Nine times out of ten, whenever I have a sex toy delivery – be it a purchase or for review – I’ll have a quick gush or whine about the packaging then I’ll be into the box, all of my attention focused on whatever it is that lies inside. But when it came to the Persian Palm Caterina it was a different story entirely.
Persian Palm is a Tuscan ceramic sex toy company run by a duo of artisans, Eva and Luana. Ceramics are a big thing in their city, which is the home of majolica ceramics. I love that Persian Palm have taken inspiration from a tradition of their home and introduced it and themselves to one of the most booming industries of our day; the sex toy industry.
When my own beautiful piece of Persian Palm artistry arrived, my attentions lingered on the outstanding packaging for ages. It didn’t feel like I’d just received any old sex toy in the mail. It was an experience. A perfect example of what can be achieved when a manufacturer really invests themselves in making their product something special for you, the customer. At the time I received my dildo, I tweeted that the packaging is fit for a queen. And I was so right!
The packaging is a little on the enormous side, it has to be said, but by God is it amazing. Hidden inside of a matte black sleeve with silver branding, is a box. It’s made from many layers of corrugated cardboard with an outer layer of matte black with more silver branding. It’s a front opening box, and has been fashioned to look like a book. There isn’t any obvious sex toy wording to betray what lies inside, and it’s all so tastefully done it left me speechless.
Open your pretty Persian Palm branded book and you’ll find a couple of cut-outs; one shaped to fit your toy like a shipping proof glove and another which houses the velvety black storage bag Persian Palm so generously include. I know, I know. I regularly bitch that storage bags should be supplied as standard with every toy purchase. But in this case I think it’s good of the company to include one, cos let’s face it, who’s gonna want to chuck that gorgeous box away? Not me, that’s for sure.
Is that enough about the packaging? I’m sure it probably isn’t, but I’ll move on anyway. We all wanna get to the good bits, right? And it is good, I promise you.
Persian Palm offer a selection of shapes and sizes of dildos (there are 4) and butt plugs (they have 3). Not only do they have a selection of beautiful designs and colours that you can choose from, they also offer a design your own option. Yup, you read me right. They offer a Personalised Line. You get to pick your shape, email Persian Palm your chosen design, and they’ll immortalise it on your toy for you.
It’s all completely sealed under a hard, shiny glaze, so is never going to wear away no matter how often it gets used. You’ll have your very own, bespoke sex toy for life. Unless you’re a careless sod and you drop it, of course. Persian Palm products might be amazing, but they’re not invincible so carefully does it.
When I realised I could put my own design on my chosen shape – the Caterina – I had a full on civil war with myself. Cats or bats…cats or bats? As I said in a recent review for a paddle, bats and black cats are essentially my spirit animals, but even though it was only July, I knew Persian Palm were waiting on their fancy packaging and my Caterina wouldn’t be ready until October, so…
SCANDARELLA BATS!
Yes, I went with the beautiful creatures of the night. I will say here that, while I absolutely adore my Caterina, the design isn’t what I actually asked for. I had visions of a flock of bats, large at the base and getting smaller as they worked their way up the shaft toward the top of the dildo. And although I think it’s a cute touch and really sets the Caterina up as the perfect defining product for Scandarella’s first year, I didn’t actually want the blog name on it.
So, for me, I have to say that I got Persian Palm’s interpretation of the design I wanted, but don’t think for a second that I’m complaining because I’m not. I love it.
About the Persian Palm Caterina.
Standing at approximately 8 inches in height with a modest girth of 3.5 inches at the top of the shaft and 4 inches at the bottom, the Caterina is long and slim. An onion shaped bulb at the base acts as a handle for thrusting, and makes it free standing, too. More importantly, it makes it completely safe for anal use.
As I said above, my Caterina is all white and covered in black bats, with Scandarella written around the base. A silver toned disc adorns the very bottom of the toy, but I think this is more than a decoration. The back of the packaging explains that Persian Palm products are filled with a special resin that makes them more resistant to knocks and bumps than one of the hollow, water fillable types that are widely available would be. I’m of the impression that this silver disc plugs the hole.
The lead, cadmium, and nickel free glaze makes the surface of the dildo glossy and super slippery in use, but it isn’t completely smooth. When I run the tips of my fingers over it I can feel the raised shapes of the bats. It can’t be felt in use though, and that’s my one regret about choosing the Caterina. I wish I’d picked a dildo with a more exciting shape.
Caterina in Use
For vaginal use, the Caterina isn’t the most special dildo in the world. It does feel good, don’t get me wrong, but I have to make sure I use it at the right angle to allow g-spot action or I struggle to reach orgasm. It’s just too straight up and down for me, I need some texture. However, I’ve discovered that I can give myself hands free g-spot orgasms with it if I get it in position then wedge it beneath me by sitting down and closing my legs. Rocking quickly gives me the exact kind of stimulation I need, but it’s never a long session. Once I start squirting the dildo slips out of position so I have to switch to manually thrusting, and I tire of that pretty quickly after one orgasm.
Anally, the Caterina feels absolutely amazing. I tent to stay shallow with it, using the rigidness to stimulate the super sensitive spots just inside of me. Pressing against my vaginal walls produces some massive gushes, too. The weight at the base feels really comfy in the hand. It feels substantial, which is perfect for me as I sometimes lose my grip when I’m using a toy from behind when playing solo.
That base makes the Caterina harness compatible too. We haven’t used it in ours, though. The Fella does enjoy having this dildo used on him, because it’s slim and the curve reaches his prostate nicely. He insists that it’s at its best when warmed up in hot water first. However, neither of us are comfortable with using it for pegging. It’s too solid and unforgiving, and the tip is very pointed.
That makes me nervous about thrusting too hard and hurting him, and him tense for the same reasons. If there was more girth and a rounder tip I’d feel happier, but as it stands, slipping it into our harness just doesn’t feel right.
Cleaning & Storage
Keeping the Caterina clean is as simple as sticking it in a sink of soapy water and giving it a rub with a sponge. It’s basically like washing the dishes, really, except I use a feminine wash like Femfresh or Vagisil. They’re mild and intended for use around the vulva, so I feel perfectly comfortable using them to clean my toys. I just always make sure all traces of soap is rinsed away. If I’ve used the Caterina anally, I give it a squirt of antibacterial toy cleaner, just to be safe.
As I’m sure you picked up earlier, I really like the box Persian Palm puts their products in. So much so, my Caterina lives in its box on my shelf. If you opt to throw away your box (you have no soul…just kidding) and use the storage bag, I’d advise keeping it separate from your other toys. If you stick it in your toy box you’ll run the risk of it getting knocked about and chipped. The resin inside might stop it imploding if it’s dropped, but it won’t prevent hard knocks damaging the outer glaze. That could result in your toy becoming porous, and that would be a disaster.
I really am a fan of Persian Palm, and I love my Caterina, but I wish I’d chosen a different shape. That’s on me, though, and doesn’t detract from how fab the Caterina actually is. To find out if a ceramic dildo could be your next favourite sex toy, check out Persian Palm here. Their site isn’t ready for purchases, but if you’re chomping at the bit to buy, drop an email to eva@persianpalm.com. The lovely Eva will see you right. As a quick FYI, Persian Palm products will soon be available at Pureeros and Velvet Fleurs.
The Persian Palm Caterina Dildo was sent to me by Persian Palm in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinions, which are now, and will forever be, my own. No affiliate links have been used in this post.
