The primary function of this toy is anal play. Being glass, it is ideally suited to temperature play -- stick it in some chilled water for a few minutes before use, and enjoy a cooling sensation. Alternately, warm it up in your hand first, for a body-temperature experience.

Since it is a firm glass toy, care should be taken to insert it slowly, and appropriate lubricant is important. Glass can be used with either water based or silicone based lubes. Pyrex glass should not chip or shatter, and if dropped will generally break into large pieces, but it only takes a moment to examine a toy for chips, so please do so before each use.

As for the flared base, it seems wide enough for safety. The base itself appears to be not much larger than the neck of the toy, which worried me at first, but when I examined the shape, the angle of the base reassured me. I spent several minutes testing how much pressure was necessary to pull the base through the circle of my thumb and forefinger before I proceeded with any more interesting testing. I came to the conclusion that while it's quite possible to shove the toy in too deep if one really tries, it seems fairly unlikely that it could happen without noticing. My opinion was not altered by actual use.

If for some reason one wishes to insert this toy vaginally, be sure it is sterilized first.

The Violet Ripple is made of smooth Pyrex glass, which is odorless and firm. It's also a very attractive clear purple color. Due to the firmness of glass, you might want to think twice about making this your first anal toy, but I'm not wildly experienced in that area, and used the toy successfully.

The Violet Ripple has an understated elegance that makes you want to handle it, and is pleasing appearance is generally a good sign in a toy. Unattractive toys lack sex appeal, after all, but the Violet Ripple has nothing to fear in that area.

This toy looks smaller in hand then it feels in use, so it provided a full sensation without looking too intimidating. Since it's glass, the weight added to that feel. While plenty of smaller plugs are available for the beginner, I did not have any difficulty with the size of this plug, despite limited experience, so again I hesitate to warn off beginners. Use the view actual size feature that Edenfantasys so kindly provides, and use your own judgment.

The tapering shape made it easy to insert, with proper lubrication (glass works with any lube -- water based, silicone based, or oil based -- another plus), while the long neck made it possible to manipulate the toy quite a bit.

From looking at the toy on my computer screen, I had some concerns about the base of the toy being wide enough for safety, but after playing with it in my hand for a good fifteen minutes, I found myself reassured. Glass isn't flexible, so there's not the worry that the base will fold in on itself and cause trouble. Plus, the angle from neck to base is sharp enough that it requires some effort to tug it through a ring made of thumb and forefinger.

Upon use, I found that the base felt quite secure. If worrying will interfere with your enjoyment, you could loop a string or thong of some kind around the neck for emergencies, but I did not find that necessary.

Since my experience in this type of play is extremely limited, I was somewhat intimidated at the thought of using this toy, and at the prospect of writing this review. But I plunged ahead, and the Violet Ripple eased me around the curves.

I'm a fan of glass, because I love to chill my toys, and this one of course performed as expected in that area. I also really like the length of the neck, which let me move the toy around a bit as I experimented. The tapered end was easy to insert, and the toy provided a full sensation without being particularly bothersome as I moved around and attempted to be bothered by it before continuing the experience.

When I sat in a chair and attempted to read an entirely unrelated book, I did notice the toy repeatedly. While it didn't cause any pain or discomfort, it did both reassure me that it would be pretty hard to not notice should it attempt any unwanted adventures -- I definitely could feel the base -- and it also made concentration a tad bit difficult.

I suppose that the amount one might pay attention to such a thing is tied directly to their experience, and I have only used a couple of other objects in this region before, so use your own judgment when making this purchase decision. Whether you plan to ignore it or want it to resist your efforts in that area is also something I cannot guess.

Overall, I found this a pleasant enough toy to use, especially when I completed the experiment by letting my JimmyJane Little Something join the fun. As that phase of the experiment came to a conclusion, I discovered that the Violet Ripple was not a toy that would make a rapid and unexpected exit from the proceedings, as I have read that some toys of the species do. This had worried me, but I was pleased by this result.

Glass can be washed in the sink with hot soapy water, put through the dishwasher, boiled, or cleaned with a bleach solution, all without harming the toy. Just make sure it is thoroughly rinsed before storage, so you don't encounter soap residue when playtime comes around.

Storage is simple, as this toy comes with its own padded bag.

The minimalist packaging pleased me greatly. It came neatly and safely tucked insides its satin-lined, padded storage bag, with only a single clear plastic bag to recycle. Nothing incriminating to hide in the trash at all. Yay! The storage bag is a thing of beauty. It feels soft and thick, and provides wonderful safe storage for a glass toy. Since the toy in question is smaller than many glass toys, it could easily get by with a smaller bag. I'm guessing this is the same bag the manufacturer provides with all of its toys.

I have only used two other toys in the region in question previously -- a set of vibrating beads from Doc Johnson, which I hated, and the Alumina Revolve from Tantus, which is fantastic. I was pleased that the Violet Ripple provided a positive experience.