The Mini Pearl Essence proved to be a wonderful first vibe for me, and I think it would be great for most beginners. I have only used it to insert vaginally, for clitoral stimulation, and for nipple play. I do not think you can use this for anal because the base is not flared. Inserting it does not really do much for me; the vibrations are not strong enough for internal use. But for clitoral stimulation this toy is great! In my opinion, this toy is not really good for solo play. We found that it was best used during foreplay. The tip of it is pointed, which makes it great for pinpoint stimulation, but I have found that the best vibrations are right where the motor is along the shaft of the toy.

The Mini Pearl Essence fits in your hand comfortably for external stimulation, but since the base is so small I have found it is difficult to thrust with, and hard to hold on to when lubed up. It is easy to store, and the battery lasts a long time. I have had mine for a little over a year and have only had to replace the battery once.

The Mini Pearl Essence, by Cal Exotics, is made of plastic and food-grade material, it is hypo-allergenic, latex free, and phthalates free. Because, the material is plastic the toy is non-porous and firm.

It does not have a smell, is smooth to the touch, but I did not feel the need to taste it. The smooth texture makes this a great toy for beginners or those who do not like texture. Being plastic, the Mini Pearl Essence is drag and seam free, this makes inserting the toy, and rubbing it on your labia, clit, nipples, or other body parts pleasurable.

The design of the Mini Pearl Essence is very simple. It is considered a traditional vibrator. It is small, a mere 4.5 inches long (only 3.5 insertable) and 4 inches in diameter, and straight with a pinpoint end and a dial base. Figuring out how to use the toy was very simple; just turn the dial to the setting you are most comfortable with! The vibrations do not go up very high, but as a beginner, I found I had to work my way up. Now I start out on the highest setting, and it does not do much for me.

When I first got the toy the size was kind of intimidating, but now I find myself needing more. At four and a half inches long (only three inches insertable) and a four inch circumference, the Mini Pearl Essence gets nowhere near the fire for me; although the shape and size makes it a great clitoral massager.

This size is defiantly best for beginners. The size does make this toy extremely easy to hide. Since it looks exactly like one would imagine a vibrator, it is not very discreet at all! If you took the batteries out this toy would be great for travel, and you would not have to risk it turning on in your purse or travel bag.

The motor is located about midway down the shaft, but the vibrations travel from the base to the tip; of course, the vibrations are strongest in the middle of the shaft where the motor is. I think the toy is at its best when set on high, but even then only good for external stimulation. When it is on its lowest setting the Mini Pearl Essence is extremely weak, and internally, can hardly be felt.

Being controlled by a dial base makes this toy easy to operate, and easy to set on a comfortable setting. Since it is dial base this means that you could accidentally bump the dial during play and change the vibration speeds.

The toy is not very noisy, and when inserted and under covers it is nearly silent. When not inserted the toy is about two "bee's." The vibrations range from a very low one "vroom" to around three "vrooms," and have three simple settings, low, medium, and high. The toy is powered by 1 AA battery.

Although the toy is not waterproof, there is a case for the battery that keeps it from rattling around during play, so be sure not to lose it. The easy controls and quiet vibrations make this toy great for those living with other people.

This toy is very easy to care for, although when washing you should be wary of the base. Since the toy is not water proof, it does not have an O ring, and if you get water into the battery compartment it could damage your toy. You can wash the toy with soap and water, isopropyl alcohol, or you can buy a toy cleaner.

You can store the toy in its case, a bag, box, or any other way you can think of, just remember to wash it before AND after each use. Since the Mini Pearl is plastic, you can use water, silicone, or oil based lubes.

The toy was packaged in a simple blister type plastic package. You could see the toy through it, and there was a half naked woman on the front. Not very discreet.

For me, this toy is better for pin point clitoral stimulation. This is the very first toy that every made me orgasm. I do not really like this toy for thrusting or internal stimulation, because the vibrations are not as strong inside. But like I said, it is great for clitoris stimulation, and a good addition to foreplay.