Want to know what I get a lot of? Emails. Some are spam, some are business enquiries, and others – the best ones, in my opinion – are from you, my lovely readers. Some of them are super sweet compliments that make me blush, and some make my heart swell with pride. They’re the ones where you ask me for my advice or for toy recommendations. One query I had a lot in the lead up to Valentine’s Day was all to do with fancy pants gifts for girlfriends and wives. I recommended so many toys over a three-week span, and this Persian Palm Livia Ceramic Butt Plug came up more than once.
If you’ve been a Scandarella reader for a while you might know that this isn’t the first Persian Palm product I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. At the back end of 2016, I wrote about my experiences with the Caterina Dildo and Persian Palm’s custom design service. This time the product is from Luxury Vibrators and is from a selection of predesigned Persian Palm toys they carry.
Even though I raved about the packaging in my dildo review, I can’t possibly ignore it now. It’s just so beautifully unusual. Once the outer sleeve – which is super tasteful – is removed you’re left with something that looks like a storybook. A massive cardboard storybook. Inside there are cutouts that house your chosen Persian Palm piece and its velvety black storage bag.
It’s not just designed this way for aesthetics, though. I mean, it does look very posh and it does make receiving a gift from Persian Palm a special experience right from the off. But it’s also an excellent way of keeping the toy safe in transit. Not all delivery services are equal and some treat packages like shit, which could prove disastrous given the fragile nature of ceramic. Persian Palm’s packaging cradles the toy to keep it safe and looks good while doing it.
Okay, enough about the box. On to the toy itself.
Well, the only thing I can say about the Persian Palm Livia is, wow. I’ve called butt plugs cute before. I’ve called them kitsch, sexy, and enticing. But I don’t think I’ve ever used the word ‘stunning’ to describe something I put up my ass until now. The Livia truly is a gorgeous looking thing.
Shape wise it’s actually pretty simple. Long, tapered bulb. Narrow neck. Large flared base. Every inch of it incredibly smooth with absolutely no texturing whatsoever. It’s on the large side, with an overall length of 7-inches, (4.5-inches of them insertable). The girth at the tip is around 2-inches and at its widest, it balloons to a deliciously stretching 6-inches.
Something that is a little unusual about the shape is the base. It’s super round, kinda massive, and very similar in size to the base of my Caterina Dildo. In circumference, it’s about 8-inches and it measures 2-inches in height. A base this big is awesome in a dildo but I have to acknowledge that it can be a bit impractical in a butt plug. I’ll go into that in a bit more detail later on.
First, I want to talk about the thing that makes the Persian Palm Livia a stunning butt plug; its decoration. As mentioned above, all Persian Palm toys are ceramic. They’re handmade in Italy and each piece is as lovely as the next. As well as the custom design option, there is a classic line which are all examples of traditional Italian artistry. They also have full-colour options, full gold plate, full platinum plate, platinum line and gold line.
My Livia is from the gold line. Each piece in this line has beautiful designs painted in real 24kt liquid gold over a black obsidian (or red fire) base. Some of them just have simple gold accents, some bold golden stripes, and others have flowers. The Livia is decorated with golden leaves, on the bulb as well as the base. This is Persian Palm’s take on a traditional Italian design called ‘Venetian leaf’, which you might recognise as a design that often decorates Venetian masks.
I’m well aware that, in general, the decoration does not make the toy, but when it comes to luxury products that’s not strictly true. If you’re shelling out a huge wad of cash for a toy you want its looks to reflect its cost, and the Livia certainly does that.
But, here’s the thing. I’m a sex blogger. As much as I understand the luxury market, I can’t…no, I won’t recommend a toy if it doesn’t feel as good as it looks. At the end of the day, it isn’t a piece of art, it’s a tool designed for sexual pleasure.
I’m so pleased to say that the Persian Palm Livia is as functional as it is fancy.
I love to feel filled by an anal toy and the Livia is among the most butt stuffing toys I own. The length isn’t huge by any means, but it is long enough to feel deeply penetrating. I usually prefer a rosebud shape because the stretch is quicker and bolder, but with the girth of this one, I get a similar sensation if I insert it quickly.
With its super glossy glaze, just a small amount of lube is necessary to get it where you want to go, and that slim tapered tip really helps with insertion. The base makes a perfect handle for thrusting, and because of the length of the bulb, you get to do that with more freedom than you would with a teardrop.
As I mentioned earlier, the base does have its drawbacks. First is the obvious size issue. If, like me, you have a big ass you might find that a base with a diameter of 2.5-inches uncomfortable. The slopes and curves prevent nipping and the super smooth surface prevents chaffing, but it’s just really bulky. That bulk fights with butt flesh and in certain positions, the stretch of outer skin can be unpleasant.
Also, the base is very heavy. I mean, the whole toy is heavy, I guess, so it can be a challenge to keep it inserted, especially if you go buck wild on the lube. On the flip side, the weight of it makes it easier to ride hands-free. On those occasions where I do get carried away with lube, I tend to let the base rest on a surface and I move over it. The weight pulls down and stops me from just lifting the toy up when I rise. Because it’s such a wide base I can give it all of my weight when I sit back down without worrying that my arse is gonna swallow it whole.
But my fave way to use it is during sex. When I’m on my knees, the Fella has full access to the Livia. The base really is a blessing here cos he can grip it without it slipping from his fingers, even when things get fast and furious. He can twist it, thrust it, pull it out and insert it again no problem. And when he abandons it to just sit there its weight lends itself to a sensation of counter thrusting that really works for me.
One last thing I want to mention is temperature play. Ceramic sex toys are brilliant for heating up or cooling down before use. They reach temperatures quickly and hold them really well. We use bowls of hot (never boiling) or iced water. There are some ceramic toys with open bases and stoppers that can be filled with water, but the Livia has a closed base. I actually prefer this. I don’t love the idea of hollow toys that can harbour bacteria and mildew, so I appreciate the little Persian Palm seal that finishes this piece of nice and tidy.
Cleaning the Livia is so easy. All kinds of fluids – even silicone-based lubes – slide off it with a slosh in warm soapy water. Pay attention to the disc in the base cos gunk can gather there and may need the fingernail treatment to be coaxed out. Once its dry I store my Livia either on a shelf if I’m feeling lazy, or in its pretty box in the bottom of the cupboard. I do appreciate the storage bag but, while it is a sturdy toy, I don’t want to risk it getting chipped and the bag doesn’t seem like much protection against knocks and drops.
If you’d like to add the Persian Palm Livia to your collection, click the banner below and zip on over to Luxury Vibrators.
