Sex Toy Reviews

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.

Review: SoleHole foot fetish toy

Kate Sloan
It comes in a little plastic jar. What’s not to love?

Dear foot fetishists: It is so rare that I get to address you directly, because the sex toy industry so rarely acknowledges your existence. Sure, they’ll throw you a bone every once in a while, in the form of a foot-shaped dildo or stroker – but if you’re anything like the foot fetishists in my dating history, you prefer real human feet and all the beautiful complexity they bring to the table: smells, tastes, textures, the whole shebang. And who can blame you? (Not me, certainly! This is a fetish-positive blog!)

However, today I come to you with news worth rejoicing about: There is a new foot fetish toy on the market which could very well give your sex life the upgrade you’ve been craving. It’s called the SoleHole, and I screeched when I got the email offering me one to review, because I’ve genuinely never seen a toy like this before.

Helpful diagram via SoleHole

What is the SoleHole?

Picture, if you will, the humble footjob. Typically, if you wanna jerk off someone’s cock between the soles of your feet (as so many foot fetishists enjoy), you have to contort yourself into an uncomfortable position, legs butterflied apart. You have to possess the hip/leg flexibility to be able to stroke your feet up and down your partner’s shaft, for however long it may take them to feel satisfied. Or, if you have mobility limitations like me, you or your partner might prefer to manually hold your feet together and slide them up and down using your hands, which can be tiresome in its own ways.

The patent-pending SoleHole is designed to make footjobs dramatically easier, more comfortable, and more pleasurable. It’s a soft, stretchy silicone sling that goes around your feet, holding them together to create a fuckable orifice of sorts between your soles.

That would’ve been a cool enough design on its own, but the SoleHole’s creators also added some nubby texture on the inside of the sling, to make it even more stimulating. The product retails for $49.

Probably the only uncensored foot pic you’ll ever see on this blog! Click here if you’re thirsting for more of my feet…

My experience with the SoleHole

My wife and I have attempted footjobs a few times before, because she’s into feet and thinks mine are cute (🥰), but it hasn’t always gone great for me – my hips are so inflexible/painful due to my chronic illness that I usually end up sore and exhausted by the time we’re done. I’ve enjoyed these encounters on a psychological level, though, since it’s hot to see my partner experiencing so much pleasure from my body – so I was excited to try an assistive product that might make footjobs comfier for me.

Getting the SoleHole onto my feet took under a minute the first time, and will take even less time in subsequent sessions, because the process is easy once you’ve gotten the hang of it: you slip the sling onto your feet and then wrap the long silicone strap under, around, and over the top of your feet (SoleHole’s diagram, above, explains it better than I can!).

I got my partner’s cock hard by sucking it for a while, and then came time to lube up the SoleHole. I’d suggest a thick water-based lube for this – we used Sutil Rich, my all-time fave – because silicone-based lubes could damage the toy; however, something like coconut oil could also work, as long as you don’t plan to progress to vaginal sex and/or sex with a condom after your footjob adventure (oils break down latex and aren’t great for vaginas). I applied lube to the soles of my feet and to the textured internal parts of the SoleHole, while my partner applied some to her dick as well, for maximum glide.

After some debate about positions, we settled on her standing by the edge of the bed while I laid down on the bed, my legs stretched out toward her. She slid her cock into the toy, between my soles, and we both moaned: it really did look and feel like my feet had been temporarily turned into an orifice for her to fuck. From my angle, I could see the head of her dick pushing back and forth between my soles with each stroke; it turned me on much more than I was expecting, because it reminded me of videos I’ve jerked off to before wherein a cock is filmed head-on (so to speak) thrusting into an open-ended stroker. The view was super sexy, almost like getting an X-ray view of what dicks must look like when they’re thrusting inside my cunt – except it was my feet!

It actually kind of felt like it was my cunt in some ways, especially as my partner got more turned on and started thrusting more decisively. I felt the impact of each thrust throughout my body, and had to grip the sheets to keep myself anchored, just like when my pussy gets fucked. It got me thinking about how the SoleHole could be great for people who want to have penetrative sex but can’t for some reason, whether that be vaginismus, pregnancy concerns, or whatever else; using the SoleHole is a form of outercourse that can feel surprisingly like intercourse!

Relatedly, my wife pointed out that plenty of transfeminine bottoms would enjoy getting fucked this way, whether or not they also bottom for penetrative sex; it could be affirming to see/feel someone thrusting into a “hole” that’s located between your legs, in line with your genitals, even though your feet are a little further away than your junk. (On that front, I love that the company went with a relatively gender-neutral purple for this toy, although my partner said she would’ve preferred a sleek-looking all-black one.)

Because the SoleHole was holding my feet together for me, I didn’t have to concentrate so hard on keeping my legs spread properly, which freed up some mental space and muscle strength that I was able to expend on my feet instead, gripping and stroking a little as my wife continued fucking me there. The position still hurt my inflexible hips, but nowhere near as much as it usually does, and I probably could’ve sidestepped that difficulty entirely by doing a gentle warm-up beforehand. (What can I say; I get impatient to try innovative sex toys!)

I was surprised by how quickly my wife came – under five minutes, I think! – but I guess I shouldn’t have been: she does love feet, after all, and this was a highly novel experience for us both! The SoleHole allowed me to watch her orgasm happen – both her facial reaction and her clit twitching – which was wildly hot, and I say that as someone who normally isn’t even all that turned on by visuals.

As we lay there in the sweaty afterglow – my still-SoleHole-clad feet draped over her spent body – we discussed what the toy had felt like. My wife loves that the SoleHole‘s design allows her to feel my actual feet, and not just the silicone of the toy – for that reason, she said, it’s clear that this product was made by people who actually fetishize feet, not just people who are trying to fill a hole in the market (so to speak)! She observed that the texture on the inside of the toy increases pleasure/stimulation without obscuring the sensation of the feet themselves. The tightness was good for her, too – I imagine the toy might feel different depending on the wearer’s foot size, but I’m a women’s size 8 and, for both of us, the SoleHole felt comfortably secure: not too loose and not too tight.

At the end of the session, my wife gently removed the SoleHole from my feet and went to go wash it in the bathroom sink. I wiped the leftover lube off my soles and settled back into bed, sighing serenely at the pleasure of having been fucked in a (w)hole new way.

The SoleHole’s internal texture (photo by mb)

Final thoughts

Normally when reviewing a toy, I mention any drawbacks or concerns I might have about it – but I really can’t think of anything to complain about when it comes to the SoleHole! It has one job, and it does that job very well. Foot fetishists and their open-minded partners will adore this product; I foresee it gaining cult status quite quickly, because I’ve never seen anything like it, in all my 14+ years of reviewing sex toys!

I think $49 is a fair price for this toy, given that it’s made of body-safe silicone and probably took a decent amount of research & development to perfect. My partner loved it so much that she immediately ordered another one to use with one of her other partners, which almost never happens!

As far as I’m concerned, the SoleHole is up there with toys like the Balldo and blowjob mirror in terms of innovation. Foot fetishists have long been overlooked by the sex toy industry, but no longer: the SoleHole is here, and it’s amazing. That’s one small step for the sex toy industry, one giant leap for foot-lovers worldwide!

 

This post was not sponsored, though SoleHole did send me their product for free so I could try it out! As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Review: Ppunson Tom 36-lb. realistic male torso sex doll

Kate Sloan
(My hickey in this photo is not from Tom 😉)

“What the fuck is this huge box?!??!?”

That’s what I shouted when the Ppunson 36-lb. realistic male torso sex doll arrived at my apartment. (Phew, his name is a mouthful. Just like his dick.)

You see, my email inbox can be a chaotic place, and I hadn’t realized Ppunson had decided to move ahead with a review, so I was genuinely baffled. “It’s probably a sex doll, right?” said my wife with a shrug. “I mean, what else would be this big?”

Indeed, when I tore open the box (and the multiple smaller boxes therein, matryoshka-style), I discovered a lifelike (though not exactly life-sized) sex doll with an enormous penis. My life is very weird. Let’s talk about this Ppunson doll. He’s referred to by the name “Tom” on the Ppunson website, so I’ll be referring to him as such in this review.

The day Tom arrived (photo by mb) – I am 5’4″, for reference!

Tech specs

Before we proceed, a few technical details on this barrel-chested marvel of sexy engineering:

  • Weight: Tom weighs 36 lbs, which is a little bit heavier than the dick-wielding sex doll I previously reviewed, the Tantaly Mark (33.6 lbs).
  • Height & width: Tom measures about 26 inches tall, from the bottom of his cut-off thighs to the top of his cut-off neck. He’s 29 inches wide at his widest point, which is his hips.
  • Dick: Tom’s dick is 8 inches long, and its widest diameter is about 1.6 inches.
  • Materials: Tom is made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a squishy, lifelike, porous material. It also contains a flexible skeleton that allows it to be positioned in various ways.
  • Hole: Tom has a fuckable butthole, which goes 5 inches deep and is pleasantly textured like the inside of a Fleshlight. I don’t have a dick so I wasn’t able to test this aspect of the toy.
At rest in my office

Things I like about the Ppunson Tom:

  • Good dick firmness: When I reviewed a different sex doll previously, my top complaint was that its dick was so squishy I could hardly feel it inside me – but Tom has no such issues. Its dick is a nice blend of firm-versus-soft, akin to something like VixSkin – it’s not dual-density, but the bendable metal core feels firmer than the TPE surrounding it, which almost makes it feel dual-density. Orgasming with this doll’s dick inside me is satisfying and intense, because I can feel it being rhythmically squeezed like a stress ball with every vaginal contraction.
  • Firm chest is good for leverage: The other sex doll I’ve tried was so squishy that my fist would sink unsettlingly into its chest if I tried to push on that area for leverage while riding it, the way I often do when riding human partners. The Tom, by comparison, has a firmer body overall, so it actually holds its shape when I lean on it, and is therefore easier to ride.
  • Angle-adjustable dick: While the shape/curve of the dick can’t be altered and is always ultra-straight (of which more below), the angle at which it juts out from the doll’s body can be adjusted, which makes this doll a lot more versatile than most. For example, when I got too tired to keep riding Tom’s dick, I was able to lie down with my legs draped over his chest (sort of like this) and bend his dick downward so it would fit inside me. I could still grind up and down on his dick, but this position gave me a lot more room to use a vibrator on my clit, and was also a lot comfier for me, so I appreciated Tom’s phallic flexibility.
  • Beautiful realistic details: I wrote “pretty nipples” in my testing notes, and it’s true, they are quite pretty. Granted, I was probably only checking them out because the doll has no head/face so I had little else to look at while riding him, but still – I think most people are more visually oriented than I am, and would therefore appreciate these little touches! Tom’s dick is also veiny in a realistically droolworthy way, and his balls look remarkably real too.
  • Reasonably priced: Tom currently retails for $187 USD, less than half the price of the similar Tantaly doll I previously tested. It’s kind of wild that you can get a whole poseable torso, complete with fuckable butt and rideable dick, for less than the price of a high-end wand vibrator.
Obligatory dick-‘n’-balls close-up

Things I don’t like about the Ppunson Tom:

  • Porous material: Lots of sex dolls, including this one, are made out of porous materials like TPE or TPR – which is understandable, since it would presumably be cost-prohibitive to make a toy this large out of silicone – but it poses a number of problems, namely:
    • Hygiene issues: Porous materials can never be entirely sanitized, so once you’ve gotten your bodily fluids on/in this doll, you shouldn’t share it with anyone else unless you’re okay with being fluid-bonded with them. (For this reason, I used a condom on Tom’s dick while testing it, because a friend wants to adopt him after I’m done with my review.)
    • Durability: Porous materials don’t last as long as non-porous ones before they start to smell weird or fall apart, so you may need to replace your doll in a few years or so, depending on how often you use it and how well you take care of it.
    • Upkeep necessary: TPE sometimes starts to feel sticky/tacky and needs to be sprinkled with cornstarch after cleaning to maintain its smooth, soft texture. More upkeep tips here.
    • No silicone- or oil-based lubes: You can only use water-based lubes with this doll, which don’t last as long as alternatives and may therefore need to be reapplied more often.
    • Easily stained: Ppunson warns that you shouldn’t wear dark-colored or brand-new clothing when using your doll (and likewise shouldn’t dress the doll in anything brand-new or dark-colored), as clothing dyes can stain the porous material.
  • Dick too straight: Why don’t more sex doll companies make dolls with a curved dick?! I guess maybe they want the toy to be adaptable to various different positions, and a good curve for the missionary position is different from a good curve for doggie-style, for instance… but I found Tom’s dick to be so straight that it kept painfully poking me in the cervix, and I had to be careful about positioning to get it anywhere near my A-spot.
  • Bulky, heavy, hard to clean: As is standard for sex dolls, cleaning this guy is a rigamarole. Generally you’re gonna have to put him in a bathtub or shower to wash him, especially if you make use of his butthole – and I’m rarely in the mood to lug around 36 pounds of dead weight when I’ve just jerked off! It’s also obviously hard to store something this big, especially in a small apartment (under the bed is often a good spot).
  • Uncomfortable-looking back arch: I’m sure plenty of gay men (among others) would appreciate Tom’s impressive back arch when using him from behind, but I was mostly riding his dick, and every time I looked at his elaborately arched back, I couldn’t help but think, “Yikes, that looks uncomfortable,” which took me out of the moment a little.
  • No storage case: The Tom doll doesn’t come with any kind of carrying case or storage bag, which is annoying, especially given how easy it is to stain TPE and how hard it is to carry this thing around. Sure, you could keep it in one of the cardboard boxes it came in, but that’s not particularly protective and certainly not sexy, unless you’ve got a corrugation fetish!
  • Only one skin tone: Unfortunately this is pretty common in the realm of sex dolls, but this doll is only available in a Caucasian skin tone. So far as I can tell, that’s true of all the other Ppunson dolls, too.
This doll’s got cake 🍰

Final thoughts

A lot of the problems I have with the Ppunson Tom are problems I have with sex dolls in general: it’s heavy and bulky, annoying to clean, and made of a porous material. You’d be hard-pressed to find a sex doll that doesn’t have these drawbacks, especially for less than $300.

Indeed, Tom‘s $187 price tag makes me inclined to forgive most of his flaws. He costs less than half what my last big-dicked sex doll did, but his cock feels better inside me, he’s easier to use in various positions, and I find him more visually appealing than that other doll. I do wish that his dick wasn’t so straight, and that his spine wasn’t so alarmingly contorted, but overall, I’ve enjoyed testing him. Thanks to Ppunson for surprise-sending me this nude cutie – he’s one of the better uninvited guests I’ve had in a while!

 

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

Review: Lovense Exomoon lipstick vibrator

Kate Sloan

What is the Lovense Exomoon?

Reviewing a lipstick-shaped pressure-wave toy earlier this week made me realize – I’ve never reviewed the lipstick-shaped Lovense Exomoon vibe, even though it’s one of my favorite clitoral vibrators released in the last decade!

As far as Lovense toys go, this one is pretty simple. It’s basically just your standard bullet vibrator, except that it’s made to look like a lipstick, complete with red tapered tip and sleek removable cap. But it’s a great vibrator, and is easily the best lipstick-esque sex toy I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. Let’s discuss its many benefits and its very few shortcomings…

Things I like about the Lovense Exomoon:

  • Strong: These vibrations are impressively powerful, especially for such a petite vibe. I’ve taken the Exomoon with me while traveling on many occasions, and have never felt disappointed that I didn’t bring a bigger/stronger vibe instead, because the Exomoon has always gotten the job done. Its tip is made of silicone, but it’s firm enough that it doesn’t dull the vibrations, as with something like the squishy-tipped We-Vibe Touch X.
  • Rumbly-ish: While it definitely gets buzzier the more that you turn it up, for the most part the Exomoon vibrates at a satisfyingly rumbly (i.e. low-pitched) frequency. It’s not as rumbly as my beloved We-Vibe Tango X, but it’s still notably rumbly for its size, and can easily get me off, sometimes even through a layer or two of clothing, due to how stimulating it is.
  • Price: The Exomoon retails for $79, which is slightly cheaper than the comparable and excellent We-Vibe Tango X ($85). Sure, it’s pricier than your average bullet, but most bullets are buzzy and cheap-feeling (especially those that use disposable batteries), whereas both the Exomoon and Tango X feel high-quality and have a robust, rumbly motor that makes them worth the money.
  • Angled tip: Like the Tango X (and like most actual lipsticks), the Exomoon has an angled tip that tapers to a point. This gives you many different sensation options, depending on how you hold the toy. I mostly place the flat bit against my clitoral hood or inner labia for some indirect stimulation, but folks who prefer more intense/pinpointed sensations could use the very tip of the toy, whereas those who prefer broader sensations could just lay the toy flat against their junk.
  • Waterproof: The Exomoon is IPX7 waterproof, so you can use it in the shower, bath, etc. without issue – and I have!
  • Battery life: The Exomoon lasts up to 3 hours on a 2-hour charge. That’s notably longer than the comparable Tango X‘s 2-hour runtime, although the Tango takes only 90 minutes to charge.
  • Small & lightweight: The Exomoon’s tiny size allows it to fit neatly between bodies during sex. I also never struggle to hold onto the Exomoon, even on bad hand pain days.
  • Portable: Not only is the Exomoon small enough to easily be tucked into a pocket or purse; it also has a lipstick-like cap that helps protect the business end from dirt/dust in transit. I wish it also had a travel lock function, though.
  • Discreet: Unlike most other lipstick-esque sex toys, the Exomoon could actually be mistaken for a lipstick if someone spotted it in your bag or on your nightstand, so you wouldn’t be immediately outing yourself as owning as a vibrator.
  • Long-distance controllable: I don’t tend to use clitoral vibes this way because I like to control them myself, but it’s good to know that the Exomoon, like most other Lovense products, can be used long-distance via Lovense’s fantastic app.
  • Same charger as other Lovense toys: Surprisingly few sex toy companies do this – Lovense uses the same charging cable for most of their toys, including this one. May not matter to you if you only ever intend to own one Lovense toy, but if you own multiples, this is super convenient, especially when traveling.
L to R: MAC M·A·Cximal Sleek Satin lipstick in “Center of Attention” (a lovely gift from my friend Edzel ❤️), the Lovense Exomoon, and Pat McGrath MatteTrance lipstick in “Elson”

Things I don’t like about the Lovense Exomoon:

  • Only 3 steady speeds: If you’re just using the Exomoon as-is without connecting it to the Lovense app on your phone, you can press its one button to cycle through 3 steady speeds followed by 4 patterns. I strongly prefer vibes to have at least 8 steady speeds (as the Tango X does), since it allows for a more gradual/less jarring experience – but at least I can vary the vibration strength more minutely using the app when I really want to.
  • Noisy-ish: While not ridiculously loud, the Exomoon is louder than I’d prefer/expect of a vibe this size. I measured its decibel level using my Apple Watch and found that it tops out at about 61 db (roughly the volume of a dishwasher), whereas the Tango X never gets above 45 db (somewhere between a refrigerator and moderate rainfall). The Exomoon also sounds buzzier/more high-pitched than the Tango, so the noise is more noticeable and marginally more grating.
  • Name: You know I’m grasping at straws to come up with downsides when I bring up something as trivial as a product’s name! Seriously though, I don’t get why Lovense’s lipstick vibe is named after “a natural satellite that orbits an exoplanet or other non-stellar extrasolar body” instead of something lipstick-related. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Lovense Exomoon (center) once again surrounded by lipsticks

Final thoughts

I’m a big fan of the Lovense Exomoon! I think it’s a solid, decently-priced clitoral vibrator, with a fun aesthetic that’s cute without being cutesy. It’s strong and rumbly enough to always be able to get me off, and portable enough that I’ve taken it with me on many overnight stays and vacations.

I wish its presets included more than 3 steady speeds, and that it was a bit quieter. As-is, I think the We-Vibe Tango X is a slightly better vibe on most dimensions, so I would generally recommend that one instead. But if you prefer the Exomoon’s lipstick-y look, and/or you want the long-distance controllability offered by Lovense toys, I think the Exomoon is well worth considering. It gets my seal of approval! 💋

 

This post was not sponsored, although Lovense did send me the product for free back when it launched in 2022.

Review: Chalovelo Lipsip pressure-wave stimulator

Kate Sloan

What is the Chalovelo Lipsip?

I am a femme, known for both wearing lipstick and writing about lipstick’s sexual applications – so it always catches my eye when sex toy companies make products that look like lipstick!

I’ve tried a few vibrators along these lines, the best of which is the Lovense Exomoon – but the Chalovelo Lipsip is different, because it’s a pressure-wave simulator, not a vibrator. That means it stimulates the clitoris with rhythmic air waves, creating a sensation that’s somewhere between tapping and mild suction. Let’s see if it performed as well as my favorite lipsticks do…

Things I like about the Chalovelo Lipsip:

  • Multiple attachments: The Lipsip comes with 3 different attachments: one for small-to-medium-sized clits (0.43″ diameter), one for medium-to-slightly-larger clits (0.55″ diameter), and one that is angled (0.51″ diameter). It’s great to have options for this type of toy, because clitoral size and shape are so variable. The better a pressure-wave toy fits your clit, the better it can form a seal, which allows these toys to stimulate you in the way they do. (I wouldn’t recommend this one for folks with large and/or testosterone-enhanced clits, though, unless you want a toy that mainly just focuses on the tip and not the shaft.)
  • 7 intensity settings: While the Lipsip’s website claims it has 9 intensity settings, it actually has 7 intensity settings followed by 3 patterns. However, even 7 is impressive for a toy at this price point ($50), and I appreciate the huge variance between the first setting’s low-and-slow tickle and the highest setting’s buzzier thumping. This toy could be a good option for people who have found other pressure-wave toys too intense, because this one starts out very mild and builds up from there.
  • Rumbly/thumpy: The quality/timbre of these pressure-waves is pleasantly low-pitched, so it stimulates my clit in a way that feels more full-bodied (and thus more enjoyable) than some other pressure-wave toys at this price point. It can feel really good, especially when I’m already turned on by the time I start using the Lipsip.
  • Low battery indicator: It’s rare for toys at this price point to have a way of notifying you when their battery is low, but it’s a crucial feature for avoiding ruined orgasms, IMO, so I appreciate that the Lipsip has one! (Its battery lasts about 1 hour on a charge, by the way, which is okay but not great.)
Size comparison with an actual lipstick (Cherry Lush by Tom Ford, my MVP)

Things I don’t like about the Chalovelo Lipsip:

  • Not strong enough: I repeatedly tried to get off with this toy, and it just wasn’t strong enough to get me there. It felt okay-to-good most of the time I was using it; it just didn’t have the chutzpah I needed, ultimately. This was made even more frustrating by this next drawback…
  • Patterns: Once you reach the Lipsip’s highest speed, clicking its one button again will switch to a rhythmic pattern. But there’s no way to know when you’ve reached the highest speed (and, as I just described, it isn’t even all that high), so it would be all too easy to ruin your orgasm by hitting the button at a crucial moment. Toy designers, I beg of you, make patterns accessible only via their own separate button, or don’t include them at all, please!
  • Lipstick-inspired design: Look, it’s a cute idea, and could theoretically make this product more discreet – if not for the fact that it’s about 50% bigger than an actual tube of lipstick, so only the most cosmetically inexperienced onlookers would ever mistake it for an actual makeup product. The “lipstick cap” could’ve been a useful innovation for keeping out dust/dirt when you travel with the toy, except that the cap pops off at the slightest provocation (unlike most real lipstick caps, which take their protective duties seriously!).
  • Not waterproof: The Lipsip is IPX6 water-resistant, so you can wash it in the sink or use it in the shower, but shouldn’t submerge it in water. I gotta ding this toy for not being waterproof because I love to use pressure-wave toys in the bath, and always wish I could!
  • Noisy: On its highest setting, the Lipsip would be audible (albeit faintly) through a closed door. Most of its settings would certainly be audible to someone who was in the same room as you.

Final thoughts

As a femme and a comedy fan, I enjoy the Chalovelo Lipsip‘s commitment to the bit – that “bit” being its resemblance to a tube of lipstick. That said, I’m not sure this is the ideal form factor for a pressure-wave toy – and if you’re gonna make a product with a removable cap on it, please ensure the cap will stay on when the toy is riding around in my pocket/purse!

Gotta say, though, I admire Chalovelo’s decision to include three different attachments with this toy, especially at a $50 price point (which is fairly low for a pressure-wave toy). It’s always lovely to see a sex toy company thoughtfully accounting for the broad range of bodies out there. To that end, I also love that the Lipsip starts low and slow, for those of us who like to increase stimulation gently and gradually throughout a session. Its pressure-waves also feel delightfully thumpy/low-pitched, in relation to some other comparable pressure-wave toys; my clit approves.

My clit is, however, less thrilled about this toy just not being strong enough to make me come. (Today I whipped out my Pulse Queen to finish the job, if you must know!) I also wish it had more than one button, to reduce the risk of ruined orgasms when you inadvertently switch from steady speeds into patterns. But if you’re shopping for a beginner-friendly pressure-wave toy on a budget, you could do worse than the sleek, chic Lipsip. Like a beautiful babe in a bold lip, or a sucker-punch right in the kisser, the Lipsip might just make you weak in the knees.

 

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.