What we used: Play O orgasm enhancing gel
From: Durex
Price: £11.39 – £15.35 (depending on retailer)
Ingredient(s): aqua, propylene glycol, arginine, lactic acid, hydroxyethylcellulose, aroma, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, isopulegol, methylparaben
Can Play O gel really help you achieve orgasm? Lizzie discovers that, yes, it can.
First thoughts …
Durex Play O has been around for a while now. I first saw it on a shelf in my local Boots pharmacy a few years ago, lurking unobtrusively next to the condoms and lubricants. The word ‘orgasm’ caught my attention and within seconds I was scanning the back of the box:
‘Durex Play OTM Gel is a revolutionary product for enhanced orgasm pleasure. Play OTM Gel has been specially designed and tested by women for women using a unique combination of ingredients that create a multitude of cooling, warming and tingling sensations all at the same time, heightening sensitivity of the clitoris for more intense orgasm pleasure and easier to reach orgasms.’
All of this sounded marvellous but to be brutally honest, I was pretty sceptical about whether a gel could have that much of an effect. An easy orgasm is pretty much the Yetti of intercourse – for women at least; everyone talks about it, but no one really believes it exists. Surely, if this stuff actually worked, I’d be hearing shrieks of pleasure echoing around the neighbourhood? Nevertheless, I’ll try anything once and so proceeded to march off to the checkout with my new discovery.
The packaging …
Play O comes in a fuchsia and white, plastic-wrapped box featuring the Durex logo. The packaging is relatively discrete and grown-up and you could be forgiven for thinking that you were picking up some sort of skincare product, such as a moisturiser or cleanser – the branding is very much of that ilk.
Inside the outer box, an instruction leaflet, a pump dispenser with a lid, and the gel itself. The latter is contained within a clear, 15ml-capacity glass bottle that you need to attach to the dispenser before you use it for the first time. Again, I am reminded of a cosmetic product; I feel like I should be rubbing this stuff on my face rather than my girly parts! It doesn’t look out of place when surrounded by other lotions and potions (as you can see from the picture above).
Using it …
Play O is very easy to dispense: you simply remove the lid and depress the pump to get the gel from the bottle. A single press gives you a pea-sized dollop and – as I discover – this is PLENTY to get you started. The gel feels similar to lubricant – relatively slippery with a slightly viscous consistency. Play O is water-based, so safe to use with condoms and okay to taste and swallow.
Once you’ve got the O on your fingers, all you need to do is rub it gently over your clitoris and wait for the effects of it to kick in.
A few seconds after applying O, I tend to experience a warm, tingling sensation followed by a slightly ‘heavy’ feeling (this is because O increases blood flow to the areas it’s applied to) and within minutes, increased sensitivity to touch. And it’s that increased sensitivity that makes a big, big difference – to me, anyway! The first time I used O, I was able to bring myself to orgasm with just my fingers and no additional stimulation within a few short minutes when, normally, it would take me between ten and fifteen to achieve the same result. The orgasm itself was excellent, too; I noticed that, while it wasn’t any longer than normal it was quite intense.
The first few times I used O or got Thomas to apply it to me, we stuck with manual stimulation (by which I mean fingers and other body parts) but when we started to experiment with vibrators and some other toys, the results were even more satisfying. A bullet, held next to an O-sensitized clitoris or a pressure-based toy (such as a clip), for example, can yield spectacular results. I can honestly say that I nearly always orgasm when I use Play O – even when stressed or distracted. (I generally find it very difficult to climax, no matter how hard I try, if my head’s not in the right place and I’m worrying about work, money, kids, etc.)
A word of caution: you don’t need to go crazy with the application of Play O to feel the effects of it. Applying a large quantity – unless you’re trying to cover a large area – isn’t necessary and, if you’re particularly sensitive, you may find the sensations induced by an excess amount too overpowering. Personally, I find that applying it to the clitoris alone works best for me as it focuses all the external sensations in one place. If you’re having a long session with yourself or your partner, you can always re-apply O to renew the effects.
Any downsides?
Well, at a minimum of £11.39 for a 15ml bottle (from Amazon U.K.) it’s not particularly cheap, but provided you’re not basting yourself in it or using it as your primary lubricant, a little goes a long, long way. The Play O packaging suggests you should get be able to get approximately 30 orgasms from a single bottle, so if you manage to get it for the lowest price of £11.39, that’s roughly 38 pence per orgasm. Bargain!
The other thing I’ve noted is that you need to keep the bottle standing upright for the pump to work effectively. If the bottle lies on its side, the inner collection tube can’t suck up the gel. Consequently, Thomas and I have had a few frustrating moments when we’ve been pumping the bottle madly trying to get a dollop out.
The verdict?
The fact that I’m never without a bottle of this in my toy box speaks for itself. I’m a fan. While O won’t send you hurtling towards an immediate climax it will likely make it easier for you to reach orgasm. To quote some official data from Durex’s Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey (SWGS):
‘Play O gel heightened sensitivity for 68% of women. 40% said our gel made it easier to orgasm and, wait for this, 79% of women, achieved orgasm by using it.’
O, my.
In summary
Things I like:
- The sensation O produces. The gel makes it much easier for me to achieve an intense and pleasurable orgasm.
- The packaging. Grown up and relatively discrete.
- Availability. You can buy it from pharmacies and supermarkets.
Things I’m not so keen on:
- The price. Play O isn’t cheap but, that said, it lasts a while if you don’t go mad when applying it.
- The sensation that the gel induces may not be for everyone. You might find it too mild or, conversely, too overpowering depending on how sensitive you are.
Tickle your fancy? You can buy this item from: Amazon.co.uk, Boots, Sainsbury’s, and Superdrug.
