Adult Toy Box Review
Bear & Lace are changing the way we give the gift of pleasure, forever. If you haven’t already met their founder, CEO and the ultimate female pleasure advocate Chlo’e Nichols, we suggest a quick detour to our Wickedly Inspirational Women interview with her here (Spoiler alert, we get completely open and honest on masturbation, the orgasm gap, female empowerment and pleasure…)
While we know Chlo’e only selects the ‘crème de la crème’ of lingerie and pleasure product brands (we were one of the first to feature on her site), we had to put the Bear & Lace experience to the test, put our money where our mouth is and experience one of these revolutionary pleasure packages.
To get an authentic experience, we approached the challenge like a genuine inquisitive customer looking for a mind-blowing experience, but simply not knowing where to start. In our WIW interview, Chlo’e highlighted how if you’re ever wanting to take the plunge into toy exploration, but are yet to dip your toe in the water, just reach out to her team and they will be more than happy to help you curate the kinky exploration session of your dreams. Whether you’re shopping for solo play, getting a gift for a lover ( psst, this will earn you some major points!) or you’re going through this shopping experience together, with help from the professional B&L team, they will create an experience which plays to your play-time preferences, but also comfortably pushes your provocative limits, if that’s something you so desire.
We had a consultation with Chlo’e herself, to discuss what kind of experience we wanted to gain from our Bear & Lace box experience. We placed a focus on solo play (Covid-19, lockdowns and social bubbles had seriously busted our chances of getting out there and finding a dream lover), but as lockdown life isn’t forever, we also wanted the contents to easily transition to partnered play for when we finally got to get back out there. And lets just say, Chlo’e’s selection definitely did not disappoint…
Keep reading for our in depth review of our first Bear & Lace unboxing experience, and to get the lowdown on each product we got our wicked little paws on…
Firstly, lets talk packaging. The thought and care that goes into the curation of Bear & Lace’s boxes is evident from the opening of the shipping envelope. Slick, thick sturdy boxes, with hand-finished bows and a perfectly printed logo present a premium first impression, giving all the signs of high quality on the outside, that we expect from the hand picked selection of goodies on the inside. A gentle tug on the bow allows the perfect ribbon to effortlessly fall free, and as you lift the lid, you’re greeted by carefully wrapped tissue paper – keeping all your naughty goodies a mind-wandering mystery for a second longer – held together with a decadent wax seal, embossed with the B&L logo. The products are carefully placed inside, and the box is padded out with shipping stuffing to ensure the contents are protected but also well concealed, adding to excitement, like you’re looking for gold in a newly discovered treasure chest, or pleasure chest if you will.
Before we get into each individual product, we should mention that using toys with a partner, or introducing them into the bedroom is something you should discuss with your lover beforehand. While you may want to surprise them with a decadent B&L box as a totally kinky care package, make sure you’d had a conversation, even if just once in the past, to ensure it’s something you’re both comfortable with. You may fantasise about bringing toys into the bedroom but your partner may be a little apprehensive, or vice versa, but pressure shouldn’t be the determining factor as to whether you venture into realm of sex toys and pleasure products. Nothing is more sexy than consent, and we can guarantee that being on the same page as your partner when it comes to your sexual exploration will lead to the most enlightening experiences for all parties involved.
Starting with a bang, Lelo describes the Lelo Sona 2 as “clitorally mindblowing”, and oh they weren’t lying. Lelo are the world leaders in designer sex toys, and clit-stim toys that mimic the sensation of oral are the hottest toys on the market at the minute, and rightly so. Gone are the days where sex toy brands sold offensively pink plastic phallus’ and then expected women to have their world rocked – we all know that it’s only a small percentage of women who can orgasm from internal stimulation/penetration alone.
These oral simulator toys have well and truly changed the game, realising what really arouses women, and giving it to them in a hand, pocket sized product. In the past 15 months, when our level of human interaction has massively been stripped back and women have been left to their own accord for their pleasure purposes, it’s not surprise sales in sex toys sky rocketed as people were denied the opportunity to meet new people and get intimate.
Simulating a sex act that you cant give yourself, but can only be given by a lover, massager toys have really steered sex toys in a whole new direction, with Lelo leading the way.
Not only does the Lelo Sona 2 Cruise have 12 pleasure settings, is 100% waterproof, rechargeable, and with a totally sleek and modern design, the Sona 2 Cruise comes with Cruise Control technology. Yes, you read that right, just like a luxury German sports car, this sex toy is programmed with technology to ensure you receive consistent pleasure throughout your play. In regular use, the Cruise Control technology reserves 20% of the Sona 2 Cruises’ intensity, which gets released when the toy is pressed hard against the body and the power of the motor usually drops. This ensures intensity doesn’t diminish, and it doesn’t throw you off the path of reaching that all important O.
It’s really no surprise the Lelo Sona Cruise 2 is a multi-award winning toy: it’s very possible that the Lelo Sona 2 Cruise may have better variations, and more consistent performance, than any lover you may potentially have post-lockdown.
As preached by my personal favourite podcaster, Dr Emily Morse from ‘Sex With Emily’, everyone should use lube. Whether in solo masturbation, mutual masturbation, foreplay, full sex, there will never be an instance where lube wouldn’t enhance your sexual experience. Often, the go-to lubes feature super sickly sweet flavours, such as salted caramel, strawberry cheesecake or cherry pie, and so on. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enhancing the flavours that you grace upon your provocative palette, CBD-infused oils and lubes are now becoming the hot ticket for those who want to add a little extra wetness.
Sexual exploration will lead to the most enlightening experiences for all parties involved.
Fleur D’Amour – Stimulation Not Simulation
Small but mighty, this 30ml bottle of stimulation serum is a game changer. Similar to their ‘With a Twist’ Lube, this intimate oil is made only with natural ingredients – this time, a blend of coconut oil, essential oils, and the purest extracts of vanilla, cardamom, peppermint, cacao, ginger and cinnamon, with 350mg of CBD in every 30ml bottle.
Just like the use of CBD oils to alleviate anxiety and stress in day-to-life, CBD infused oils and lubricants have a relaxing, anti-inflammatory effect on the muscles, causing the muscles to relax, and stimulating blood flow further. Whether using with a partner, or going it alone, a few drops of this onto your intimate area will seriously level up your playtime, with its natural aphrodisiacs resulting in faster, fuller, more intense and explosive orgasm.
As with all oil-based lubes and serums, you should be careful when using condoms or silicone toys, as the oil can degrade the latex and silicone, making them less effective – usually you would pair these with a water-based lube/oil, which is something to be mindful of, but we were a so impressed with this absolute pocket rocket of a product. It’s an extra, added bonus that Fleur D’Amour is also a small British brand, making all their luxury oils and lubricants right here in the UK. It’s great to be able to support other independent homegrown brands.
As with all oil-based lubes and serums, you should be careful when using condoms or silicone toys, as the oil can degrade the latex and silicone, making them less effective – usually you would pair these with a water-based lube/oil, which is something to be mindful of, but we were a so impressed with this absolute pocket rocket of a product. It’s an extra, added bonus that Fleur D’Amour is also a small British brand, making all their luxury oils and lubricants right here in the UK. It’s great to be able to support other independent homegrown brands.
The Mysteryvibe Crescendo is really one of a kind in design and function, and is one of the best solo and partnered toys I’ve ever come across. Described by the brand as the future of pleasure, it’s one of the most diverse toys I’ve come across on the market. Initially, I found it a little bit intimidating, just because the possibilities were so vast, the endless options were a little overwhelming, but ultimately I was more so excited to explore all the functions and features.
Flexible in usability and physicality, the Crescendo can be bent, twisted, folded and flexed in so many ways to “find your perfect curve”, creating a toy that’s perfectly and personally designed for your pleasure. This allows you to hit the spot exactly how you like it, whether you want purely internal stimulation, external stimulation, or a mixture of both. With 6 motors throughout the product, the options are limitless and play remains equally intense, no matter what form you use the toy within.
The ergonomic design is sleek and streamlined, suited for partnered play or solo play. Not only can the Crescendo be controlled by the buttons directly on the toy, but via the MysteryVibe app when paired using Bluetooth. This is a personal favourite when it comes to partnered play, as it really – and literally – puts the power of pleasure in your lover’s hands. Even for solo play, it streamlines the whole set-up, meaning you can adjust the settings of the toy without having to take it away from your intimate area; no more fumbling with buttons, accidentally pressing the wrong button and turning it off, interrupting your flow.
Not only does the Mysteryvibe app allow you to relinquish control to a lover, but it also allows you to create a totally personalised pleasure experience. Already programmed with 12 pre-set vibrating themes, there are a whole bank of themes available to download on the app, to create your own unique ‘pleasure playlist’. Some of the options even bring in a bit of a festive spirit, with vibrations that buzz to the tune of Santa Baby, Jingle Bells and Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, for when you need an extra boost to get rockin’ around the Christmas tree. To elevate the element of personalisation even further, Mysteryvibe have created a feature where users can create their own vibration sequence. Using the app, users can choose which motors they want to activate when, to which level of intensity and what vibration pattern, to create a completely bespoke buzz. This is what I believe truly sets apart the Mysteryvibe Crescendo from anything else on the market.
Mysteryvibe’s Crescendo really is a leap in modern pleasure products; from the charging pad, to the Bluetooth app, to the ability to be able to lock the settings used mid-play, to ensure you don’t accidentally switch up your rhythm, Mysteryvibe really have thought of everything when it comes to levelling up intimacy. Their website has a guide to show all the ways the Crescendo can be used, solo and partnered, so you can work through them all like a sexual bucket list. Yet to explore all the possibilities, this is a toy I will never get bored of when it comes to experimental play.
Massage candles are one of the most immersive, sensual types of intimate foreplay you can share with a partner. Burning candles is an old-school move when it comes to setting a romantic mood, but when the burning of that candle creates a truly sensual oil for you to rub upon your partner, its equal parts kinky and romantic. We all know how popular massage is when it comes to foreplay, so this enhances it further, it slows down the build-up rather than just rushing down to business. It shows experience and technique with their hands before things get explicitly sexual. The Vanilla and Creme de Cacao scent is a traditional, sensual scent, rich and romantic. Who doesn’t love vanilla and chocolate?
Lingerie is one of our favourite parts of foreplay, but hey, maybe we’re a little biased. Bracli’s style of lingerie is very different to our own, lacy and pretty but still completely provocative. They are the creators of the original pearl thong, meaning their gusset is replaced by a decadent string of pearls that caress your intimate areas with a cool, luxurious touch.
To push the provocative nature a little further, the pearls from the thong can be detached at the back, and inserted internally to give an extra sensation in foreplay. We sampled their panties, bra, and bodysuit – all scene-stealers within their own right, and with the later two being able to be worn as provocative pieces of outerwear (as a statement bralette or bodysuit), you get even more bang for your buck.
How seductive is it to wear something out on a date night, knowing that when you get home you don’t need to go and slip into something sexual, as you’re already wearing it? It allows your lover’s mind to wander while you’re out in public – as only the two of you know what really lies within that lingerie – and will definitely create some hot, sexual tension that can get satisfied when you return home.
So what’s our verdict? We fully believe that Bear & Lace’s innovative new way of gifting erotica is going to change the narrative of pleasure product presents, forever. It’s a perfect way for starting conversations between couples who may have tip-toed around the idea of introducing toys for a while, it’s a beautifully curated but downright kinky way of gifting something to a lover if you’re already active in the sex toy space together.
The vast range of high quality products means the possibilities are endless, and you are guaranteed to create a combination that matches your exact wants, needs and fantasies. The Bear & Lace team are exceptionally helpful in making you feel comfortable and at ease if it’s something you’re not already familiar with, with expertise and knowledge to help ensure you’re choosing the right products for your pleasure.
We cannot wait to see how Bear & Lace grows, and we are thrilled to be featured on their sites, and in their boxes. You can shop the ‘Deluxe Something Wicked Box’ on their site now, which features our Annabel bodysuit, handcuffs and blindfold, along with a Orli x Bear & Lace Sensual Massage Candle, or create a completely bespoke box to fulfil every wish and desire. The options really are endless.
Shop Something Wicked on Bear & Lace and explore all their incredible gift box options over at Bear & Lace and show them some love on Instagram at @wearebearandlace (they’re doing an incredible giveaway when they hit 5k followers that you definitely don’t want to miss!). Until next time, keep being wonderfully wicked.
