Womanizer: the story of the sex toy that revolutionizes female pleasure

When it came to buying a sex toy, users hesitated for a long time between two specific formats: the phallic-looking model or a more regressive one, in the shape of an animal.

But a little last came to upset everything.

It looks a bit like an ear thermometer, with an elegant shell in pop undertones.

Her name ?

Womanizer.

His mission ?

Make your clitoris come without touching it, or almost.

And according to the elated testimony of singer Lily Allen, who has become the muse of the eponymous brand, and those of thousands of users, said thermometer would raise the temperature to orgasm in 99% of cases, for some less one minute, and several times in a row.

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A jewel of technology never before equaled

The case started off badly, however, simply because of its original design.

It must be said that its fuchsia pink packaging and leopard patterns, accessorized with a button in the shape of rhinestones, swore a little in the world of sextoys at the time.

During his presentation at the German festival Venus Berlin in 2014, the founder of the Passage du Desire boutiques Patrick Pruvot completely ignored the product.

“I found it ugly, noisy and expensive,” he recalls.

Before admitting: "We didn't believe it at the time, it was one of my biggest mistakes."

In fact, just look under the hood of the Womanizer to understand the importance of this sex toy. It contains a little gem of technology called Pleasure Air, which emits air pressure waves intended to gently massage the 8000 nerve endings of the clitoris, this famous detonator of female pleasure. "These pulses are deeply imbued with the flesh to internally stimulate the roots of the clitoris", describes Flore Cherry (1), sex journalist for the erotic site of

.

According to the young woman, previously selling sex toys, we had not known until now "something that revolutionizes the female orgasm so much".

"With the Womanizer, we are completely out of the fun-cute purchase like the vibrating duck or the rabbit

, the virtue of well-being with geisha balls or even performance worship with bulky dildos.

We are dealing with a product that has been really thought through and thought out based on the way women enjoy. ”

"Other brands of clitoral stimulators have tried to approach it but without ever succeeding in matching it", assures Nathalie Giraud Desforges, sex therapist.

From the modified aquarium pump to the baby nose device

Flore and so many others can thank its creator Michael Lenke. In 2012, after having read in a study that half of women have difficulty reaching orgasm, this “German Geo Trouvetou”, as Patrick Pruvot calls him, set himself the challenge of remedying it at the age of 65. A sizeable stake, especially since the engineer, already inventor of a machine to fight against hay fever and of an earthquake warning system, had never worked in this field before. "I went through all the technical possibilities and I quickly thought: 'atmospheric pressure could probably work,'" he told the US web and high tech news site

in January 2020

.

In his cellar in the depths of Bavaria, Michael Lenke then imagines his very first prototype from a modified aquarium pump.

And because it is impossible for a man to test his effectiveness, it is his wife, Brigitte, 57, who plays guinea pigs.

Even if the latter did not believe in the potential of the invention at the start, she still endures the discomfort, the pain, even the outright boredom of the first tests, indicates the engineer to our colleagues at

.

In video, Lily Allen, ambassador of Womanizer

Suction too strong, vibration not quite correct, no feeling… The tests and the failures follow one another for two years.

“It took him a long time,” Brigitte said in an interview with German tabloid

.

After work, I would iron, and he would say to me: "Come in the room and test it".

And then one day, the efforts pay off.

"He was inspired by the baby nose device, which inhales delicately without touching," recalls Nathalie Giraud Desforges, sex therapist, who worked with the brand in 2019. "After testing the final product, Brigitte told him" It will be a worldwide success "", assures Johanna Rief, manager of "sexual empowerment" and spokesperson for the WOW Tech group, which notably owns Womanizer.

A formidable word of mouth

And not only is the success there, but it does not weaken despite the years, quite the contrary. “Since its launch, we have sold more than 4 million Womanizer in more than 60 countries,” confirms Johanna Rief. Same story in France. “This represents 10 to 15% of our sales, which is enormous for this category of product,” reports Patrick Pruvot. It is clearly supplanting vibrators. "

Six years after the creation of the first Womanizer, the range now includes ten models ranging from the compact and light version at € 69, to the one with double stimulation of the clitoris externally and the G-spot internally at € 199.

Beyond their appearance, now minimalist and elegant, they are enriched with new features much appreciated by users: waterproof (to use in the shower or in the bath), noise reduction, addition of different levels of intensity, autopilot mode and sleep as soon as the toy no longer touches the skin.

Jesus Christ on a cookie.

This thing goes beyond words One user on the womanizer

On Amazon and elsewhere, reviews attest to its formidable effectiveness.

Among the notable celebrations: "The best orgasm ever reached [...] the waves of sucking will make you enjoy with an intense explosion", "A kind of cunnilingus but without excess saliva", "After 2-3 minutes, j I had a lake in my sheets [...] Absolute madness, I could only cry out, cry out, cry out, with passion "," Jesus Christ on a cookie.

This thing goes beyond words ”.

"This word of mouth is the best possible relay of opinion," concedes Patrick Pruvot of the Passage du Désir.

When you sell it to a woman, you are sure that 3 to 4 girlfriends will come and buy it afterwards ”.

The specialist reveals to us exclusively that a survey carried out with the IFOP, soon to be distributed, observes that 28% of those questioned have already heard of it.

Independence from pleasure

The only criticism, however, is her name, Womanizer, which in English means "womanizer".

“In German, it does not have this negative connotation, defends Johanna Rief, spokesperson for the company.

Changing the name is not an option.

Rather, we want to show what “our” Womanizer stands for: honesty, fun, diversity and empowerment. ”

It is on this last point that the entire marketing strategy is based.

"I would not say that the sextoy replaces the spouse but it contributes to a form of taking pleasure in independence: it is where I want, when I want and if I want it", underlines Patrick Pruvot.

“For 70 years, feminism has made it possible to rethink sexuality and stop imagining it as the satisfaction of male pleasure, observes Virginie Girod (2), doctor of history, specialist in sexualities.

To enjoy with a partner, you must first enjoy alone.

And sex toys like the Womanizer participate in a certain way in this conquest of the body and of pleasure. "

Getting out of the prism of straight sexuality

And this evolution of mentalities also affects these gentlemen who, like Michael Lenke, want to bridge the gap between men and women in matters of orgasm and masturbation.

“A customer came to buy a Womanizer one day, then a second the next.

We imagined a present for his mistress, but no, he told us that he could not stand a sex toy as effective on his wife to break down, ”smiles Patrick Pruvot of the Passage du Désir.

 It also reassures men because they do not feel in direct competition with an artificial penis Virginie girod, doctor in history, specialist in sexualities

Dispossessed of its phallic allure, the Womanizer is thus perceived on each side of the bed as a soft object and less intrusive in the sexual relationship. "This also reassures men because they do not feel in direct competition with an artificial penis, the interest is more focused on the clitoris rather than penetration", observes historian Virginie Girod. "We are completely out of the male prism, or even heterosexual sexuality," adds journalist Flore Cherry.

Could this Womanizer be flawless?

Truly ?

If we had to find a single flaw, it might be in its speed of execution.

A double-edged quality according to Flore Cherry and Virginie Girod.

“If we already know how to achieve orgasm, the Womanizer is not as demanding a pleasure as anal pleasure.

It is very easy to get used to this product, ”notes the journalist.

“This type of sex toy should not become a condition for pleasure but an adjunct,” concludes the historian.

Otherwise, women could lose part of their erotic field and its infinite staging of desire. "

(1) Flore Cherry is the author of

, published by Tabou, 128 pages, € 9.90.

(2) Viriginie Girod is the author of

, published by Tallandier editions, 382 pages, € 10.5.

* This article, originally published on August 18, 2020, has been updated.

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