This probe was a number of firsts for me. Previously I had never owned a toy designed specifically for anal play, a silicone toy, or a pink toy. The box clearly states that it is intended to be a beginner's probe. I'm not sure how I would have felt about this had I never stuck anything in my butt before. Towards the bottom this is almost a large as a penis. If you're really truly a beginner and are timid, I would recommend something more like this.

California Exotics clearly made this for anal use, though I'm sure you could use it in your vagina as well. If you like to change up which orifice you use this with, or the owner of said orifices, make sure you sterilize it.

I'm fearless, so I haven't worried too much about the suction cup base not being enough to prevent this from 'getting lost'. The more safety concerned may want to get something with a larger or at least a more sturdy base.

The L'Amour probe is made silicone with a TPE core. It's soft to the touch, almost velvety. It has a nice amount of give to it, but not enough to make it ineffective or difficult to insert. Silicone has no taste or smell directly out of the box. I have noticed that smells tend to be absorbed. It's not really a problem if you wash your toys with soap/use a toy cleaner with a nice smell after each use. Who hates for their things to smell nice?

Even though silicone is one of the easiest materials to sterilize, I prefer to use this with a condom over it. With the lube that I use there's a little bit of drag to the silicone that I find uncomfortable. Condoms remedy this and make clean up much easier. I've found that condoms give you a tiny bit more to hold onto when retrieving the probe. The suction cup base is really flimsy and hard to grab, particularly when lubed up and in between your butt cheeks.

At four inches long (3 3/4 of which is insertable) and a circumference of four inches, it's a good size toy for beginners, but I wouldn't recommend it for COMPLETE beginners. Most of the time I just want some subtle anal stimulation to enhance other things going on, and this isn't the toy to do that for me at the moment. I'm sure I'll become more fond of it as my anal experience grows. It's no fault of the probe. I would have preferred my first to be either a smaller plug or some sort of beads. I've tried to insert this only part of the way to achieve some level of teasing, but it falls out of place. With it's sleek tapered shape I didn't expect it to stay, but it was worth a try.

Speaking of sleek and tapered, the design is quite beautiful. It has a slight wave shape to it with intentional ridges going across the two sides with seams and what I consider the front. They don't add any texture that you can feel during use, but they make the toy look elegant. Aforementioned seams aren't large enough to need to be filed down. The only part I can feel them with my finger is the base, and I haven't noticed them at all during use.

The base has more than the seams wrong with it and is the reason I docked a star from my review. I don't understand why it's a suction cup. It will stick to anything that is flat, but that hardly comes in handy with a toy so small. A thicker base would better suit an anal toy.

L'amour isn't incredibly discreet, but it is small enough that I would feel comfortable traveling with it. I think it would take anybody rifling through your things a few seconds to realize what it was. My mother wouldn't recognize it as a sex toy, but people who have any sort of interest in anal play will. If you're super shy you may be able to pass this off as a strange Japanese shower hook to hang your loofah on.

For the most part, the probe performs as it's supposed to. It's body-friendly, sturdy enough to probe effectively, and has no sharp edges that bite you. The only part that falls short is the base. I suctioned it to the shower wall just to be thorough, but could hardly get it in by pushing myself against the wall. It suctions to the base of the tub just as well, but I can't sit like that and get off at the same time. A cute idea, but it just doesn't work. My use of the toy isn't hindered by it, but I'm bothered by the useless design.

Silicone is so easy to take care of! Boil it. Put it in the top rack of your dishwasher. Or for people like me who are living with other people, wash it with soap and warm water in the bathroom while your room mate thinks you're peeing and then smuggle it back into your room in your pocket.

Silicone is not as easy with lubes. Use a water based lube, or don't use this toy.

After cleaning, you can store it in the box it came in or a little toy bag. You wont want to just leave it in your underwear drawer because it attracts fuzzies like a magnet.

Packaging is minimal, but still classy. It wont work well for storage if you need to hide your toys, because sixty percent of the plastic box is clear. If you're counting on people not recognizing what it is without you telling them, it also says butt plug on the box. In six different languages. That's right. Even your sheltered German exchange student will know what this is. Analstöpsel!

The box also tells you (in teeny letters on the bottom) basic care instructions and to use only water based lubes with its toy. And in case you've forgotten, you can read that the probe is silicone in seven different places.

California Exotics also offers a warranty on new toys. Your probe's serial number is on the bottom of the package. I don't want to know what ways a silicone butt plug can be damaged, but warranties are always nice.