Review: OhMiBod Esca 2

Kate Sloan

What is the OhMiBod Esca 2?

The sex toy company OhMiBod was one of the original pioneers of remotely-controllable toys, and they still make great ones to this day. The one I’m reviewing today is the Esca 2, a G-spot vibrator designed to be “worn” vaginally. Via the OhMiBod app, this toy can be controlled either locally or remotely, so it’s great for public play scenes or long-distance sex.

The Esca 2 is made of silicone and ABS plastic, has a total length of 7.3″ and a max diameter of 1.3″, and has a Bluetooth range of 26 feet.

Things I like about the OhMiBod Esca 2:

  • Strong, rumbly vibration: A vibrator’s motor is its most important quality, so I’m thrilled that OhMiBod clearly put effort into making this one great! The rumbliness of the Esca’s motor ensures that I never feel desensitized to its vibrations, even after a longer session – and there’s a wide range of vibration intensities available, from low to high.
  • Amazing app and connectivity: The remote-controllability of the Esca 2 is its main draw, and accordingly, OhMiBod’s app – available for iOS and Android – is excellent. It offers several different ways to control the toy’s vibrations – you can sync it up with music or sound (more on that in a moment), tap or swipe to create your own patterns, and try pre-programmed patterns. I also found that the Esca paired to my phone instantly when I turned it on, and stayed connected the entire time I was using it – no troubleshooting required whatsoever.
  • Sound-responsive mode: I had a lot of fun playing with the app mode that makes vibrations respond to music or other sounds. Some other companies have made versions of this feature which I’ve found finicky and inconsistent, but OhMiBod offers the genius innovation of allowing you to adjust both the intensity of the vibrations and the sensitivity of the audio-sensing – so, whether you want your vibe to respond to your partner’s voice murmuring to you in bed, or to a DJ’s larger-than-life set at a music festival (or anything in between), you can configure this vibe to make it happen. I actually found the music mode to be the best way for the Esca to achieve steadily rhythmic vibration, since it doesn’t offer that on its own (more on that later).
  • Easy to use surreptitiously in public: Perhaps more than any other “wearable” vibrator I’ve tested, the Esca 2 can easily be used in public without constantly having to readjust, reconnect, etc. For one thing, the toy can stay in standby mode for a very long time, so if you pause your public scene for a bit (like if the waiter comes back with your drinks), you won’t need to dash to the bathroom to turn the vibe back on. The vibration intensity can be changed using the physical volume buttons on your phone, rather than just via the app, so once the toy is paired and turned on, you don’t even need to unlock your phone to control it thereafter – you could even control it while your phone’s still in your pocket! The vibe is also fairly quiet in use, and its LED light can be disabled by pressing its button twice once it’s turned on. All of this adds up to it being a great option for discreet public play.
  • Stays in place well: I never experienced any slippage while testing the Esca, which sets it apart from many other wearable vibes. I even went for a 45-minute walk with the Esca inside me once, after already having an orgasm on it, to test whether the combo of wetness, gravity, and motion would cause an embarrassing incident in public… and I didn’t feel it slipping at all, ever. Kudos to these toy designers!
  • Long battery life: With the Esca 2, you’ll get about 3 hours of use from a 90-minute charge, which is great.

Things I don’t like about the OhMiBod Esca 2:

  • Patterns aren’t consistent enough: My #1 complaint about this toy is that its own built-in patterns are somewhat erratic, like a clumsy lover: often changing things up instead of staying the course. Even when I tried to make my own patterns for more consistency, there would be (at minimum) a short pause in between loops. The only way I found to keep the vibrations rhythmically consistent for more than 10ish seconds at a time was to sync the toy up to music, as described above.
  • No clit stimulation: Not that I would expect it from a G-spot-centric toy, but the Esca doesn’t really get anywhere near my clit. Even when I position its external arm there, almost no vibration conducts through it. So, if you or your partner require clit stimulation to get off (as the majority of people with vulvas do), you may want to pair the Esca 2 with a clitorally-focused wearable vibe like the Lovense Ferri. Personally I don’t mind a bit of a tease during public play, since I would find it too difficult to reach orgasm in that environment anyway, but your mileage may vary.
  • Not waterproof: You gotta be careful when washing the Esca 2, and avoid using it in the shower/bath/hot tub/etc., because it’s not waterproof.
  • Not anal-compatible: Possibly goes without saying, but just incase you were considering it, the Esca 2 is not anal-safe. Something like the Lovense Edge would be a better bet for that usage.

Final thoughts

Thanks to today’s sponsor, Evolution Zone, for sending me the OhMiBod Esca 2 to try out! I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to, because most wearable vibes are weak, buzzy, and unreliable, whereas the Esca 2 has none of those problems: its vibrations are wonderfully strong and rumbly, its app is astonishingly well-built, and its Bluetooth connectivity worked great during all my testing sessions.

I wish this toy had some consistent vibration patterns; the lack of them is really its only major drawback. But if you’re just looking for a dependable vibe for some public teasing ‘n’ edging, or a G-spot vibe for long-distance play, I think the Esca 2 will serve you well.

 

This post was sponsored, meaning I was paid to write a fair and honest review of the product. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

3 Fascinating Facts from Sex Doll Science

Kate Sloan
Pictured: the Rowan doll from YourDoll

Y’all know that I love me some sexual science – so when sex doll company YourDoll reached out to partner with me on a post, I knew immediately that I wanted to do a scientific deep-dive on sex dolls! Turns out there’s a surprising amount of scholarship on the subject – here are 3 interesting facts I discovered, for your sex-nerdy amusement.

1. Some asexual people own sex dolls

Yep – just like sex dolls themselves, ace people contain multitudes! In a 2022 paper published in the Journal of Future Robot Life, the Dutch anthropologist Roanne van Voorst wrote about a woman she interviewed who is asexual-identified but (paradoxically?) owns a sex doll.

The woman described having purchased a sex doll for a thousand euros, amidst a lonely lockdown in the early pandemic years. Although she explained that she is one of the many asexuals who sometimes masturbate (albeit in a perfunctory, “non-erotic” way), she said that her relationship to her doll wasn’t sexual at all – she found comfort and enjoyment in dressing up the doll, brushing its hair, taking photos of it, and lying with her head in its lap. Doll ownership had indeed helped alleviate some of the loneliness she’d been experiencing. “Perhaps [my doll] functions in the way other lonely people use a television,” she told the interviewer – “by having that blast all day, it feels like you are not so isolated.”

While this particular paper only delved into the sex doll usage of one asexual person, I imagine there are plenty more ace people around the world who’ve enjoyed using sex dolls. Asexuality is characterized by low or nonexistent sexual attraction to other people, but that doesn’t necessarily preclude an ace person from masturbating, fantasizing, or doing sensual stuff like naked cuddling – all of which they might be able to enjoy more easily with a sex doll than with, say, a human partner who (sadly) might make them feel pressured or shamed.

2. Owning a sex doll may affect how you view women

Of all the questions that scientists have pondered about sex dolls, one of the most common is: Are they good or bad, vis-à-vis misogyny, patriarchy, and men’s treatment of women? Some studies argue, for example, that owning a sex doll could make a sex offender less likely to re-offend, while some suggest just the opposite, that sex doll usage increases men’s sexual objectification of women and thereby makes them more likely to coerce or assault someone.

I’m not sure how I feel about this issue, given the mixed scientific evidence, not to mention the fact that correlation doesn’t necessarily equal causation. But this type of research certainly gives me a lot to think about. For instance, one 2022 study, published by Craig A. Harper et al. in the Journal of Sex Research, found that men who own sex dolls are more prone to obsessiveness, have lower self-esteem, and are “more likely to see women as unknowable” – but the same study also found that doll-owners are less sexually aggressive than the general population. A mixed bag, you could say!

3. Sex doll owners often bond with each other online

Contrary to the popular perception that people who own sex dolls are lonely losers with no social skills, there are actually thriving online communities of sex doll owners, where they trade tips and tricks, share photos and videos, and discuss their feelings toward their dolls.

This community aspect of doll ownership was discussed at length in a 2007 paper by journalist Belinda Middleweek, published in the journal Sexualities. The paper reflects on, among other things, how a significant portion of doll-owners say they appreciate their doll not just for sex but also for companionship. While some critics might argue that perceived emotional closeness with an inanimate object is a poor substitute for actual human connection, Middleweek’s paper shows us that sex doll ownership actually can help foster human connection – with other sex doll devotees! I bet some of them even throw sex doll orgies… Wish I could be a fly on the wall for one of those!

 

This post contains sponsored links. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Can You Give Yourself a Fetish (On Purpose)?

Kate Sloan
Photo by mb. Hot sexy fetishizable boots by Frye.

Of all the unanswered questions in human sexuality, perhaps the one that puzzles me most is “Where do kinks and fetishes come from?” There are so many different explanations out there – several of which are scientifically supported – that it’s hard to come up with a unifying theory on the subject. Maybe our horny human minds are just too complex to be pinned down like that!

Part of the confusion stems from stigma – because, unfortunately, some people only ask “Where do kinks come from?” in an attempt to get rid of a fetish they’re ashamed of, or to gather psychological ammo for shaming a fetishist in their life. But with very few exceptions, those people can fuck right off.

Personally, I think the immense variety of kinks is worth celebrating, not suppressing – and so, when I’m wondering about the origins of kinks, it’s often in service of these two underlying questions: How can I lean into my partners’ kinks, and my own, in the most satisfying ways? And how can we gain even more new kinks to enjoy?

That last question has actually been addressed by science. Lemme tell you about it!

 

The rubber boots study

Fetish formation was studied way back in 1966 (yes, 60 years ago!!) by a researcher named S. Rachman at London’s Maudsley Hospital, who tried to induce a rubber boots fetish.

The study had just 3 participants, all “unmarried psychologists” and ostensibly cis straight men. They were shown images of “black, knee-length woman’s boots (a common fetishistic object)” in between slides of “attractive, naked girls,” with the idea being that sexual arousal from the nudes would be redirected onto the boots, creating a Pavlovian link between boots and pleasure. Arousal was tracked via a phallo-plethysmograph, a stretchy ring that goes around the penis and measures its bloodflow.

Rachman successfully induced a kink for boots in all three men, meaning that they got aroused from the boot pics even without a boob-based pre-show – although, interestingly, the study notes that all three participants experienced “spontaneous recovery” from the fetish just 4-7 days after gaining it, suggesting that kinks formed through deliberate association are probably weaker and more malleable than kinks that seem to arise spontaneously/without you doing anything to foster them.

This study was small and was conducted a long time ago, so it’s hard to extrapolate anything meaningful from it, but I think about it regularly nonetheless. I wonder if kinks formed in this Pavlovian way are like an initial spark when you’re trying to light a fire – they could grow into something blazingly bright and beautiful, but only if you keep ’em well-fuelled with firewood (erotic stimuli, fantasy, repetition) and protect them from the wind (shame, distraction, social and cultural pressures).

 

The penny jar study

Another study, published in the journal Behavior Modification in 1999 and conducted by Joseph J. Plaud and James R. Martini, used similar methods to the rubber boots experiment, in an attempt to induce a fetish for a jar of pennies. They arrived at the same outcome as the other study: there was “a significant increase in penile tumescence to a previously neutral stimulus that originally elicited no tumescence.”

Notably, the researchers tried different ways of ordering the stimuli – naked girls first and then pennies, and also the inverse – and found that this type of conditioning only works when you get horny and then encounter the thing you’re trying to fetishize. So if you’re looking to try this conditioning method in your own sex/kink life, think carefully about your order of operations when planning your sexy slideshow!

With its small sample size of just nine participants, this study doesn’t offer universal answers about how fetishes can be formed – in part because, as the authors themselves point out, “Only males have been studied in these experiments, which provides no data about patterns of sexual arousal in females” – but it’s interesting that both studies found we can pick up new kinks if we want to. What an inspiring fact for those of us who are always looking to expand our sexual horizons!

This study doesn’t comment on how long the participants’ fetishistic associations lasted, like the other one did, so it’s hard to say whether Pavlovian conditioning can actually create a long-term, enduring, capital-F Fetish in somebody. But at the very least, you could use these techniques to install a short-term arousal trigger, which might or might not linger after your scene is done. Could be a fun science experiment to try on your next date night… Let me know how it goes!

 

This post contains a sponsored link. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Review: Lovense Velvo rabbit vibrator w/ rotating beads

Kate Sloan

What is the Lovense Velvo?

Lovense, makers of great long-distance sex toys, recently added the Velvo to their lineup. It’s a rabbit vibrator, a.k.a. a dual-stimulation vibrator, meaning that it targets two different erogenous zones at once – in this case, the clitoris and the G-spot. The external arm vibrates against your clit, while the internal arm massages your G-spot in an undulating motion with rotating rows of silicone-covered beads.

Like all Lovense toys, this one connects wirelessly to Lovense’s app on your phone, which you can use to control the toy yourself from a short distance, or to invite a far-away partner to control your toy with their phone. The Velvo is made of silicone and electroplated plastic, is IPX7 waterproof, and currently retails for $119.

Things I like about the Lovense Velvo:

  • Rotating beads: This feature is the thing that sets the Velvo apart from all Lovense’s other products, and it’s great. The beads’ rotation feels like someone is massaging my G-spot in a circular motion, which I happen to adore (the first time I ever squirted with a partner was actually achieved via this fingering method!). There are some mechanical issues with this feature, which I’ll discuss more below, but it works just fine most of the time, and feels fantastic in a highly unusual way. You can even hold down the rotation button for a few seconds to reverse the direction of the rotation when you want to mix things up.
  • Flexible clitoral arm: The bendiness of the Velvo’s external arm allows it to be positioned in various places on/around the clitoris, as per your preferences (e.g. on the clitoral hood, to the side of the clit, or directly on the tip). It also allows the arm to remain in contact with your clit even if you thrust the toy in and out a bit, which I sometimes like to do, especially when I’m getting close to coming. The arm’s flexibility also means it can almost certainly reach your clit no matter how big or small the distance may be between your clit and vaginal opening.
  • Good clit vibrations: I’ve come to expect Lovense’s vibrators to be strong and rumbly, and this one is no exception. The vibrations do get slightly buzzier as you turn up the power, but they never feel annoying or numbing. The clit arm is the most important part of a rabbit vibrator, for me and for many other users, so I’m delighted Lovense got this one so right.
  • Independently controllable arms: As should be standard for rabbit vibrators, this one allows you to control each arm separately from the other – either via Lovense’s app or via the buttons on the toy itself. So if your clit suddenly wants more stimulation than your G-spot (or vice-versa), you can make that happen.
  • App functionalities/Long-distance capabilities: As always with Lovense toys, I gotta shout out their app, which is overflowing with useful features for long-distance connection. Your partner can be thousands of miles away and can still control your vibe with their phone, as long as they have internet access. You can chat with them via text, voice, or video directly within the app. You can also sync up the vibrations to music/sound, create your own vibration patterns, and try other people’s custom patterns. And if your partner has a Lovense toy of their own, you can make your toys “talk to each other” in various ways – e.g. thrusting the Velvo faster/harder makes your partner’s Max 2 stroker vibrate more intensely. Highly recommend using Lovense toys during phone sex; I do it frequently and it’s always fun!
  • Dimensions: I found the Velvo’s dimensions to be satisfying and never overwhelming, unlike those of some other beaded rabbit vibes I tried back in the day. The Velvo’s shaft has an insertable length of 5.35″ – plenty long enough to reach just about anyone’s G-spot and massage the area around it, too – with a diameter of 1.42″.
  • Waterproof: Love that the Velvo is IPX7 waterproof, so I can use it in the shower or bath, and can easily wash it in the sink without fear of ruining it.

Things I don’t like about the Lovense Velvo:

  • Weakened by pressure: Not to brag, but my vag muscles clamp down pretty tightly when I’m nearing orgasm (an FWB once said that fingering me is “like wrestling a little monster”), and I noticed that the Velvo’s beads slowed to almost a full halt when that started to happen. It doesn’t ruin my orgasm, per se, because the clit vibrations keep going and I can continue manually thrusting the toy through my orgasm – but it does limit how “blended” the orgasm can feel, since the G-spot stimulation eases up right when I want it to double down instead.
  • Occasionally glitchy: You’re supposed to hold down the rotation button for 3 seconds if you want to change the direction of the rotation, but I found that sometimes my Velvo would just randomly switch directions on its own, without me pressing anything. Sometimes that sudden change would distract from my pleasure, and I imagine it could quasi-ruin an orgasm if it happened during one, too.
  • Only 3 pre-programmed clit vibration speeds: When using Lovense toys by myself (as opposed to with a long-distance partner), I’ll often control them using just the buttons on the toy, since that’s easier/simpler/quicker – and when using the Velvo that way, I found that it only has 3 pre-programmed speeds of clitoral vibration, which is not enough. Typically I like a toy to have at least 5, ideally 8-10, so that I can escalate the intensity gradually throughout a session without any jarringly big jumps between speeds.
  • Straight shaft: To me it seems strange to make a G-spot toy with no curve at all. Sure, the rotating beads are the star of the show, but I think they’d feel even more impactful in a curved shape. The lack of a curve is probably why this toy hasn’t been able to make me squirt, despite how good the beads feel against my G-spot. I would’ve also loved if this toy could hit my A-spot when thrusted deep inside me, since the combo of G-spot + A-spot + clit stim usually leads to some amazing orgasms for me – but it’s lacking the curve it would need to achieve that.
  • Noisy: This is common for toys that rotate or do other motion-heavy mechanical functions, but the Velvo’s rotation feature makes a sound I described in my scribbly testing notes as “witchy shrieking.” 🧙‍♀️ It’s not wildly loud, but the sound is repetitive and has a high-pitched quality that some folks might find grating.
  • Can’t easily be used hands-free: Whether for multi-tasking reasons, disability reasons, or just laziness reasons, you might sometimes want to use a rabbit vibe hands-free, and this one doesn’t quite work for that purpose. Eventually the rotation motion always makes the toy slip out of me and/or makes the clitoral arm lose contact with my clit. Bracing the toy against a pillow between my legs helps somewhat.
  • Relatively short battery life: It’s normal for dual-stimulation vibes to run out of power quicker than toys with only one function, but the Velvo’s battery life is even shorter than that of Lovense’s other rabbits – you get up to 78 minutes of play time from a 110-minute charge.

Final thoughts

When it comes to the Lovense Velvo, I’m torn… On the one hand, it can easily get me off, and feels excellent when it does so. The rotating beads feel like a partner’s fingers massaging my G-spot, the clitoral arm’s rumbly vibrations are plenty powerful enough for me, and the toy works well whether I thrust it in and out or just hold it still inside me.

On the other hand, for the Velvo’s $119 price tag, I would hope that any mechanical issues would have been ironed out – but I experienced some glitching and stalling when I put this toy through its paces. It also drives me nuts that there are only 3 pre-programmed clit vibration speeds, meaning that I always need to either control the toy with my phone (which allows for more granular control over vibration strength) or resign myself to startlingly big jumps in intensity when I turn it up.

Overall, for my particular preferences and anatomy, I’m a bigger fan of Lovense’s other rabbits – the A-spot-stroking Nora and the G-spot-tapping Osci 3 – than I am of the Velvo. But I still think the Velvo is an impressive achievement on Lovense’s part, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything quite like those rotating beads before. If you want a G-spot-focused dual-stimulation toy to use solo or with a long-distance partner, the Velvo is well worth considering!

 

This post was sponsored, meaning I was paid to write a fair and honest review of the product. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

The Only Eyeliner Worth Wearing

Kate Sloan
Photo by mb

I first started wearing liquid eyeliner in the eighth grade. I tried it on when I dressed as Marilyn Monroe for Halloween one year and promptly fell in love.

The problem is, liquid eyeliner is a fickle mistress. My initial go-to was by L’Oreal and would sting horribly any time it got into my eyes – which was almost inevitable, because it would smear any time I cried, and I’m a very tears-prone person. Later I tried other liquid eyeliners, by Stila, Kat Von D, and Urban Decay – but all gave me some version of the same problem: they would smudge if I cried at all, or even if I laughed too hard. Given the type of life I lead, that shit just wasn’t gonna fly!

But all such problems went away when I tried MAC Liquidlast liner for the first time. Now it’s been my liquid liner of choice for over 6 years. Every time I branch out and try a different one, I end up regretting it and going back to Liquidlast. Monogamy isn’t my jam when it comes to relationships, but in the realm of eyeliners, there’s only one true love for me! 😂

A few key scenarios where Liquidlast has consistently out-performed the competition:

  • Crying: As mentioned above, I cry a lot – sad tears, happy tears, occasional “what the fuck?!” tears – and have never found an eyeliner that stands up to it better than Liquidlast. At most, I’ll get some minor flaking that’s easily solved with a quick touch-up.
  • Laughing: I am a very expressive laugher, prone to cackling so hard that my eyes squeeze shut – so getting femmed up to attend comedy shows was always a dicey proposition for me before discovering Liquidlast. Now, I have no such worries, not even when I’m seated in the front row of an improv set featuring performers I think are total babes…!
  • Rain: When the skies crack open and start pouring on me while I’m en route to a date or a show, I’m never concerned that my eyeliner will run. Other stuff might (concealer, blush, mascara), but Liquidlast does not give a fuck. It laughs in the face of rainfall.
  • Sweat: I am a sweaty person at times, whether it’s prompted by vigorous sex, hot-and-heavy makeouts, or just power-walking the streets of Toronto or New York, and Liquidlast handles it without issue.
  • Blindfolds: Wearing a blindfold during sex/kink is a pretty frequent thing for me, and my Liquidlast is always intact after such a session, save for maybe some slight flaking.
  • Naps: I am a medically tired person and have been known to take li’l disco naps before big nights out – and amazingly enough, when I use my fave tried-and-true longwear products like Liquidlast, I can nap on a fully-done face without fear of fucking it up. Occasionally I might need to fix a lip smear or touch up some flaked-off spots, but mostly it looks just fine.
  • Stage performance: Not only does Liquidlast hold its own against stage-fright sweat – it actually looks blacker than a lot of other eyeliners, even under stage lights. Great for my occasional improv & music performances!
  • Giving head: My decade-old blog post on blowjob-friendly lipsticks is still one of my most-viewed pages, so I feel it’s important to tell you that Liquidlast lasts longer than anyone I’ve ever blown. 😉 As a sexually anxious person, it honestly helps me a lot to know that my eyeliner will still look on-point afterward even if I get cum/drool/sweat all over my face.

Fellow makeup-lovers, do you have an eyeliner you treasure as much as I treasure MAC Liquidlast? Feel free to tell me about it in the comments!