Gracious, from the Petite Couture Collection is a mix of reliability and unexpected elegance.

As this new line from Cal Exotics features smaller toys with thinner diameters (the Gracious is just 1 1/4"), it appeals to first time toy users looking for a quality toy that is hygienic, semi-powerful, built to last, and priced reasonably.

Made out of Premium Grade Japanese Silicone, the Gracious is soft, albeit a little gritty like a pencil eraser as this material tends to attract debris like dust, lint, and dirt. Seeing as the vibe is white in color, debris shows itself quite easily, fitting you with the knowledge that you need to wash your toy immediately before use.

Without proper lubrication, some users may find the unique texture of both soft and rough does not work well for easy thrusting or quick maneuverability. Combining the surface texture with the interesting square design creates a toy you either love or hate.

Gracious offers a boxy design rather than your standard round or cylindrical shaped vibrator. This square like design may pose problems if you are not properly lubricated as the vibrator does not taper from a point to a thicker width; the Gracious rather starts with a squared off tip that becomes just a little thicker the further you push it inside.

The Gracious is shaped much like a banana and offers four sided corners that are prominent. and for those that are extremely sensitive, they may be uncomfortable despite the vibrator's small 4" circumference. While the corners on the tip of the vibrator have been smoothed down, further along the shaft they become sharper and harder to ignore.

The vibrator, while dense for the first 1 1/2" and roughly the last three, has an estimated two inch middle that is hollow allowing you the ability to bend the toy quite easily to manipulate against your g-spot. While this hollow space offers the Gracious an extreme amount of flexibility, the hard tip and the hard end of the toy prevent it from achieving it's true potential of becoming one very bendy toy.

The size of the toy gives an extreme appeal to beginners, first time toy buyers, or those looking for a quality mini vibrator that does not have an extreme price point like LELO's Liv. While the Gracious offers extreme differences like its boxy, squared design and the fact it offers 3 AAA batteries as opposed the Liv which can be charged, the hygienic properties of the nonporous silicone make this a toy that competes well amongst the luxury mini vibrator market.

The Gracious offers semi-powerful vibrations that have recycled settings found amongst other California Exotic toys such as the Flirty plush pack Magic ball. Despite these settings being featured in a toy that costs quite a bit less, the motor of the Gracious does not chug nor does it stutter as with their lower quality toys- instead, it offers fluid and solid vibrations that are continuous and fulfill most needs of the pleasure seeking consumer.

The control base offers two indented buttons, one that powers the toy on and the other that cycles through the patterns. Each pattern offers a high whine vibration that gives a superficial vibration that remains on the surface of the skin as opposed to a thick, deep, thuddy vibration that travels down into the muscles of the vagina.

The first three vibration patterns are continuous buzzing ranging from low, medium, and high. The fourth has a bit of a chug and gradually increases in intensity. The fifth is a fast on/off vibration that is fairly powerful and feels quite sharp. The sixth is an even faster on/off vibration that is a little more dull and resonates just a little deeper. The seventh setting starts with three on/off buzzes that are followed by a fourth buzz that is held out for several seconds.

All settings must be cycled through to return to one you liked but may have passed. And to turn off the vibrator, simply click the smaller button located right above the settings button.

The vibrations are featured in the tip of the toy, making it work quite well for clitoral stimulation. However, while the motor is in the front of the toy the vibrations trickle down the shaft providing sufficient internal stimulation.

Another feature of the Gracious is that it is waterproof. Cal Exotics created an interesting (E-Z load) battery compartment that twists into the base of the toy and houses 3 AAA batteries. This unique battery storage design creates one that may be hard for some users to open as it requires a good deal of strength, but it also prevents water from seeping inside during play in the bath or shower.

The Gracious is made out of silicone so silicone lubricants are not recommend. Simply stick with a water-based lubricant you know and love to preserve the integrity of the surface texture.

To clean your new toy simply use soap and water or an antibacterial toy cleaner. As this vibrator is waterproof, you can fully wash it under the tap without risk to the electronic parts.

When storing, make sure the Gracious does not come in contact with other like materials, a simple option would be to keep it inside of a small cotton bag or in a box made specifically for sex toys which offers dividers that prevent them from touching one another.

The Gracious is featured in a basic white cardboard box that offers a picture of the toy to a backdrop of streaming water. The text is blue and silver which contrasts nicely against the white. This is not one you can keep around as it easily gets dented or crushed but it is nonthreatening and extremely intimidating, in fact, it's rather classy and understated.

The Gracious had all the makings for a wonderful toy. With a price point of $45, a motor that works well and offers fairly powerful vibrations, and truly hygienic silicone I thought this would be one of my favorites. Unfortunately, due to the boxy, squared design it was hard for me to insert. The gritty texture of the silicone also created unnecessary friction and overall, made this a vibrator that was not pleasant to thrust.

However, while it did not work well as an insertable toy, it did work well as a clitoral vibrator but I expected and desired more. The Couture line is phenomenal but the Gracious just wasn't the one for me.