The other day, one of my wishes came true: I was the incredibly fortunate recipient of a Lelo Lily. I recently made the acquaintance of Liz from Madame Rouge, & she asked if I’d like anything from her shop. Since I have had my eye on the Lelo Lily for a while, I mentioned it, & within two days, it had arrived at my door. The glee was overwhelming; I couldn’t believe I owned something so fabulous!

I really think that if you’re a woman over the age of 18 & you’ve never been into a dark sex shop, browsed an upscale erotic boutique or looked at toys online, you are missing out! Pleasure objects are a staple of every stylish girl’s bedroom, & there is a huge variety available for all tastes, budgets & inclinations.

However, having said this, there is one thing upon which is generally agreed: Lelo of Sweden make truly top-shelf, fabulous, unsurpassed toys. In fact, Lelo are such an elegant company that they call their products “luxury erotic lifestyle objects”. I tend to think of them more as beautiful pleasure artifacts.

So, what is the Lelo Lily? It’s a delicate, light & deliciously-shaped device that fits easily in the palm of your hand. They named it Lily because it is the shape of curved petal (all together now: “Awwww!”). While it looks like it could exist quite happily in a Takashi Murakami exhibition, thankfully there is more to the Lily than just appearances. Its silky exterior hides a powerful — & yet somehow, whisper-quiet — motor, as well as beautiful functionality & up to 7 hours of continuous playtime! Who says you can’t mix style & substance?

The Lily, Nea & Yva are all the same brilliant design, just with different finishes (& consequently, price-points). The Nea (US$110) feels like porcelain, the Lily (US$140) is silky-smooth & the Yva (US$1600)… well, the Yva is hand-crafted from either stainless steel or 18K gold plate. You can choose your own level of luxury!

The packaging is sublime, too. I know it sounds weird to say that, but I get a huge kick out of really good packaging. The packaging of the Lelo Lily is on par with any packaging by Apple — beautifully-made boxes, perfect little plastic containers & clear slip-covers. As soon as you see the box, you know, without a doubt, that there is going to be something magnificent inside.

While the Lily might look like a pansy, it’s anything but. With vibrations ranging from a subtle fizz to a tumultuous tickle, it’s sure to thrill even the most exacting vixen. It’s also multi-use. While you can use it alone (swaddled in Egyptian cotton sheets, no doubt!), the design is such that you can easily slip it between you & your partner for hands-free orgasms during intercourse. BRAVO! Applause! Thunderous roar from the congregation!

Lelo have really thought about the design of this product. For example, you can easily ‘lock’ the Lily so that you won’t have one of these moments! You can control the level of vibration by using one of two little square buttons — they are perfectly positioned for your thumb & light up when touched. There are many different levels of intensity, which is fantastic. So often it’s either all or nothing! The Lily charges easily & quickly, too — from whoah to go in 2 hours. & it comes with a multi-purpose power point, with three different plugs so that you can use it anywhere you travel. The perfect item for the jetsetting fashionista, n’est-ce pas?

The Lily even has a little home. In the box, you’ll find a black satin bag for safe-keeping — this will help protect it from dust & any other toys you might have. (Sometimes the colouring on cheap latex or rubber can bleed — & marring the surface of a Lily would be pure sacrilege!)

At US$140, the Lily is definitely a high-end treat for the working girl. But when you think about what we spend on shoes, make-up & haircuts, it makes sense to spend a little money on private pleasure too!

Carrie: I just can’t believe she opened your goodie drawer. I mean, everybody knows the nightstand is private.
Charlotte: What do you have in there?
Miranda: You know, the usual. Condoms, vibrator.
Carrie: Massage oil, cigarettes.
Samantha: Nipple clamps.
Carrie: Really?
Samantha: Not for me; for them!
Charlotte: That’s freakish.
Miranda: What’s in your goodie drawer? Robert’s Rules of Order?
Charlotte: I don’t have a goodie drawer.
Carrie: Oh, everybody has a goodie drawer.
Samantha: I have a goodie closet!

When it comes to luxury products, it’s all the little details that make the difference. Take the last page of the Lily manual, for example. It says,

“The clitoris is the only feature of the human anatomy whose sole function is to convey messages of sensual pleasure. Use it wisely, often & with care.”

Truer words were never spoken.