Cal Exotics has done well with this one! The Platinum Charisma Zia is a cute vibe designed with pleasure in mind. What makes this vibe a little different from your others is its tip: it's not evenly tapered like a traditional vibe, and it doesn't have the standard curve for the G-spot tip. Instead, Zia has a bowled tip. The shape allows you to be creative with its uses. It also makes this vibe a bit more gender friendly (minus the color, maybe) than other traditional vibes.

The Zia's shape and top allow you to cup certain body parts. This makes the Zia great for clitoral stimulation; the shape captures the clitoris. The shape also allows men to cup and pleasure their testicles if they desire. Since the bowled out portion ends with a curved tip at the top, the Zia can ergonomically pleasure the perineum and nipples. Or it can give more direct, pin-point stimulation to the clitoris. Putting a bit of pressure on the perineum can give some stimulation to the P-spot as well. In a nutshell, the Zia is gender and couple friendly. Have a go with it and pass it to your partner. If you are interested in mutual masturbation and watching, the Zia can definitely add to the experience.

The Zia can be used for vaginal insertion and masturbation. It may be considered a little thick for beginners and those who prefer more slender toys in general. Even if you are not a fan of girth, the Zia's tip can be used to tease the vaginal opening (where most the nerves in the vagina are). If you decide to use it for penetration, it has some texture to titillate the senses, but it not extreme in feel. Angle the Zia and you can stimulate your G-spot with the firm tip. If you are looking for G-spot stimulation and have a deeper G-spot, the Zia might not work for you since it is not as long as some other toys out there.

Or, you can forgo internal use all together if you want. It is a great value and is worth more than its weight as an external stimulator alone. Externally, this toy is great for beginners and intermediate players. Advanced players will probably find nothing too amazing about this toy, but it is still a nice addition for a good price. The Zia is great for those who have a lack of privacy/live in dorms. It is waterproof for shower fun and is pretty quiet. It is labeled as discreet, and while it is obvious that it's a vibe, its discreet in terms of noise and travel.

The Platinum Charisma Zia is not designed for anal use as it lacks a flared base, is slightly porous, and overall design.

The Zia is made from PU coated plastic. I've done a little research on the material, so if you're curious about some of the nitty gritty, read on. If you're thinking "I don't give a damn, tell me quick," just skip the next paragraph.

PU, or polyurethane, is a coating placed on a lot of plastics out there. It's loved by industry because it is able to bond and mold with many materials. PU can round out the rough edges on plastics. It is commonly used as a protectant and can prolong the life of what it coats, such as your toy. Because PU is easy to manipulante, it can simply be sprayed on. When dry, it hardens to that you see on your Zia. There are a few PU coating out there, and it is not specifically stated which one is used on the Zia. I assume its one of the more medical grade versions in order to make the toy more body safe. ABS plastic, which is under the coating, can also be made in a variety of ways. As long as the 3 main ingrédients are used in a certain percent range, it counts as ABS plastic. This means that there are many types and they can vary in longevity, porousness, and more. The coating can correct for that, I suppose.

Summary: The Zia clocks in at a 7 on the safety scale. It is porous, but not nearly as porous as Jelly or rubber. If cleaned after every use, the Zia will safely last you a while. There is no overt odor or taste to the Zia.

The Zia has some texture. It has the curved tip at the tip. Beneath that is the bowled top. Then the toy is smooth until you hit two bulges in the middle of the toy. The rest of the toy is smooth with little drag. The bulges can add pleasure by teasing the vaginal opening with them. This is a good toy if you are interested in trying a little texture with your toys, so long as your okay with the girth. The Zia is firm, and will provide directed stimulation wherever you place it.

The design of the Zia is a refreshing change to more traditional vibrators. It is a little thick, coming in at about 5.5 inches around its largest point. It ranges in circumference due to its texture. At its thinnest (after the largest first bulge and between the other two smaller bulges) the Zia is about 4.5 inches around. In terms of length, the Zia is on the smaller side. The whole toy is 4.75 inches long with an insertable length that is about 3 inches. Those who prefer more length, especially for thrusting, may not care for the toy since the texture is not completely friendly to vigorous thrusting.

Here's a picture of the Zia with the groove/bowling top in view. You can easily fit the curve of you thumb in it.



Also, here's a picture of the Zia in comparison to both the Dream Massager G and the Dreamers Bliss. As you can see all three of them have the same control system and turn dial at the base. They all either have bulges or waves, so none of them are without texture.



In terms of travel, it is easy to move the Zia around. I would recommend removing the batteries during travel because the toy might turn on if it is jostled around. The Zia is small enough to slip in a hygiene bag or medium to large purse. If you have a pouch (those cute velvet sleeves that come with some toys) it will make for more discreet travel.

The Zia has a turn dial at the base of the toy. The dial has little ridges around it to allow for some grip while you turn the toy. Turning the dial clockwise will turn it on at the lowest setting. At its lowest setting, the Zia is one Vroom. The toy increases in intensity until it hits its highest vibe setting, between 3 and 4 Vrooms. The vibrations are standard and more rumbly than buzzy. The intensity should please most vaginas and clitorises out there, unless you have a "_______ o' Steel," then it might not be enough for you.

The controls are pretty easy to use. If you tend to stick with one vibration during play, you can set the setting first and then use the toy. If you like to move through settings, it might take you two hands to adjust the toy, especially if you have smaller hands. This is not too much of a bother for me, but if you love moving up and down the vibe scale a lot, it might become annoying for you.

The Zia seems a little ouder than some of the other toys in the same line. The Zia is between 2 and 3 Bees at the highest setting. It's not a deal breaker, per se, but it is something to be aware of. If you throw a blanket over and close the door, you should be fine in most cases. If anything, you can always turn on a little music or background noise to be more discreet. Or you can hop in the shower. The Zia has the plastic/rubber ring in the battery area to give a watertight seal. My Zia has held up to many a shower with no issue. Just be sure to close the toy sightly and be careful to only turn the dial when in use. It is possible to accidentally open the toy when turing the dial if you're not careful.

The Zia takes 2 AA batteries and seems to hold the batteries well. It's not a guzzler, anyway.

Care for the Zia is easy. You can wash it with soap and water, toy wipes, or even low percent alcohol wipe. If you're going to submerge it to soak in the sink, it doesn't hurt to take the batteries out. There is texture on the toy, so debris can gather near the bulges and the tip of the toy, but the creases aren't very deep. It's not difficult to get the Zia clean.

Once it is dry, the Zia can go wherever you store your toys. Lint collection is minimal to none (YAY!). Both silicone and water based lubricants can be used with the Zia.

The Zia came in a clear plastic box advertising the toy. It is pretty obvious what it is. There are instructions in the package giving basic care and warning info. The box is not designed for long term strorage.

If I were to gift a friend a toy, the Zia is a great option. It allows the person to experiment with multiple erogenous zones and figure out what they like. If they end up utterly hating the toy, it was not a huge expense and your friend know a little more about what they do and do not like in a toy.

It also depends on what girth is considered too large for some. Personally, I think toys that go over 4.5 or 4.75 inches is out of my preferred range, but everyone is different. This is still a great first toy gift if the giftee has been in relationships or has a sex life and just hasn't given toys a try yet. Compared to other toys it is not as intimidating, and being waterproof is always a plus.

I just wish the Zia was a tiny bit quieter. It's not horribly noisy, but it does influence my decision when choosing which toy to use. Overall, I think the fun shape is worth a try. It's different without being crazy. The design is still wonderfully ergonomic.

I bought the Zia for two reasons. One: I was familiar with the Dream G Massager by Cal Exotics and saw that the Zia came from the same line of toys. Since I LOVE the G Massager, I figured I would try another toy from the line. The other reason was a bit more pragmatic. I had some spare points to spend (and don't you just HAVE to make the 70 dollar limit to get the free toy?).

I really love the shape of the Zia. The bowled top allows for many used. For me, tapered or flat (one extreme or the other) shaped toys don't work for my clitoris as well. Maybe mine is a bandit or something, it likes to escape from the toys. The shape of the Zia allows me to keep it in place. Then I'm able to move so that I can use the tip and keep everything where I want it. To me, it is a great, orgasmic victory.

Personally, my Zia will probably be an external only toy for me. I had a feeling it would be that way, but I gave it a try internally for both the review and science. There's nothing bad about it internally, I just think it shines better as a teaser toy and external vibe. I also prefer more slender toys internally. Either way, the Zia is a great toy for me and has earned a beloved place next to my Massager G.