My first anal toy was a set of anal beads that came free with another purchase from Adam & Eve. Unlike most anal beads I'd seen, these were graduated, starting VERY small to medium at the other end, and they weren't on a string, they were actually attached to one another by the same (probably toxic if you believe everything you read) plastic material that made up the beads themselves. They were a great way to get started because they weren't that intimidating and you could always stop if it was too much.
Flashing forward to present day (with a little subtitle in the bottom left corner of the screen that says “PRESENT DAY” and maybe a WOOSH noise…how's that for silly/geeky?) I've moved on, those old anal beads just don't impress me, and the crop that I've seen are all rather unimaginative and uninspired. (Most being just three or four balls of the same size on a string…and that worries me.)
So when I saw Close2you‘s Rhapsodia beads, I was very enthused to try these out. As you may have noticed, we're Close2you fanboys and girls over here (well at least Marilyn and I am, don't want to speak for others…) because their quality is so high and CONSISTENT across all of their products.
As is the case with all of their other products, the Rhapsodia beads are made out of high grade (and soft) silicone. They're three egg shaped beads of graduated size, the first being about the size of one of those Dove Chocolate Eggs (forgive my using candy as my comparison) the second marginally bigger, the third marginally bigger than that. None of the beads are overwhelming or frightening in appearance (especially with the cutesy 2 logo on each, and the heart/clef symbol handle way down at the end.) They're all very close together, connected with a small (but continuous) silicone skin that extends a few inches beyond the largest bead to the handle.
As I've found anal beads are just not so easy to play with on ones own, I enlisted Marilyn's help with the Rhapsodia beads. When lubed up, one can really appreciate the smoothness of silicone (making me wonder if I'll ever want to use a non silicone anal toy again…but that's another conversation.) They slide in so easily, and the long tail to the handle makes them very easy to manipulate during sex.
One of the most interesting features of the Rhapsodia beads is that within each bead there's a weighted ball bearing that rolls around within the bead. This allows the beads to feel as though they're moving around when they're not, especially during sex. It's not an especially strong sensation, but an interesting one, and one that makes you want to experiment with positions to see how that changes the sensation based on movement.
Another great effort from Close2you, and a wonderful addition to anyone who likes anal stimulation's toy box. Highly recommended.
All Close2you products come in wonderfully high end white packaging, a box with a drawer for the toy and a separate drawer for the accessories included. These accessories include the aformentioned lube sample bottle of their Glissando brand lube (just smaller than a travel toothpaste), a silicone cock ring, a velvet drawstring storage pouch, the appropriate batteries for the toy, and a small book of all their products. This company knows how to pamper its customers!
Full Disclosure: We did not purchase this product, it was sent to us specifically for review. Our policy is to, regardless of how we acquired a product, review it fairly and openly. No writer for Life On The Swingset will ever deliberately mislead our readers into believing that a product is good because of anything we received from the company. We are open and honest, and cannot be bought or bribed. If we love a product, we'll tell you, if we don't, BELIEVE us, we'll tell you that too. End disclaimer.
