Pretty in pastel - traditional vibrator by Cal Exotics - review by Kkay

Pretty in pastel is marketed as a powerful vibrator, but it didn't hit that notch for me. I'd rate it as comfortably medium. The intensity is higher on the surface of the vibrator, and lower when you wrap your hand around it or insert it. Because of this, if someone needs strong internal vibrations I'd say skip this one, but if you like something mild enough to feel or want a medium-strength buzz for your clit, this might work for you.

It's slim enough for me to recommend it for a beginner, at a reasonable price point for a traditional vibe, and the ease of use makes it unintimidating. Just stick the batteries in and go.

The pictures don't do the texture here justice. The plastic material means that the embossing stands out more than it would on a silicone toy. If you're a fan of texture this would be a good one to pick up -- there's enough so that you can feel it, but the toy isn't so crowded with texture that you can't feel every little bit of it.

The Pretty in Pastel vibrator is made out of firm, rigid plastic. It translates vibrations well, and the texture is smooth and somewhat satiny. It's not the too-hard, too-slick plastic that some toys are made of; rather, it's a comfortable middle point that evokes silicone in my mind when I run my fingers over it. The firmness of the toy especially shows when it's inserted. The girth of it isn't that much, but it has the same unforgiving nature of glass or steel.

I liked the firmness when inserting the toy and when thrusting because it let me feel the texture all the better.

There's a faint plastic scent to it, but it's not something that I would expect to linger after it's been used more than once.

One thing that I found annoying was the print on the handle. It verifies that the toy is waterproof, three-speed, and made in China. For me, it ruins the aesthetic of the toy, and I hate the feel of the raised letters underneath my fingers. None of my other vibrators have this kind of info stamped on them, and I'm not sure why it couldn't be included elsewhere instead of on the toy. Pet peeve? Yes. Something that will make me reach for a different toy instead of this one? Also yes.

The Pretty in Pastel vibrator is seven inches long, with 5 1/2 of those inches being insertable. This was a plus for me because I've found some toys to be too short in the past. I found that the bulb of the handle was easy to hold onto and made for comfortable thrusting, which is a plus over most vibrators on the market.

One of the big draws of this toy is the pretty, swirl-patterned texturing on the sides. At first glance in the picture it looks like something that would only give a taste of texture, but in practice I found it to be almost too much for me. The plastic is rigid and very firm, and because of that even a low-profile design like this can definitely be felt.

It's a good balance, though. If you're someone who does enjoy texture, this will be enough for you to feel.

As for the shape of the shaft itself, I was underwhelmed. There's a tiny blip of a nipple on the tip of the toy that I see no real use for -- it's not big enough to add texture or variation. I almost feel like it was added solely to detract from the looks of this otherwise very pretty toy.

The taper toward the handle didn't do much for me, either. It's not drastic enough to really feel a difference, and you probably won't be inserting enough to feel it anyway.

The vibrator is triggered by a button on the bottom that, for me, offers just the right amount of click. It's simple to depress but not situated so that you'll be likely to accidentally hit it when thrusting, which is an advantage over many of the more expensive toys on the market.

The first click provides a gentle, mild vibration that probably wouldn't be heard under covers. I personally could come nowhere near orgasm with this, but someone more sensitive might enjoy it as a foreplay setting. Click number two takes me to about where I'd expect the strength to be for a traditional vibrator of this make, and three is pleasantly strong while still remaining under the umbrella of 'mild vibration.'

The weak spot of the vibration, to me, is that it seems to be more buzz than vroom. The highest setting sounds like it should be very strong, and if you barely touch the shaft it seems to have a decent amount of strength to it. Reality sets in, though, when you actually press it against skin or insert it. They seem to center in the head of the toy, but there's not much more strength there than throughout the shaft.

Plastic is convenient! Unlike silicone-based toys, this one can play friendly with most types of lube. The rigid surface makes it easy to wipe down, but you'll want to pay extra attention to the ridges and making certain that you get them completely clean. In my experience anything with texture needs a few extra seconds of scrubbing to get everything off and keep it hygienic. This toy is advertised as waterproof, so I'd feel safe just sticking it under the faucet.

The shift from shaft to handle happens down low enough that I doubt anyone will have issues with vaginal fluid getting trapped near the battery compartment.

It's a cute toy and not at all realistic, but the shape makes it pretty obvious what it's intended for. If discretion is an issue, I'd keep this carefully tucked away in a drawer, preferably with the batteries out -- there's no travel-lock on this product.

The box was very meh for me. Overdone flowers and trying-too-hard font on a flimsy plastic box took away from the simple-but-elegant design that made me take a second look at this vibrator. It also claims that the vibrator is for external use only and repeatedly stresses that it's sold as a novelty only.

I like my sex toys to step up and claim what they are. That this one doesn't was a turnoff. I also didn't like the lack of detailed information, but at this price point, it's just another vibrator.

I want to like this toy on looks alone, but when it comes time to stick something in my vagina, being pretty just isn't enough.