LUXE Embrace - vibrating head massager discontinued by Cal Exotics - review by chicmichiw

The Luxe Embrace from California Exotics is designed to be an external clitoral vibrator for the female-bodied. It has ears for added stimulation, which contribute to its appearance of a "rabbit" without the rabbit, so to speak.

Uses:
1. Teaser for couples
2. External clitoral vibrator*

The Embrace could be used as a teaser when held upright. The ears can gently tease the nipples, perineum and vulva--emphasis on gently, as the vibrations are not strong. This toy is possibly best used by a partner because of the way its design orients itself in your hand. Therefore, couples will benefit the most from this toy, possibly incorporating it into their foreplay but certainly not the main event.

Its second use is probably its least effective one--the Embrace could potentially act as a clitoral vibrator for female masturbation. However, multiple design flaws prevent it from being very good at this job. I can name 3 design flaws, of which the first 2 are fatal:

1. Weak vibrations
2. Angle is not for self stimulation
3. Faults in the PU coating

The Embrace is waterproof at least! This opens it up for use in the bathtub and shower, in addition to the bedroom.

The Embrace is made of multiple materials: the head region is 100% silicone, which is billed as "luxurious"; the middle region is plastic with a silver finish; the control region is PU-coated plastic with a "satin finish."

In reality, the silicone is poorly molded and looks cheap. The ears are fairly flexible.


Wrinkling in the material near one ear tips me off to this. Also, the bottom half is PU, which I am very familiar with--it's the same as the Remote-Controlled G, which I also own. I noticed out of the box that the Embrace's PU has marks.



It's not a mark that will wash off, and it will react with the oils in your hands and get worse. The Remote G began to peel a little, which is not good. I anticipate this toy will be the same, but at least it's not on the part that you would use on your really important bits.

In the Embrace is a medium-sized toy, and large-ish for a clitoral vibrator. It's large enough not to be very easy to hide, but it could fit in a suitcase, if not a purse. The black and silver make for a reasonably attractive toy, but I don't think it's very discreet. Someone would definitely ask questions or pick it up.

The Embrace measures:
Length: 5" long
Ears: 1" long
Width: 1.5" wide at the "belly," near the controls


The Luxe Embrace clearly has a rabbit shaped head--complete with eyes and nose (or maybe that's a mouth). I think it looks cute, visually, and the curve of the back fits into your hand nicely. However that same curve dictates how you can hold it, which is to say, only upright. This precludes holding the toy in a different way. As such, the toy will be pointed ears down if used as a woman's self-stimulating toy. On most rabbit-like or pronged toys, the two ears should go around the clit but here they only touch your lips. I found this to be highly disappointing and ineffective.


Since this angle is so strange, this toy isn't even good as a physical massager, e.g., just rubbing the ears across your vulva and clit.

Even though it's cute overall, the face looks either like Mr. Bill without a mouth or the fourth Animaniac.

The Embrace uses 2 AAA batteries. The battery compartment is at the bottom of the toy, below the control panel. I must mention that the battery compartment is pretty well-designed, with a cap that incorporates a sliding groove. I've struggled with opening battery compartments before that were tight or badly placed, but this was smooth, yet secure.

To use the toy, simply press the on/off button. The toy will automatically start at level one. Pressing the "wave" button will cycle through the functions. There are no arrows to go back, only forward.

The Embrace has 7 functions.
1. Low, steady (a laughable 1 vroom)
2. Medium, steady
3. High, steady (2 vrooms, 2 bees)
4. Fast rev
5. Quick pulse
6. Even faster pulse
7. Pulse-pulse-pulse steady

The Embrace is not very loud, though the sound has a whiny tone to it that's not very appealing. What truly are the Embrace's downfall are the pitiful vibrations--it feels stronger in your hand than at the ears or head of the rabbit. This is because the vibrations come from the middle of the rabbit, towards the back and very far from the ears or head. What a fatal design flaw!


The packaging proclaims the Embrace to be waterproof. I have tried this myself, and the excellent battery compartment is truly waterproof. However, underwater, you can say goodbye to feeling what little of the vibrations were there in the first place, which sadly defeats the purpose.

The silicone head of the rabbit and face, which are waterproof, make this toy easy to clean. You can give it a quick wipe-down, or even a rinse with bleach. Neither boiling nor using the dishwasher are appropriate for this toy. Since this toy is not insertable, I don't really anticipate much mess.

Water-based lubes or oil-based lubes are your best option, as silicone lubes will degrade the top part of the Embrace. Also keep this in mind if you allow it to mingle with other toys--I wouldn't allow the Embrace to touch other silicone toys, as their surfaces could react over time.

The Embrace comes in a partially clear plastic box. Inside is a plastic insert on which rests the Embrace. The regular shape makes the box a decent option for storage, especially since the plastic insert is molded to fit the shape of the Embrace. Otherwise, though, it's not an attractive option.