Evolved Travel Vibes: Anguilla

          I received a free Evolved Anguilla Travel Vibe and was excited to try it out because I generally like Evolved toys, and I have been looking for a new petite waterproof toy for travel.  The Anguilla is a small pink 4.25” by 1” waterproof vibrator made of smooth body safe, non porous ABS plastic that is flat on one side and ridged on the other. The toy takes 1 AA battery, has 2 speeds, and is controlled by a push button at its base. The Anguilla comes in a cylindrical plastic package that is useful for storing or travel. 
          I tried the Anguilla in the shower with a silicone lube, and although I liked the way the smooth material felt against my clit, the vibration was too weak for my taste. I was disappointed by both the low and high speed and ended up finishing myself off with my fingers instead.
          Although I didn’t enjoy this toy, I know from working at a sex store that every person’s sexual preferences differ, so someone else might enjoy this toy. If you are very sensitive and prefer a light tickle vibration, then you could give this toy a try. If you like moderate to strong vibration, don’t buy this toy because you will end up frustrated and dissatisfied. I would say that the light vibration on this toy would be more ideal for anal play, but since the toy is small and doesn’t have a flared base, it is not a safe choice to use for internal anal play.
          If you do buy this toy, is it easy to maintain; you can use either soap and water or a mild toy cleaner (without alcohol) to wash it. It is both water based and silicone lube friendly. It is also waterproof, but make sure you screw the base on tightly before water play or cleaning. As with all Evolved toys, it comes with a 1 year warranty, so hold on to your receipt in case you need to send it back to Evolved for a replacement. As with all toys, be sure to clean it before and after each use and to remove the batteries.
          Since this toy definitely didn’t fulfill my needs, my search for the perfect petite travel companion continues. I will probably splurge soon and get the Lelo Alia that I have been coveting, since it’s silicone, rechargeable, strong, multi-functional, quiet, and pretty.

Meant for Each Other: For Silicone Lovers

          Lots of people are die hard silicone fans and for good reason. Silicone is a kick ass material for toys because it is extremely hygienic because it’s nonporous (meaning germs etc. can’t build up inside the material), and it’s soft and smooth yet firm and flexible. It can also endure extreme temperatures (so you can boil it to kill germs if it doesn’t have an attached motor) and it warms quickly to your body temperature. Silicone lube has quite a following as well because it never loses its’ slick, slippery feel. It doesn’t get sticky and tacky like water based lube, you only need a small amount, and you don’t have to keep reapplying it, so it’s an awesome aid to water play and anal play among other things. So instinctively you’d think, well I’ll just use silicone lube with silicone toys then because of their super awesomeness, but if you do you’ll be sorely disappointed. Unfortunately if you use silicone lube with your favorite silicone toy, chances are the toy/lube will start to sort of melt and mesh together, creating a big mess and a ruined toy (and silicone toys are expensive!)         
          However, I recently learned an awesome tip at a product knowledge seminar: you can use certain silicone toys with certain silicone lubes. In particular, you can use Evolved brand silicone toys with Jo brand silicone lubes (it has something to do with the quality of the silicone in the materials.) I decided to test out this claim at home with some of the free sample products I received and was delighted to find it true. I used the Evolved Lucky 13 Roulette vibe with Jo Premium Cool silicone lube, and they are definitely a match made in heaven. Both products were great for shower play because the Lucky 13 is waterproof (as are all Evolved toys), the silicone lube never lost the slippery feel even under water, and the cooling effect felt great in contrast to the warm water. The only disadvantage to using these toys together was that the cleanup afterwards took a few minutes longer than normal. At first I tried just using soap and warm water like I usually do, but the silicone did not come off this way, so I squirted Jo foaming toy cleaner on a towel and wiped down the toy a few times and then used the soap and water as well, and that worked just fine.
So, for all you silicone lovers out there, I hope this little tip helps; it sure helped me!

+             = Meant for Each Other