★★☆☆☆ – Great Brand Intentions But Some Ingredient Improvements Needed
I was contemplating writing this review, and decided that my readers need to know all sides of the pleasure industry, the good, the misjudged and the ugly!
Chatting to the Aura founders, and looking at the brand values, I was super excited to try their products. However when I received the Vibrator and Lube, I was soooo disappointed and a little miffed.
Aura’s mission is to empower everyone to love themselves and others with confidence and respect. Aura believe that companies can make a big difference through the products they sell, things they say and money they give. Therefore, 5% of all Aura’s profits are donated to charities that fight to support survivors of sexual and domestic crimes, and prevent them.
Aura Vibe
When I first opened the Vibrator, I was initially really impressed with the packaging and feel of the piece, knowing it was body safe was a plus too. However it was very familiar to me. After playing around with the settings in my hand (which I always do before reviewing), I felt something wasn’t right. Then it clicked.
The vibrator is the same as the Ann Summers Whisper Quiet. I asked the brand, and was told it had different settings after research told them consumers wanted a quieter toy. However that’s just what the Ann Summers Whisper range was about: being able to use your vibrator and know it’s not a loud buzzing! The toy has 10 settings, and honestly, I can’t say there’s much difference.
I think what annoyed me was the perceived deception. If I hadn’t made the connection, I could have looked really stupid. I reviewed the Ann Summers Whisper Quiet in 2019, and it’s cheaper and the original – albeit a different colour. The specs list says it’s “Designed in London”, and upon further discussion with the brand owners, I was told they used the same mould as the Ann Summers toy and that was normal for manufacturers.
Now, I’ve reviewed, received and seen hundreds of toys, pretty much every new release toy for the last 5 years – and I hate being deceived. I’ve never had this where a toy is the same shape and 10 settings as another brand so I can’t say that this is an industry “norm”.
Having worked with Ann Summers for many years, I felt wrong reviewing essentially what is a dupe.
For me, at this point I couldn’t review the toy, it has all the right points – body safe, and silicone, but ultimately it misses the mark, I felt deceived and you can buy the Ann Summers Whisper Quiet for cheaper £50 here.
Aura Natural Lubricant
This Lubricant has all the promises to make intimacy better, and I was really excited to try this. I loved the glass packaging and I was super looking forward to it, and again was sooo disappointed when I read the ingredients.
I can’t recommend this lubricant as it’s main ingredient is Glycerin, which as we know from my recent post An Industry Of Unregulated Ingredients: How Intimate Hygiene & Pleasure Products Are Damaging Women’s Bodies, is an not nice ingredient for women, as too much of this sugar alcohol in the vagina can lead to bacterial growth and very unpleasant side effects like yeast infections and UTIs.
Personally I think this is a more male-centric lube, but with good intentions. It is odourless and feels really nice and non-sticky, but whilst it’s vegan-friendly and cruelty free, Glycerin is simply not a nice ingredient for women.
Also at £24.00, it would probably be better to head to Hanx who do a £14.99 gynae-backed, Glycerin-free, all natural, paraben free lubricant.
Ingredients: Glycerin, Aqua, Acacia Senegal Gum, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate.
I actually threw this lubricant away because I don’t want the glycerin anywhere near my intimate areas!
I really approve of Aura’s values and mission, and I reallllyy tried to find the positives for them. But both products are flawed, so for me, this has been a real shame and missed opportunity.
This post was written in collaboration with Aura, and I was gifted the Vibrator and Lubricant for review purposes. All opinions and recommendations are strictly my own.
