Let's start with the simple question, "What is a sex toy?"

In theory, almost anything can take the role of a "sex toy." Other than human bodies, anything else introduced into sexual activities that can be used to enhance the pleasure of everyone involved is qualified as a sex toy.

There was some debate as to the question "what is a sex toy?" for the purposes of this article. Some argued that this article should cover those items that are used specifically for sex, whereas others rightly pointed out that that would exclude from discussion some very popular forms of sexual enhancement such as lingere' or food. For our purposes, a sex toy will be anything that is either specifically intended for sexual enhancement or commonly used for same. We're sure there are people out there that find a lot of interesting things as sexual enhancements, but they won't be discussed here. We are going to discuss the most commonly known sex toys in today's market.

COMMON SEX TOYS

• VIBRATORS
• DILDOS
• BUTT PLUGS
• COCK RINGS

VIBRATORS

What kinds of vibrators are there?

Vibrators come in four distinct 'types'. Many women find satisfaction in this most common (and more often thought of), the classic penis-shaped, battery powered shaft of plastic. These suffer, however, from a lack of real power and inconvenient battery death.

The second type of vibrator, the 'wand' vibrator, overcomes these problems with wall current. These large, club-shaped vibrators provide LOTS of stimulation, and wall current provides all the power you could ask for, but the designers apparently intended for people not to view these things as sex toys, but as "personal massagers," and the ungainliness of these things reflects that. An extremely popular "massager" for example is the Hitachi Magic Wand.

The third type of vibrator, the 'handle' type, looks vaguely like a small hairdryer with a small, perpendicular shaft out of the thicker end to accommodate a variety of soft plastic or latex heads. The best of all possible worlds, these vibrators never die, fit in one hand, and can provide a variety of sensations.

The fourth type of vibrator, the famous 'rabbit vibrator', looks like a handle type vibrator with a small extension on the side that looks like rabbit ears. When turned on, the vibrator shaft can vibrate, rotate, or even create different pulsations while the rabbit ear vibrates perfectly on a woman's clitoris for that maximum stimulation. These vibrators are so popular right now because they can make women achieve that ultimate orgasm no other toys could before.

What should I know about using a vibrator?

Before using any mechanical vibrator, apply lubrication! There are tons of lubricants out there, water based are usually the most popular and can be used on any part of human body. Also, after usage, CLEAN your vibrator! If you don't, when you want to use it next time, it will be a pain to clean. Use warm soap water or sex toy cleaners to clean your vibrators everytime after you use it. Learning how to use a vibrator is not a difficult task, make sure you start slow and just go with the flow, imagine a vibrating cock that doesn't just ram into you and become limp in two minutes. :)

Do vibrators cause a woman to become less sensitive?

Some women do experience a temporary 'desensitization' after the effects of a powerful vibrator, but put the toy away for a week and sensitivity returns to normal. Vibrators do not cause long-term desensitization.

Where do I go to buy a vibrator?

Don't make buying a vibrator a traumatizing experience. Buying sex toys used to be a very daunting task, you are forced to go shop at one of these local sex toy stores that are usually limited on selection, and pricing is very expensive. Now days, most of the sex toys store online carries a great selection of sex toys for you to choose, and usually they are at a much cheaper price than local stores. When you choose an online store, make sure you choose a reputable one. First look at their webpage, see if it is piece together in two days; then look at there shipping, return, and privacy policies, some stores don't even have one. Don't fall for scams like 50% off all toys, these stores usually have very high prices to begin with, and don't go with the stores with the dirt cheap prices, you would either get scammed or have no luck what so ever with customer services.

A final word on vibrators.

Should you buy a vibrator? That's a decision only you can make; I personally have bought over five vibrators, and they've made my personal pleasure and my sex life with my boyfriend a whole lot better, not worse. As always, your mileage may vary.

THE DILDO

What is a dildo? - Dildo: An artifical substitute for an erect penis (Websters')

Dildos come in many different shapes and sizes, but all of them are meant to do one thing: in some way, shape, or form, they are meant to be a substitute or symbol for a real penis. If you are inclined to believe Freud, then the Washington Monument could be considered a dildo. For our purposes, though, a dildo is a sex toy, usually made of latex or silicone, designed to be inserted into some bodily orifice for sexual pleasure.

People use dildos for a variety of purposes. Although most women can orgasm through clitoral stimulation, many do enjoy the feeling of something hard and thrusting inside them during masturbation. Many men, gay or otherwise, feel the same way, using small (or as your tastes go, large) dildos for anal stimulation. A dildo can be used with a harness to give a woman a penis she can thrust with and still keep her hands free.

What should I look for in buying a dildo?

Buying a dildo involves a number of factors, such as length, thickness, hardness and texture. It is strongly recommended that you comparison shop with your hands, looking for one with a smooth surface made of a firm, but not too firm, latex. Dildo shopping is a very personal activity, and you should take your time buying one.

The three most common materials for a dildo are glass, silicone and latex. Glass and silicone are usually more expensive, but most people who use dildos regularly agree that silicone's qualities of matching body temperature and its general texture make it the superior material. As with anything, you get what you pay for.

The most important thing to remember is that you should start small. Buy dildos you *know* you can probably handle, rather than ones you hope to be able to handle. Get your money's worth out of any toy you buy.

One final word, cyberskin dildos are the newest breed on the market, it's extremely realistic and last very long time. Yes, they are more expensive, again, you get what you paid for.

BUTT PLUGS

What is a "butt plug?"

A butt plug is a kind of dildo with a bulge in the center, much like a spindle, so that the shaft gradually thickens, flares out, and then begins to narrow again. It is primary purpose is for anal sex.

In general, once inside the rectal cavity, the flare of a well- chosen buttplug will rub directly against those nerve clusters by the opening of the anus, the ones which signal your need to defecate. Depending upon how your brain is wired, denying or understanding this signal can be a very pleasurable experience, or an extremely uncomfortable one. Also, the 'tip' of the well-chosen buttplug will rub against a man's prostate when he moves, sending yet more signals of unknown quality to the brain. It's all in what you like.

What variants of the butt-plug are there?

Other forms of "butt-plugs" are known as doorknobs or pearlstrings. A doorknob is a round sphere of latex mounted on a narrower shaft. Like a buttplug, it 'plugs' the orifice, but the sensations are different. A pearlstring is a series of spheres that can be anywhere from a half inch to three inches in diameter that you use to 'stuff' the rectum to create a feeling of fullness.

COCK RINGS

What is a cock ring?

A cock ring is an object that typically goes around the base of both the penis and scrotum. Since veins are closer to the surface of the skin than arteries, this has the effect of allowing blood to flow into the penis but restricts its ability to flow outwards. In turn, this makes the penis get hard and stay hard for longer. Obviously, for this to work a cock ring must be put on when the penis is unerect.

Most cock rings are made of chromed steel or rubber. In fact, most of them are little more than high-priced gasket rings or chrome- plated circular chain links one could buy at any hardware store. They have to be chosen carefully, sized for the user. A too-loose cock ring does nothing, a too-tight cock ring cuts off all retreating blood flow, thus preventing the cock from _ever_ getting soft, which may sound like fun but can become painful after two or more hours, and which may require a trip to the emergency room to remove. Some cock rings that get around this problem are made with snaps at different places along a strap of leather, therefore making it easy to size and to remove.

The best cock rings are stimulating cock rings and stretchy cock rings. Stretchy cock rings will keep blood in your penis and at the same time can be stretched to release for emergency situations. Stimulating cock rings have a small vibrator on top which is perfect for couples, during penetration, not only your penis is staying hard and gets the vibrating stimulation, but her clitoris also get the much needed stimulation as well. Note, don't use force, or she can get hurt.

How do you put on a cock ring?

Putting on a solid cock ring can be tricky-- and taking it off can be even trickier! You have to be soft to do either, putting first your testicles through the ring, and then your penis, since at that stage your penis should be softer and more flexible than the always- solid testes. Taking it off is the reverse process, but since one of the purposes of a cock ring is to keep you hard, this can be easier said than done.

All the sex toys we mentioned can be found at our store. If you are a beginner, use good judgement when purchasing sex toys, start off with the popular items and smaller items, and then move on to items such as anal toys or large sized dildos. Always remember to get the lubricants if you don't have them. Last by not least, sex toys are used to enhance your sexual pleasures, there is nothing wrong with buying a sex toy for yourself.

Enjoy shopping at discreet-romance.com