Way back in the summer of 2014, I wrote my first ever sex toy review for Lovehoney. My reviewing skills sucked hard, but I stuck at it and quickly realised that I loved trying new things and writing about my experiences. Fast forward to winter 2019 and I’m still reviewing for Lovehoney, but instead of doing it on their site I’m doing it on mine. Next week I’ll be writing about a love egg from one of their luxury lines, but this week it’s all about the Lovehoney Desire Studded Clitoral Vibrator.
This piece is a revamped version of a Desire classic, and my thoughts on the original can be found here. Spoiler alert, it ain’t pretty. I couldn’t get the satisfaction I needed from the OG Desire Clit Vibe. It left me wanting and I didn’t rate it highly at all. Don’t let that put you off reading this review, though, cos things have changed. And I don’t just mean with the toy.
The Lovehoney Desire Studded Clitoral Vibrator is still the same shape and size of the original. A palm-sized pebble with a tapered tip that’s nipped in at the waist to help it curve naturally towards the body. It’s lightweight, comfortable to hold, and the controls are within easy reach of my fingers during play.
I like these controls. They’re stamped deeply into the layer of silicone that coats the toy, and this makes them easy to find with groping fingers. Their larger than usual size makes them easy enough to distinguish from one another, too. And because they’re level with the surface of the toy, my fingers don’t slip off when covered in lube. That all makes the Lovehoney Desire Studded Clitoral Vibrator very user-friendly.
Like I just said, most of this piece is coated in body safe silicone. It’s smooth, soft, and one helluva lovely colour. Back in the late 90s (I think) I had the most gorgeous Rimmel nail polish called Zeitgeist. It was a shimmery, colour morphing affair that looked purple in some light and bronze/gold in others. This is basically a matte version of that. It’s dark and softly metallic… I just love it. On the back of the toy is an ABS plastic panel and that’s a shimmery dark bronze, too. I could do without that cos I hate cleaning the gaps between the plastic and silicone but never mind.
The colour isn’t the only upgrade this incarnation of the Desire clit vibe has had. While the original was a completely smooth piece, this one has texture. On the underside of the curved tip is a series of studs. This is where the firmness of the silicone becomes really apparent, cos though they’re small, they’re pretty much solid. They’re not harsh like hard plastic, but they’re hard enough to not flatten when rubbed against the body.
These studs open up a world of different sensations from what is essentially a toy I once wrote off as no good for me. Just the addition of the texturing makes the piece feel so much more intense in use. I didn’t think it would. I really didn’t think that the vibrations (if they remained the same) would benefit from something as simple as a few bumps. But they do.
To my body, the vibes in the Lovehoney Desire Studded Clitoral Vibrator are the same as those of the original. You get eight modes with it and each one is customisable to the tune of twelve intensities. They feel okay in the hand, but I find them to be high pitched and surface level. I make no bones about the fact that I prefer hard and deep penetrating vibes as a rule.
But like I mentioned earlier, it isn’t just the toy that’s changed. Over the past few years I’ve done some seriously intensive wanking, much of it for the purpose of reviews. In the process of testing a myriad of products I’ve taught my body to enjoy many different types of stimulation. I’ve learnt that I don’t always need to have my vibes on full, I’m starting to figure out where patterns fit in with my play.
And almost three years after I moaned about not liking the Lovehoney Desire Clit Vibe, I’m really loving its fancier relative. It makes me come. On its own with no dildos whamming at my g-spot, no plugs filling up my butt. Just me and the clit vibe and some lube and that’s all.
I’m well aware that the strength of the orgasms I get from the Lovehoney Desire Studded Clitoral Vibrator is down to the studs. They make this a great tool for arousal for me cos my nipples are basically the key to opening the floodgates in my pants. And they pretty much live for the buzzy, scraping sensation I get from the studs. That’s literally all it takes. Once I’m wet enough, stroking my inner labia with the bobbly bit while ignoring my clit gets me thigh-clenchingly needy. Exposing my clit so that I can rub the vibe over the smooth bit beneath it is toe-curling, then it doesn’t take long after direct clitoral contact for me to blow.
One thing that’s still the same for me, though, is my inability to carry on once I’ve come. The bumps may feel amazing during play, but after orgasm hits, they become little stabby needles. My clit won’t entertain them at all, and I have to stop. The original had a similar effect with its buzzy vibes, but in this case the need to stop the stimulation is more urgent. If I was left feeling as dissatisfied with this version as I was with the original, I’d be pissed, but I’m not. The orgasms I get are good enough to satisfy and sometimes I do make a point of keeping myself aroused so I can come again once my clit is feeling more amenable. It’s worth the wait.
Some other things to note about this toy: it’s USB rechargeable, waterproof, and has a travel lock should you need it. Oh, and it comes with a nifty little storage pouch! I like this wee bag, cos it’s lockable and cute, and when it’s sitting in the bottom of my handbag it looks like a mini makeup bag. That might not seem important to some, but when you have people constantly dipping in and out of your shit (what boundaries, lol) it’s good to have peace of mind.
If this piece tickles your fancy, click on the Lovehoney banner below. Be quick, it’s a limited edition and won’t be around forever. Oh, and if you’re super quick you’ll get it for just £35.99 (that’s 40% off!)
The Lovehoney Desire Studded Clitoral Vibrator was sent to me by Lovehoney in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinions, which are now, and will forever be, my own. Affiliate links have been used in this post.
