by Kristine Hawes
Hello boys and girls! It's been a pleasant experience shopping this year; the
pretty neon lights, the smell of freshly tanned leather, and the feel of newly
pressed silicone - it's enough to make a girl cry with delight! For all of you
Santa's helpers who are looking for a few "passionate" items to add to the list,
we're here to help.
Here are a few goodies from Interactive Live Forms
(TM) (ILF) to help your
loved ones (and the ones that like to love you in return!) enjoy the cold winter
nights. In addition, check out the slick sleeves and rings from Doc Johnson also
reviewed below. More information on both these companies will appear at the end
of the reviews.
Rodeo Rider
The Rodeo Rider and Rodeo Rider II are two-way pleasure rings made from a
formulation of ILF's patented gel, Real Feel Super Skin
(TM). The Rodeo Rider
has long fingers protruding from a 1/4" base of the gel material, which flows
from a ring of the gel. It is turquoise in color, mint scented, and glows in the
dark. The Rodeo Rider II has short fingers, is lime green in color, lime scented,
and also glows in the dark. Our reviewers tried both of these goodies.
Made to be worn over an erect shaft, they provide stimulation to the man's female
partner. This image can take a little getting used to. Our Rodeo Rider I
reviewer's first impression of the product was "What the...?" but the color (pale
blue) and texture were pleasing, "although it seemed a bit unwieldy." The
translucent blue color, after being exposed to light for a few minutes, glowed
vividly in the dark. Another reviewer, who tried Rodeo Rider II, said she thought
it looked like a "Master(TM) Lock."
Several aspects of the product appealed to our reviewers: "the glow in the dark
feature, the nice balance of soft/firm, easy to get on, and the large nodules."
One of the reviewers placed hers in the refrigerator. She said, "that was nice.
Right out of the box it's a bit clammy feeling, kind of cold." The refrigerator
chilling was a pleasant diversion. The Rodeo Riders can also be placed in a
warm-water bath for warming. Lastly, one reviewer said she liked the fact that it
"stayed put" - that is, it didn't move around after it was placed around the
man's erect shaft.
The scent, in both products, was a little strange for the reviewers. In the case
of the mint scent, she "kept thinking and smelling toothpaste." The lime wasn't a
strong scent, and it was slightly odd - not quite like lime. In fact, the lime
didn't appeal at all to our tester.
In either case, small nubs or large ones, lube must be used. All surfaces must be
slicked or else you "lose hair." Both testers tried several positions. As one
reviewer said, "I liked it better when I'm on top - there's more control of
positioning."
Our ratings: (Scale of 1 (Yuk!) to 10 (Awesome!)):
Appearance - 5.5
Texture/Feel - 7
Taste/Smell - 5
Ease of Use - 8
Performance - 7.5
Overall Rating - 6.7
Incredible Joysticks
ILF(TM) released a series of four new
products on the market in August of
1998. Two of these are the Incredible Joysticks and the Incredible
Glow-In-the-Dark Joystick.
These are high-quality silicon dildoes, hand-sculptured, vividly colored, and
scented. The Incredible Joystick is available in four models and three sizes: S
(6" by 1 1/2"), M (7" x 1 3/4") and L (8" x 2").
The models are:
"Glam Rock" - white/purple swirl with purple and green glitter; grape scented
"G.I. Blow" - green/black swirl; honeysuckle scented
"Grateful Head" - red/blue/green/yellow swirl; patchouli scented
"The Tomcat" - orange/yellow striped; passion fruit scented
The Incredible Glow-In-the-Dark Joystick is available in one model and is offered
in the same three sizes as the Incredible Joystick:
"Wizard of Aahs" - lime green with green glitter; lime scented
These dildoes are representational and have a smooth feel and velvet-like
texture. They're slightly softer than most commercial silicon dildoes, but the
difference is almost negligible. Our reviewers tried the "G.I Blow" (medium) and
the "Wizard of Aahs" (small).
These are very similar to the plethora of dildoes already on the market, with one
distinct difference: They're scented. As with all of the ILF products, the colors
and scents are what make these products different. All of their dildoes come in
three sizes (Small, medium, and you guessed it - large) with a range spanning
from below average to above average in size.
Color and scent were somewhat disconcerting. We wondered where they came
up with some of the combinations. Honeysuckle and camouflage? Our
reviewer was startled with the first whiff, then oddly pleased. Lime and
glow in the dark didn't seem too weird, but
the glow-in-the-dark effect is quite startling the first time you
see it. The glow-in-the-dark color only takes a few minutes to recharge. Visions
of Star Wars....
In the case of the GI-Blow, the color was an additional
deterrent to its aesthetics. "It would have been great in gray or white, swirled
with black, like marble - less orcish looking," said one reviewer. The Wizard
actually has a pleasant color (and the Glow-in-the-dark feature is cool,
especially if you lose it in bed). In the case of both, the scent was at first
overpowering and has since diminished. It's a much better alternative to the
"burnt rubber" smell of most dildoes. The lime scent was not quite lime-like, but
again, it wasn't offensive.
In both cases, the texture was very nice, slick, and "smooth." The firmness, not
too soft, not too hard, was perfect. The Joy Sticks clean up very easily after
use.
The attached scrotum is a turn-off for those women who are not necessarily
interested in representational forms. It is unclear whether ILF will be creating
a non-representational form or not. Due to each of the dildoes having the
attached scrotum, the base is flared, allowing it to be used in a harness.
Because of this feature, they can also be used by both sexes for anal sex.
However, the smaller the dildo, the shorter the length - this doesn't necessarily
make for easy use in a harness, especially for anal sex.
All in all, these are interesting and different dildoes, worth a try for the
scent and unusual colors alone.
Our ratings: (Scale of 1 (Yuk!) to 10 (Awesome!)):
Appearance - 6.5
Texture/Feel - 8
Taste/Smell - 8
Ease of Use - 8
Performance - 8
Overall Rating - 7.8
Fleshlight®
The Fleshlight® is a tool designed for men with 'active sex drives' and vivid
imaginations - men who aren't afraid to try something a little different. It
consists of durable plastic and a gel insert. The canister, which looks
remarkably like a FLASHLIGHT, holds the insert securely and has screw-on ends.
The insert itself is a gel orifice which is made with Interactive Life
Forms(TM) patented material, Real Feel
Super Skin(TM)
This stuff feels very strange. The gel can be removed for cleaning and warming.
After soaking the gel in a warm water bath, you can place back in the canister
for use. It has a velvety feel, and with water-based lube, it feels remarkably
real.
The gel insert comes in a variety of colors and flavors, and in three orifice
models. Three color/scent combinations are currently available: Pink/Vanilla,
Lavender/Lavender, and Tangerine/Spice. As of June 1, 1998, ILF
(TM) began
producing the Fleshlight® GID2000, which is a glow-in-the-dark model with a
lime scent. The canisters come in black or light gray. The GID2000 comes with a
clear canister.
Our reviewers tested the "Purple Passion Kiss" (purple/lavender scent/oral) and
the "Pussycat Pink Lady" (pink/vanilla scent/vaginal) models.
Our reviewer's first impressions of the product were "I GOTTA have this" and
"very unusual feel." Said one man; "The appearance was relatively life-like. The
vanilla scent was oddly pleasing." Indeed. Closing your eyes and touching the
material is eerie; like touching the real thing. One man said "Closest thing to
the real thing I ever felt."
In use, they seem to cull all kinds of honors. "With the right lube, the feel is
very nice. (ID seemed to work well.)" With each Fleshlight, ILF provides a small
tube of Astroglide (however, they recommend using ANY THIN water-based lubricant.
Thick lubes tend to make the overall effect "gummy." And we all know that slick
is best: "Very realistic look - I liked to watch my cock slide in and out."
The product, unusual and detailed as it is, has only minor complaints. Very
minor. One reviewer said it wasn't "tight enough - could be tighter," although
our other reviewer didn't feel the same way. Warming it up with hot water works
well, but the heat dissipates quickly. It does, however, capture body heat from
use and retain it very well. "Remember to loosen up the bottom cap or you'll
start making interesting sucking sounds...."
Overall, this product received very handsome commentary: "Not as good as the real
thing but definitely better than your hand. I like using it while watching
videos." "This is tons of fun and feels great. It's almost the perfect sex toy!"
The orifices available are vaginal, oral, and non-representational. ILF
(TM) is
currently developing an anal model.
So, if you boys out there are into trying something a little different, the
Fleshlight® is the ticket.
Our ratings: (Scale of 1 (Yuk!) to 10 (Awesome!)):
Appearance - 9
Texture/Feel - 8.5
Taste/Smell - 7
Ease of Use - 6.5
Performance - 8.5
Overall Rating - 7.9
Interactive Life Forms(TM)
Interactive Life Forms(TM) is a
California-based company that is "committed
to safe sex and sexual responsibility. We have created a product, The
Fleshlight®, that so closely replicates the feel of the human orifice that it
feels like intercourse. Sex by yourself cannot get better. Your instincts and
fantasies can be fully realized while you are practicing safe sex and protecting
your relationships, your health, and exercising your personal freedom." They are
definitely supportive of all types of sexual orientations: their Fleshlight®
pages are created for both gay and straight customers. A nice touch.
Interactive Life Forms(TM) not only
produces the small toys reviewed above but
large ones as well. They have two web sites:
http://www.inti-mates.com
and
http://www.fleshlight.com. Both sites detail the
Fleshlight®. The first
site, however, details their large "body" collection. Both the body collection
AND the Fleshlight® are made from the Real Feel Super Skin
(TM) material.
The body site is worth a visit for research alone. They do have a page where you
can place an order for any of their products.
Quality products and a sex-positive philosophy combine to make ILF's catalog one
to keep an eye on.
SuperStretch Sleeves & SuperStretch Rings
Produced by a North Hollywood company called Doc Johnson, these rings and sleeves are made to be worn over an erect penis. Each of these little gems has some sort of nub, spike, or protrusion designed to increase intensity during intercourse.
The sleeves come in a package of nine, clear, and in varied sizes. The rings come
in a series of four, light pink, and also in varying "strengths."
The material used to produce these rings is a silicon-like stretch rubber, clear,
and very flexible. They fit over a wide range of sizes, from small to fairly
large - our tester stretched them over her fingers to be sure. The box states
they can be stretched to fit an eight-inch diameter. While they aren't of the
same quality of most products you might find at upscale sex stores, these are
reasonable and seem to be reliable under strenuous use.
The sleeves cover a wider area than the rings, for the obvious reasons, and they
seem to hold on better. Some sort of lube (personal or otherwise) is, as always
with rubber/silicon products, necessary. The sleeves may be placed over any part
of the penis. For the best contact, however, they should be placed as close to
the head as feels good. The rings work well just past the ridge of the head, on
the main part of the shaft.
Stepping into the big nubs right off might be a little intimidating. It's nice to
work from the small to the large, getting a feel for the sleeve itself and then
the textures ON the sleeves. The one that seemed the most intriguing was the
"caltrops." Tiny pyramids in wide, random patterns seem to tease where the huge
knobs are made more for an intense sexual experience.
While it is altogether possible to use these for anal sex, I wouldn't recommend
it. Due to their slippery nature and the fact that a lot of lube is used for anal
intercourse, it is possible to lose these puppies inside. (It happened to one
reviewer during VAGINAL intercourse!) You may want to test which position gets
the most feeling. Our reviewer liked the rear-entry position, as it's the
tightest. This is also the position in which the toy slipped off a reviewer.
Retrieving it can be fun, but I believe that's ANOTHER column entirely.
One difficulty, with the rings especially, is with switching them in the
middle of
intercourse. The rings get slippery, and once the erect shaft is slippery,
everything moves around nicely. Too nicely. If you have a rather tight partner,
the rings will slip down the shaft and sit at the base. This is ALSO a nice feel
but...you may want to "dry off" in between switching the sleeves or the rings.
Another use for the sleeves and rings, and one most women don't think about, is
with dildoes. Want to spice up that Prince but don't want to spend more money for
something flashier? Try these rings. As long as the dildo is dry when the ring is
put in place, it works very well.
A little on the pricey end, at about $27 for the box, I think these are still a
pretty good buy. Each box comes with a warranty card. You can also request
a catalog from them using this same card. All in all, they're fun little
toys, great for stocking stuffers - for women or men.
Our ratings: (Scale of 1 (Yuk!) to 10 (Awesome!)):
Appearance - 6
Texture/Feel - 7.5
Taste/Smell - 6
Ease of Use - 5.5
Performance - 8.5
Overall Rating - 6.7
That's all, folks! Happy Holidays!
