Well, we’ve got through 2023! This year was a bit of a weird one for me, both in terms of blogging and in my personal life, and I’ve heard the same from a lot of my blogger friends.
The big moment in my personal life this year was that I had a hysterectomy in February! My reason for this was mostly to relieve pelvic pain — I’d gotten to the point where orgasms could cause pain for hours afterwards, and I needed it out ASAP. I absolutely made the right decision, but it did also put me in a position where I couldn’t review for a good while.
I did actually publish something this year! My story ‘Once More Unto The Breech’ was published in the Cleis Press anthology ‘It Takes Two: Couple’s Erotica’. It is a bit out there plot wise — a trans man and a trans woman mind meld while piloting a mech as foreplay — but I found it really fun to experiment with the erotica I write.
Speaking of, I’ve been working a lot on my erotica writing behind the scenes. While relatively little of it has made it to my blog, I’ve clocked in at about 100,000 words of smut over the year, going through different rounds of critique to try and push my skills a little more.
I did fullfill a long term blogging goal this year — reviewing a sex toy advent calendar. In fact, I reviewed two, the 2023 Lovehoney X Womanizer Sex Toy Advent Calendar and 2023 Lovehoney Rose 12 Sex Toy Advent Calendar.
While I didn’t review it, I did manage to get a Vixskin dildo, which was on my wishlist for last year. And while I didn’t review the Fuze Foreman, I did review the similar Fuze Ultra!
What To Expect in 2024
So my big news for 2024 is… yet more surgery. I don’t have an exact date yet, as I’m finalising plans with my surgeon in January, but I am going to have phalloplasty. This is a two stage surgery, so I likely won’t be finished having my dick installed in 2024, but the process will at least be started.
I’m still not sure how much I want to talk about my decisions to have bottom surgery on this blog. I will, obviously, at some point talk about the anatomy I have post-surgery, especially within the context of how different toys do or don’t work for me. But the actual process of accepting I wanted and needed bottom surgery was a long and emotionally complex one, even drifting into painful not infrequently. I’m not sure how much of that I’m willing to share now, if ever.
However, the flip side of this is that I now have a whole new range of toys I’ll be able to use on myself in the foreseeable future! I don’t plan to review penis toys first-hand for a little while, but I do want to experiment in my own time. I’ve started getting a wishlist together of things I want to try.
I also want to review some of the products and toys I’ve bought myself but never got around to reviewing! Top on my list is my Doxy Number 3, followed by my Vixen Mustang, but I would also love to do a tour of my BDSM toys.
Top 10 Products of 2023
All in all, I posted 30 reviews this year, alongside 4 non-review posts. I reviewed a wide range of toys, from vibrators and dildos to STPs and harnesses, and whittling down to a top 10 was difficult!
Number One: PStyle 2
The Pstyle 2 is a product I didn’t expect to properly adore when I requested it for review, but knew I was going to love the moment I used it for the first time. It is without a doubt the most straightforward and new user-friendly STP I’ve ever used, as well as being really affordable. The non-realistic shape may not be right for some (although it does come in skin-tone options if you’re not into the recycled plastic green), but as somebody who either uses an STP at home, in environments where I’m openly trans, or in stalls with the door closed, it’s not something that bothers me. Of all the products I’ve reviewed this year, the PStyle 2 is the one I use the most often, and I wholeheartedly recommend it!
Buy from SheVibe | Read The Review
Number Two: We-Vibe Ditto+
While I find the We-Vibe app disappointing, I love the rest of the Ditto+. Small enough that I don’t need a huge amount of warmup (and that it’s beginner friendly!) but with the wonderful rumbly vibrations that I’m used to from We-Vibe. I will give the disclaimer that the finish could (and IMO should) be a bit neater… but I’m forgiving because I just like the Ditto’s vibrations so much.
Buy From Lovehoney | Read The Review
Number Three: BestVibe Rose
So I went into this review as a bit of a cynic. While I’ve seen all the excitement about ‘The Rose’ across the internet over the past couple of years, I’ve always been a bit skeptical. What feels ‘strong’ and ‘powerful’ to some people sometimes doesn’t register on my t-dick’s personal Richter scale, and I was prepared for the BestVibe Rose to be a bit of a disappointment. But I was pleasantly surprised! While not true of all Rose-style toys (I found Lovehoney’s to be a disappointment), the pulsation quality here is really good. The large size of the BestVibe Rose’s opening means it’s one I’d particularly recommend to people who’ve had considerable bottom growth from testosterone. Plus, the Rose takes the title of ‘the toy that made me understand the appeal of patterns’.
Buy From BestVibe | Read The Review
Number Four: Liebe Seele Angel’s Kiss Mini Riding Crop
It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but this is a good little riding crop! Its small, travel-friendly size, cute looks, and more-intense-than-expected impact have meant the Angel’s Kiss Mini Riding Crop has earned a permanent place in my sex travel bag.
Buy From Liebe Seele | Read The Review
Number Five: 2023 Lovehoney X Womanizer Sex Toy Advent Calendar
This is the longest review I have ever written, clocking in at a whopping 6,000 words! A sex toy advent calendar has been on my ‘want to review’ list since I started blogging, and while it was a big project I had a fantastic time. Not all the items in this calendar were winners for me, and there’s some I actively disliked. However, there’s such a range of toys included that I found plenty to like here. And the ‘hero item’ — the Womanizer Classic 2 — is really damn good.
Buy From Lovehoney | Read The Review
Number Six: BananaPants Lippi
I’m extremely the target audience for the Lippi, as somebody with bottom growth who likes penetrating toys, grinding toys, and strongly prefers strapping on with a buffer. If you’re only looking for one of those features, there’s definitely some toys I’d recommend as stronger options. But absolutely nothing I’ve tried rivals the Lippi at the centre of that Venn Diagram.
Buy From SheVibe | Read The Review
Number Seven: Aslan Leather Buckling Thigh Harness
I love my Aslan Jag harness, but I love their thigh harness even more. It’s really secure, works with a wider range of dildo sizes than other thigh harnesses I own, and is made of absolutely gorgeous leather. My only critique is that I would love to see it available in extended sizes.
Buy From SheVibe | Read The Review
Number Eight: Liebe Seele Demon’s Kiss Bull Whip
While the measurements of my Demon’s Kiss Whip don’t seem to match those in the product description, I can’t complain about the results. This whip is horrible (in a good way) on the bottom end of things, and feels lovely and balanced to throw as a top. It’s not a newbie friendly impact toy and I’d definitely recommend getting in-person teaching before buying a single tail like this, but if you have the skill, it’s a really fun toy!
Buy From Liebe Seele | Read The Review
Number Nine: Tentickle Toys Skwee Plug
I love reviewing for Tentickle Toys because I always have such a fun time testing them. The Skwee Plugs were no exception! They’re incredibly versatile, usable as both an anal plug and a vaginal plug. I really liked it as an anal toy, and while I wasn’t as into using them vaginally, I did find I liked using it combined with a strap-on.
Buy From Tentickle Toys | Read The Review
Number Ten: Mr Hankey’s Toys Alien Breeder
This dildo is an absolute work of art! It offers a knot-sensation to those who aren’t into the visuals of a conventional knot design, as well as being really versatile in terms of types of targeted stimulation. It’s definitely on the larger size so measure well before ordering, but if you’re looking for a-spot stimulation this toy is the place to look!
Buy From Mr Hankey’s Toys | Read The Review
This product were sent to me by various companies in return for a fair and impartial review. Inclusion in this roundup list was not paid for and is based on my own opinions and discretion. Affiliate links were used in this post.
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