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I really wanted to start out this review with, “And, if last week’s review of  Next Door Girls didn’t give you a tingle, then give this Tingle Gel a try!” I’m really sad to inform you all that the Tingle Gel from Sex Toys’ selection of Lubes & Lotions is kind of… not tingly. The bottle reads “Stimulation Plus Advanced Formula Arousal Gel.” Yeah… no.

I gave this stuff so many chances. I tried it out with my partner. I tried it solo. I tried it with just a little bit. I tried it with lots. Would you, could you, on a box? Would you, could you, wearing socks? Actually, don’t. Socks + sex = really lame unless you live in the Arctic Circle. All Seussyness aside, it just really doesn’t live up to the name “Tingle Gel.”

What it DOES do, for me at least, is feel cool once applied. It’s not an unpleasant sensation at all. I want to stress that the sensation is very mild, and the scent is also very mild, which is nice if you’re sensitive to smells. I’ve tried other stimulating lubes and those have all been OMGMINT scented. This one is light, and while it is ever so slightly mouthwashy, it is nice.

It’s flavored, and that is really the best thing about it. It tastes better than any flavored lube I’ve ever tried, to the date of this review. I’m the sort of person who is all for flavored lube to make oral sex better, but only if the flavor is really good. If not, then it’s not worth it, and I’d prefer the flavor of my partner. So on this count, this lube is awesome.

Also, it’s pretty thick and it stays where you put it. I was re-arranging my dildos and randomly put some on the tip of a sparkly dildo I’ve got and set it down, and it didn’t budge. Also, that was when I discovered that it’s the lube that’s pink, not the bottle, like I had originally thought. I know the picture is green, but my lube is pink for some reason.

So it comes down to this.

Pros:

• Smells awesome!
• Tastes great!

Cons:

• It’s not really “tingly”, more “cooling” than anything.
• The bottle is really stiff plastic, and there is no pump top, so if you’re in the middle of ahem then it’s hard to squeeze it out.

What you need to know:

• This lube is water based. This means you can use it with silicone toys, latex condoms and the like.
• This lube has GLYCERIN. This is a sugar. If you’re prone to yeast infections, stay away from this, as it could trigger one.
• It also has METHYLPARABEN and PROPYLPARABEN, preservatives that can cause an allergic reaction. I don’t know a lot about parabens, but after a brief stint with google, I return to tell you that parabens can mimic natural estrogen, which can play a role in the development of breast cancer. There are lots of conflicting studies, most of which say that small doses won’t kill you, but most also say it’s good to err on the side of caution.

I’m going to have to reject this on principle. I do like it for its oral sex applications, but I wanted a tingling stimulating lube like one that I used to have that has since been used up. In this respect, Tingle Gel was disappointing. Also, I’m not too keen on rubbing parabens and glycerin on my clit (I didn’t read the bottle till after several tests), since I just recently stopped putting parabens in my eyes by switching to organic eyeliner (which is another story). If you’re looking for a good stimulating lube, I’d give Climax Bursts Stimulating or Warming a try. I have not tried these, but I have heard good things about them from people who have. Climax Bursts lubes are water based and glycerin free. I am not sure if they contain parabens, but I’ve just popped an email off to Topco, the Manufacturer, to see if they can answer that for me. I’ll pass along the information I receive.