When I first started perusing sex toy reviews in search of toys to build my own body-safe collection, three toys stood out as most bloggers’ must-haves: the nJoy Pure Wand, the Magic Wand, and the We-Vibe Tango. The Tango in particular came up again and again, renowned for its rumbles and serving as the standard against which all other small vibrators were judged in the blogsphere. In the end (and on a limited budget that could only indulge one such luxury staple), my partner and I decided that out of these blogger cornerstones we wanted the wand the most. The Tango has remained financially out of reach in the months since.

The Tango’s $80 USD pricetag is, perhaps, not inaccessible to everyone. But it’s a number that gives most people pause. You can read reviews of the Tango on a dozen blogs and find that it more than earns its asking price in power, but for those on a limited budget or who are looking to expand their collection, it’s a lot to invest for a toy with just one purpose. Even if you’re specifically looking for a small bullet for your toy box.

So when the Exposed Nocturnal Lipstick Vibrator surfaced at less than half the price of the Tango (just $32 USD), I was over the moon. If it delivered on its promises, it could become the financially accessible answer to the Tango.

Peepshow Toys kindly included the Exposed Nocturnal to pair with my Temptasia Harness Briefs review (as it has two pockets to accommodate bullet vibes.) Thank you, Peepshow Toys!

The Exposed Nocturnal is relatively large for a bullet vibe: four inches long and about an inch wide. It’s made of ABS plastic which is body-safe (non-toxic and non-porous), which makes this a hard and sleek little vibrator. It’s rechargeable, waterproof, and has two buttons with which you can click back and forth through its ten available functions. And it comes in four colors: pink, other pink, other other pink, and purple.

And yeah, I’m gonna be salty about the colors. I’m not a fan of the pink/purple thing, even though I understand the sex toy industry leans into those colors in part because they sell well. But I was surprised to see this from Blush. Their colors are frequently very unique – hell, the Temptasia line they released adjacent to the Nocturnal has red and teal dildos. Those aren’t colors you see often enough on sex shop shelves. So three pinks and a purple? Blush, you wound me.

I do like that the Nocturnal has some sparkle to it – and it’s not the kind of glitter that scratches off, it’s embedded into the smooth plastic itself. That means no chipping or flaking onto your genitals in the future! I speak from experience when I say that stuff sucks.

The Exposed Nocturnal has five steady power levels and five vibration patterns. Despite this nicely numbered range, the Nocturnal doesn’t have any gentle settings that can be used for warming up or by folks with timid genitals. The very first setting is intense – strong enough that the vibe will start actively spinning in your hand like it’s eager to make its way to your bits – and it only gets stronger from there.

Since I don’t own and have never used a Tango, I can’t tell you if the Nocturnal is better than the Tango. But I can tell you that this little cherry-colored bullet is powerful. And rumbly as fuck, which means its vibrations reverberate past the surface and provide deeper, often more satisfying stimulation than purely buzzy vibrations do. This ain’t a puny lipstick vibe from your local Spencer’s.

The vibrations the Nocturnal produces remind me a lot of the Screaming O Charged Positive, especially on higher settings, because there is a waspy quality to them. But unlike the Positive, the Nocturnal’s vibrations are definitely more rumble than buzz. They’re strong enough that I have a hard time discerning the strength difference once I get to the third of the five steady settings, because by that point all my junk knows is that it’s getting a pummeling worthy of a forced orgasm. On its highest settings, the Nocturnal packs the punch of a proper wand-styled vibrator on its low to mid-tier settings, but funnels it into a much smaller package. It’s fucking fantastic, and way too much for me on most days.

Following the steady settings, the Nocturnal has five pattern settings. None of them provide a softer touch intensity-wise than the first steady settings, so you won’t find solace from the vibe’s unbridled force in its fancier levels. The patterns are a thumpy ramp up with a pause, the typical bzt varients (bzzt-bzzt-bzzt, bztbztbztbzt, and bzbzbz-zzzt), and a continuous three tier ramp up.

I really wish the scope of the Nocturnal Lipstick Vibrator’s power included some milder settings for those of us without steel junk. I can use it once I’m worked up enough, but I hate having to use a gentler “warm up” toy to prepare myself for the toy I actually want to play with. I’m a lazy masturbator and hate having to plan for multiple toys during coupled sex, so the Nocturnal gets left behind more often than not when I’m in the mood for something uncomplicated and pinpoint. If you’re power royalty, this probably won’t be a problem for you.

Since it’s just a bullet, the vibrations produced by the Nocturnal’s strong little motor do travel into your grip. My fingers itch with numbness every time I use it, and it does occasionally irritate me enough to discard it for another toy. (I expected this though, given its small size.) It’s not an especially noisy toy, but it gets noticeably louder when pressed firmly against something, which is the opposite of most other vibrators I’ve used.

The Exposed Nocturnal is lipstick inspired, so its width tapers at the tip into a flat oval-faced slope. I enjoy using both the flat portion and the snubbed tip itself, often directly on my clit if I’m feeling mean and masochistic (since direct touch is usually too much for me.) The tip isn’t quite thin enough to push under my partner’s clitoral hood, but it’s close enough that if I’m feeling mean and sadistic, I can work evil magic on their clit. Perfect for the aforementioned forced orgasms.

Our favorite use for the Nocturnal is to use it as a replacement for shittier bullet vibes in vibrating dildos (like the Vibrating Echo Dildo.) Though larger than the average bullet, I’ve found that a bit of lube and some firm-handed wriggling can work the Nocturnal into place just fine. Its strong vibrations are a perfect match for dildos, because even a few inches of silicone can’t dampen its force. On dildos like the Avant D2 or the Addiction Ben, where there’s no existing hole for a bullet, I just hold the Nocturnal against the toy’s base and its vibrations thunder up the shaft just the same. The Nocturnal was also useful in the Temptasia Harness Briefs’ inside bullet pocket, which was stretchy enough to accommodate it.

The Exposed Nocturnal’s settings are controlled by two minuscule silicone buttons on its base, a space shared with two flat magnetic nobs used for charging. The buttons are marked with an indented plus and minus, but these inscriptions are basically imperceptible in use, especially when damp fingers are involved. If I concentrate from the start, I can remember which button is which, but pressing them successfully is a skill I’m still acquiring. It ends up being far less hassle to lift the Nocturnal away, squint at its base for confirmation, and click the desired button before putting the toy back to work. It’s admittedly a minor problem (like all of the Nocturnal’s shortcomings, to be honest) but it still bums me out. Still, I’m delighted there are two buttons – vibes with twice as many functions obstinately stick to just one, forcing users to click approximately one bajillion times to get anywhere. When I want to increase the Nocturnal’s power, I click a button; if I want to go back to a lower setting, I click the other button. There’s no frantic click-cycling necessary.

The end of the Cherry Nocturnal Lipstick Bullet houses a light in a deep neon shade of pink. It’s muted compared to other lighted toys I’ve used, and can be successfully hidden beneath a blanket. When the Nocturnal is charging, the light slowly pulses until it’s fully charged two hours later.

Because yes, despite its low price point, the Exposed Nocturnal is rechargeable. No more stealing batteries from your tv remote to hold you over until you can get to the store! To give it juice, you attach the USB cord (included) to its base via the funky magnetic fixtures on the cord’s cup-shaped end. Because it’s USB, you can plug it into most computers for a charge, or click it into an AC adapter like the one that comes with most phones. The cord is finicky, and its magnetic pieces (two thin, curved lines) aren’t shaped to suit the Nocturnal’s (two small circles.) Which is… weird, right? That’s an odd design choice, right? Am I the one who’s wrong here? Anyway, it’s not as strongly connected as I’d like, so I tend to check on it sometimes to make sure it hasn’t dislodged. Generally, it stays put; and it’s still sturdier than the tiny magnetic pin charger on other Blush Novelties toys I have.

The Nocturnal is waterproof (with a cut-off of three feet, so it’s not ideal for naughty skinny dipping in the deep end of the pool) and thus a breeze to to clean. You can use a mild soap (or toy cleaner) and warm water to wash it up, and even partially submerge it while doing so without fear for its mechanical inner workings.

The Exposed Nocturnal definitely wasn’t made with lovers of mild sensation in mind, but for folks who want a powerful bullet and can’t or won’t dish out the dough for the infamous We-Vibe Tango, it’s a wallets dream come true. I think it will be of particular interest to folks who Want an upgrade from a weaker bullet they’re currently using: people who know they prefer pinpoint vibrations but who are ready for – or simply interested in – a toy with more muscle. It’s a definite upgrade for bullet-utilizing toys like vibrating dildos and harnesses, as long as the slot/pocket has a little room to spare or you have a strong grip and some lube on hand. And it’s rechargeable, waterproof, and has more than a single button: three necessary attributes that so many other affordable toys forgo.

It comes with all of the limitations of any other bullet – such as being useless for penetration (especially anal, as it does not have a flared base) and being jarring to grip – and folks who prefer a softer finish or a more flexible toy won’t be pleased with the smooth and rigid ABS plastic, but these are all givens. The charger ain’t great, but it isn’t terrible either. And while the colors don’t tickle my fancy, those of you with an appreciation for varieties of pink will undoubtedly love at least one of the soft shades Blush offers, if not the Stephanie Brown shade of purple.

The Exposed Nocturnal has inspired a lot of talk in the blogsphere since its recent release, which excites me! Perhaps we are entering an era where the infamous staples against which all other toys are judged will include an affordable bullet that almost anyone can assess for themselves. I just hope you like pink!

You can buy the Exposed Nocturnal Lipstick Bullet Vibrator at Peepshow Toys for just $32 USD at the time of this posting.

Thank you, Peepshow Toys, for sending me the Exposed Nocturnal in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links were used in this post.