Bend over Beginner Kit provided for review by Babeland

Joseph

We live in a very strange culture. On one hand there is sex in nearly every advertising message that we see. And boy do we see them. It is estimated the average American is confronted with 3,000 advertising messages in some form per day.

Then on the other hand, our national stance on sex is the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting LALALLALALLALA! I am referring, of course, to the fact that a huge number of schools in this nation still teach abstinence only sex education. Because if you don’t teach kids about sex, they won’t have it!

This type of ignorance mixed with over stimulation often gives rise to confusing feelings and the proliferation of misguided concepts about sex and sexuality. Don’t tell me that you have never heard the ludicrous assertions “If I have sex on my period, I can’t get pregnant” or “Well, a blowjob is not sex so you can’t catch anything from giving one“ or the slightly more articulated “If a man receives anal sex, that makes him a fag.”

I grew up in this environment (and I imagine most of you did, too) and while I was able to get my hands on good solid information about sex and sexuality, I am still aware of the general climate in which I live and operate.

It is with that in mind that I announce our first ever review series: The Bend over Beginner kit from Tantus. The reason that we have chosen to do this in a series is because pegging is a very sensitive subject both where we live and at large. We are hoping that by going slowly with this subject, we can cover it more completely and address some of the issues that people have with it.

In this installation we are simply going to talk about the product itself.

The kit is two 100% silicone dildos (7/8″ x 4-1/2″ and 1-1/4″ x 5-1/2″), an adjustable (up to 60″) velvet harness with a pocket for the included bullet vibrator. It also has an interchangeable O-ring in case you want to use larger dildos.

As always with Tantus, the quality of all the materials seems very high and everything is easily cleanable. The harness is machine washable and the dildos can be sanitized via boiling or washing with bleach.

The next installment will cover how the harness fits, warm up and the use of the smaller dildos.

Do YOU have any experience pegging or being pegged? Share your experience with us. Either leave a comment or send us an email. Whichever you are more comfortable with.

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The Anal Sex Position Guide provided by Eden Fantasys

Joseph

I found The Anal Sex Position Guide by Tristan Taormino to be fairly excellent.

There is not much explanation required for this one. Taormino likes her titles to be fairly telling of the subject matter and this book is no exception. It is an anal sex position guide.

As with all of Taormino’s work that I’ve seen, she prefaces the bulk of the book with information about responsible and respectful practices. This includes anatomical information, safe sex practices, a chapter about the importance of communication, a dispelling of common anal sex myths, and a good discussion about the importance of warm-up.

After she gives you the tools you need to succeed, Taormino jumps right into the position guide. She simply breaks down the positions with an explanation of how they are done, the pros and cons of each, and any variations to that position. Accompanying each position description is at least one picture of perfect, airbrushed people demonstrating the position and making faces that they think they would make if they were actually doing it. As you can probably tell by the snarky way in which I described them, perfect airbrushed people leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. However, I think they are fairly appropriate for this book. They are for demonstration purposes only so it is ok for them to be mannequins.

About the only issue that I have with this book (I have to have one problem with everything, it is in my nature) is the subtitle: The Best Positions for Easy, Exciting, Mind-Blowing Pleasure. I can agree that anal sex can be mind-blowing and is almost always exciting for one reason or another. However, I just can’t get behind (heh) calling it easy. Asses are finicky and everything has to be just right for anal sex to work and that ain’t easy. Taormino’s book certainly makes it easier, though.

Mimi

My experience with anal sex has been fairly standard in terms of positions – Missionary, Spooning, Doggie Style, Flying Doggie, and Horizontal Tailgate – with me almost always on the receiving end, so Tristan Taormino’s The Anal Sex Position Guide arrived here with a warm welcome. Sometimes a little extra nudge in the way of practical advice and men and women with bodies made of fantasy is what you need to try something new. And where ever you are in your anal sex escapades, The Anal Sex Position Guide is sure to offer you some useful information that is approachable and classy.

Similar to her writing in Opening Up, Taormino’s voice is friendly and casual, yet direct and clear in its attempt to guide. I feel like Taormino is someone I could talk to without feeling embarrassed or intimidated. It’s an excellent balance she creates in her writing. I love how she talks extensively about safe anal sex practices, lubricants, and toys for both men and women. This book will be most useful to someone who is new to anal sex, but it has other advantages for more experienced individuals. It’s also a great tool for instances where one individual in a couple wants to try something, but they don’t know how to bring it up or discuss it.

As you may or may not have picked up on, me and Joseph are gradually moving into anal play for him, which I have a little bit of experience with but hardly enough to count. Prior to our relationship, I was incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of using a strap-on and became squeamish at the mere thought of using one. It’s not me! I can’t tell what I’m doing! That sort of problem. Chapter 11 Anal Pleasure for Men & Strap-On Sex and Chapter 12 Positions for Strap-On Anal Sex were really useful and really comforting. I was open to the idea of using a strap-on with Joseph before reading The Anal Sex Position Guide, but now I am mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared to attempt this new and exciting activity in our lives.

I can sympathize with Joseph about the models, but I also think that, like Taormino mentioned in the book itself, anal sex is in a sense coming out of the shadows and when you’re presenting a concept that can be difficult for a lot of people, it’s important to try meeting them halfway. Glossy pages, sensual and warm colors, using a traditional perception of human physical beauty – these things make a book about putting things in your butt less… like putting things in your butt. I’m not ashamed of my actions – or my pleasure – and I don’t think I should be. I am a clean, healthy, self-respecting individual. Not everyone shares this perspective.

Also, I’m sure young, sexy, you’ll-never-look-like-this-and-you’ll-never-fuck-anyone-that-does-either models help books sell.  And I don’t mind Taormino making a buck. Or a lot of bucks.

In short, The Anal Sex Position Guide has offered me some needed confidence to pursue my interests. It has done so with style yet without pretention. Can’t argue with that.

The Naked Truth:

Design: 5 out of 5 stars

Readability: 5 out of 5 stars

Educational Value: 5 out of 5 stars

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

It’s good to have hobbies.

$19.99The Anal Sex Position Guide Book by Tristan Taormino Format: Paperback Publisher: Quiver Buy from EdenFantasys

Getting Undressed is better when you tell everyone on the internet!

Flexi Felix provided for us by Babeland

Joseph

The cute, 100% silicone caterpillar toy is by far the most comfortable thing that I have ever inserted into my anus. Granted, it is the only thing I have ever inserted into my anus but after having a look at some of the other toys on the market, I know the Flexi Felix made the process much easier than it could have been.

I had an understandable amount of anxiety about crossing that puckered line. There are all kinds of things for a heterosexual male in American society to worry about when considering anal play that is anything other than straight male on female. Stigmas abound. Our society does not encourage sexual acts that put men in an exposed or subordinate position. Men’s sexuality is about power and control. This message is constantly reinforced in both direct and indirect ways. I think that may be part of America’s problem with male homosexuality.

Ok, I’m done ranting about our society’s fucked up standards about sex. Perhaps one day we’ll make a whole post about it but for now, back to the Felix.

The Flexi Felix is a 12” (10” insertable length) set of anal beads manufactured by Fun Factory. It is 100% silky soft silicone and has a head with a smirking caterpillar face at its base. It is cute but not cutesy. It is by far the most approachable thing designed to go in one’s ass that I have ever seen.

Insertion was easy and comfortable with the exception of the stem in between the beads being a little too thin to get a good grip on. Fully inserted it is unobtrusive…almost to a fault. I couldn’t really feel it, which seems to defeat the purpose. It would, however make it easy to wear in all day which I could see as having some “I’m so naughty” appeal.

Removal during orgasm was not an altogether pleasant experience for me, but I don’t blame the product for that. I blame my inexperience with anal play. It is still a strange and kind of uncomfortable feeling and that prevents me from fully enjoying it.

Cleaning the Felix is really simple. Just drop it in a pot of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes and you’re good to go.

As a genuine beginner, I cannot give this product a better endorsement. It is easy, approachable, and it has a good attitude!

Would you be smirking if you had Felix’s job?

Mimi

The Flexi Felix is my first anal bead type toy and with its 3/4″ to 1″ diameter beads, it’s very approachable for first-timers. Even if you’re entirely new to anal play, the Flexi Felix is as friendly to your ass as it looks. And it does look friendly, doesn’t it? Such a cute specimen of anal love. Offered in bright pink, light blue, and black silicone, the updated stylishness of the Flexi Felix adds to its approachability and ease of use. You just know when you’re holding it in your hands that this isn’t just another sketchy looking “string” of beads that you have to entrust to your tender and questionable anal orifice. Oh no. This is better, much better.

The silicone is incredibly smooth and relatively easy to insert, given how flexible it is (they don’t call it “Flexi” for nothin’), so you can play alone or with a partner without much – if any – discomfort or bent over frustration. Really. I had the whole strand in, tucked the caterpillar head under my panties, zipped up my shorts, washed my hands, and came back out into the living room within just a few minutes. You won’t even need to pause your movie, or worry about your tea getting cold.

Left in for a few hours, Flexi Felix feels pretty good. It creates a whole other meaning in my mind to the phrase, “dirty little secret”. And I am certainly a girl who likes her secrets. However, it is the experience of this reviewer that the Flexi Felix is hands down at its absolute best when pulled out during orgasm. This toy is perfect when you want a little extra OMFG without a whole lot of effort, time, or lube.

As you can imagine, this “easy as cake” quality can become rather… boring. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate “easy” when I come across it, which is why I still enjoy the Flexi Felix and will happily let it occupy a space in my toy box. Still, I will always favor a more versatile toy over a one hit wonder. It’s just my nature. If you function similarly, you might want to shop around a bit. (I know that Babeland in particular offers some other anal toys that are challenging/fun/practical.)

And to top it all off, the Flexi Felix is that, since it is silicone, you can disinfect it by boiling it for 10-15 minutes, putting it in the top rack of your dishwasher, or with soap and water. (I prefer boiling.) Remember to use a water-based lubricant with this toy. It will last you a long time if you take care of it.

Unwinding after a long day of putting up with other people’s shit.

The Naked Truth:

Intensity: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Volume: N/A

Design: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Versatility: 2 out of 5 stars

Ease of cleaning: 5 out of 5 stars

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Getting Undressed is better when you tell everyone on the internet!

Nina Hartley’s Advanced Guide to Anal Sex for Men and Women provided for us by http://www.tabutoys.com/

Joseph

Nina Hartley’s Advanced Guide to Anal Sex for Men and Women had some valuable information and some hot anal sex. It also had some obnoxious imperfections.

It opens with Nina Hartley and Kylie Ireland sitting behind a table loaded with various sex toys and discussing safe and pleasurable techniques for anal sex. They candidly discuss everything from how to feel better about anal hygiene to how to properly clean sex toys once they have been in your ass.

After the lead in discussion, the film transitioned to the demonstration section. Nina Hartley does a scene with Christian that I thought was very hot. They talk to one another, they take turns playing with one another’s ass, and they made each other cum. Nina Hartley has a very real and very loud orgasm with Christian is fucking her ass and she is using a vibrator on her clit. She screams, she convulses, and she laughs. It is everything an orgasm should be and it is exquisite.

Hartley continues the education through most of this scene, stopping to briefly discuss technique and safety. It can be somewhat tedious at times, but it is nice that she is trying to stay true to the educational aspect of the program.

We then move on to a scene with Adrianna Nicole and Evan Stone that is really just a sex scene. There is no instruction and there is no anal play with Evan Stone. It seems somewhat as though Nina Hartley wanted to make an educational video but Adam & Eve Pictures told her that to do so, she must include a regular porn scene. It felt out of place. There was anal sex in it, but it was the same kind of anal sex you can see in almost any porn.

The obnoxious imperfections that I mentioned earlier are a couple of little things and one big thing. The little things are noises in the background and a boom mic being visible briefly. I know, I know…that’s nit picky cause this is porn, right? Well, I think that I a lot of the problem with the porn industry. Noises in the background would not get by on even lowest quality network television show. Just because you are cramming a pink rod up someone’s ass doesn’t mean it is ok accept mediocrity.

Standards, people, standards.

The big thing is that even though this is called Nina Hartley’s Advanced Guide to Anal Sex for Men and Women, there is no male on male anal sex in the film. That’s almost a deal breaker for me. For a guide to anal sex for MEN, there should be some homosexual male interaction. It seems like it should be obvious.

Despite that, it is definitely worth a view or two.

Mimi

“There will be unsuccessful attempts along the way. You need to show compassion for yourself and your partner to get through them.” – Nina Hartley

Nina Hartley’s Advanced Guide to Anal Sex for Men and Women offers a lot of practical advice very quickly, such as what to look for in a sex toy and possibilities for use of a sex toy in addition to anal sex, and if an award was given to the best sex positive cheerleader, it would totally be Nina Hartley. I’ve never been so cheerfully encouraged to stick my tongue in someone’s ass before. She brings a lot of humanity to porn that I think is too often lacking. For example, at one point in the introduction scene with her and Kylie Ireland, friend and “co-host”, Nina Hartley mentions that warming up for anal sex is a process and that when people jump right into it in pornographic films, we’re not seeing all the previous activities leading up to that point. The film and the fantasy are separate from real life scenarios.

Casual, playful humor carries on through to Nina Hartley’s “demonstration” with Christian, which was, by the way, really hot. Some of the commentary Nina Hartley made during the scene was a little tedious (I can SEE what you’re doing there, you know), but overall, I found her comments, giggling, and smiling to be really charming. The environment was sexy, Nina Hartley was sexy, Christian was sexy, and they even managed to make the Hitachi Magic Wand look kind of sexy.

Most importantly (to me), the scene appeared to be very equal in regards to the performer’s individual pleasure, and knowing how much these beautiful people were into it made the scene especially arousing.  As Nina Hartley points out later to Kylie Ireland, it’s admirable for a man to communicate his desires in regard to receiving anal play because of all the homophobic pressures placed upon our men. There was quite a lot of discussion – visually supplemented by exposed breasts and lingerie – about confronting the taboos of anal sex.

My only complaints about the film are basically the same as those that Joseph already made, so I won’t repeat them in my own review. However, I will mention that the last scene between Adrianna Nicole and Evan Stone could be improved if their dialogue was more clearly audible since dirty talk was obviously a big component of the scene and might have made it special, but mostly I found their interaction annoyingly familiar and thus forgettable.

Also, no condoms? Anywhere? I realize that this is a debated issue in porn and often remains up to personal preference, but in an educational film about sex, especially anal sex, it seems really remiss to leave it out of discussion and out of “instructional” scenes.

As an aside, I have looked at some old photographs of Nina Hartley and in my opinion she now looks better than ever.

We are quick learners.

The Naked Truth:

Aesthetics: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Level of Arousal: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Educational Value: 4 out of 5 stars

Storyline: N/A

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Getting Undressed is better when you tell everyone on the internet!

Tristan’s Anniversy Edition Plug

*Product has no arms and does not speak*

Joseph:

I feel like I have to preface this review with a few qualifiers:

I did not personally use the plug.

We did not have anal sex after She used the plug.

So with my limited interaction with this product in mind, here are my thoughts.

The plug looks to me like something that would be incredibly painful to try and insert into one’s anus. After seeing Her ever-so-slowly do just that, I have to say that it seems like my first impressions were correct. The total process took maybe half an hour and a lot of lube. She paused frequently and made many faces that made me think She was in quite a lot of pain.

When it was finally inserted, we had vaginal intercourse that was somewhat awkward. For me, it was almost uncomfortably tight as it is quite a large plug. It was not unpleasant and it may be something that is rather enjoyable for both of us once we become more comfortable with it.

So from my perception, it looks and feels well constructed, seems to clean up easily (rather important with this kind of toy) and the swirlies in it make me think of a bowling ball. Because my perception of this product is somewhat limited, I’ll let her give you the details on the rest.

Mimi:

Warning – This post is rather personal because I feel strongly about anal play in that it can feel really amazing, but it can also go terribly wrong. There’s a lot of misconception surrounding it, which I too have been a “victim” of in the past, and if I can be of any help to someone else through my own experiences, I would certainly wish to do so.

We had wanted to try anal sex together for a while, but since warming up with fingers used to gross me out, we were waiting for the right toy to come along. Given the opportunity to try Tristan’s Anniversary Edition Plug, we eagerly sought it, thinking this might be the toy to finally open up a whole other part of our sexual exploration.

I have much more experience with anal play than He does, but I am still very new to plugs; in fact, this is only the second of two plugs I have used. The first one was clear glass, smaller, and a bit slimmer in shape. As you can guess, the experience was quite different. My only complaint about that plug is that it would not stay inside of me without being held constantly. I was hoping for better luck this time.

My first impressions of Tristan’s Anniversary Edition Plug was that I liked the weight of it, the soft feel of the silicone, and its dark blue swirl design. No tender flesh irritating seam. No awkwardness in handling it because of the large base. And you can sanitize the toy by putting it in boiling water or in your dishwasher’s top rack without soap. (Just because it’s going in your butt, doesn’t mean it should lack sophistication.) I also observed its size. Larger than I had visualized in my mind.

When He was watching me insert the plug the very first night we received it, much like other occasions in which I used it (or tried to), I could tell that he was thinking things like, ‘She really likes this?’ and ‘Why on earth would anyone do this?’. My suspicions were confirmed when he suggested that I stop, gently and kindly, to let me know he wasn’t disappointed, only concerned.

It’s this kind of environment that makes experimentation and pushing boundaries feel really good, even when it doesn’t go according to plan, even when no one has an orgasm. It’s okay. Really. However, I am very stubborn – perhaps to a fault – and I push myself harder. This plug is an excellent toy for a lot of reasons, but perhaps not the best one for someone relatively new to anal toys. It’s certainly not a “warm up” toy. This toy is the whole fucking shebang. This toy is ready to own your ass, literally.

We had sex with it inside me once, which I enjoyed, but I was still rather uncomfortable. He didn’t seem particularly jazzed about it either. We did not think it reflected badly on the plug – or on anything, really – and simply resigned ourselves to trying again and again.

Well, we didn’t. After that time, the plug became increasingly more painful for me to attempt inserting, and since I do not believe (anymore) that a lot of pain is necessary for anal play, I stopped. We have since had anal sex, but it was completely without the inclusion of this plug. In one evening of determination, I told Him to give me some space while I try to make friends with the plug.

For an hour or so, I made a lubricated mess in bed as I experimented – first using a condom over my finger(s); then a condom over our Babeland Showerbabe, which does not have a base so it’s not ideal, but it has a handle, so I felt pretty safe with it; then my Hitachi Wand while also using the Showerbabe; and finally, ever so slowly, Tristan’s Anniversary Edition Plug. It was still difficult, but the whole experience was pretty painless. I learned that I am comfortable with fingers as long as they are covered with a condom or glove. And I had an orgasm. Not a bad night.

I also learned that I can crawl around on all fours with the plug inside of me, and that it will stay in place pretty well, which gave me ideas…

In sum, that last statement really represents how I think of this toy. I see it as a toy that you grow into, something you expand with. (No pun intended, but it’s sure as hell there.) It is, after all, a toy made to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Tristan Plug, a butt plug designed by “Anal Sex Queen” Tristan Taormino, and changes are definitely in order after a while. If you have a smaller plug or one with a slimmer shape and you find yourself thinking you’d like to try more, then this plug would probably meet your needs perfectly. I am excited about the future evenings of determination and pleasure to come with this plug.

Note to our readers:

We will post an updated review once we have had some more fun with this product.

The Naked Truth:

Intensity: 5 out of 5 stars

Volume: N/A (unless you whimper)

Design: 5 out of 5 stars

Ease of cleaning: 5 out of 5 stars

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

Getting Undressed is better when you tell everyone on the internet!