A review of the Flores vibrator by Close 2 You.
Close 2 You, the creators of the
Flores dual stimulation vibrator, like to name and describe their sex toys using musical terminology. According to Close 2 You, the term “Flores”(Latin, meaning: to flower) refers to the purely decorative vocals or instrumentals found in classical music. I was taught that these were called flourishes, but the two terms sound rather similar, and were probably derived from the same root word originally. Also, Close 2 You is based in Germany, and it is not surprising that musical terminology varies a bit in different languages.
The Flores vibrator is certainly decorative, but it is also a very functional
dual stimulation vibrator. The Flores is designed to be inserted vaginally so that the head of the shaft stimulates your G-spot while the “Clef”, the name they've given to the Flores' clitoral attachment, stimulates your clitoris. Because the Flores has a large head at the end of a narrower shaft, you could also conceivably use this toy as a sort of vibrating
vaginal exerciser.
The Flores could be used anally, since the Clef is certainly large enough to prevent the toy from being pulled inside and lost. However, I am not sure how well the Flores would work as an
anal toy since dual stimulation vibrators are not designed with anal use in mind. However, the shape of the bulbous head with the narrower shaft beneath, might allow it to work as an odd sort of vibrating
butt plug.
To use the kind of musical metaphor that the makers of the Flores frequently employ when describing their products... The
Flores is perfect for solo performances, but also works well with duets.
MATERIAL/TEXTURE:
The main body of the Flores is made from
silicone, which rates a 10 out of 10 on the EF
material safety index. Silicone is non-porous, phthlates free, latex free and hypo-allergenic. Silicone also retains heat very well, which you can use to your advantage by gently heating your toy with warm water before using it.
The surface of this silicone has a very pleasant velvety feel that creates a fair amount of drag. Although the surface feels soft, the body of the toy is actually quite firm. It has a little bit of give to it, but not much.
Because of the drag created by the texture of this silicone, you will probably need to use lubricant with this toy.
Water based lubes are the only completely safe lube to use with silicone. Some silicone toys are not damaged by silicone lubricant, but you should always spot test an inconspicuous area first before using a
silicone lube on a silicone toy.
Although silicone has a reputation as a lint magnet, that did not seem to be the case with this toy. Even after quite a bit of handling and being left lying around on the computer desk, I didn't notice any obvious lint or cat hair sticking to it. And I have several cats, so cat hair is everywhere in my house.
When I held the toy up to my nose, I could detect a very faint scent. It wasn't chemically or rubbery. I couldn't quite figure out what it smelled like, but it was very faint and somewhat pleasant. Even after several washings, there was still a very faint scent.
When I licked and sucked on the silicone portions of the toy, I could not taste anything at all, and the texture of the silicone felt surprisingly pleasant against my lips and tongue.
The base of the Flores appears to be hard
plastic, while the two buttons feel like the same silicone as the main body of the toy.
DESIGN/SHAPE/SIZE:
The
Flores has a large head at the end of a tapered shaft. The head has a series of five wavy ridges -- which probably represent the five lines in a
staff of musical notation -- that encircle it to create greater stimulation. When held horizontally, the shaft of the toy curves slightly upward to facilitate G-spot stimulation. The shaft is narrowest just below the head then thickens toward the base.
Just in front of where the clitoral stimulator is attached, there is another series of five wavy ridges that descend diagonally on the shaft. Where the ridges run under the shaft beneath where the Clef is attached, the added texture makes it easier to hold on to the Flores when it is covered in lube.
The clitoral stimulator is designed to resemble a G-clef (also called a treble clef or violin clef). (**ASIDE: I wonder if they chose the G-clef because it sort of sounds like G-spot.**) The cute little curled up tail of the Clef is more decorative than functional. However, it does makes a nice thumb rest.
The Flores in pink, a G-clef on a staff of music, the G-clef superimposed over the Flores'(in green) clitoral stimulator.
The
Flores is apx 9.25 inches in total length with apx 4.875 Inches insertable. The widest part of the head, which is thicker from top to bottom than from side to side, is apx 1.625 inches from top to bottom and 1.375 inches from side to side. The thinnest part of the shaft which is right below the head is apx 1 inch in diameter. The shaft gradually widens until it becomes apx 1.5 inches in diameter just in front of where the clitoral stimulator attaches.
The slightly bulbous tip of the clitoral stimulator is apx 7/8 of an inch in diameter at its widest part, and the leading point of the Clef rests apx 1.375 inches above the shaft. However, with a little effort, it is possible to pinch the Clef down closer to the shaft using only one hand. It takes both hands to flex the Clef away from the shaft.
The Flores' rather bulbous head may be too large for some people, and, as with any dual stimulation toy, the placement of the clitoral stimulator may or may not work for you depending on how well it fits with your anatomy.
PERFORMANCE:
The
Flores is operated by two silicone covered buttons on the base of the toy. The top button turns the toy on and off, and the bottom button cycles the toy through its eight vibration settings. You do NOT have to cycle through all the settings to turn the toy off. Pressing the on/off button turns it off immediately. Unfortunately, there is no way to set the controls so that the Flores doesn't turn on accidentally, so if you are traveling with it, it would be best to remove the batteries and carry them separately.
Inspired by Close 2 You's (over)use of music-related language, I came up with names for the eight vibration variations based on what seemed like the appropriate
musical terminology.
The settings are as follows:
1.Adagio: a weak steady vibration (1 vroom)
2.Andante: a moderately weak steady vibration (2 vrooms)
3.Allegro: a moderate steady vibration (3 vrooms)
4.Crescendo: a vibration that quickly rises from weak to moderate, followed by a pause
5.Staccato: evenly paced pulses of moderate vibrations
6.Arpeggio: an ascending sequence of weak, moderately weak and moderate vibrations followed by three pulses of moderate vibrations
7.Vibrato: a rapid alternation between moderately weak and moderate vibrations for five beats with a sustained moderate vibration on the sixth beat, then a brief pause
8.Rondo: a long pulse followed by four short pulses and another long pulse, all at moderate vibration level, then a pause
As mentioned in the descriptions of the settings, the vibrations created by the Flores never get stronger than about 3 out of a possible 5 vrooms. I believe the motor creating the vibrations is in the shaft of the toy just in front of the clitoral attachment, but it is really hard to tell because the firm silicone transmits the vibrations very evenly, creating diffuse vibrations throughout the entire body of the toy. However, the vibrations in the head of the shaft seem slightly stronger than the vibrations in the Clef.
On every setting, the Flores is fairly quiet, about 2 out of a possible 5 bees. Even at its loudest setting, when I put it under thick covers and moved apx 12 feet away, I couldn't hear it buzzing. When I placed it behind a closed door, I could not hear a thing, even when I was standing right next to the door.
The Flores runs on 2 AA batteries that are inserted in the base of the toy. To open the toy, you simply twist the plastic base less than a quarter of a turn and the cap pops off. There are very faint markings depicting which way the batteries are to be inserted. Then twist the cap less than a quarter of a turn in the opposite direction and the cap is closed. It is surprisingly easy to open and close this uniquely designed cap.
Close 2 You claims that all of their toys are fully
waterproof. However, since the O-ring in the Flores is absolutely tiny(it took me a while to find it, even though I was looking for it), and the battery cap comes off with less than a quarter of a twist, I would be extremely hesitant to submerge this toy in water. However, it appears to be completely splash proof. When washing it, I passed it through running water several times and I never found any dampness in the battery compartment afterwards.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE:
Silicone and
plastic are both easy care materials. They can be washed with warm water and anti-bacterial soap or toy cleaner for general cleaning purposes, but they can also be more thoroughly disinfected. Silicone may be wiped down with a 10% bleach solution to sterilize it, and plastic can be wiped down with rubbing alcohol. Although some silicone toys can be safely boiled or run through the dishwasher on the top rack with no detergent, I would not recommend trying that with this toy because of the mechanical and plastic parts.
Because both silicone and plastic can be sterilized, you could share this toy with others, or use it anally as well as vaginally, as long as you sterilized it between users/uses.
As mentioned earlier, only
water based lubricants are completely safe to use with
silicone toys.
Silicone toys should be stored separately from any other toys because there is a chance the silicone could interact with other materials in a way that damages the toys. Many people store their silicone toys in plastic baggies or other
special storage bags to protect them from lint and interactions with other toys. However, the Flores comes with its own pretty purple velveteen storage bag. You could also store it inside the very classy box that it comes in.
Whenever you store your toys for any length of time, you should always remove the batteries to prevent draining the batteries and/or damaging the toy if the batteries leak.
PACKAGING:
The
Flores comes in a very elegant white cardboard box. There is a color picture of the Flores on the front of the box with a faint black and white image of a happy couple behind it. The front of the box is held closed with a magnet, but opens up like the cover of a book to reveal the Flores behind a plastic window.
The box has two drawers which arrive held closed by small round pieces of tape. In the top drawer, the Flores is nested inside a piece of foam custom designed to safely hold the sex toy. The bottom drawer holds; a purple velveteen drawstring bag that's just the right size to hold the Flores, a booklet describing the Close 2 You product line and giving general instructions about their toys in 10 different languages, a purple silicone cock ring in a plastic packet, a sample of Glissando lubricant, a toy cleaning wipe in a foil packet, and two extremely weak AA batteries that lasted less than twenty minutes in the Flores.
The back of the box has a rather flowery description of the Flores in 10 different languages and some contact information for the Close 2 You company.
Although not entirely discreet, the box is nice enough to make the Flores a lovely
gift item.
The purple velveteen bag that comes with the Flores looks nice, but it is not padded and will not provide much protection other than from dust and dirt.
The booklet that comes with the Flores consists mainly of pages promoting the entire line of
Close 2 You toys. There are no specific instructions for operating the Flores, but there are some general instructions that apply to all of their toys. There are also descriptions of the eight vibration settings which are apparently the same in just about half of the C2Y toys. The other toys share the same six settings. The booklet is fairly thick, but only because it repeats the same information in ten different languages.
The
cock ring is a plain purple band with the C2Y logo embossed on it. The band is apx ¾ of an inch wide. Unstretched, the interior diameter is apx 1.375 inches. I managed to stretch it around a 2 inch diameter bottle, and it could probably stretch a little bit more, but not much.
The sample tube of water based Glissando lube lists the following ingredients: aqua, propylene, glycol, glycerine, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, tocopheryl acetate, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium, chloride, lactic acid.
Glissando has a sweet floral scent that is not overly strong. I was unwilling to taste it to see what it tasted like. It felt smooth and slick when rubbed between my fingers (as all lubes should) and moderately thick. Over time, however, it became somewhat tacky and I could not wipe it off my fingers. I had to wash my hands to clean it off.
The
toy cleaner wipe was apx 5” by 8” and had a very pleasant clean scent. I tried it out by wiping off the slight bit of dust and lint the Flores had picked up while being handled as I was writing this review. The wipe left a light film on my hands which absorbed fairly quickly into my skin, leaving my skin with the pleasant clean scent. Unfortunately, the scent lingered far longer than I would have liked, and I eventually had to wash my hands to get rid of it. I did not have the opportunity to use the wipe to clean a dirty toy, but it seems like it would do a decent quickie cleaning. However, since I am a little OCD about cleaning my toys, I would recommend doing a more thorough wash before storing the toy or using it again.
PERSONAL COMMENTS:
When I went to the Close 2 You website to try and find more information about the Flores, I actually found a page on their site with music they had composed to help create the “right atmosphere”. Considering the high quality of their toys and their apparent love of music, I was surprised at how amateurish and just plain bad this music was. They should stick to making sex toys.
The website itself was attractively designed, but provided little information. What little information there was, was couched in overly ornate verbiage that made the information vague and even misleading at times.
EXPERIENCE:
Unfortunately, the
Flores could not conduct my symphony to its climactic conclusion. Although, it did provide a nice prelude and intermezzo. The curved shape of the Flores made it easy for the head of the shaft to reach my G-spot, and when I squeezed the Clef down far enough for it to actually make contact with my clitoris, it did provide enough stimulation to get my clit humming. Unfortunately, the music it created was closer to the
Moonlight Sonata than the
1812 Overture. It was pleasant, but it lacked the big explosions at the end.
Admittedly, my vagina is very difficult to please. It requires strong direct vibrations to bring it to orgasm. The Flores' vibrations were just too weak and diffuse to satisfy my savage vagina.
(**ASIDE: I originally wanted to title this review, “Music To Soothe The Savage Vagina”. But unfortunately, the Flores wasn't quite strong enough to soothe my savage vagina -- so nick-named because it is very demanding and has a tendency to chew up condoms. However, I think that the Flores would still be a great toy for women with not-so-savage vagina's. Thus the current title of this review.**)
Also, the Flores did not exactly fit my anatomy. The clitoral stimulator made more contact with my mons pubis than it did with my clitoris, and when the head of the Flores was hitting my G-spot, the Clef wasn't even touching my body.
This is not to say that the Flores is a bad sex toy. It's actually a very high quality
dual stimulation vibrator. It just doesn't suit my specific needs. It would be better suited for women who enjoy less intense and more diffuse vibrations; and it would be a better anatomical fit for women whose clitoris and vagina are farther apart and/or whose G-spot is further inside them.
However, even though our first attempts at harmony did not work out, I will continue to play with this sex toy in the hope that someday the
Flores and I will find a way to make beautiful music together.
I hope that you found this review useful. If you want to help me keep writing reviews, please vote on this review at my
EdenFantasys review page.
G-spot and clitoral vibrator by Close2You Material: Silicone Safety: |
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This product was provided to me free of charge by Eden Fantasys in exchange for an unbiased review. This review is in compliance with the
FTC guidelines.
