Good Clean Love Giveaway!

I can hardly believe that November 10th will mark my 2 year blogiversary here at EROcentric!

Honestly, it’s been a lot more intense than I ever could have imagined; plenty of lube, sweat, and yes —even a few tears have gone into this online adventure of mine. But at this point, my identity does not seem complete without the word “blogger” attached to it. The experience has been a life-changer.

To help celebrate two amazing years, Good Clean Love has graciously offered to sponsor a giveaway for my readers!

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One lucky winner will be the recipient of two fabulous gifts…

(1) Good Clean Love Almost Naked personal lubricant: You can read all about how smitten I am in my review, but suffice it to say…Almost Naked is the longest lasting & most cushiony water-based lubricant that I have ever tried.

(2) Good Clean Love Body Candy: According to Good Clean Love’s website, these oil-based balms can be enjoyed on “all of your lover’s most kissable parts.” And although I have not personally used these products, I have faith that they are of the upmost quality. (Their ingredient list looks healthy and minimal with avocado butter, shea butter, organic jojoba seed oil, candelilla wax, coconut oil, essential oil blend, tocopherol, and agave.) The winner will have their choice of scent: cocoa mint, spicy orange, or vanilla chai. 

This giveaway has ended. 

Congratulations to Reviews By A Nerd for being the lucky recipient of these fabulous Good Clean Love products! 

Thanks again to Good Clean Love for sponsoring this giveaway & everyone else who has helped support EROcentric over the last two years

Perv: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us Review

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One of my biggest academic interests in the field of human sexuality is that of fetishes, paraphilias, and sexual taboos. The psychology, the societal response, the changing opinions on what is “normal” vs. “perverted” throughout history… I thrive on it. So after hearing Jesse Bering talk about his new book, Perv: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us, on an old episode of the Sex Nerd Sandra podcast (#129), I immediately put in a request at my local library.

By page 30, when Bering cracked an amazingly punny joke about bestiality, I knew that my instincts were correct (and that he was basically my new favorite person). The way that he tackles such heavy topics in a nonchalant & nonjudgemental way is extremely refreshing, and it was immediately obvious that nothing was off limits. From harmless taboos that are finally beginning to become normalized (homosexuality) to the most hated individuals in our current culture (pedophiles), Bering examines the research in hopes of understanding what’s behind humanity’s range of sexual orientations —  in the broadest sense of the term.

Perv offers up the latest research, a rich history full of case studies, and plenty of uncomfortable questions: How do we define our morality? Are we using the right parameters — or is the very concept preventing us from observing the world as unbiased scholars? Although I can easily get behind Bering’s idea of judging an action based on the presence/absence of harm, I was still forced to challenge my gut reaction again & again in attempts to combat my own “moral dumbfounding.”

A perfect example of this was when I read about Milo & Elijah Peters; two gay adult film performers who not only are biological brothers (twins actually), but also claimed to be in a committed romantic/sexual relationship with each other. With full adult consent and no risk of creating offspring, can we still say that there is “harm?” Or in cases with obvious physical harm, such as that of Armin Meiwes (the cannibal who found a surprisingly willing victim in Bernd Jürgen Armando Brandes), I had to ask myself… How much can we really consent to? Where exactly is the limit?

Perv by Jesse Bering will teach you extremely random sexual trivia (like the definition of “melissaphilia”), make you chuckle at the ridiculous beliefs of our ancestors (perfectly evident in St. Thomas Aquinas’ original definition of the word “prodigy”), and cause an intensely uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach while you slowly begin to challenge your own sexual biases. Buy it, borrow it from the library, do whatever you need to do so that your coworkers can give you strange looks as you proudly read this book in the break room.

HedoVibes #112

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Welcome to HedoVibes, a collection of reviews and giveaways that were posted in the past week or so from around the web. This is a collection of adult product reviews & contests from real reviewers. If you want to be included in the next edition start with the guidelines, then use the submission form.

Want to read more reviews? Check out HedoVibes for a list of the latest reviews and stellar reviewers. You can also follow on twitter for the latest round ups. HedoVibes is also accepting photo submissions for each edition.

CONTESTS

DILDOS

VIBRATORS

ANAL TOYS

RINGS & STROKERS

BONDAGE, IMPACT, & FETISH GEAR

STRAP-ONS/HARNESSES

STORAGE & FURNITURE

MISCELLANEOUS

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Tantus Silicone Paddles: Pelt & Wham Bam Review

Leather has long been the material of choice for impact play: paddles, floggers, whips, crops, even padded canes. I get it — the smell, the feel, the routine that develops with proper leather care; it can all be sexually intoxicating. But for those of us who are kink-inclined as well as being concerned about hygienic and/or vegan-friendly toys…there haven’t been many other options.

That is, until Tantus developed their line of silicone paddles. 

tantus paddles drawingSilicone is a fantastic material, and one that will last a lifetime with very minimal care from its owner. It’s body safe, hypoallergenic, & non-porous. It can be cleaned with soap & water/toy cleaner or it can be sanitized with boiling water, a solution of 10% bleach/90% water, or by placing it in the top rack of the dishwasher. With proper sanitizing between uses, it can safely be used with multiple partners. And as an added bonus, it’s surprisingly cool to the touch. This can feel rather glorious during use — soothing the warm & reddened skin that develops from continued spanking.

peltpackageTantus’ line of “silicone sensation toys” includes 5 different paddle designs: the Pelt, Thwack, Wham Bam, Snap Strap, and Plunge (very similar to the Thwack — but with an insertable, dildo-shaped handle). All are made from a velvety soft, matte-finish silicone that attracts hardly any dust, hair, or lint. All designs also include a small round hole near the end of the handle for ease of hanging/storing. Each paddle has a small raised Tantus logo, but packaging is extremely minimal. (If ordered from Tantus, your paddle will likely arrive in a clear plastic sleeve — but if found in a brick & mortar store, a simple hanging tag will probably be the only piece of branding.)

My review will focus on the Pelt & the Wham Bam. However, it you’d like to see all of the Tantus paddles in action, I highly suggest watching Ducky DooLittle’s short video review.

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pelt measurements_phixrThe Tantus Pelt resembles your stereotypical paddle. It is rather short and gently rounded; its impact area being more of an oval than a circle. It’s total length measures in at 11.5″, with approximately 5″ being used for the handle. The width of the paddle ranges from 1.25″ at the neck to approximately 3″ near the rounded tip. (The handle has a maximum width of 1.75″.) The silicone is thicker on the handle (0.5″) than it is on the face (0.25″), allowing it to be more flexible when swung. The Pelt is firm & short enough that it will easily maintain it’s shape when held vertically, not bending in either direction.

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wham bam measurements_phixrThe Wham Bam is a rectangular paddle with a much longer and thinner shape, somewhat resembling a belt. In fact, it’s very similar to the Snap Strap — but not quite as long. The Wham Bam has a total length of 15″, with almost 2/3 of that space being devoted to impact area. The width ranges from 1.25″ at the neck to an even 2″ along the length of the face. The shape of the handle is identical to the Pelt, as is the thickness of the silicone. Even though the silicone is just as thick and firm, the added length makes it much more difficult for the Wham Bam to maintain its shape when held vertically. It easily wants to wobble and droop slightly to one side.

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Of the two, the Pelt is definitely the easiest to control. The shorter length gives it amazingly quick snapping power. With just a flick of the wrist, it lands firmly and evenly in the precise spot that was aimed for. In fact, I’ve found that there’s almost no reason to involve my elbow or my shoulder in swinging the Pelt as I can get all the intensity I need from simply changing the speed of my smaller movements.

whambamflopThe Wham Bam, on the other hand, takes a bit more practice. The long floppy shape can become awkward & anticlimactic with small movements, providing a disappointing experience for the receiver. The aim can also be tricky for inexperienced spankers — myself included. (There have been many apologies offered for accidentally hitting my partner too high or wrapping around his hip.) However, there does appear to be more variety available with this particular paddle. While it’s possible to control the Wham Bam with only quick flicks of the wrist (for less intense hits), it’s most effective when used with more of an exaggerated swing. The focus of the impact can even be changed so that it’s solely on the tip (similar to a whip) or spread out along the entire length (more like a paddle). However, as you can see in the video below, focusing impact on the area near the handle doesn’t give very good results.

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If I could say only one thing about Tantus’ silicone paddles, it would be this: They are not for the faint of heart. The silicone provides a “bite” unlike any other implement I’ve ever experienced as part of my personal adventures in impact play. (This includes leather paddles, leather floggers, rubber floggers, and of course, hands. My experience with canes, whips, & crops is practically nonexistent.)

In fact, I actually bruised my leg while trying to get a decent video for this review. Experiencing growing amounts of pain & still unable to capture that lovely “pop!”, I eventually gave up and asked my wonderful partner to help me out.

Putting the final touches on my review for the @tantusinc Pelt & Wham Bam silicone paddles!

A video posted by Mandi (@erocentric) on


The Pelt, with its wider surface area, is ever-so-slightly less intense than the Wham Bam — but it still feels sharp & stingy (especially when compared to the “thuddyness” of stiffer leather paddles). My partner and I can best describe it as an amplified version of hand-spanking; more intense impact with less exertion on the part of the spanker. The Pelt is capable of a range of sensations, from surprisingly light warm-up taps to a rather intimidatingly loud snap. No matter the intensity, I have found the Pelt to be fairly manageable…at least for a while.

The Wham Bam, on the other hand, can very easily surpass my pain threshold. With its added length, it falls much heavier and the initial sting lasts longer — especially if the impact is focused in the tip. It’s almost impossible to get a nice, gentle warm-up; more often than not, the paddle either flops against the skin with no real impact at all or it jumps straight to making my body twitch in fear & my muscles tighten from the pain. My measly limits prevent my partner from getting in a good swing with the Wham Bam…and although he can certainly take more than I can, I have still occasionally put too much power behind my hits. It’s definitely not a “let loose” kind of toy for either of us. It provides the kind of impact that will jolt us out of our trance — not lull us into a sense of subspace.

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This may not sound very beginner-friendly, but my best advice in the case of Tantus’ silicone paddles is to know what you like beforehand. The intensity of these paddles (especially the Wham Bam) is probably not going to be the right fit for a first time spankee — in fact, it could very well be terrifying. Take some time to get to know what types of sensation you enjoy and where your limits are. (How much warm-up do you need? How hard do you like to be spanked? Do you prefer “thud” or “sting”? How long can you endure? etc.) And for the person doing the spanking, it’ll probably be much easier to start out with tools that offer tighter control and provide a wider range of sensation.

With that being said, if you know that you enjoy stingy & rather intense impact play, the Tantus paddles seriously cannot be beat. They are of absolutely impeccable quality, completely hygienic, and they pack a major wallop. Plus, at approximately $50, they are some of the most affordable impact toys on the market.

4stars

Pros: body-safe & nonporous silicone, shareable, 5 designs offer a range of possibilities, provides very powerful impact with minimal exertion, high-quality yet affordable

Cons: might be too intense or stingy for some individuals, longer paddles (like the Wham Bam) can be a little difficult to control


Special thanks to my affiliate, Tantus, for providing me with the Pelt in exchange for an honest & unbiased review. (I had already purchased the Wham Bam some time ago.) If you would like to add any of Tantus’ silicone paddles to your own collection, please consider doing so here

Vote for Kinkly’s 2015 Sex Blogger Superheroes!

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It’s October and, in addition to nonstop horror movie marathons & the one glorious day of the year when I can wear my flying squirrel kigurumi to work, that means it is time for Kinkly’s Top 100 Sex Blogging Superheroes contest!

Kinkly does some truly amazing things for sex bloggers. They host an ever-growing directory of websites so that people can easily read & learn about sex. They feature Q&As with individual bloggers as part of their Blogger of the Month series. They even recently began linking to bloggers’ reviews within their body-safe Sex Toy Directory.

And of course, there’s the annual Top 100 list. Started in 2013, the list aims to draw attention to the amazing sex positive individuals who are changing the world through their online writing. I was absolutely overjoyed to be included as one of their 2014 Superheroes and I would like to ask for help from my readers this year as well.

If you enjoy the work that I do here at EROcentric, please consider taking a brief moment to vote for my blog. Your continued support means more to me than you know.

There’s no limit to the number of blogs that you can vote for, but you may only vote for each blogger once. (You don’t even have to create an account or share your e-mail address. Simply click on the blogger’s name to go to their individual page and look for the ‘Click Here to Vote’ button.) The contest is being run a little different this year — only open to bloggers who receive a minimum of 5 reader nominations by October 7th. So you’ve got to hurry if you want your voice to be heard!

As always, if you’re looking for more sex bloggers to discover & vote for, check out the list of Blogs I Love on my right sidebar. Although the list is not exhaustive by any means, it does provide a fantastic starting point — highlighting talented writers, photographers, and all-in-general wonderful people.

***Update: Voting for the Reader’s Choice category will remain open through October 31st, so keep the votes coming!