This is the Review Roundup, a weekly collection of some of the best adult product reviews. If you’d like to participate you can submit your links at Review Roundup.

My first piece debuted on July 3 and it is entitled: Reclaiming Vanilla Sex: Why it’s Hot.

My article discusses how the term “vanilla” has become a negative term that depicts boredom, normalcy, plainness. While vanilla things can certainly be plain, what they are definitely not are inferior to non-vanilla things. Vanilla sex can be hot, sensual, primal, rough, new, romantic, what have you. The lack of kink does not necessarily make it boring and I think this needs to be stated.

Enjoy the article! Stay tuned for future articles of mine. xoxo

A girl kept dropping her pockets.
She couldn’t keep them attached
To the seam line of her corduroys
Olive-stained and soft, cheeky
Almost, as if her pants had a voice.
She held on tight, though,
To those dear pockets that tried
To pack a knapsack and run away.
Run away, from potential disaster,
From responsibility. The pockets don’t
Want to hold prized possessions of the girl’s.
What if a teeny-tiny hole of
Imperfection in the pocket lost
All that meant something to this girl’s heart?
The pockets would never be able to forgive
Themselves, for gravity pulls their spirits
Down, so that something will inevitably fall
Out of this girl’s pocket, such as Chester.
Chester was an acorn given, humorously
From a boy. He cared for
The acorn that day. But alas,
Two steps on a nut–even accidental–will crack it.
The boy slipped the broken nut into the departing girl’s
Pocket. The acorn held potential for the future.
Chester is filled with borrowed dreams
But remained broken himself.
How could he even live if he doesn’t have a face?
For faces are what represent lives.

See who is being wicked this week by clicking the banner below. xoxo

The Toyfriend Seti looks like a mini satellite for your clitoris–and in a way, it is. This blue, handheld vibrator has a flared tip that actually increases the surface area stimulated by the toy. This increased functionality for clitoral pleasure, however, also limits its potential other uses, rendering it–for me, at least–an exclusively external toy.

One feature to be appreciated about it is that the handle is a comfortable length to be held while masturbating, even when using it in conjunction with another vaginal or anal toy. It is 7.5 inches long and made of body-safe silicone. The Seti has two vibration speeds and three vibration modes to choose from. Operating the toy is really easy: the end button needs pressed to go through the 5 settings. To turn it off the button needs to be pressed and held in a few seconds.

I like how the Toyfriends are designed: they are velvety-smooth toys with bright, bold colors and interesting shapes. As with the other Toyfriends I own, I want to display the Seti, admire it, and use it. While I really enjoy the Toyfriend brand and appreciate their approach to making toys, the Seti just doesn’t do it for me.

I find the Seti to be less successful for me because of two main reasons that are connected. Firstly, the Seti has such a flared tip that I cannot insert it vaginally, hence it must only be used clitorally for me. Secondly, this is limiting because I prefer to stimulate my clitoris with my fingers rather than with vibrators. While I would like to be more accommodating, I haven’t met a vibrator that makes me want to change my ways. I have enjoyed using this vibrator in conjunction to a vaginal toy, but I find that it takes much longer to orgasm this way, and I don’t see myself doing it often.

The Seti has the following features:

• Rub a dub dub: Waterproof
• Material: Silicone
• 2 Vibration Speeds
• 3 Vibration Modes
• Length: 7.4 inches
• Noise Level: Quiet
• Operation: 2 AAA batteries included

Toyfriends come with stands that displays these toys upright, as depicted in the picture to the right. Soon I hope they will be made with internal, rechargeable batteries that will enable the vibrators to be more powerful and versatile.

The Seti is part of the second generation of Toyfriends: the Power Toyfriends. Another vibrator in this group is the Bubbly Magenta, which I reviewed a few years ago. I also reviewed the black Wavy Rocket, of the rocket generation of Toyfriend vibrators.

Thanks Toyfriend for sending me the Seti in exchange for my review! xoxo

Interested in checking out reviews that other bloggers have written? Check out the list below! Hopefully this (weekly) roundup will give you easier access to more information about sex toys! Enjoy! xoxo

Roundup Week 1

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Welcome to e[lust] - The only place where the smartest and hottest sex bloggers are featured under one roof every month. Whether you’re looking for sex journalism, erotic writing, relationship advice or kinky discussions it’ll be here at e[lust]. Want to be included in e[lust] #49? Start with the newly updated rules, come back August 1st to submit something and subscribe to the RSS feed for updates!

~ This Week’s Top Three Posts ~

A Submissive’s Day

An Open Letter to Modern Female Feminists

Rape Porn: Rapists by Proxy?

~ Featured Post (Molly’s Picks) ~

Innocent Dark and the Sweet Talk of the Storm

~ Readers Choice from Sexbytes ~

Sex Toy Stories: Fifty Shades of Pink

All blogs that have a submission in this edition must re-post this digest from tip-to-toe on their blogs within 7 days. Re-posting the photo is optional and the use of the “read more…” tag is allowable after this point. Thank you, and enjoy!

Erotic Non-Fiction

I’m fucking you, whether you’re wet or not.
Positions Filled
Second Wind
Snippets of bambi
Sir Knows Best
A Taste of Rub & Tug
Feels Like the 6th Time
Call of the Wild
Falling Violently in Lust with Suzanne
Submitting to His Will
Venus’ Orgasm
You don’t hit me hard enough spanking
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Swingers club, group sex & a queue of men

Poetry

Jitterbug
XYZ Me

Thoughts & Advice on Sex & Relationships

Description of my orgasm(s)
Casual Dating
Mormon Sex Symbols

Blogging

The Big Ugly Self Portrait Challenge
Blogger is dumping adult bloggers; what now?

Erotic Fiction

Perfect Spring Day
Damp
Lolita Twenty-Thirteen, Part Six
Hook-Up
Lights Out
I Am Watching
Wicked Wednesday: Karma

Sex News, Interviews, Politics & Humor

There is No Smiling in S&M – Usually
Break the boxes
Your Guide To The Perfect Sex Toy!
Age Inappropriate

Thoughts & Advice on Kink & Fetish

Ass Worship: Errant Oral & a Brave Submissive
Tell Me You Want Me.
Embracing My Strap-On
Talking About Kinks & Fetishes With Vanillas
Thoughts: Age and BDSM

Writing about Writing

Flat-chested Heroines

First and foremost, I never rush into anything, especially if I feel pressured. When I feel the slightest push from someone in a not-so-sexy-and-consensual way, I resist and ultimately decline. There may be a fine line between putting on the moves and pushing someone, and many might not be able to tell the difference–but it is huge. In addition, I am not a risk-taker and so I do not engage with someone unless I get a really good feel for what he is like. If he doesn’t jive with me based on personality, we will not successfully jive in bed.

When a fella and I decide we might have some fun together, we talk about the fine print. We exchange sexual health and STI information, protection requirements, current relationship status/ sex life, and so on. These are baseline topics that ought to be discussed in advance of sexy times if possible. When I initially meet a guy online, I also like to cover bases such as hard limits, turn-ons, and sexual preferences. This is because there is more time for such discussions, and it can be valuable to know this information even before meeting him in person. For example, perhaps one of his hard limits is one of your favorite sex acts to do–that might be a deal breaker. I like to make it clear that while I’m happy to do various things in the bedroom, I expect the equivalent things in return. I like to call my equal exchange agreement a “tit for tat.” This is a team effort, however short-lived. 

When I meet a guy, we arrange some semblance of a date. Dinner, drinks, coffee, what have you are all great starts to a casual meet-up without making anyone feel stressed or committed to the tentative plans. I meet and hang out with guys in public. If all goes well, perhaps we decide to stick together for the night, or plan for another night in the future. Excellent. It has been brought to my attention that these dating rituals of sorts are not common with all cultures. But until I reach the point of it being okay to text a guy to come over for an ASAP romp, I expect to at least be briefly courted. This isn’t a prenuptial, people.

What I have come to prefer most is having a good friend who also happens to be my fuck buddy. This means that the chemistry is there at least somewhat, and that our personalities connect. I also really enjoy when the casual sex is a regular thing, where monogamy is not necessary, but honesty is required. However, there can be benefits to having sexual encounters with near-strangers too. What I recommend is to still get a good sense of the person, really learn what s/he like and if you connect or not. Then plan it safely and smartly: meet in public, test the waters, see how it goes. One of the larger risks with sex with strangers is that it is harder to know if they are trustworthy and also if they are good in bed. Having realistic expectations is a must.

I do believe it can be incredibly successful to find casual, quality partners online, but you have to know where to look for what you want. Believe me when I say that dating sites and social media sites can get extremely spammy when it comes to men trying to connect/talk to women. It can be so spammy that messages get ignored, deleted, and lost in the chaos. I think there is hope for adult sites, such as XXX Sex Guides that are very specific about the type of dating they are trying to arrange for consumers.

My advice is to be respectful, straightforward, and friendly toward the people you interact with online, and more so toward the people you’d like to fuck someday. Good grammar and humor are also always great things too. If you have questions about online dating, casual relationships, long-distance relationships, etc., please contact me! xoxo

This post is brought to you by XXX Sex Guides, and depicts the thoughts and opinions of Geeky Nymph.

Not to hate on Ben Wa balls, but I found them to be disappointing–they are tiny marble-sized balls that sit inside your vagina. That’s it. Sometimes they even fall out. Plus they are hard to really feel. (Review to come!) But smart balls, on the other hand, you can feel while they sit inside your vagina, mainly because they are larger balls. Smart balls and Ben Wa balls are not exactly the most erotic of sex products; they are really much more like exercise products that happen to be covered in lube and vaginal juice. Plus, there are actual exercises that you can actively do with the balls to more quickly notice the PC muscles strengthening and to enable you to take a more proactive role in kegelcise rather than simply wearing smart balls around the house, town, what have you.

Enter a new brand of smart balls, Velvet Plush: the ultimate Kegel Kit by Icon Brands. This is their take on what is soon becoming a classic niche of sex toys. This kit comes with three differently weighted balls and two harnesses. The balls are color-coded, the lightest shade being the lightest weight, medium shade is the medium weight, and the darkest shade the heaviest weighted ball. The balls have smaller weights in them that jiggle around, which is largely what you’ll feel while wearing them. These materials have a smooth texture to them, which makes inserting them with lubricant comfortable.

I will say that I most often just pop in the smart balls and wear them around for an hour or so. I am sure the benefits are more quickly noticeable with the exercises. One of the other main reasons I enjoy wearing them is because they are actively, minimally stimulating my vagina. While this doesn’t mean I am constantly aroused with them popped in, it means I can more easily become aroused. Add a butt plug to the mix and voila! You have a rather content Geeky.

To get an idea, toning the PC (pelvic floor) muscles is what one does when voluntarily stopping the flow of urine. The benefits of strong, toned PC muscles are numerous. It is said to help in vaginal birthing, incontinence, and stronger orgasms, to name a few. People of all sexes can benefit from having toned PC muscles.

Icon describes its 6-step system on the Kegel Kit’s packaging:

• Week 1- Light: Place the lightest kegel ball only (light-purple) in the single-ball harness and wear it for one hour per day for seven consecutive days.
  
• Week 2- Medium: Switch to medium ball, colored medium purple, and repeat..one hour per day for seven consecutive days.
• Week 3- Heavy: Switch to heaviest ball, in dark purple and repeat; one hour per day for seven days.
• Week 4- L/M: Switch to the two-ball harness, insert the light and medium balls; wear one hour per day for seven days.
• Week 5: L/H: In two-ball harness, insert the light and heavy balls; repeat timeframe.
• Week 6: M/H: Also in two-ball harness, insert the medium and heavy balls; repeat timeframe.

This kit has ABS plastic balls with silicone casing. The balls have a seam across them, and there are smaller weighted beads inside of the shell. The balls each weigh approximately 1.4 ounces, 1.9 ounces and 2.6 ounces. The insertable length is 2.25 inches for the single harness and 4.25 inches for the double harness. Do not use these balls anally.

I do not think the balls are boilable, but they can be cleaned with soap and water, toy cleaner, or a 10% bleach solution. The harnesses are made of silicone and also have a seam across them. I performed a flame test to these harnesses to see if they were a higher percentage of silicone, and the harnesses did not melt. While the flame test is not infallible, it is a good initial indicator that these harnesses are body safe. I believe they themselves are boilable, but can also be cleaned in the same ways as the balls.

While I don’t necessarily care for the color scheme of these balls, I think the kit is decent. The fact that the balls can be swapped to create lighter and heavier sets adds some versatility to the product. Taking the balls out and putting them back in the harnesses is rather easy to do because the harnesses are very flexible. I think they are a great size too. I have heard from some that the Je Joue set (linked below) can be a bit too small and heavy, which causes them to more easily pop out. I can also imagine Fun Factory’s set might be on the large side for some people. This Kegel Kit is a medium size, and they sit comfortably inside my vagina throughout my time wearing them.

In conclusion, I was pleased with the performance of this set. I don’t care for the seams on the balls and harnesses, nor the pink-purple color scheme. I do see myself using these balls regularly. I was very pleased to see the harnesses held up to a flame test too.

Thanks to The Adult Toy Shop for providing me with the Kegel Kit in exchange for my honest review of the product. xoxo

As far as smart balls are concerned, I have also reviewed Je Joue Ami, Fun Factory’s Teneo Duo, and Kandi and OhMiBod’s Hold on to Me kegel kits.

Photo courtesy of Behind the Chintz Curtain

Welcome to e[lust] - The only place where the smartest and hottest sex bloggers are featured under one roof every month. Whether you’re looking for sex journalism, erotic writing, relationship advice or kinky discussions it’ll be here at e[lust]. Want to be included in e[lust] #48? Start with the newly updated rules, come back July 1st to submit something and subscribe to the RSS feed for updates!

~ This Week’s Top Three Posts ~

This Scene Called Life

I Don’t Give A Fig

9 Reasons You SHOULD Have Sex on a First Date

~ Featured Posts (Molly’s Picks) ~

Firm
East Side Exhibitionism

~ Readers Choice from Sexbytes ~

Threesomes: Being a Good Little Unicorn

All blogs that have a submission in this edition must re-post this digest from tip-to-toe on their blogs within 7 days. Re-posting the photo is optional and the use of the “read more…” tag is allowable after this point. Thank you, and enjoy!

Erotic Non-Fiction

Sexentric News and Public Cam-Sex Report
The Play’s the Thing
Sadistic Bitch
It was a good night
Kink Chronicles – Panties
Quickie Afternoon Delight
“No, you don’t!”
“Objectification” by Blacksilk
Best.Sex.Ever
So I Asked SilverHubby About Our Orgasms
For Pity’s Sake, No
Like a Virgin
Three Ashes
His Princess and His Slut
I hope my neighbors got a show.

Poetry

Watching
I want to know You
Once Upon an ‘O’

Thoughts & Advice on Sex & Relationships

Testosterone! Don’t Leave Home Without it!
Why Modeling Is Poison
Should
On the swingset
Achievement Unlocked
How To Make A Woman Orgasm
Mutual Masturbation is Mother****ing Awesome!
The Wonder of Weddings
Introvert recovery
May is International Masturbation Month
Make love to yourself

Erotic Fiction

Fighting Spirit
Dinner is Served
Lolita Twenty-Thirteen, Part Five
Belle and Sandy
Babygirl Gets Caught

Writing about Writing

Beauty and the kebab

Sex News, Interviews, Politics & Humor

Return of the Vulcan Penis Problem
Masturbation Mishaps, Introduction
“For Novelty Use Only”
BDSM Lexicon Entry #24: Aftercare

Thoughts & Advice on Kink & Fetish

Mad Men: the dominance of Don Draper
Wicked Wednesday – Knowing When to Say No
Why Do I Like Being Owned?
The difference between BDSM & Abuse

I propped my laptop on the edge of my bed, straddling it with my legs. You watched as I slowly undressed, reveling in your gaze. I certainly admired my view of you, naked and erect, grinning like a fool who just won the lottery.

I traced your tattoos with my eyes, taking in the sight of skin, wishing I could rake your bare chest and arms with my nails as we make rough love. I couldn’t resist peaking quickly and powerfully as I fucked myself senseless. I’m an exhibitionist on my stage: watch me as I buck and purr for you, daddy.

I came for you in my most vulnerable state. Grief-stricken and lost, I knew I had you and your desire to pull me through my troubles. I needed your appreciation and adoration. Being able to play for you brought such sweet joy.

I could have cried upon seeing the love in your eyes. The way you blew me kisses and thanked me for sharing myself with you emphasized the chasm that preceded that moment. I was selling myself short rather than demanding for more. We both came intensely and tirelessly such that we rode the waves of pleasure as it swam through our bodies, never wanting it to end, but grinning even when it did.

It opened a new chapter of healing for me, with you at my side throughout. Sometimes it is enough to fulfill a role for each other, for the time being. But I look forward to the possibility of it becoming more someday. xoxo

Happy 1st Birthday to Wicked Wednesday! See who else is celebrating: