Venus butterfly - strap-on vibrator by Cal Exotics - review by Findin' my Groove

Although I generally play the dominant role in our sex life (my husband claims to 'just enjoy the ride' literally and figuratively, I suppose), this is a toy he will sometimes use when he wants a little more control. Occasionally when I get up and wander into the kitchen, I will find it all snug in its little velvet case along with a note that will say something along the lines of "please put on at 1pm, on the low setting. I will text with further directions."

And let me tell you, it is with a grin that this dutiful wife pulls it out of the bag at 1pm promptly, and gets it all set-up! Throughout the day, I will receive further texts with prompts to change the speed on it to medium, high, or off.

He is especially fond of springing this on me on days he knows I will be grocery shopping, although he is aware that I turn it off if it gets too quiet to cover up the noise. (I wouldn't want to be wearing her at, say, the library...I have a touch of exhibitionist in me--but not that much! She's quiet, but not silent.)

Are the vibrations strong enough to bring on the big "O"? No! But, that's half the fun of this toy--at least in the way we use it. I stay tantalizingly close and aroused all day long, while never quite getting there. As a result, by the time he's home, I'm horny as hell, and ready for him. However, he always holds out on me until bed time, turning the naughty little butterfly on and off, high, low, and whatever all evening long as I cook and serve dinner, tidy the kitchen, etc. By the time we do retire to bed, I'm usually completely ready, and it doesn't take much for him to push me to the edge and over--over and over again. We don't leave her on during sex--other, stronger, better positioned and less bulky toys are far better as stimulation.

Be forewarned! For me, at the very least, I will remain hot and horny throughout most or all of the next day, and often have an extremely increased number of girly version wet dreams for a night or two following all day use of this toy. But when is that ever a bad thing?....

One other thing to be aware of; I do also find that after wearing her all day, and then a marathon romp in the sack that evening, I will typically be desensitized for a day or two--making that horniness even more annoying to deal with, but not unmanageable. We are careful not to use anything for hours on end more than once every month or two, as well.

I have had this lovely lady for about two years, although she really only comes out of her pouch about once every four to six weeks.

I do recall a vaguely unpleasant odor when I first took her out of the box, but I don't remember it lingering at all.

I have to admit, I like jelly toys. They are soft and supple, seem to generally be a comfortable temperature, and don't irritate my skin at all (and who wants irritation down there!), and since I have no intention of sharing any of my toys, it's a fine material for me.

However, we all know the drawbacks of jelly! Remember to keep her indulgently to yourself--she isn't to be shared, since she cannot be sterilized.

Overall, I'd be happy if she were a little smaller. It appears (to me) that she was designed with the impression of nestling into the lips of the vagina, with her head tickling your clit, and the tail down at the perineum.

Ummm....no?... Sorry to disappoint, but my clit and perineum are a little farther away than the designers seem to realize. However, she is not uncomfortable, and I actually find that when I wear my smartballs at the same time as I wear her, the body of the butterfly is enough to 'wiggle' the smartballs just a little bit as I move around, which is just that much more stimulating. If I wear her a little high, her head does nestle against my clit, though the tail, annoyingly enough, can sometimes slip sideways a little bit and dig into my labia. Seriously considering trying to 'snip the tip' of the tail off. She is otherwise comfortable to wear.

The straps are elastic, and fit me (size 12) comfortably, with a fair bit of stretch left in them. I'm not entirely sure a very slender woman wouldn't find her a little loose, but then, I've never been very slender, so couldn't really tell you! haha Regardless, the straps could just be knotted to tighten them up if needed.

A hint for comfortable, stay put positioning? Tight, full coverage underwear! She doesn't work with a thong. Boy shorts also tend to pull her hard in one direction or another. But a nice pair of firm fitting bikini briefs is about perfect.

Wearing her during sex? Doesn't really work for us--she's a little too big to be comfortable, and hubby says that he can feel her tail scraping against his penis during entry, even when we moved her up higher on my body.

No thanks--we have other toys that do the job better!

Her body is attached to the control unit via a wire is a couple feet long, and seems to be attached a little more securely than those on many other toys. Neither has appeared to be getting loose in any way, even after a good dozen or more uses. (And remember, each of those uses was several hours long).

It takes two AA's, and I find that in order to keep the vibrations going strong, I usually replace them about four hours in to a session.

Controls are managed by a simple dial on the side, and mine, at least, has no indications as to what you are selecting, but it's pretty intuitive. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be a feature, or is just the bullet in mine, but I have found that when I'm sitting quiet and still, and it's set to the lower end of medium, I get a pleasant 'rolling' back and forth sensation on my clit.

Again, she's quiet, but I wouldn't want to use her in a library! She would be a perfect companion to wear to a noisy movie (hmmm...now THAT has possibilities...), a loud restaurant, the bar, etc., adding just that little bit of naughtiness and spice to an evening out.
Want to wear it around the house with the kids around? Just turn on the TV or radio, and I'd say you'll be fine.

Her little curves can get a little bit of build up--especially with many hours of use like I engage in.
I am always careful not to submerge her in any way, and find that a sterilizing wipe is about the best way to keep her clean between uses. On the fairly rare occasion that stuff gets into the holes where the straps attach, I use a toothpick and cotton swab. Having to resort to this is unusual however, as her wingspan is great enough that, for me at least, the wingtips typically stay clean. The straps do not detach for cleaning.

I don't find a lot of need for lube with her--I usually start with a little bit of something water based around the area to prevent chafing early on, but between the anticipation of things to come and her constant stimulation, I do find that no reapplication of lube is needed; I stay plenty slick with no external interference. She is, however, compatible with both water and silicone based lubes.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for looking at a beautiful half naked woman, but I have to admit, I always cringe when I see one splayed out across the packaging for the toy I've just bought. I'm so much more a fan of more discreet, elegant packaging. This packaging certainly fell into the former category, and I promptly removed the packaging and discarded it, choosing to tuck my new toy into one of the velvet pouches I bought specifically for the purpose of hiding and protecting my toys.

(I still live in fear of my two year old bringing some such 'butterfly' down to show all the guests at a dinner party--therefore, discreet, locks, and hiding are all used to keep these from showing up at our dinner table in front of Grandma and Grandpa!)

I honestly don't remember if there were directions; it seemed pretty straight forward, and so I cleaned it up and strapped it on promptly for a test drive!

I think the only thing that would make her better is a better overall shape, and a wireless remote. (Could we make that strong enough for hubby to control from work?...haha...joking! But, a girl can dream!)

All in all, we have loads of fun with her on the occasions that we pull her out. She offers my husband a certain measure of control, without feeling any pressure to do anything that makes him uncomfortable, and works very hard to keep us both aroused all day long.

I wouldn't recommend her to someone who is looking to use exclusively this toy to orgasm, unless you're sensitive and only need light vibrations to get off, but she is fun to wear out in public for little spice, and great for building anticipation.