The Vibratex Blossom is perfect for users who prefer gentle vibrations, and can be used as an all-over body arouser on both males and females. It would be good for any kind of sensual exploration, particularly on the breasts and more delicate areas.

The controller and attached vibrator egg are made of hard smooth plastic, while the flower sleeve is made of elastomer. The elastomer contains no latex or phthalates, and is very rubbery and flexible, making it easy to peel off of the vibrator egg. It cannot be sterilized though and the shape of this toy would make condom use impractical, so keep this in mind before you consider sharing it.

We noticed that the sleeve had a plastic smell and felt tacky when we took it out of the box. A good scrubbing with soap and water took away most of the scent, but did very little to alleviate the sticky feeling, which makes it difficult to move the flower across your skin smoothly and causes it to tug hairs.

The design of the toy is very intuitive, so it would be just as easy for a beginner to utilize as an experienced user. The controller pack measures 4-1/4" long x 1-1/4" wide and is lightweight so it fits easily in one hand and you can move the control button with just a thumb. The cord is 18" long, so while it is excellent for one person to use, it can get a bit awkward if one partner is moving the flower while the other is trying to use the controller pack.

The flower sleeve is removable so you can wash it, fitting over a 2-1/4" x 1" egg-shaped vibrator. The flower measures 3-1/2" long and has a 2" wide petal head with nubs in the center. The center isn't prominent enough to get strong clitoral stimulation, but it does work very well to stimulate the nipples and surrounding area. The loop on the side is meant to be a finger hole, but it's about 1" wide and doesn't stretch much so we didn't find it very useful. It was too large for one finger yet too small for two, but the toy isn't hard to hold anyway so that doesn't render it unusable at all. You can also use the loop to slip the sleeve onto a small G-spot vibrator for some added sensations.

On the back of the controller, there is a door that you slide down and then flip up to get to the battery compartment. It takes two AAs, laying side by side. The slider button on top moves smoothly to gradually increase the vibration speed.

With the flower sleeve in place, the vibrations start out at very mild and move up to mediocre mild, like a cell phone vibration. The vibes seemed to be felt more on the outer edges of the petals than in the center, and at the base where the sleeve covers the egg. With the sleeve removed, the plastic egg offers vibrations that range from medium-strong to very strong.

Noise-wise the Blossom tries to be quiet, giving off a medium-volume hum that probably couldn't be heard from outside the room. But every now and then ours makes a clattering noise that is loud enough to be distracting.

The elastomer sleeve can be washed with soap and water. It cannot be sterilized, and it is only compatible with water-based lube. The controller and egg vibe can be wiped with toy cleaner, a soapy cloth, or alcohol, but be careful not to get fluid down in the controller. You should store the elastomer sleeve away from any vinyl toys that you may have.

We found that dusting the flower sleeve with cornstarch before storing it takes away the sticky feeling, so it doesn't pick up so much lint and such, but you have to wash it off before use and the sticky feeling comes back then.

The Vibratex Blossom comes in a very thin clear plastic box with some brief product information printed on the front and back. There are no instructions, only a warning not to use it on swollen or broken skin or calf pain. Because the toy fits inside firmly and thus provides some stability to the box sides, you could wrap it for gift giving, but it's too flimsy to be a permanent storage solution.

Alan says: DO NOT use this thing without lube on any body part that has hair! That sticky little sucker will snag and tug every chance it gets, and it doesn't glide easily across the skin either. It's ok if you use lube on it though, but in this case more is better. The finger hole is nearly useless, because it's too big for one finger but too small for two, even on Michele's tiny hands. The vibrations are gentle enough to use on the testicles, but does nothing for me on the perineum unless we take the sleeve off. Frankly, I'd chuck the sleeve part altogether if it didn't make for a nice nipple toy. The feel of it just creeps me out.

Michele says: As a clitoral stimulator, this flower definitely wilted on me. The egg vibe itself is pretty powerful, even on its low setting, but the flower's petals diffuse the vibrations too much so all it really does is get me warmed up. I'm also not thrilled with the fact that my fingers tend to go a bit numb after using it for awhile, because I have to hold the base instead of using the finger hole. It's a really nice nipple stimulator though.