I had wondered quite a while why this plug was called a "pacifier". And while I'm still not quite sure (is it seriously implemented for ass-pacifying reasons?), I do know that I was very impressed with this plug. It's important to note that this is coming from someone who has only owned two anal-specific toys prior to this one. So while I'm certainly not a beginner anymore, I'm also not an advanced user and still stick to smaller, less intense anal stimulators. So anyone in that middle area between anal-virgin and anal-master I think would be the most happy with this product. And if you're one of the ones on the ends of the 'butt spectrum', I think this could be either an adventurous starter or a simple hiatus from intense anal pleasure.

But before we get to the pleasure, let's take a tour of the Love Pacifier.

The Material

If you didn't already know, my preference for toys is that it make a 10 out of 10 on the safety scale, meaning that it is completely non-porous and sterilizable. This plug is silicone, allowing it to be sanitized between uses, partners, or orifices to prevent the sharing of illnesses, bacteria, or STDs. How do you sterilize this, do you ask? You can boil it for a few minutes in water, put it in the top rack of your dishwasher (sans soap), or soak it for a few minutes in a 10% bleach solution, which is my personal preference. This will not only take care of all those scary germy issues but also that eau de derrière. Pretty great, right? You can, of course, also use basic soap and water or add on a general toy cleaning spray or wipe but just be aware that these are only basic cleaners and not able to fully sanitize.

This particularly brand of silicone is unique in that it appears shiny and smooth but definitely has more of a drag to it than it seems. I recommend not skimping on the lube unless you are advanced or used to this type of texture. The slippery-er it is, the easier it will go in and prevent anal tearing.

One more important thing to mention here is that while just about every form of cleaning will do for this toy, you should not use just any lubricant with it. Honestly I'll tell you to stick to water-based and water-based only. Silicone-based lubricants, though it may seem to make sense at first, will simply adhere to the material and cause a degrade in your toy suddenly making it less safe or unusable. Arousal gels are fine though, as long as they're water-based.

The Design

As you can see in the Eden product photos (sorry I don't have any personal ones for you this time), this plug has a distinctive tear-drop shaped bulb and round retrieval ring. It appears very simplistic with no bells and whistles (which would be painful in my opinion) but that's where its power lies. That gentle point at the end allows for very easy insertion. Instead of starting out with a wide point or ball forcing your rectum wide from the start, you have more of a progression from tip or bulb. Just add a little bit of lube to either yourself or the toy (or both if you're a newbie or particularly tight) and begin the gentle insert.

The trick is to relax your muscles and mimic the contraction of defecation without actually pushing out your, well, poop. This is the part that many beginners are nervous about. It's not about something in their rear, most are just afraid of going to the bathroom when inserting/removing the toy. Honestly, don't be so anxious that you're clenching your muscles so much that you miss the pleasure. Just make sure you've had a bowel movement recently beforehand. And, of course, it doesn't hurt to be able to giggle to yourself or your partner about the topic of poo.

The other very important wonderful design factor of this plug is the retrieval ring. Well it's a dual-purpose ring. It functions both as a tool for removal as well as the safety base to prevent suckage into the anus. (I'm serious! Suckage!) It's wonderfully flexible considering the high quality material and thins out to the point of being able to comfortably ignore it if this plug is worn casually for some clandestine pleasure.

The Difficulties

I was undecided whether this was more a flaw or an achievement. I've decided it's both, depending on the user. But also in the design is a very thin neck (meaning the part between the bulb and the ring). It's wonderful in that it's so thin because it allows the sphincter of the anus to close comfortably around it, preventing the plug from popping out at inconvenient times. It also gives my muscles a break from having to squeeze or stretch to fit its dimensions. The problem? Well, it's so thin that it's just as flexible as the thin part of the ring. I could not depend on grabbing the ring or the neck as means of insertion and instead had to hold onto the bulb itself. I would not want to sacrifice the thinness for rigidy, however, so if I had to choose only one feature I would keep the plug the way it is.

So that leaves me with the only real downside for someone like myself. The seam. There is a very prominent seam splitting the plug into two symmetrical halves running down the bulb and around the ring. I know it was easily fixable with sandpaper or a sanding tool from a handy person's shed and all but it seriously bothered me that it was that bad in the first place. It can seriously scratch up your sensitive bits if you don't go out of your way to trim or sand it down before play time commences. Quality control of this product should really check for this before packaging and shipping this toy for distribution and purchase.

Other than that single important flaw of course, I seriously won't let this plug hit the bottom of my toy box. Just have some sandpaper ready, get your favorite water-based lube, and go to (butt) town!!!