Hello Lovers!

Thank you so much for your interest in shopping with Nikki Darling, I am thrilled you are here. Unfortunately, Nikki Darling is taking an indefinite break from trading due to my contracting Long Covid and developing a post-viral chronic health condition. At this stage, it is not known whether Nikki Darling will return.

I’d like to thank all of my loyal customers for their years of patronage. Opening this country’s first ever de-gendered sex toy shop has been one of the greatest accomplishments of my life, and the positive feedback I have had from you over the years is carried in my heart always.

xoxo
Lauren

This weekend I attended Melbourne’s Sexpo 2016. It was my third time going to the event that has taken a special place in my heart. Sexpo was where my interest in the world of sex took flight and changed me from a girl who had never even been to a sex store before to one that walked out with 10 new toys. Of course none of these toys ended up being body-safe and they got me sick, but in a weird way I’m thankful for that because it lead me to research safe materials which lead to my blog. So in a way Sexpo helped create me, and I’ve been looking forward all year for the 20th year anniversary edition of the event.

While other countries have multiple sex conventions, summits and trade shows, Australia mostly just has Sexpo. It is a huge convention that spans four days and brings in thousands of people ranging from completely vanilla types to the most kinky of them all. In a world where talking about sex is seen as taboo, Sexpo always provides a breath of fresh air by giving us a space to actually feel open about our sexual desires. It takes away the usual mental image of a small and sleazy sex shop by replacing it with an event that is in the same halls PAX Australia and Oz Comic Con are held. As someone with social anxiety I struggle to go into sex shops personally, but at Sexpo the open space and convention feel (when I practically grew up at anime and gaming conventions) makes me feel at home. This is my third consistent year of attending Sexpo Melbourne and it has been my favourite year yet.

This year I was lucky enough to obtain a press pass for my partner and I which gave us free tickets to all four days as well as VIP privileges. This was the first time I’ve been media or VIP anywhere and I felt pretty special, thanks again Sexpo! I was also very lucky this year to meet fellow blogger Hysterical Em! Our blogger circle is very small in Australia so I was delighted when Em started up their blog in October and even happier when I found out they would be attending Sexpo! I managed to wrestle my anxiety into submission in order to spend Thursday of the show hanging out with them. This was my first time meeting another blogger and it was an absolute blast to be able to talk about my sex toy interests to someone who actually cared.

For the first time this year I also attended some panels and shows! I got to see one of my favourite Australian sex educators, Siren Vandoll, teach their ‘Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me: Scening with Sensation Play’ workshop which was a fantastic look into the world of sensation play which I’m now very much interested in. I also got to attend the Sexy Cosplay Competition hosted by Lucie Bee, whose work I’m also a big fan of. As a cosplayer myself this was awesome and I was very impressed by the work that had been put into the costumes. There was also a lot more hands on touching of toys than I usually find this year, and I even got some ice cream at the System JO stand that had their flavoured lube poured over it as a topping. I had chocolate and surprisingly it was actually really nice!

While this was by far the best Sexpo I’ve been to in terms of its shows and workshops, the variety of sex toys available was a let down. Sexpo’s retailer stalls are primarily either sex toys or fetish orientated stands, and I’d estimate about 70% of the items sold at the show are sex toys. Despite this the range of body-safe toys is about 1 out of every 100 and actual brands or retailers in attendance is minimal, with most stalls just being called things like ‘Everything $10’ and selling unbranded or knock-off versions of toys. The first year I went I didn’t know much about toys, but I do remember there being many LELO and We-Vibe toys among other silicone options. Last year there was less, but still I found a few LELO, We-Vibe, D.VICE and Tantus toys, with Fun Factory being particularly prominent. This year clit stimulators seemed very popular, so Satisfyer, Womanizer and Shegasm were out in numbers. But other than them and OVO, Rocks Off, IMTOY and AVE there was absolutely no reputable brands that I knew of. Not only did they not have stands, but I didn’t see a single LELO, We-Vibe, Fun Factory, Tantus or any other body-safe, ethical, popular brand (that I know of) toy at all. Thankfully due to personal circumstances I had no money to spend this year anyway so I wasn’t too disappointed, but it was a big shock as someone who likes to believe the sex toy industry in Australia is improving rather than getting worse. It is hard to believe that at a sex toy based convention nobody decided to stock some of the largest names in the industry, it’s like if you went to a gaming convention and there was just no Nintendo or Sony games. Thankfully our lubricant game was on par to last year, with Sliquid having a space with the same stand as 2015, and while I don’t use fetish gear, penis orientated toys or condoms they seemed to also be well stocked.

The very few toys that I knew of I enjoyed getting to play around with. OVO were the only ones out of the previously mentioned brands that had their own stall at the convention. It was the same stall as last year which shows off their large range of vibrators. IMTOY had a small section of a booth which showed off five of the products from their new Zoo range. I just reviewed their Gazelle wand which is part of this range, so I was very interested to check out its sister toys. Similarly Rocks Off also had a small section of another stall which only stocked a few of their products. AVE’s Sky vibrator was available at a stand, it was my first time seeing it in person and it was as beautiful as I imagined, although also behind glass so I didn’t get to play with it.

Since clit stimulation seemed to be the ‘thing’ this Sexpo I did get to spend a lot of time playing with the brand new Satisfyer models and Shegasm model. I’m so over the moon by both Womanizer’s and Satisfyer’s decision to create more entry-level priced models of their clit stimulation toys. Previously they were so high priced that I don’t think I could ever justify buying one personally until I get a higher paying job, but now with Satisfyer’s cheapest model being around the $70 AUD mark even I could afford one. While it is hard to compare the suction with just my finger I didn’t feel a huge difference in abilities between the Satisfyer Pro 2 and its cheaper models. I also particularly liked the Shegasm’s wheel control button vastly over the Satisfyer Pro 2’s frustrating button (I had so much trouble with it at the convention I was asked if I needed help because I looked so lost, even though I own one!). While I did see some Womanizer models these were minimal compared to the others.

One good thing that did come out of there not being many big brands was that there was plenty of room for some amazing, body-safe Australian companies to step into the spotlight! This year I had the pleasure of being introduced to four Australian based companies who produce body-safe toys and who I hope I can feature on my blog in the future! There was MiaMaxx, a Melbourne based company who have created a vibrator that can thrust 3 inches automatically and that also comes with different attachment style ends so it can match your needs. Similarly Erotic Sex Toys who are based in Adelaide and sell a range of products (not all body-safe) launched their Sex Gun toy over the weekend which is also a thrusting style toy with replaceable heads which I vaguely remember being told was also made of silicone. They also had toys on show such as the Rexy which adjusts its speed based on the temperature of the clitoris and depth of penetration. Then there was Cloud Nine Adult Concepts who are based in Brisbane and have created a range of wand massagers with silicone heads called The Hummingbird and The Mini, plus they both also come with a range of wand attachments!

Finally there was Geeky Sex Toys who are based in Queensland, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud that a company is Australian owned. You’ve probably seen their range of Pokemon sex toys that came out earlier this year when Pokemon GO was all the rage, and since then their range has expanded into a beautiful merge of pop culture and body-safe sex toys, my two favourite things, and I absolutely love everything they produce. Normally I just talk about one or two favourite toys, but for these guys I can’t pick just two, they have Star Wars, Sailor Moon, Game of Thrones, Legend of Zelda, Doctor Who, Superman, Guardians of the Galaxy, Alien and Iron Man dildos. To top that off they also have a R2-D2 wand massager, Dragons Egg vibrator, Batman and C-3PO butt plugs and a Green Lantern cock ring! I don’t think you can get a much better line up than that, and I’m so happy they won Best Exhibitor at the convention. As you can see I am very smitten with them, and will be saving up my pennies soon for one of their toys, although heavens knows how I’m going to choose from that list!

Overall I had a wonderful time at Sexpo this year. Australia has a long way to go in the world of sex toy retail and educating the general public about unsafe materials, so the lack of availability of body-safe options sadly was not too surprising. However it was great to see far more Australian based brands producing body-safe toys than previous years and I very much hope this trend continues. Getting to see some of my favourite sex educators and porn stars was also an amazing experience, as was meeting my first fellow sex blogger out in the wild! I’m hoping to attend as many sex positive events as I can get my hands on in 2017 so hopefully I will have more event wrap-up posts coming your way!

Affiliate links have been used in this post.

My vagina likes to be picky, and so when it comes to lubricant, there is only one brand I trust, Sliquid. I’ve been totally smitten with their Sea and Sassy lubes for almost a year now, using Sassy for my anal play, and Sea for everything else. Plus, they really do go a long way, my two bottles are only 125ml each, which really doesn’t look like a lot, but despite using them both almost weekly, each has over half left. Even though I couldn’t imagine needing anything more than these, with the Sliquid range I do get the overwhelming sense that I’ve gotta catch try ’em all. 

There are a few I have my eye on, for instance I’ve never enjoyed any flavoured lubricants, but I have a feeling once I try their range it’ll change my opinion. Plus, their organics range and silicone lubricants sound divine. But the top of my list since I got Sassy and Sea, has been Sliquid Satin, so as soon as I got a chance to buy it I did, and I have not been disappointed.

Background

If there is one thing I absolutely love using and makes me feel totally sexy, it is moisturiser. I do online sex work, and have no interest in doing it offline, but sometimes I wish I could have clients feel my skin, because it’s so damn soft, it’s a shame they’ll never know! So of course, Sliquid’s water based intimate moisturiser, Satin, jumped right out at me as something I needed. I wasn’t completely convinced, I mean it might be a great lubricant, but could it really compare to some of my more expensive moisturising lotions? On the other hand, could it really compare to how great Sea and Sassy were, while still being a relatively good moisturiser? I didn’t really know what to expect either, would it look like a moisturiser or a lubricant? How would it feel? Well, lucky for you readers you don’t have to wonder these things because I’m here to tell you, and I’ll let you know now that I was silly for doubting Sliquid!

Product Description

Just to start off, I want to mention some of the brilliant things that goes into making Sliquid Satin special. Firstly, as with all Sliquid lubricants, it is glycerin and paraben free, as well as hypoallergenic and non-toxic. Plus, Sliquid is always gluten free and vegan friendly. As I mentioned, Satin is designed to act as both a daily moisturiser, as well as a lubricant. Using extracts of Carrageenan, Aloe Vera and Vitamin E, it is suppose to emulate your body’s own lubrication, which allows it to feel more natural than many other lubes. Finally, it is a water based lubricant, which means it can be used with any type of sex toy, silicone included!

Packaging

The packaging of Sliquid Satin is slightly different to that of Sassy and Sea. While Sassy and Sea both use very bright colourful labels, with a clear bottle, Satin goes in the opposite direction, having an almost opaque bottle, which has a blue tinge to it, and a darker label to match the bottle. This makes it feel a lot more luxurious, and much more special than the playful bottles of Sassy and Sea. By packaging it this way, it also looks very discreet and can easily be mistaken for a regular moisturiser, with even its label calling it a ‘natural intimate moisturiser’ rather than lubricant.

First Impressions

Sliquid Satin is clear, like most other lubricants, and by eye looks exactly the same as Sea or Sassy, however is quite different from both of them. Essentially, I would call Satin a perfect in-between of Sea and Sassy’s qualities, leaning a little more towards Sassy than Sea. It is a thick lubricant, and acts as a good cushion between surfaces, although is still a little thinner than Sassy (which is a thick anal lube). Because of this, it feels quite slimy, and I would agree it does feel a lot like natural vaginal lubrication. Like Sassy, it keeps its form when applied to objects such as sex toys, but runs a lot faster and is more on par with Sea in this regard. It has a slightly different smell and flavour than Sea and Sassy, but overall is mostly tasteless and odourless. The biggest difference is, of course, how it dries. While Sassy and Sea both dry perfectly, leaving no residue or tacky feeling that most lubricants give, Satin’s moisturising powers means that it lasts longer, and when it does dry, it leaves you with soft skin.

My Experience

So, how does it compare to my regular moisturisers? Firstly, Sliquid Satin goes a long way. One large drop is all I need to moisturise my entire leg. Despite having only a 125ml bottle, I feel confident that even while being used as a moisturiser and lubricant by me quite often, that it is going to last me a long time. Meanwhile, most of my moisturisers need quite a bit more to cover the same area. Once spread, Satin dries rather quickly, and immediately gives off a softer and moisturised feeling. As you’ll know if you use moisturisers often, most take some time to dry, and will leave your body feeling kind of ‘moist’ for awhile, thus putting things like pants on can be a no go for a little while. Sometimes I enjoy this feeling if I don’t plan on having to immediately put clothes on, and so for that I would still go for my regular moisturisers, but for a faster drying moisturiser, Satin is definitely the way to go. Finally, once both are dried, they feel about the same in terms of soft skin.

I love my Sea and Sassy lubricants, and I still do, just as much as I did when I reviewed them last year. But back then I thought they couldn’t be replaced, and I’m not afraid to say that I was wrong! Since I got Satin, it has pretty much replaced Sea and Sassy. It is basically the best of both world’s between the two, long lasting and natural feeling, while also being thick, plus it moisturises! I even started using Satin for less intensive anal play, and I find it works a treat. Rather than switching between Sea and Sassy constantly, and needing both of them on my dresser, I can just have Satin out and use it whenever, for whatever!

Final Thoughts

I didn’t think it could happen, how could anything replace Sea and Sassy? They’re perfect, do exactly what I need them to, and are always there for me! I guess Sliquid Satin is just what happens when two perfect things are merged together, and plus don’t forget it moisturises! I will still recommend Sea to anyone looking for a good basic lubricant, and Sassy as my primary anal lubricant. But for now, Satin has totally won me over. Thank you, Sliquid gods, you have done it again!

If you’re in Australia or New Zealand, you can get Sliquid Satin from Passionfruit starting at just $15 AUD!

For everyone else, you can get Sliquid Satin from Betty’s Toy Box for just $13.99 USD, plus use my code GRACE to get 10% OFF your total order!

Last updated: 21/6/23

Price at the time of writing: $12 AUD / $9 USD

Affiliate links have been used in this post.

My two Sliquid lubricants, Sassy and Sea, are my go-to lubes that I currently use exclusively during my toy use and even sex. Sea provides a healthy, smooth vaginal lubricant, while Sassy is the perfect cushion for anal sex. Please, if you have been using off-the-shelf lubricant filled with parabens until now, look into and invest in some Sliquid, you won’t be disappointed.

Background

Lube can be easily overlooked. I always knew it was important for anal sex, but otherwise I didn’t really see it as something I needed for a long time. If it wasn’t for the fact I was given a free bottle of some Doc Johnson lube at a sex convention two years ago, I would have probably never bought some, or just used convenience store types. As soon as I started reading sex blogs however, it became apparent how important and valid it is. Not just any lube either, but good lube, and one word popped up on practically every website I visited, ‘Sliquid’. I investigated, and now know that they stock what is largely considered the best and safest lubricant on the market. I soon decided from their large range what would suit me best, and promptly ordered my first two Sliquid lubricants, Sassy and Sea. I use lubricant heavily for my toys now, as most of them I would not be able to use without, vaginal or anal, and for sex too. After mentioning this on Tumblr though, I received a lot of asks on lubricant recommendations. So while there are many similar reviews out there on Sliquid Sassy and Sea, I wanted to give my own opinion on the products and how they work for me.

The Brand

Sliquid stock a large range, which was a little daunting when I first looked into them. Since most of my toys are silicone, I knew I wanted a good water-based lube so it could be used with everything I own. Luckily, almost all of Sliquid’s lubes are water-based, and each one has its own qualities that make it special, so I was able to choose what suited me easier than I first thought. They have their ‘Naturals’ collection, which is their main range of lubricants. Nestled among these, is their ‘Swirl’ collection, which is their flavoured lube. Then they then have their ‘Organics’, which are really just the same lineup of lube from ‘Naturals’, but made organically. While I don’t have an organic preference, and dislike flavoured lubes (although their range sounds amazing and something I’m definitely interested in trying, who doesn’t want Pina Colada and Pink Lemonade flavoured lube?), I decided to pick from their base Naturals range. Plus, all of their lubricants are vegan and involve no animal testing, as well as glycerin and paraben free, which is what makes them so safe and perfect for even sensitive types. Sassy immediately jumped out at me, since it’s specifically for anal play, which I partake in quite often. As for Sea, I bought it based on recommendations, the fact it won an AVN award in 2011, and the idea that its natural seaweed extracts gives a boost to my health and contains natural healing properties. It contains carrageenan which has been shown to reduce transmission of HPV, wakame that contains B vitamins and reduces inflammation and improves elasticity, and nori that prevents oxidation of the skin and is a natural moisturiser.

Product Description

While Sliquid Sassy and Sea look quite similar, aside from their packaging, once I received them I found they are quite different and I could easily tell them apart if I was given a blind test for some reason. Firstly, if I turn the bottles upside down, Sea moves almost instantly in a similar way water would, while Sassy is slower and appears heavier. This fact becomes very apparent when actually in use. When applied to a non-flat surface such as the head of a dildo, Sea will immediately run as it is very light (which you can see further down modelled by my beautiful Tantus Vamp). Meanwhile, Sassy will mostly stay together, or run slowly. Their thickness differences mean that while Sea just ‘lubricants’ surfaces by making them slippery, Sassy does this while also providing a protective layer. Furthermore, their feel, smell, and taste are also different. Sea feels light, it spreads out well, and when wiped with a tissue, immediately comes off and leaves no sticky residue, as if it was never there. It smells absolutely beautiful and reminds me of the Sea, although that’s probably just because of the name, but nonetheless I love it. As for taste, it basically has none, but doesn’t feel gross inside my mouth and is quite pleasant. Alternatively, Sassy very obviously feels thicker and almost has a semen like consistency. When it’s on me it is almost like I cannot touch my actual skin since it provides a cushion between the two. It also smells amazing, but sweeter than Sea, and wipes away the same. In regards to taste, it also has none, but is less pleasant in my mouth due to its stickiness.

My Experience

Sea is now my dedicated vaginal lube. While it’s only on occasions I need it for sex, I use it almost every day when it comes to using toys. It helps me in a few different ways, depending on how I need it. Firstly, I work as an amateur porn model and cam girl. That means randomly throughout the day I might be commissioned to masturbate with a dildo on camera. If it’s just a five minute video, I’m certainly not always going to be ‘in the mood’, so by using lube it means I can get right into it without having to be aroused beforehand. Secondly, if I’m using something like Ben Wa balls, which are for Kegel Exercise purposes, it’s essential I use lubricant to help them slide in, as I don’t exactly get turned on by the thought of contracting my vaginal muscles. Lastly, and what everyone can really relate to, is using lube during actual masturbation sessions. While smaller toys may fit using only your own bodily fluids, if you want to use larger toys, lube is essential. This may also be the case if you are using a toy that has rather tacky or matte silicone, as without it it may cause friction and drag in your vagina that can cause harm. The only issue I find with Sea is how fast it runs, but since it can be wiped away with a tissue and leave no residue, if I do get it anywhere I don’t want it, it is an easy fix. While I’d be interested to try it against other Sliquid lubes to compare, as of so far, Sea has been a fantastic lubricant for vaginal play. It always feels very light, and mixes with my own fluids well.

Sassy, as I mentioned before, is super thick and luxurious. I would probably use it over Sea for vaginal play with my bigger toys, but my butt is selfish and wants to save it all for itself. My last lube before purchasing Sassy, was not anal specific, and therefore not thick at all. I can’t express how much easier insertion and the overall comfort during anal play is now. If you read my future anal toy reviews, I’m sorry, but I’m probably going to recommend Sassy in every one of them from now on. In fact, maybe I should go back and edit old reviews to recommend it. It really acts as the perfect cushion. It also lasts longer than Sea, so it really would make a perfect vaginal lube if I was to use it for that too, and I think I would need to apply a lot less than Sea to get the same results. Plus, it doesn’t run everywhere, which is a definite plus. I could see myself in the future buying a big bottle of Sassy and just using it for everything, but right now I don’t have that luxury.

Packaging

Sliquid Sassy and Sea are both 125ml. They are small enough to look absolutely adorable, but also hold enough to keep me going as my sole lubricants for months. As you can see in my first picture, I have only used so much of both and have been using these almost every day for a few months now. The overall bottle designs remind me very much of Lush’s body wash bottles, they feel super silky and smooth, and I love the feel of the label. The plastic outsides seem to be coloured slightly to match the label colour in order to make the lubricant appear coloured, and the tops are push and squeeze. These fit snuggly in my hand, look good on my bedside table, and are a perfect fit into my underwear drawer. If I was to buy these two lubricants again, and I will, I would buy them in the larger 255ml bottles since I know I love them. However, if I was to try another of Sliquid’s lubricants I would purchase them in 125ml again since it’s a good trial size that will still last you ages.

Final Thoughts

I love Sliquid Sassy and Sea, and I know I’ll be re-buying Sassy when it runs out, I couldn’t imagine being without it. But, in a way, I’m kind of excited for Sea to run out. While I love it too, there are so many other interesting lubricants I want to try out from Sliquid. Plus, without anything proper to compare it to, it’s hard to judge just how amazing Sea is. On the top of my wish-list is Sliquid Satin, which is both a lubricant and a moisturiser, as well as their hybrid lubricant, Sliquid Silk. Furthermore, I’ve heard great things about their flavoured Swirl lubricants collection. Up until now I’ve only had bad flavoured experiences, so I’m pretty excited to change that soon.

If you have ever felt a burning sensation when using off-the-shelf lubricant and let it put you off completely (I know I have), then don’t fear, it wasn’t your fault. Good lubricant, like Sliquid, doesn’t do that. Sea is great. I love the idea that it’s boosting my health while I use it, and that I know it is sensitive and won’t ever cause me any discomfort. But overall, what really wowed me was Sassy. Its thickness and long lasting nature were exactly what I was looking for in an anal lube, and what I didn’t know I needed in a vaginal lubricant. So, thank you Sliquid, for making amazing, safe and affordable lubricants.

You can get Sliquid Sassy starting at just $25 AUD / $16.99 USD!

You can get Sliquid Sea starting at just $25 AUD / $13.99 USD!

Last updated: 21/6/23

Price at the time of writing: $8.84 AUD / $6.97 USD

Affiliate links have been used in this post.