The Impressions is an internal vibrator best suited for stimulating the A-Spot in female bodied individuals, either solo or with a partner. It can also be used to target the g-spot, or externally on the clitoris. Finally, the chunky control section makes it safe to insert anally, so the Impressions scores high marks for versatility. All vagina owners and their lovers should take note of this unique toy.

The body of the Impressions consists of a firm plastic core covered with a squishy silicone, while the pointy little head is made entirely of that squishy silicone. That means the head can flex a bit, while remaining firm enough to apply the kind of pressure that many women need when stimulating either the Anterior Fornix (a-spot) or the better known g-spot. In my ever so humble opinion, it's the perfect balance between flexible and rigid.

The texture features the typical drag of smooth silicone, with a barely visible seam that cannot be felt during use. In fact, I was going to call the Impressions seamless until I gave it a closer look under the bathroom light to remove a spec of lint. And yes, being silicone, it's not immune to lint, but its collecting habits are minimal.

Silicone is one of the safest materials for sex toys, because it's non-porous, which means it won't harbor bacteria, and it can be sterilized between partners or between orifices. It's free of harmful chemicals, like phthalates, and potential allergens, like latex.

Fresh out of the package, the Impressions had a bit of an odd odor to it, which washed away immediately, but left me temporarily suspicious of the materials. Then I eyed the package, and wondered if the plastic box might be the culprit, so I forced an innocent Tantus dildo to spend a couple of cold, lonely nights in it. Lo and behold, the absolutely confirmed silicone dildo now carried an odd odor which washed away immediately. So it's not the toy, it's the box, and I can safely say that the Impressions is odorless, and likely tasteless. Hang on a moment . . . yep, tasteless. Yet very tasteful, in dark orange and white.

The Impressions is a tall, slender creature with about five and a half inches of insertable length, yet barely more than an inch of diameter. While the head is slightly larger than the body, even beginner will likely not find the Impressions intimidating. It's long enough to easily locate the a-spot, without being so long as to be unwieldy once there.

Easily hidden in a small cosmetics bag, the Impressions is a good choice for travel. While most competent snoops and TSA agents will know it's a sex toy, it's neither phallic nor bright pink, and it's passable as a back massager if you can keep a straight face under pressure. Store it sans batteries, especially while traveling, and it won't turn on at a bad time, or die tragically in a leaky battery accident during extended storage.

The Impressions has some fantastic patterns, yet only one speed. It has plenty of power to get the job done, although those who require the strongest wand vibrators might find it lacking. Initially, I tried it with rechargeable batteries, and it felt weak in my hand, but just strong enough when in use. In a second trial, I fed it some fresh Energizers, and found it much more powerful.

The vibrations are focused in the head, which brings all of the available power right to the spot it's wanted most -- again, ideal for stimulating the a-spot.

My only complaint with the Impressions is the noise level. It's not loud, but it's not silent either. When used internally, it's muffled almost completely, but external use requires solid background noise, like the television or stereo. Unfortunately, it sounds like a vibrator, and it might be loud enough to be heard through a thin wall or door under the right circumstances. Left buzzing away on my bed, I could hear it from across the room, and thought I could hear it with my ear pressed to the door, although I might not have heard it if I didn't know it was there. Perhaps I've just been spoiled by more expensive toys, and silence is a lot to ask of an inexpensive motor that's been designed to vibrate.

As for the patterns, I was delighted with the variety offered by the Impressions. It has a nice quick pulse pattern, a simple steady vibration, and three complex patterns that rotate between pulsing and vibrating in different ways. Oddly, the steady vibrations are found on the fourth setting, with the fast pulses at setting number three. The complex patterns are found at one, two, and five. All are reached by cycling through with a single button.

One note on the single button -- it has to be held down for several seconds to turn the toy off. If you're about to be caught, it might be faster to just twist open the battery compartment.

The Impressions is also waterproof, and survived being submerged for cleaning purposes, even though I was a bit skeptical about the seal, and thought it might only be splash proof.

Since the Impressions is waterproof, cleaning is a snap. Wash it in hot, soapy water for regular cleaning, or spray it down with toy cleaner. Rinse it in a ten percent bleach solution when sterilization is necessary. It can also be wiped off with a toy wipe right before use, to ensure that it is lint free.

Never use silicone based lubricants with silicone toys, as the components of the silicone lube that keep the silicone in liquid form will attempt to liquefy your toy, and liquid toys aren't much fun. Chemists in the audience are probably chaffing at my oversimplified explanation, but this is a sex toy review, not a lecture. As for those who now want me to point out that there are exceptions to the no silicone lube rule, yes, it's true that sometimes there are exceptions, and a spot test can determine if a toy can safely be used with silicone lube, but due to the unique feel of this particular silicone, I'm going to recommend against bothering. Icon Brands boasts a unique formula, and the way this silicone squishes and slowly recovers its shape makes me believe them, so I'll skip tempting fate.

For storage, any separator bag that will keep this toy away from lint, jelly toys, TPR and silicone composites, and spilled lubricants will do the job -- even if it's just a sandwich bag. Avoid resting metal or glass toys on top of it, lest there be a limit to the ability of this silicone to spring back from a dent. And finally, store it without batteries, to avoid the heartbreak of corroded batteries.

The packaging for the Impressions was very underwhelming. As I've already mentioned, it smelled funky, which initially made me suspicious of the toy. It was also a not particularly well sealed clear plastic box, which might have spelled doom for my poor toy, seeing as a postal worker tossed it on my porch during a storm, thoroughly soaking the outer box. Fortunately, it was rescued in time.

I think there were instructions, but they were lost immediately, probably due to my desire to dispose of the soggy cardboard and packing material as quickly as possible.

If this toy is meant as a gift, it's going to require repackaging. The center tray could in theory be washed and used inside of a substitute box. If the recipient is likely to suspect it's used due to repackaging, then the gifting of a sex toy is likely not appropriate for the relationship in question. Do refrain from giving the Impressions during Secret Santa exchanges in the workplace. Well, unless you work for Icon Brands -- then it's probably a fantastic plan.

My purchase of the Impressions was the result of sitting in front of my computer screen for several hours with my Ruby G -- a shamefully misnamed toy -- and trying to find a silicone vibe of a similar shape. In the end, the Impressions was the only candidate. I half expected to be disappointed by it. The shape was right, I held the Ruby G up to the screen and compared the toy directly with the 'view actual size' feature that makes Eden so superior for shopping, but I wondered if it would have enough power, or be cheaply made.

Fortunately, the Impressions exceeded my wildest hopes, earning a top spot in my toybox, and an A+ grade as an A-Spot vibrator. It works well enough as a clit vibe as well, although I have better toys for that purpose. Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase and do recommend the toy.