Review: Fun Factory Stronic Eins

I've been testing and reviewing toys for years now and over that time I've enjoyed watching the industry grow and change. I've seen improved, softer, smoother materials. New shapes to replace the typical lady finger style, bright colours that have moved away from flesh coloured penises, and fresh attitudes towards them creating more acceptance for women to buy and use them. It's been liberating and exciting to be part of, but, in saying all that, it's actually really rare that something new catches my attention as something "different".

I mean essentially vibrators and dildos, as much as they've changed, are still basically the same. Regardless of whether they use batteries, or have a rechargeable power source, or even plug into mains power, at the end of the day they buzz, they tickle, they go in and around your bits and help make your sex life more exciting and stimulating.

There have only been a few toys in the past ten or so years that have wowed me to the point of "oh my god this is so brilliant and so innovative why didn't I think of this!"

The two that come instantly to mind for me are the We-Vibe range and the Jimmy Jane Form Two, and now I am pleased and a little excited to add another genuinely different type of toy to this exclusive list.
The Stronic range from Fun Factory.

The first time I saw one I thought "Oh yeah, just another rechargeable straight vibe with bright colours". Nice and smooth, cool colours and magnetically chargeable, but not "different" . And then I turned it on.

From the instant I felt it move in my hands I wanted to try one and, luckily for me and the work that I do, it wasn't long before an awesome company (the good folk over at Sex Toys 24/7) offered me one, the Stronic Eins, to try.

So what is it about this toy that makes it so different? Unlike almost every vibrator out there, regardless of shape or style, this toy does not simply vibrate - although there are some settings that have vibration included.

No. This toy is different. This toy thrusts. Like actually thrusts in and out. This is due to two large ball bearings that move up and down the shaft and push it back and forth. Seriously strong movements, I reckon this thing would kick arse in a vibrator race.

It's made of phthalate free silicone and has a thick, solid feel about it. It has three really simple to use buttons. One to turn it on and off and two (a + and a -) that change the speed, rhythm and intensity of the thrusts. All up it has ten different settings from slow pulses to fast thumping, vibrating awesomeness and blended mixtures of them all.

Because of the thick, matte silicone you need quite a lot of lube to make sure it's properly slippery (I'd recommend something water-based and thick like Wicked's Toy Love lube) and, although I've read several releases from the company that claim it can be used hands-free, this requires great concentration and mega strong kegels which not everyone has so you may need to hold it in place a bit to make sure it doesn't fall out, but once it's turned on the sensations it gives are not like anything I've ever felt before from a sex toy.

It sort of thumps and pushes and pulsates inside you. Awesome for internal and g-spot stimulation.
I can honestly say it felt pretty damn good. If you're like me however, and rarely, if ever, orgasm from penetration alone (and according to research around 80% of women can't), you'll probably need a little extra help "getting over the orgasm hill". All good, folks. One of my trusty, buzzy bullet-style vibes did the trick and all I can say is WOW! The buzz, matched with the thumping, pulsing, thrusting movements from the Eins, kept my orgasm going for longer and stronger than when I just use a vibrator. It was an all over orgasm. Clitoral, vaginal and mental. It was, in the simplest of terms, fucking sensational.

If you don't like the idea of having to use two hands to hold both the Eins and a bullet you could always slip a vibrating cockring over the shaft to add to the clitoral stimulation and I reckon that'd work just as well.

As I mentioned earlier about kegels, this thing will definitely help with the training and strengthening of them because your vagina squeezes and holds on to it and it's also really fun to have someone else using it on you and keeping it in place.

It charges magnetically and, although I've used it quite a few times since its initial charge, it's still going strong.

It's 100% waterproof so you can submerge it in the bath and also comes with a two year manufacturers warranty.

I really rate this toy. For innovation, uniqueness, sensation and performance. If you're looking for something new and different to add to your toy box they don't come much better than this.

There are three Stronics in the range so far, the Eins the Zwei and Drei (one two three), and each one has the same amazing thrust technology but are slightly different in texture and shape. 

To check them out go HERE and do yourself and your orgasms a favour.

Until next time, 
Happy buzzing (or thrusting), my friends!

Review: Jimmy Jane Form 2

This is an older review, however, revisiting the toy recently has confirmed everything I originally thought and wrote about it....

Enjoy! I certainly have been!

As a sex toy reviewer it is very rare that I see something new and exciting. Yes toys are improving day by day with new materials, better buzz settings and charging options etc, but, when it comes to design, mostly it's a bit same old same old when going through the range. This is why, when I first saw the Jimmy Jane Form 2 on a website, I knew it was one I had to try one to see if what I was seeing was actually as good as it looked.

Let me first say yes. It absolutely was. Now, let me explain:

One of the most popular selling sex toys ever is The Rabbit. Almost every toy company has one in their range and, as much as I always enjoyed the rabbit part of them, I never really used the main part. This then became an issue of having a bulky phallic toy attached to the buzzy clitoral stimulation of the rabbit ears (or penguin beak or dolphin nose or whatever cutesy critter was amimal-of-the-month on these types of toys) and just seemed like a waste. I've found a few little “just rabbit” toys around the place but mostly they were flimsy and lacked any kind of power and were a bit of a let down. Since then, however, the designers of Jimmy Jane Form 2 seem to have read my thoughts and have created a toy that is essentially just the rabbit but with the feel and power of a proper clitoral vibrator.

The shape is a bit like a fat tuning fork with a small palm-sized body and two prongs and is made of silky phthalate-free silicone (with a stainless steel base where it's charged).

It has four different vibration settings, five levels of power and two (one in each prong) motors which, for such a small toy, gives it a real advantage in power. The pulses and vibrations are all pretty good; waves, beats, shakes and buzzes, and work together inside the prongs to give maximum sensation to your bits. Some of the pulses are in stereo (meaning each ear vibrates at the same speed and time) and in other settings they vary a bit, allowing a multitude of sensations to flutter and buzz against you.

Another interesting and unique thing about this toy is that while yes, you can hold it so that one of the prongs is directly on your clitoris, that's not the primary way this toy is supposed to be used. You see, what a lot of people don't know is that the nerves of the clitoris fan out from their central point and the unique design of the ears allows this toy to use those outer nerve endings to stimulate orgasm. In my opinion this doesn't minimise sensation (although it is a bit different), but it can be great for girls who find right-on-the-clit buzzes to be a bit too much. It can also be used in a similar way around the nipple and areola.

It is completely waterproof, so you can use it in the shower or bath and is also fully rechargeable with a little dock/stand to sit it in which is a bit like a iPod. The setting on the charge stand is quite sensitive, so if you accidentally knock it or don't place it properly on the dock it stops charging. It only takes about two hours to fully charge and then lasts around seven hours before you need to re-dock it. Simple warm water or a toy cleaner will get it ready for your next use and it also comes with a three year limited warranty.

This really is a great new and unique toy that makes me happy and satisfied and full of hope that the toy industry is not going stale and that there are always new idea to find.

Until next time, 

Happy buzzing, my friends!

Review: Nu Sensuelle Point

 Okay, girls. Are you looking for a small, clitoral vibe that has power and functions beyond your wildest imagination?

Do you want it sleek and smooth? Whisper quiet? Super easy to clean and store? Rechargeable and with a super long life? Want warranties and assurances? And all for under $100.00?

Of course you do! So, let me introduce you to one of the best and most powerful toys I have ever come across which has all these features and more and, considering how many toys I get to test and play with every month, that's a pretty big call.

The Nu Sensuelle Point (by S.Wet) is this toy; Small and compact enough to carry around in your handbag, powerful enough to elicit the most intense orgasms and sensations and so quiet sometimes the only way you know it's on is cos there's a little light on the bottom and, when you turn it on in your palm it rolls around like a crazy thing!

I seriously love this toy. Not only does it have three ridiculously strong vibration levels, it also has an extra 17 (yes, you read correctly SEVENTEEN) pulse settings. All up, that makes this a twenty function toy which is just crazy!

It is fully rechargeable and has a cute little stand to sit in while it recharges. The flashing red light will let you know when it's charging and then turns green and solid when it's fully charged. It only takes an hour or so to charge up from being fully dead and then lasts for bloody ages! I have had this toy for a few months now and it gets used fairly regularly and I have only had to charge it a couple of times.

The best toy to compare it to would be (another favourite of mine) the We-Vibe Salsa. It's about the same size and shape but has a more matte finish than a shiny one, and is also about five times more powerful on its highest settings.

Because of its small size it doesn't get in the way of stuff if you want to use it as an accompaniment to sex and, because of its super powerful buzzes, it can also be felt by your partner when you use it while fucking.

The only things I would say could be improved on this toy are that it isn't fully waterproof so you can't take it into the bath with you (although it's water resistant so you can take it into the shower if you're careful), and it doesn't have a “pulse memory” so, if you find a favourite setting, you have to push through them all to get to it every time you turn it on and, if you accidentally skip past it while pushing through, you have to go through the whole lot again.

One more improvement that could possibly be made is that the silicone material it is made out of is pretty hard. These guys also do a twenty function, rechargeable buttplug and I think the softer silicone they use on that one would be a good alternative for people who prefer their toys a little less rigid.

But really, these are minor points compared to the stuff I really love about this toy. It has taken pride of place in my top bedside drawer and just a quick spray and wipe with a good toy cleaner is all you need to do to keep it clean and hygienic.

I have quite a few more of this brand to review so stay tuned! So far I haven't come across a bad one!

I give the Nu Sensuelle Point a 9/10 and highly recommend it to all you clit-buzzing, bullet-loving girls out there!

Until next time,

Happy buzzing, my friends!

Sex Education and the lack of it. Or, Why the hell did I write my book?

I have finally finished writing my book, A Girl's Guide To Getting Off, and other things you won't learn in sex ed.

It all began when I was running a group of skillshare events with a friend about sexual pleasure, sex toys and Gspots and all the good things sex can do and discovering how many women over forty had never had an orgasm or even knew what pleasures their bodies were capable of. They were telling me things like "I wish I'd learnt all this as a teenager. It would have saved me a lot of confusion, self doubt and bad decision making as an adult."
It got me thinking of my own sex education and what I wish for my daughter... And I looked and I looked, and I found very little age appropriate stuff on the matter of sex and pleasure and relationships and all of the things we are supposed to automatically know when we "grow up".
So... Being the go-getter that I am, and a person who knows quite a lot about sex, pleasure and how to get the best out of it, I wrote it myself. And below are just some of the many other reasons this book needs to be out there...

Publishers please take note, and check your slush piles. I'm sure it's hiding in there somewhere

Technology is amazing. I mean, the things we can do nowadays! I can have a live video phone conversation with someone sitting in a grass hut in Africa. I can go on a virtual deep sea dive in an almost inaccessible part of the world. I can read the entire works of Shakespeare and all the Mr Men books and then take a tour of The Louvre while listening to a live Doors concert and I don't even have to get out of bed!

The wealth of information that comes through these little lit-up screens in our hands and on our laps is so far beyond 2000 it's crazy. Everything can be found by Googling it and I mean everything. The good, the bad and the ugly. Really, really ugly.

Yes, technology these days is amazing, but it can be fraught with problems too. One of the main issues that comes from such a huge influx of information is that it can be tricky to separate the truth from the lies, the real from the fake. And, if we lack the ability to process all this information in a way that helps us understand what we are seeing, why we are seeing it and what it all actually means, it can become a very dangerous thing.

One of the groups most vulnerable to the exposure of false, misleading and damaging information are teenagers. The brain is still developing, traits like reason and risk management are still developing or changing, and (as we are all aware) teenagers already know everything, so they can't be logically explained to or told otherwise. And now, with this universe of information in their pockets, they can claim to be experts on almost anything and have the “proof” to back it up.

Now that's all well and good when it comes to the latest Xbox game or the season finale of The Walking Dead, but when it comes to things that can be potentially life changing and damaging we, as adults, parents, friends and members of the universe, have a duty of care to make sure our younger generations are given the right information and tools to move into adulthood with minimum damage. It's fantastic that all this information is out there literally at your fingertips, but giving kids free reign of it all and not helping them process and understand it is as dangerous as letting a toddler play with an oven and figure out for themselves why their hands are getting burnt.

And this is all too obvious when it comes to sex. Proper sex education of young people is in decline. Parents are too afraid or embarrassed to talk to their kids about sex and teachers are afraid of the parents' reactions to their teachings and therefore keep it so basic that nothing is really taught and real questions are not being answered,and so a lot of kids end up in situations they cannot understand or process properly.

It's an illogical circle really. I won't tell my kids about sex, pleasure, orgasms, safety, consent, relationships and then they will never ever do it til I think they're old enough to handle it, and in doing so push their kids to the step of finding it out for themselves and inevitably seeing and experiencing worse.

The thing is plenty of teenage kids are going to have sex. Whether you want them to or not. They will. They have been for generations. And will for years to come. It's normal exploration. Telling them not to doesn't work and telling them not to without any good reasons is even worse. Telling them that sex is dirty, dangerous, bad and wrong is also not going to stop them. What it will do, however is make sure they are uninformed, unsafe, irresponsible and completely against coming to you for any help or advice when things do happen that are less than desired like pregnancy, STIs or sexual assault.

I recently heard of a woman who kicked her 15 year old daughter out of her home because she had got pregnant. Her reason? “I told her not to have sex. She didn't listen. What will the community think of the sort of mother I am who lets her teenager get pregnant.”

I'd be more worried about what the “community” would think of me as a mother who throws a young, pregnant vulnerable child out onto the street... But maybe that's just me.

She hadn't taught her daughter about safe sex. About condoms or the pill. About any of that. She truly believed that no information and “banning” her from doing it was the way to go. It wasn't. It isn't. And it never will be.

In 2011 the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society conducted a survey among nearly 300 secondary school teachers of sexual health from every jurisdiction in Australia including government, Catholic and independent schools.

Some of the key findings were:

* Most sex education teachers are female teachers trained in PE and health.

* Sixteen percent of teachers had no outside training whatsoever, and the majority of those who did attended a one day seminar with only a single focus, which was mainly reproduction.

* Only a quarter of all surveyed teachers had external help from organisations that specialise in sex education.

* Most sex education classes are given to students in years nine and ten with very little being taught in years eleven and twelve.

* Less than fifty percent of respondents taught about the pleasure of sexual behaviour/activity which suggests that Australian sex education focuses more on the negative outcomes rather than an overall approach.

* Over half of all the teachers surveyed said they found it hard to fit sex education into the curriculum as it wasn't allocated time.
* A fifth of all respondents cited a lack in training and resources as to why they avoided teaching some topics

* Just under fifty percent said they were afraid of community/parental backlash from some topics so were less likely to teach or talk about them in class. (including pleasure and same sex attraction)

* Topics that teachers said they would like to see included in the sex ed curriculum were: Same sex attraction, pleasure of sexuality, communication and negotiation skills, sexual decision making, respectful relationships and contraception.

* Almost a quarter of the teachers surveyed were unsure whether their school had a sex education policy.

Actual quote from survey:
“Teachers indicated that sexuality education should start in primary school and cover topics such as relationships and feelings, names and functions of body parts and reproduction. For most of the topics listed in this survey teachers stated that they should be taught earlier than they were actually teaching them as per curriculum. ...While the majority of teachers (51%) thought sexuality education was very effective in increasing knowledge and understanding in sexuality and sexual health, they judged sexuality education programs less effective for teaching young people about exploring and clarifying feelings, values and attitudes, developing and strengthening skills and promoting and sustaining risk-reducing behaviour.”

 

It's clear from this that most teachers are aware of what should be taught and when it should be taught but are mostly afraid to do so. Especially when it comes to teaching kids about pleasure which, when you think about it, is what sex is. It is pleasurable. It feels good. It is ultimately why most people have sex - for the sensation.

Telling children it is wrong or bad or dirty or beneath them is the first step to creating guilt, shame and confusion. But it feels good! How can it be bad??
In the same way we teach kids to enjoy chocolate but not be irresponsible with it and eat nothing but junk, we need to be able to tell our kids the same kind of things about sex. Sure it feels good, it can be one of the best things out there, but it comes with risks and responsibilities and ways to make sure you come out the other end undamaged. Just telling them how awful it is, without addressing the things they know to be true (like how good it can feel) is only telling half the story. As adults we know you can't build an Ikea bookshelf without half the instructions, why would we send our kids into the world with only half the instructions and then expect that bookshelf not to come crashing down and potentially kill them?

 Just look at these figures.

STI Rates (taken straight from Australian Bureau of Statistics "social trends" June 2011)

Chlamydia... For women aged 15-19 years, the notification rate increased from 569 per 100,000 in 2001, to 2,228 per 100,000 in 2011
Gonorrhoea... The national notification rate for people aged 15 years and over was 65 per 100,000 population, up from 40 per 100,000 in 2001.
Syphilis... The 15-19 years age group increased by 60%, 35-39 years increased by 84% and 45-49 years increased by 129%.

 HIV AIDS... In 2010, there were 1,031 new cases of HIV among men and women aged 13 years and over, or 5.5 notifications per 100,000 population.

 

 This, all of this, is why I have written my book. I believe there is a great deal of information our teenagers are not getting due to parental ignorance or embarrassment, teacher and school restrictions or lack of guidelines on what can and can't be taught.
There needs to be a place where kids can go to get all their information and knowledge from that is not only age appropriate, but correct, respectful, fully inclusive and spoken in a language they understand. They don't need to be told “no”. They need to be told everything, and then make up their own minds as to what they will do. I truly believe if we want to raise intelligent adults, we need to start with having informed children.

Video response with Angry Aussie to Caroline Norma's piece in the age where she calls for the re-criminalisation of sex work and refers to "Prostituted Women" being exploited and how bad "pimps" are...

Why I Should Be On The Circle - Channel Ten

So by now a lot of you know I am pretty keen to get myself on The Circle as their resident sexpert. I think I would be a great asset to the show and think that I would fit right in with the gang too.

Why The Circle, you ask? Well there are a few reasons.

1. I think The Circle is great morning TV. It's fun, friendly, light-hearted and funny.

2. I think they could do with a bit more sex talk on the show. Not smut. Not porn. But sex talk.

3. Women love to chat about sex with their girlfriends, they really do, and I think The Circle would be a great forum for this.

The next, and probably most important part of this is, Why Me?
Well again, there are a few reasons.

1. I know my stuff.
I have been writing and talking about sex for over ten years. I am a published and popular writer on the subject and have a lot of contacts and networks within the world of sex.

2. I am articulate and educated.
I can speak well and intelligently and have a friendly and non-confronting nature. I am approachable and friendly and do not alienate people.

3. I am normal.
This may sound silly, but what I mean is, I am an average Australian woman. I am married with a child. I look like your everyday person. I have no fake anything and can relate to mums and women (proven with the many sex-based articles I write for Mother and Baby magazine). But most importantly I am real. I even have wobbles... But by goodness I am sexy!

4. I have an extensive sexpert resume that covers everything from running a brothel to writing for The Australian Sex Party. I have been a guest sex-presenter on radio and have written everything from erotic short stories to advice on talking to your kids about sex...

5. I have good interview, research and presenting skills and, to be honest, I think I'd look good on telly.
:-)

Of all my goals for 2012 this one and getting my book published are number 1.
Let's DO this funky thang!

Court in the Bigoted Act

I am deeply disturbed by the Herald Sun opinion piece written by Margaret Court in today’s paper (If you haven’t yet read it here’s a link)  http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/priority-is-to-protect-marriage/story-e6frfhqf-1226252853390 

It disturbs me for a number of reasons. Firstly there’s the overwhelming undercurrent of hate and intolerance towards gay and lesbian people. She completely ignores all research, facts and proof that being gay is not a choice and even has the hide to suggest it is somehow a contagious affliction brought on by hearing about gay relationships, being told you are gay or being near someone who is gay. 

 The next thing that disturbs me is her idea that Australia is a Christian nation. We are not. We are a multicultural nation filled with people from all walks of life. All cultures, religions, philosophies and lifestyles. Our constitution is not based on religion, and the idea that God is going to turn his back on us and let us all suffer because we are a nation of diversity and tolerance is not only ridiculous, but highly insulting to everyone who doesn’t believe in that particular god or who does not believe that the Christian god is one of hate and bigotry. (Because let me just say as an aside here, I know many many Christians and Catholics and people of all faiths who are not small minded bigots, and who believe in equality and human rights) Of course, that being said, being insulting is par for the course when vitriol like this is spewed by people who have no real idea of the “love” they claim to be full of. 

Which brings me to my next and possibly most important point.
Who the fuck is Margaret Court?
Oh, she played tennis? She won some titles? She’s an amazingly talented athlete who changed the world for women in sport?
Good on her. That’s fucking awesome! 
However… Why the hell is she being asked to give her opinion on gay marriage in a national newspaper (and I use the term “news” loosely)?
No, really! It’s a valid question.

Sure, I know the Australian Open is on at the moment and some people have gone a little Tennis crazy, but seriously, why does her opinion even matter or count on this topic?

If we were talking about drunks at the tennis, or about getting kids off their butts and out into the summer sun playing sport, or about influential women in sport then fine. I can absolutely understand her being asked (and paid) to write about it but this just makes no sense!

What’s next? Pat Cash writing about dangerous dog laws? Leyton Hewitt giving his opinion on refugees? And hey, I’m sure Sam Stosur has something to say on climate change! So why aren’t we asking them to write about these things? Oh, that’s right because as much as everyone has an opinion on everything, it is not their area of expertise and people usually prefer to hear from experts.

I’m sorry, Margaret, but getting caned by a nun and asking god to help you win a game of tennis hardly qualifies you to talk about equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian people.

 It just has nothing whatsoever to do with her and for her to use her (very mild) celebrity status and religious leanings to somehow justify her hate of a group of people is wrong. 
It is an abuse of the voice she has and, worse than that, it’s a dagger in the heart of every gay and lesbian up and coming tennis player who looked up to her as a role model and mentor.

There have been too many youth suicides over this type of ignorance and intolerance. Too much hate. Too much violence and bigotry. And now, Margaret Court, you may indeed find their blood on your hands. 
Will your God forgive you for that?