Holy mackerel! A mermaid-themed toy that sparkles AND glows in the dark? And what’s that you say? It’s dual-density too?! Oooh gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!

“Under the sea

Under the sea!

Darling it’s better

Down where it’s wetter

Take it from me.” –from The Little Mermaid

Toy Story: The Little Mermaid Nereid

Oddly enough, my adventure into the wet n’ wild world of mermaid dildodum started out, of all places, on Twitter. On that fateful day, I was bemoaning the fact that I couldn’t find any fantasy toys with a dual density texture (more about dual density later). Lucky for me, fellow blogger & fantasy toy maven, Lunabelle, came to the rescue. She kindly pointed me to a fun little mermaid-themed dildo shop on Etsy known (quite cleverly) as Tails & Portholes.

I was immediately intrigued. Not only were the toys dual density, but they were all custom made. Brandie Harris, chief dildosmith and creator of Tails & Portholes, pours each toy individually by hand. You even get to pick your own colors! Now how cool is that?

Custom Colors?! Shalalalalala, My Oh My!

One of the beautiful things about buying a custom handmade toy is that you’re getting something truly one-of-a-kind. No two hand poured toys will ever be quite alike. The best part? There are all kinds of crazy options you would never get with a standard toy manufacturer. Want glow-in-the-dark? No problem. How about sparkles? Yup. The sky’s the limit.

What’s the best part about buying a custom dildo? Choosing the colors. What’s the worst part about buying a custom dildo? Choosing the colors. Sooooo many choices!

Although I agonized about my color choices for days, it was a kind of a…happy agony. All I knew for sure was that I wanted something that glowed in the dark. AND I knew I wanted sparkles. AND I knew I wanted swirls of multiple colors.

I soon realized that I didn’t just want a custom color. Or even two or three. I wanted it all! Everything. The moon and then some.

Now I’d read somewhere that silicone can be finicky and I was afraid that the all of those options wouldn’t be available in the same toy. I just couldn’t bring myself to choose. But I wasn’t sure if what I wanted was even possible. It felt like a long shot to me, but I thought I’d at least open up my crazy can of worms & ask. Finally, I sent Brandie a message.

@CoyoteWalker Is it possible to do swirls of: colors + glow in the dark + pearly, & still sparkles all over? Or am I making a Frankendildo? — Kitt (@Curious_Kitt) February 14, 2016



It turns out that Brandie is also sweet, patient, & great at customer service. Of course she would try to build my sparkly-glowy-multicolored-frankendildo-mermaid-monster! I was ecstatic.

On Stranger Tides: Doin’ it Mermaid Style

I was so excited when the Nereid arrived. The colors I finally settled on (blue, purple, metallic gold & glow-in-the-dark with sparkles all over) were bright & vivid. I was particularly impressed with how brightly blue it glows in the dark.

One of my favorite things about the Nereid is that it is such an intriguing mix of fantasy & realism. In fact, it was built by adding fantasy elements to a casting from an actual person. I really love the realistic feel of the prominent head & the shape of the curve.

About those scales: If you’re not used to texture, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind when you use this toy. Make sure you use PLENTY of lube & are *fully* warmed up and aroused. The scales are MUCH more intense as you pull the toy out than they are going in. Go slow! Take your time getting used to the intensity.

Seriously Though, What’s the Deal with Dual Density?

Dual-density is just a fancy-schmancy term for toys built with two different layers of silicone. A soft, squishy layer of silicone surrounds a denser, firmer core.

The Vixskin Tex was my first dual density toy, and I have been madly in love with the stuff ever since. Every dual density toy feels a little different, so if you are familiar with the Tex, a little comparison might help you understand how the Nereid feels.

Compared to the Tex, the Nereid feels much more squishy. To me, it feels as though the Tex has a large hard core & thin layer of squish, and the Nereid has a smaller core & much thicker layer of squish. The Nereid is also way more bendy than Tex is. Both toys, however, have a similarly sticky/tacky feel to the surface.

Keep in mind, however, that neither toy’s texture is “bad.” In fact, they are both incredibly good! Just different. Either way, dual density feels AMAZING. If you’ve never tried a dual density toy before, you are missing out in a big way! Go. Now. Buy. You can thank me later.

Due to the highly textured nature of this toy, boiling is probably the best way to clean it. Tails & Portholes also recommends not using soap. According to T&P, soap is too harsh for the silicone & may lead to it becoming porous over time.

The Good

Body-safe platinum silicone

Custom colors! Options for sparkles & glow-in-the dark

Dual-density (firmer inner core, squishy outer layer). Quite bendy.

Intriguing blend of fantasy & reality: fantasy scales added to cast of an actual human model

Curve & prominent head

For something custom & handmade, it was VERY reasonably priced

Super customer service! Brandie is so nice & really easy to work with.

Surprise! My Nereid came with a really cool Dragon Scale necklace that I didn’t even know was coming.

Keep This in Mind Before You Buy

Make sure you are fully warmed up before using this toy. The scales have more intense sensation on the way out than in. Use plenty of lube!

Don’t expect this to be as smooth & perfect as a factory made toy. Handmade toys are wonderful, but they do have little imperfections here & there.

Be patient! I know waiting is hard, but keep in mind that these toys are poured individually by hand. This takes time, and sometimes the first attempt at making your toy flops & a new one has to be poured. Don’t expect to put your order in & have it on your doorstep three days later.

Due to the highly textured nature of this toy, boiling is the recommended cleaning method. Tails & Portholes recommends not using soap or harsh cleaners.