JO agape personal lubricant by System JO - review by Kkay

System JO Agape lubricant is silicone-free, glycern-free, and unscented. This makes it perfect for someone like me who is allergic to the sun, the moon, and the stars. I'd give it a recommendation on that point alone, because I know how difficult it can be to find a lubricant that won't irritate your skin if you're glycerin-intolerant.

My favorite use for this lubricant was with toys. Thanks to being water-based you can use it with silicone toys without having to worry about damaging them, and it's slick and slippery enough to not need to be constantly reapplied during a masturbation session.

Due to the flavor (more on that later) I would not recommend it for someone who switches between penetration and oral.

I tried using it as an anal lubricant and found that it's enough for use with a glass toy. It wasn't easy going, though, so I wouldn't suggest this one for someone looking for a water-based anal lube. I also found it lacking vaginally for PIV sex.

I wasn't convinced about four ounces for a water-based lubricant because of my past attempts with them, but to my surprise the amount dispensed by the pump, even though small, is enough to work with. The pump is easy to activate, and one or two squirts is enough to use for a toy. The issue comes in actual penetrative sex: I found that I pretty much had to jockey the bottle to get enough to use, and it kind of killed the moment. It's also difficult to find the right amount of pressure to use. Too slow a pump and lube drips down the bottle, too fast and it spits out forcefully, getting everywhere but where you want it.

The lubricant claims on the bottle that it's never sticky, but I didn't find this to be the case. If you're applying it to a toy, the small amount of residue left on your fingers quickly turns tacky and unpleasant, like wet elmer's glue. It's an unpleasant sensation that makes me want to have baby wipes or something similar on hand just to get it off of my fingers. My partner also experienced this aspect of it during penetrative sex- I asked him his opinions on a vibrator we'd been using, and he immediately segued into talking about how he disliked the stickiness of the lubricant.

On the positive side, it's one of the thickest water-based lubricants that I've found. I don't know that I would suggest it for anal- I really, really, really feel that's a task for a silicone lubricant- but it was considerably slicker in texture than the other water-based lubes I've tried. It stays in place better than most. It does slide, but if I put a few drops on a toy then turn it upside-down, it doesn't immediately fall off.

The lubricant itself is clear and completely unscented. There's no lingering chemical smell, no smell of plastic- nothing. There isn't even the trademark 'unscented' scent. This is a huge plus for someone like me, who struggles constantly with perfumes.

The taste, however, leaves much to be desired. It's not designed as an oral lubricant, so taste isn't as big of a factor, but I would very much recommend never tasting this. The initial impression is a cloying, false sweetness, then a distinct chemical taste sets in and refuses to leave your tongue. The aftertaste actually made me nauseous. If you plan to start with fingering then move to oral, or to switch from vaginal to oral, use a different lubricant. I cannot emphasize enough how much you do not want to taste this.

My first thought when I touched Agape was that it was the closest I'd ever seen a water-based lubricant come to being a silicone lubricant.

After using it, I still have that feeling, with some caveats.

When used with toys, Agape lasts. I've used it with glass and with silicone, and I had no difficulty. Two squirts on my MiMi was plenty for a 45 minute session; one on a glass dildo had me good to go until my arm was tired of thrusting. The amount that I had to use was miniscule in comparison to how much was in the bottle, especially when it came to water-based lubes. Sure, what lingered on my fingers would get unpleasantly tacky and sticky, but I could remedy that by applying the lube directly to a toy.

Then came vaginal sex.

I want to like this for penetrative sex, I really, really do, but honestly? I'd rather have sex with a silicone lube and forgo the vibrator.

My first problem came with getting enough lube. The pump works fine when you're using something smooth, but skin has drag, and I'm not naturally wet unless I'm extremely aroused. Getting enough lube for comfortable sex meant hitting the pump eight+ times. It ruined the mood, I felt like I still didn't have enough, and five minutes later I was having to apply more to try and get past the drag.

The best way I can describe it is that for penetrative sex, Agape feels a lot like natural vaginal fluid. This might be a plus for some people, who want the experience to be as close to natural as possible, but it wasn't for me.

I like the bottle. It's very clean-looking, nothing over-the-top about it. It isn't discreet if you read it, but it doesn't scream sex the way other lubricant bottles do. It's something that I would be comfortable tucking into a suitcase or leaving out on the counter, under the assumption that if someone is picking up bottles and reading the labels, they deserve what comes to them.

The pump has positives and negatives. You can operate it one-handed, but it's hard to judge just how much you need to press.

As for how it arrived, it was just the bottle loose in the box, with clinging film on it like you usually get on bottles.