.
The color (pale pink) is pretty and it is fashioned from a nice material that is smooth and feels great against skin my skin.  Furthermore, it charges via USB! When I travel, I like to carry only items that charge with the
usb, so I don’t need extra cords and all that carry-on silliness so it makes this super convenient for me. Plus, I never have to worry about losing the cord. the lock function is extra-awesome, especially considering (what with the small size and the ubs charging and all) that folks might want to take this traveling with them. No more vibrating purses!

But of course it has to work well to be worthwhile, right? I was amazed at how strong the vibrations were for the size of the Mia. It is also remarkably quiet.  The vibe patterns and controls were pretty impressive – there are a large number of settings. I love lust need want the intermittent vibe patterns but I wish they came in different intensities.  I’m not into the buzzing always-on settings much, but those are the only ones
with softer intensities. I ended up simulating the intermittent setting myself, just pressing it against my clit then removing it.  I also wish that it would start up in the same mode it was on when I shut it off, so I could just flat-out skip the “always-on” setting, and so I could quickly resume what I’m doing if I get interrupted.
I found that the buttons are smooth and lovely to touch; however, it can be hard to hit the right button in the moment, especally when you have it in a tight space (such as between two bodies).

All in, I really like the design and idea behind the Mia.  Sadly, it’s not the just-right vibe for me, but it’s perfect for anyone looking for a high-quality pocket size vibe with all the bells and whistles.

January – Jay and I started the year by celebrating our 2nd anniversary together. If you want to refresh on how we first met (and the aftermath of that) you’ll have to look back to January of 2006. We were in Thailand for half of this month and pretty depressed to back in the US again. So, you didn’t hear from me again until. . .

April – Where I attended Sex 2.0 and had a fire lit under me. I started a Twitter account, got involved with FetLife, and relaunched my podcast. I finally realized that I was part of a community and felt like I belonged.

May – I started reviewing products on my podcast and blog for VibeReview.

June – I spent a lot of time thinking about sex work in both text and audio forms. I also got sort of pissy and ridiculous about blogging and met Artemis Hunter for the first time.

July – I had my first freelance work published in The Naughty American and dug up some old camwhore shots. I also experienced a bit of heartbreak, but it turned out a great piece of writing if I do say so myself. I also got tied up by Artemis and finally hooked up with Carmine who had previously only been known as “cross-dressing law student“. Finally, I began publishing the Musings on Masculinity series.

August – The biggest news and one of the happiest days of my last several years was telling my dad about my “secret identity”. I’m still basking in the joy of that moment as I remember it. Also in July, Jay and I got to know Hania much better.

September – I was named #5 on the list of the Top 100 Sex Bloggers of 2008 among started a bajillion other projects. We also went to Dark Odyssey Summer Camp which was a watershed event for me despite the fact that I haven’t talked about it too much. I also presented at the Fetish Fair Flea Market and got to meet Catalina and Marky for the first time.

October – The posts slowed down and the earth stopped moving because something remarkable happened. We met Ariel and Michael and fell in love and my feet still haven’t touched the ground. At first I could only express the feelings in music. But. . .

November -  . . . soon I found more detailed words and images to express my thoughts. I captured the unique sadomasochistic relationship that Michael and I have developed as well as the experienced of being fucked by Ariel for the first time. And the sexy gave way to the mundanely profound as we found ourselves forming a type of family, broken hollondaise and all.

December – Ariel starts lending a hand with reviews and I think that the format suits this site. Jay and I also visited New York and saw tons of the friends that we met through the year. I also spent a sedate Birthday and Hanukkah at home with my new chosen family.

I am one of those unfortunate people than relatively unsensitive nipples (not to be confused with insensitive nipples, that will insult your mother and spit on your dog). But, luckily, I can get some added sensation with just the right type of stimulation. That is where Variations Nipple Clamps come into the picture. Nipple clamps are such a standard requirement for BDSM practitioners that I’m sort of ashamed to admit I didn’t own this important sex toy before this.

I tried out these clamps on myself but there is no interesting story to tell there. Instead, I’ll let you in on how Ariel felt about trying them.

Ellie: Nipple Clamps – Did you like them?
Ariel: Yes
I was nervous about them at first – I’ve never used proper clamps before, and I was worried they might be much more of serious business than I was ready for
Being adjustable definitely helps, and I love it when you play with the connecting chain
Ellie: Yeah, I just tried them on and the chain is interesting. Just the weight of it causes this low-level stimulation that is constant.
Did they seem sturdy?
Ariel: From my side it did seem sturdy, although I didn’t spend much time studying their construction
Ellie: No, I guess you wouldn’t have ;)
Tell me what it felt like when I took them off?
Ariel: It burned like coal-fire and made me want to cry for a moment, just a moment, then it faded down quickly to a hot rush of sensation
Ellie: You made such a pretty noise.
Ariel: My nipples are pretty sensitive and every time I pressed against any of you for the rest of the day, I could instantly remember exactly how it felt
Ellie: I was very cross the other day when I saw that someone had removed your clamps without me while I was looking for a toy. I wouldn’t put them on if I didn’t want to be there to see that look on your face ;)
Ariel: Yeah, J did one and M did one, they cheated you out of your prize
I do promise to make it up to you, though
Thats what I get for letting boys get at you when I’m playing.
So, overall, you’re a fan of the clamps?
Ariel: I’m definitely in the fan club
Ellie: President? Treasurer? Rank-and-file member? ;)
Ariel: Secretary maybe
Ellie: Excellent.