Where's a good place to get non-biased lube and toy reviews? Does Milovana have a thread or resource? Generally, I find that some toys are not right for this or that kind of lube, or for this or that kind of video or stroking action. I play the cock-hero genre. I play it all the dang time. I have a few pocket-pals that I enjoy ... I even broke one ...
:'-(
Anyway, as to lube and toy interaction:
I notice (for example) that repeated RAPID motion (faster than approx. 300 BPM, meaning 300 full-up-and-down strokes per minute, i.e. hit bottom 5 times per second) with a latex or real-feel-skin toy, when using a water-based lube, can begin to create an EMULSION by importing air in the form of a zillion tiny bubbles. (It's like making whipped cream out of half-and-half, ya know?) The presence of this emulsification reduces the lubricating qualities of the total liquid lubricant, because emulsified lubricant has less lubricant surface area and more air surface area for any given point of lubricated contact between skin and toy. More anoying, the emulsification cannot generally be neutralized by introduction of water, even though water should alleviate much dried or unresponsive lubricant as long as the lubricant is water-based. But introducing water will not generally alleviate the emulsification for the water tends to mix only with non-emulsified lubricant (some brands worse than others), thus further diluting any non-emulsified portion of the lubricant, and thereby increasing the relative proportion of emulsion to non-emulsified lubricant and therefore exacerbating rather than improving the circumstances.
I notice, as well, that certain latex or real-feel-skin toys absorb a significant proportion of any lube, whether it's water-based or silicone-based, among all the brands that I've tried. Of course, using something other than silicone- or water-based lube -- I think the only other option is oil-based lube -- on a latex, silicone, or other rubber and/or petro-chemical constructed toy, is simply going to dissolve into the toy immediately, perhaps degrading it to useless granules within the duration of one video.
I have attempted many brands of toy and many brands of lubricant, though my study is not extremely careful in terms of the interactions between the two. There may be some combinations I have not attempted to assess. Here are some personal gradations and comments:
1. (Any starlet) Personal Stroker by Doc Johnson
B-minus
http://www.adameve.com/adult-sex-toys/m ... 76777.aspx
(Pictured is the Sasha Grey.) I believe this is the same as the image of the broken toy (above). This wears through easily. Narrow or loose portions of the latex begin to appear after four or five uses, and the closed end soon breaks through and becomes an open hole. Lubricant of any sort is absorbed too rapidly. Doc Johnson brand has a latex material called "Realistic" that these are made out of.
2. Virgin Palm Pal by Doc Johnson
C-minus or D
http://www.adameve.com/adult-sex-toys/m ... 98630.aspx
Same problems as above, Sasha Gray Stroker. Also, the virginal hymen is stupid. You tear it once, who cares? The rest of it tears easily, too. Also made of "Realistic" by Doc Johnson.
3. Cyberskin (Starlet) Stroker by Topco
http://www.adameve.com/adult-sex-toys/m ... 14100.aspx
B-plus which degrades to B and B-minus
Expensive, but you get a bit more of what you pay for. The "Cyberskin" material is simply latex (or some other rubber or polymer-based plastic) with a microscopic SURFACE texture. If you grind away at it long enough, it just feels like smooth rubber because it loses the texture. The absorption of lube isn't as much of a problem as it is with the Doc Johnson latex products (above) although the tearing is just as prevalent over time, so with the more expensive toy you lose more money each time you ruin one. It's a toss-up whether you should get Realistic or Cyberskin, I.M.O..
4. Cybersnatch by Pipedream
http://www.adameve.com/adult-sex-toys/m ... 92954.aspx
solid B
The "jelly" or "clear" latex or plastic products tend (to me) to be more reliable, but less exciting. So to speak. There's not a microscopic surface-texture that mimics the real feeling of skin, but there are macroscopic bumps, lumps, and ridges (you can see them in the picture). These types of toys tend to absorb much less lubricant, probably simply because they're smoother and have less texture, duh. But they also are of a non-human, rather odd texture, kind of like playing with kitchen cling-wrap or a mouse-pad. Will do in a pinch. More reliable, less destructible, but also less of a high-quality stroking experience in the first place.
5. Silicone Snatch by Pipedream
http://www.hustlerhollywood.com/display ... ?id=412121
B-minus to C-plus
Similar comments to item 4. above, but this one's of cheaper construction and not half as deep.
6. Fleshlight
https://www.fleshlight.com/
C
These people have amazing marketing, but their products are I.M.O. flimsy. There are a zillion ways to personalize, what with all the colors, textures, variations in tightness and orifice, and starlet names associated with them. Maybe you can find a particular sleeve that you prefer. I did not really enjoy any of the ones that I tried, mostly because (a) the sleeves sloshed around in the tube-handle, and (b) the price for what you got was ridiculous. I think that people who really love their Fleshlights, are simply inexperienced with a wider variety and haven't done their consumer research diligently. You can easily spend as much as $50 or $100 on one of these if you don't hit the right sale.
7. Mood Exciter by Doc Johnson
http://www.pinkcherry.com/mood-exciter- ... -in-purple
A-minus
This is the best of the lot (so far). It has a bit of a real-skin-feel to it, but mostly doesn't pretend to be anything other than a stroker. It wears through (as do all the Doc Johnson products, in my experience) but not any worse than anything else that I've tried. It has two open ends, which simplifies the re-application of lube. It is difficult to grip, if your hands become covered in lube (which is not unlikely) so I generally took to the practice of wrapping a dampened cotton washcloth around the toy in order to hold it. Sometimes the lubes all emulsify a bit too much, as (obviously) the open-end will contribute to air introduction. Nice low price, too. Best buy, definitely!
8. Reversible Stroker by California Exotics
http://www.pinkcherry.com/dr-joel-kapla ... asturbator
A-minus to B-plus
Pretty good, but too flimsy and also not very pleasurable in one direction. Reverse it, yeah; reverse it again, ouch. Also not very deep. The surface is smooth silicone jelly stuff, with a lot of nubbly nobs. If you could get them to make something out of this material with SOME of the nubbly nobs but in a pattern that was a bit less high-pain intense, it would be the ideal cock-hero-izer. I think that the customization possibilities, as exploited by the Fleshlight company, need to be introduced to this the low production end of the market.
Lubricants:
1. KY brand jelly
C-plus
http://www.k-y.com/products/lubricants/ ... ricant-4oz
Too thick. Renews well with added water. Tough to clean up. This stuff is designed for insertion of enemas into old people's asses. Hey, if you're into that, more power to ya ...
2. KY brand liquid
http://www.k-y.com/products/lubricants/ ... ricant-5oz
B-plus
Pretty good. Renews well with added water. Easy to clean up. But can emulsify disappointingly.
3. Wet brand Original Gel
http://stayswetlonger.com/products/wet- ... lubricant/
B-plus
Pretty much halfway between KY jelly and KY liquid. But more expensive.
4. Wet brand Liquid
http://stayswetlonger.com/products/wet- ... lubricant/
B-plus
The liquid by Wet is called "light." Frankly, I can't tell the difference between the two Wet lubes, except that one GOES ON a bit thicker than the other. Once mushed around, they both feel the same, I.M.O..
5. Astroglide brand Gel
http://www.astroglide.com/products/astroglide-gel/
F
Way too thick. Never gets thinner. A "skin" forms on top of the lube wherever water is still wet, such that under-layers never get used and over-layers dry out and require more water. I guess it would be great for leaving a thin layer of protective coating on, say, the rubber gaskets in the windows of your vintage Ford Galaxy, maybe?
6. Astroglide brand Liquid
http://www.astroglide.com/products/astroglide-liquid/
A-minus to B-plus
Very good to excellent. I guess they don't know how to make gels, but they do fine in the liquid department. Doesn't emulsify quite as much as KY liquid, but otherwise it seems to be just about the same product.
7. JO brand H2O Water-Based
http://www.systemjo.com/jo-lubricants/j ... -lubricant
A-minus
An excellent lube. It emulsifies the LEAST of any lube I've ever used, but it's hard to find and kind of expensive when you do find it. Walgreens carries MOST of the above brands but JO brands only ever appear at "novelty adult" stores, in my experience, such as Hustler Hollywood Store and so forth. So you have to put on your topcoat and pull your hat down over your eyes for fear of being recognized ...
8. JO brand H2O Silicone-Based
http://www.systemjo.com/jo-lubricants/4 ... h5ep837dov
B-plus
This is the only silicone-based lube I'll mention, just because it is SO SO smooth-feeling. Love the FEEL. Most silicone lubes seem to leave a rather gritty layer of sand or ... what? ... silicone? ... on my skin but this lube is really the smoothest of all. However, it dries out easily, to the point that more and more and more needs to be perpetually added; it soaks in to any Cyberskin or Realistic latex or silicone sleeve, and can ruin (or, at least, not work well with) some of the cheaper jelly toys, and any silicone-based lube is a ROYAL BITCH TO CLEAN OFF. I couldn't get out of the bathroom because I couldn't get my hands clean enough to operate the doorknob on one memorable occasion ..
Check out my new site, and read SexTV story there!
