Tantus

Ask Girly Juice: Implements of Kink!

Kate Sloan

Anonymous asked: Do you have any recommendations for whips/cuffs/other kinky stuff?

I know you sent me this question a while ago, dear anon, and I’ve been mulling it over. After seeing Tristan Taormino’s new film about kink for couples (review coming soon!), I feel newly inspired to answer this question.

The first place you should look is Tantus’ sensation section. While known more for their dildos than their sensation-play toys, Tantus recently came out with a line of paddles that deserve your attention.

I have the Wham Bam and it is divine. It flops around a little bit, but not too much, and it delivers a hell of a thwack. If you want something smaller and more concentrated, I’d recommend the Pelt. Best of all, each Tantus paddle is made out of 100% body-safe silicone, so it can be boiled to sterilize, meaning you can share it between multiple partners without fear or risk.

If you want something less intense (and less pricey), a bamboo paddle could be pretty good, though I think that’s more for beginners than the Tantus ones.

I only have one pair of nipple clamps, these Spartacus ones, and they are very painful. I am too much of a wimp to even fully affix them to my nipples, in fact. But if you have tougher nipples than mine and/or are experienced with clamps, you might enjoy ‘em.

Lelo makes a beautiful Sensua flogger with a substantial, grippy handle and a suede business end. It’s small, so it’s probably best for beginner masochists (or for tucking into your purse in case you suddenly crave a good whipping while out in public somewhere!). If you want a whip that’s longer and more functional, Pipedream makes one that doubles as a glass dildo. Amazing.

For cuffs, I generally recommend leather ones because I find they’re the most comfortable (and the sexiest!). There are some nice ones by Allure. Also check out anything and everything by Aslan Leather – some of their products are even vegan (faux leather)!

If you want to restrain someone without spending a lot, it’s hard to go wrong with bondage tape.

A Wartenburg wheel is a cool way to ease into pain play if it’s something you haven’t tried much before. My friend used one of these things on my arm today and I just thought it felt prickly and strange, but I know lots of folks are into ’em. They have a kind of a medical fetish vibe.

Finally, if you’re looking for a ball gag, I gotta recommend Tantus again. Many ball gags are made of rubber, the smell and taste of which I find disgusting; I can only imagine this effect would be compounded if I was being gagged by a big rubber ball. For that reason, I think silicone ball gags are the way to go. Tantus has a non-representational gag in a few different colors, or you can get a gag shaped like the head of a penis.

This isn’t advanced kinkster stuff, for the most part, but I think it’s a pretty good starter kit for anyone who wants to explore BDSM! (Don’t get the Fifty Shades collection, please, for heaven’s sake.)

Got a question you want me to answer on my blog? Get in touch!

Review: Tantus Cush O2

Kate Sloan

I have been eyeing the Cush O2 for a long time, but always feared it wouldn’t fit inside me. It seems to be a favorite of reviewers who proudly identify as size queens – which I most definitely do not.

However, one day the wonderful folks at Tantus offered me an item of my choosing, and I just couldn’t get my eye off the Cush.

It’s a beautiful dual-density silicone dildo that comes in your choice of pink, purple, or blue. Tantus sent me the blue, which is my favorite color (how did they know?!).

At 1 ¾" in diameter, Cush is a pretty girthy dude. The squishy outer layer of silicone helps a little, but O2 is significantly firmer than VixSkin, so you can really feel the entirety of that girth. Small-vagina’ed folks, don’t buy Cush thinking you’ll be able to wrassle it into your pussy more easily because of its squish, because it doesn’t have much.

One of my favorite features of the Cush is its tapered tip. Much like a well-designed butt plug, the Cush’s tip allows it to slide into me with minimal discomfort. (I do, however, still recommend warming up with a smaller dildo first if this is your first foray into toys of this girth.)

The Cush’s big, defined head presses up against my G-spot with little effort, and if I push it deep enough inside, it can nudge my A-spot as well. The squishiness of the tip means I don’t injure my cervix even if I attempt some fairly enthusiastic A-spot stimulation with this toy.

I find that I don’t thrust a lot with Cush. The silicone feels draggy, even with lube, and my vagina gets a little overwhelmed by that texture paired with the toy’s girth. Instead, I like to slide it in all the way and then rhythmically tap or slap the base with my hand. This feels really good, even though the toy is barely moving at all. The girth basically does all the work for me, stimulating my G-spot and my whole vagina without me really having to do anything.

One of the Cush’s claims to fame is the slightly sharp ridge toward the bottom of its shaft. Some reviewers love how this ridge rubs their G-spot or the front wall of their vagina. As for me, my vag is short, so even when I’m extremely aroused, that ridge still sits at my vaginal opening and won’t go in any further. If you find yourself lusting after Cush for the ridge, you might want to measure your vagina’s depth before you buy, so you don’t end up disappointed! (The ridge is about 4 ½" down the shaft.)

I love Cush’s base. It’s thick, firm, and sublimely easy to grab and thrust with. It would also make this toy work great in a harness (a claim which I unfortunately can’t prove for myself because I don’t have a willing strap-on sex partner!).

I was fearful when I first decided to take on the challenge of the Cush O2, but I’m glad I did. It gives my vagina something nice and thick to clench around, and it works magic on my A-spot in particular. I have to admit that I sometimes wish O2 was squishier, like VixSkin, but at the same time, it’s sort of nice to have differing dual-density options. If you like girth, I’m pretty sure you’ll love the Cush!

Thank you so much to Tantus for sending me this great toy!

Review: Tantus Ripple (large)

Kate Sloan

Sometimes I think Tantus knows butts better than any other toy company. Their anal toys consistently impress me more than almost anyone else’s. And I know that this is because Tantus has real people test their prototypes before production starts. There is no “Did they test this on actual butts?” syndrome with Tantus toys.

This time I’m reviewing the large Ripple, a supersized version of one I’ve already reviewed. (See my tweet for a visual comparison between the small and large sizes.) The small one is for butts that want to take baby steps; the large one, on the other hand, is up to the task of warming you up for Real Actual Anal Sex.

Let’s talk diameters for a second. The small Ripple starts at ¼” and ramps up to 1″. The large Ripple’s first bead starts off basically where the small size left off, at 7/8″, and goes all the way up to 1 ½” – a.k.a. roughly the width of the average penis. So if you’ve already experimented with a couple of fingers in your butt and you want to work your way up to anal sex, the large size is the one you want to get.

But this isn’t just a warm-up toy, obviously. This is a toy that actually makes me want to incorporate anal play into my masturbation sessions, which I don’t do often. Usually I just pop in a plug an hour or two before I plan on jerking off, and take it out once I’m aroused enough to start. But the Ripples are designed to be used actively, thrusted in and out, so they pair beautifully with a good clitoral vibe.

I thought the 6 ½” insertable length of the large Ripple would make it uncomfortable for me, as I historically have issues with long anal toys. However, Tantus silicone is pliable enough that I can fully insert the Ripple without length-based pain or discomfort. It conforms to the shape of my inner workings.

I sometimes have trouble getting over the hump of that final bead; 1 ½” is pushing my butt’s boundaries. But there’s no rush – I can always just work the second-to-last bead in and out until I’m ready to go for more. (Seriously, folks, anal play is not a race! And I’m reiterating this not only for your benefit but for mine as well.)

The first bead is kind of floppy sometimes when I’m trying to insert it, so usually I need to hold the toy’s base in one hand and use the other hand to guide the tip into my ass. Maybe not the most convenient thing if you’re trying to use one hand to hold another toy, rub your clit, etc., but it only takes a second so it’s not a huge deal.

If you compare my photos to the ones on the product page, you’ll see that my Ripple has a thinner, flimsier base. I can only assume that Tantus has updated their bases to be thicker and more substantial, since they’ve been known to do that, and that mine happens to be an older toy. If base thickness matters to you (for example, if you plan on using this toy in a harness), you may want to verify that you’re getting the new version before you order from a retailer.

As with most silicone anal toys, this one retains a bit of butt smell. That can be taken care of by giving it a rubdown with a hydrogen peroxide solution. You’ll also want to boil any anal toys before sharing them, even between fluid-bonded partners, so your unique digestive flora doesn’t make your partner sick or vice versa.

Overall, I’m impressed with this anal probe. It feels really good moving in and out of my ass (when lubed properly, of course) and I know it will be a valuable tool for me when I start wanting to prepare for my first anal sex experience. My ass gives its seal of approval to the large Tantus Ripple!

Review: Tantus Alumina Revolve

Kate Sloan

I get overly excited by sex toy materials that are new to me. Somehow I always feel like they’re going to drastically transform my sex life. They usually don’t.

The Tantus Alumina Revolve is made of solid aluminum. I’d been picturing the same sort of flimsy metal that pop cans are made out of (or soda cans, for you Americans), but nope – this toy is sturdy and firm. It’s not as heavy as steel, so it’d be a good option for someone who wants metal but has weak arms or hands.

Toys from the Alumina collection each come in a padded box, quite unlike any of Tantus’ other packaging. It’s much more protective and much fancier. I might actually use this box for long-term storage, which I almost never do.

The Alumina collection has been discontinued, but the toys are still available from many retailers. I chose the Revolve because it looked like it would work best from my body; the other options include the Pace, Motion, and Flow. Each Alumina toy can be unscrewed at the middle and screwed back together with parts from other toys of the same collection, so you can basically “build your own toy” if you have multiple Aluminas.

The Revolve is meant for G-spotting. One end is a bulbous head (bulbous compared to the skinny shaft; it’s actually pretty small in diameter – about 1.3") and one end is three graduated ripples. The single-headed end is surprisingly awesome for G-spotting, reminding my vagina of other toys that have a thin shaft followed by a large round head, such as the NobEssence Fling. The sensation isn’t as intense as it would be with something curved like the Pure Wand, but this toy evidently knows its away around a G-spot.

The other end isn’t as great. It feels okay when used anally, but vaginally, it doesn’t do a damn thing for me and usually ends up poking me in the cervix. I would swap out this end if I had another Alumina toy to trade with.

Aluminum holds temperatures fabulously well. I took my Revolve in the bath with me and ran it under the tap for a few seconds, and it became deliciously warm almost immediately.

The O-ring in the middle of the toy, where the two segments connect, is a major gathering ground for fluids and lube. With the G-spot end, I don’t ever need to insert the toy that far, but the triple-ripple end does need to be inserted that far for it to feel even remotely good, so it’s a bit of a problem.

So I guess you could say that the Alumina Revolve was a half-success for me. I love the G-spotting end, but the other end is pretty useless for my vagina. Still, aluminum is pretty nifty!

Cyclical Cock Cravings

Kate Sloan

The female hormone cycle is a strange thing. I’m on hormonal birth control, so you’d think I wouldn’t have any of the odd, cyclical mood swings and changes in desire that accompany certain times of the month for many women, and yet, somehow, I do.

Every time I’m on my period, I develop a weeklong craving for realistic dildos.

My current favorite, by far, is the VixSkin Mustang. It’s easily the most realistic toy I own, in both appearance and sensation. And every time my Shark Week comes around, without fail, I end up laying a towel under my hips and going to town on myself with the Mustang. That poor little dildo has bloodstains on it more often than any other toy of mine.

The Tantus Mark O2 and Adam O2 fulfill similar cravings, though they are a fair bit firmer, so sometimes my sore menstrual cervix can’t quite handle ‘em when I’m bleeding.

Lately I’ve been trying to make up my mind about whether to buy myself a VixSkin Maverick – essentially a bigger, juicier version of the Mustang I love so much. Last night I finally went ahead and did it. It’s probably way too huge for my relatively small vag, but it’ll be something to work toward, I guess!

What kinds of sex toys do you sometimes crave? Does your hormonal cycle have anything to do with it?