Petite couture Aquarius - vibrator by Cal Exotics - review by Owl Identified

Ah, my Aquarius. How I've longed for a dual stimulator of your ilk! My love for my Rabbit Habit borders on religious in nature, but there are a few areas in which the Habit could stand to be modernized and brought into the 21st century. The Petite Couture line takes this step by upgrading the material used for the shaft and animal-shaped attachment to silicone. What does that mean for us? OPTIONS, GLORIOUS OPTIONS!

Because the Aquarius (like the rest of the Coutures) is silicone it can be shared without a condom or a worry, and it can be used just about any way you can think of so long as you are careful to clean thoroughly between uses. The long, rotating shaft can be used vaginally or anally; the dolphin attachment and the handle make the chances of your Aquarius disappearing into your bum very slim. The vibrating marine mammal located near the handle can be used in combination with the rotating shaft to provide a variety of sensations to the clitoris, perineum, the testicles or even the anus. Many dual stimulators such as the Rabbit Habit are limited to basic vaginal play because they are made of porous materials, but not this baby. If you can dream it, chances are you can do it. Just be sure to be very thorough when cleaning between uses and NEVER go from anal use to vaginal use without a complete sterilization first.

One of the things I love the most about this vibrator is that it can accommodate so many bodies, including male and female bodies. Even if you find the dolphin doesn't reach your clitoris in the most ideal way, you can simply turn him around and enjoy some anal stimulation. Even my partner (male bodied) has found this toy very pleasurable, making the Aquarius the very first vibrator that we have been able to share.

The Petite Couture Aquarius is made from 100% Japanese silicone with a hard plastic handle. I haven't been able to find any information on what the difference between Japanese silicone and, say, Canadian silicone would be. However, being 100% silicone this toy is 100% non-porous meaning that it cannot absorb microbes and harbor them. Bacteria can only occupy the surface of this material and once it is properly sterilized the surface can be completely rid of harmful microbes.

Even though this vibrator is non-porous, smells can still cling to the surface. When mine first arrived it had a strange, faintly sweet smell about it. After I left it out in the open to aerate a bit the smell disappeared --I assume the toy picked up the smell from the storage facility it had come from. Similarly if you use this toy anally you may find smells linger a bit on the surface. This can happen with any silicone toy and again, leaving it out in a cool and dry place will get rid of the smell in a day or so.

As a final note about the material, this silicone is VERY soft and pliable! This makes maneuvering the dolphin to hit your sweet spots very easy. The texture is nearly matte (think Fun Factory silicone) and this adds just the slightest bit of friction. Very nice, if you ask me ;)

The Aquarius' design was a surprisingly comfortable fit for my body. The dolphin attachment is brilliantly flexible making it very easy to adjust for a snug placement along your clitoris or perineum. It also doesn't have that incredibly irritating tendency to crush my clitoris by being bent too close to my body, nor does it completely miss the mark by dangling somewhere so completely distant from my clit that it couldn't hope to give me an orgasm if someone hooked it up to a car battery. I am very picky when it comes to clitoral stimulation but between the variety of patterns for vibration and the shape and angle of this dolphin, I think the Aquarius really does a great job. The only issue I really had with the dolphin was that its nose has a tendency to poke my clitoris a little bit, and if it shifts during play sometimes it can stab me quite uncomfortably.

The vibrator is from one end to the other about 9.5" long --NOT exactly a discreet toy. Unless you keep your wallet in a mail carrier's satchel you probably won't be able to tote this around and keep a low profile. But it's not really as large as it appears at a glance; its insertable length (the shaft) is less than 5 inches. The top 2-3 inches of the shaft are what rotate in a rather small arc in order to (hopefully) stimulate your G spot. The handle of the vibrator is a healthy four inches in length which makes maintaining your grip very easy to do even under slippery circumstances. The shaft is about 1.5" in diameter so if you do not have some experience with slightly girthier toys that you may want to consider your limitations before getting this toy. It's no monster, but it's not quite a beginner's model either.

The shaft falls a bit flat in my experience, but it's more of a functional issue that a design issue. However, I do think that a more intensely curved tip could have provided much better G-spot stimulation. Between the very small arc of the rotation and the nearly straight lines of the shaft, I wasn't able to achieve a G-spot orgasm without some very crafty maneuvering. The clitoral stimulation is really wonderful but the shaft could definitely use some work. Still, if you just appreciate the sensation of being "full" while stimulating your clitoris, and you don't really like firm G-spot pressure, this vibrator may have everything you need.

The dolphin attachment has seven settings which are pretty standard as far as vibrators go. They include three sustained vibrations of varying strengths, an escalating vibration, and a few patterns. They are as follows:

First setting: Low, sustained vibration, relatively shallow
Second setting: Medium, sustained vibration, relatively shallow
Third setting: High, sustained vibration, very buzzy and shallow
Fourth setting: Staccato, staggered vibration (Bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz)
Fifth setting: Escalating vibration, increasing in intensity (bbbbzzzZZZZZZZZZ)
Sixth setting: Another staccato, staggered vibration
Seventh setting: Another pattern (bz, bz, bz, BZZZZ)

While the dolphin isn't completely quiet and can be heard through a blanket, it is virtually inaudible through a door. It is also a lot quieter when held against a body part than when it is buzzing freely. It is controlled by a separate motor (located in the body of the dolphin) and a separate button located on the base of the vibrator. It can be seen in the video above.

The shaft has three functions, which are just three speeds of rotation. The arc of the shaft, as I mentioned above, is pretty small and is shown in the video. It was not wide enough to hit my G-spot and so for myself, it didn't matter how fast the shaft was spinning because it just wasn't getting me off. The shaft is also controlled by a separate motor (located in the shaft itself) and a separate button located on the base of the vibrator.

All in all this is a very quiet and very user-friendly vibrator. It is also waterproof and while I have not submerged it (I love it too much to risk ruining it!) I have brought it in the shower a few times and it has handled the water just fine. I also rinse it off under the faucet for regular day to day cleaning and again, it has done very well with this. Just be sure to check the battery compartment after you expose your Aquarius to water. If any water has leaked into the compartment just dry it manually with a paper towel as best you can, then leave the compartment open for 24 hours to make sure all the little crevices are completely dried out.

Caring for the Aquarius is very easy because it is made from hygienic 100% silicone. For personal use (if you are keeping your play restricted to one area of the body) you can give this toy a quick wash with anti-bacterial soap and warm water. However, if you are going to switch from anal play to vaginal, or if you are going to be sharing this toy with someone else, it is best to sterilize this toy with a 10% bleach solution. Wiping it down with this solution with completely sterilize your toy without compromising the material. You cannot boil this toy due to its motors, nor can it be put in a dishwasher.

Silicone toys should be used with water or oil based lubricants to keep them in top condition. Silicone lubricants can bond to silicone toys and leave a thick, gummy film on the surface that is very difficult to remove. If you really wish to use silicone based lubricant it is best to rub a small amount on a patch of your toy and see how it reacts. This toy should not be stored openly with jelly, rubber or other soft toys that are not made of silicone. Silicone toys can melt or warp toys made out of weaker materials so it is advisable to keep the Aquarius in a Ziploc bag or some other storage case. Storing in a Ziploc bag also helps keep lint, dust and hair from clinging to the toy.

With all vibrators you should take the batteries out when storing to prolong their life. As you can see toward the end of the included video, the Aquarius has a really handy battery pack that makes popping the batteries in and out very convenient.