First things first, this toy does not look in person like it does on the product page. This is a shame, because what's pictured is a piece of art. What I received did not nearly have the degree of precision and contrast between colours. My Tristan 1.5 was poured with black and dark blue silicone, as can be seen on my video review.

That said, the physicality of this butt plug still provides the thrills. And what else would you expect from a toy with the namesake of Tristan Taormino? Taormino is a sex activist with a pension for anal penetration, and she helped design this butt plug.

The Tristan 1.5 with bullet is an advanced or intermediate plug. For me, I find that I cannot warm up from cold with this toy. This is because of the 1-3/4" girth of the head, and the fact that it comes on strong. There is no gradual taper in this toy, and the slight pinch at its head is more for orienting your body so you know it's being inserted the right way. I would recommend warming up with some fingers or a smaller toy before using the Tristan 1.5 unless you know that your body will happily accommodate its girth right off the get to.

After conquering the 1-3/4" hump, your anus will be welcomed onto the 1-1/4" wide stem. The stem compresses to a slightly smaller size when the bullet is not in place. You see, the included bullet is meant to rest inside the cavity within the toy. When it's inserted, the toy's stem has a bit more solidity to it than when the bullet is absent. I personally enjoy inserting the toy with the vibrator present, then popping it out when the toy is resting inside me.

The base of the toy is plenty wide to prevent slipping in. It's also plush and shaped in a way to make wear comfortable. Though I have not worn this toy for long periods, I imagine it would sit comfortably between the butt cheeks for an extended time. This toy is made from plush and squishy 100% silicone that has a little bit of drag.

One of the reasons Tristan Taormino is proud of these toys is because they are designed to not slip out of the butt while in wear. The pronounced difference in size between the stem and lower lip of the head will help with that. Also the length of the stem is meant to make the toy more comfortable. I find that I still eject the toy during or just prior to orgasm, but that's kind of fun as well. I would be confident in wearing this plug out in public and knowing that it won't slip out of me. Also sitting on it feels fine because the plug is not too terribly long.

Something that I find really interesting about this toy is how deep the vibrator cavity is. While many silicone toys with vibrator cavities allow the button of the vibe to stick out for easy access, the Tristan has a much deeper hole. In fact the vibrator has a string attached to it for easy removal because the whole vibrator disappears inside! The whole toy is 3-1/2" tall, and the vibrator hole is about 3" deep! This is a great design choice, I think, because it brings the vibrations closer to the tip of the toy where they are really needed and appreciated.

Unfortunately the included vibrator does leave something to be desired. It is very loud. It is loud like an electric mixer that's straining to beat the eggs. Other than that, it's the average strength one would expect for a standard bullet vibe. The vibrations are middle of the road, kind of buzzy but not too bad, with medium intensity. The silicone of the toy carries the vibrations well, and they do add a pleasant sensation to anal play. In fact, vibrations can help a lot with relaxing the anal muscles for insertion.

This toy comes in a clean plastic tube with two red ends and a Vixen Creations sticker on the side. It can act well as a storage container. It also comes with 3 batteries (enough to feed the bullet) and a love note from Tristan Taormino. To care for this toy, wash it with mild soap and water before and after use. Always use water based lube with this toy for anal play, as it will make it all go so much smoother. If you would like to sterilize the toy, just boil it for about 3 minutes in a pot of water, wipe off with a 10% bleach solution, or run through the top rack of the dishwasher.

Overall, I have a hunch that this Tristan 1.5 will grow on me. It's clear that a lot of thought went into it. I'm a bit unimpressed with how the toy itself looks after having drooled over the pictures for a month, but I think that the functionality of this toy will win over in the end. (Pun intended!)