I love being blindfolded and I figure, why not look good while I can’t see? Enter the Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask from FunWares.

The Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask is a pretty little blindfold. It is made of black and red satin with delicate black hand-sewn lace and a black satin bow. The design actually looks a bit like a strapless bra to me. Rather than have an elastic band, like many blindfolds, the Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask has two black satin straps that tie behind the head. The ties are thin, only about 1/4″ wide. This makes them very lightweight and easy to tie, and they are quite long. At 20 1/2″ in length, when I’m sitting or standing, they hang down behind my head and tickle my shoulders. However, when lying down, I don’t notice them at all. Also, as they are so thin, I don’t feel the bow pressing against my head when I am laying on it.

The Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask is 8 1/2″ long and 3″ at its widest points, over the eyes. It is only 1 1/4″ wide over the bridge of the nose. Each eye pad has approximately 1/16″ of padding. I thought the hand-sewn lace might rub against my skin and feel itchy but it stands out away from my face and doesn’t touch my skin at all. The satin is sleek and smooth against my face and the EyeMask is very comfortable. It lays nicely on my eyes without putting any pressure on them like some blindfolds can do.

The very big downside to Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask is the cut. The thinness and angle around the nose does allow quite a lot of light in to seep in. Without glasses or contact lenses, I am totally blind so I really can’t see much but light around my nose. If I weren’t blind, I’d be able to see a whole lot and the light leaking in does spoil the effect somewhat. If I have my eyes open, even I can see My Man sneaking up on me which really defeats the purpose of wearing a blindfold.

The Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask is made in China by California Exotics. The packaging is not bad for Cal Exotics. However, as usual, it is not terribly discreet. The blindfold comes in a plastic bag inside a plastic envelope. I’d like the packaging to be more low key so I could just pass this off as a sleep mask, but the half-naked couple on the front make it look all about sex. You can certainly store the blindfold in the plastic envelope, but I am just using the plastic bag. It keeps the blindfold clean and safe without taking up much room.

If you get your Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask dirty or sweaty, I would simply hand wash it with soap and warm water, squeeze out the water, and allow it to hang dry. You could also probably throw it in the washing machine on gentle in a little lingerie bag and it would be protected as well. It seems a mite delicate for a full-fledged dryer cycle so I’d suggest hanging it to dry or leaving it in the dryer for just a few minutes on low heat.

Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask Pros:
• Pretty
• Comfortable
• Will fit most people

Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask Cons:
• Allows light in

The Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask is attractive and comfortable. It is easy to tie and the straps will allow it to fit most people, even if you have an a larger than average skull. It’s unusual and prettier than your average blindfold. It might be just the thing to frame your face as you are laying there tied up and helpless. However, if you want to be sure to block out all the light so you can’t see anything, this blindfold does not do the trick, at least not for me. So all in all, I have to say it’s cute but disappointing. For looks and comfort, I love the blindfold, but I have to downgrade it for not actually blinding me.

Check out the Tantric Satin Ties EyeMask and other handy dandy blindfolds at FunWares!

Bean Fiddler Rating:

Another group of adult toys I like to review once in a while come under the heading of BDSM, so today I’m going to discuss the Beginner Bondage Kit from MyPleasure.

My Man and I are very fond of bondage. He feels I need to be restrained frequently and I happen to agree. We are always on the lookout for tools to help us with this type of play. Though we are not beginners, the Beginner Bondage Kit comes with several items I figured we would use in our play. I love when you get a bunch of cool stuff at a great price.

The Beginner Bondage Kit includes the following:
• 1 leather blindfold
• 1 mini flogger
• 2 wrists cuffs
• 2 ankle cuffs
• 2 tethers
• 1 satin storage bag

Blindfold
I didn’t think I’d like the blindfold on because it looks like it would let in a lot of light, though I do like the shape. It’s a bit cat-like. The blindfold has been cut from what seems to be a piece of leather and has an elastic band sewed on at either end. The leather is slightly softer on the outside than the inside so I prefer it inside out but the difference is not terribly significant. The elastic band is 1″ thick and comfortable. It does not pull my hair like some bands do. However, my head is a tad over 22″ in circumference and the elastic band fits very snug around it. It puts a slight pressure on my eyes and the bridge of my nose which can become irritating after a while. I actually like the pressure around my head but the pressure on my nose seems to stress my sinuses. If your head is bigger than 22″ I think this particular blindfold will be too tight.

After some time, having the leather directly against my skin can make the blindfold feel like it’s sticking, especially when play gets intense and I get sweaty. I would prefer a lining of some sort so the leather isn’t directly against my skin, but it is a leather blindfold and part of the point is to have the leather against your skin.

Mini Flogger
The Mini Flogger is 14″ long, with 7 1/2″ of handle. The tails are made of black rubber and they feel surprisingly soft and sensual when lightly drawn across my skin. It is quite a lovely sensation. Using it as a proper flogger leads to a sharp stingy sensation but nothing truly painful, which makes this flogger a really good option for beginners and those just experimenting. You can use the handle to beat your partner as it creates a slightly sharper sting but it still falls short of causing serious pain. Some people may see that as a plus, some as a minus. For me it works as a sensation tool rather than as an implement of torture.

Cuffs
The wrist and ankle cuffs are the prettiest non-leather cuffs I’ve seen in a long time. They are black with red strapping and velcro. They are made of a soft fleecy material that feels soft and cuddly against my skin but is strong and secure. These cuffs are so comfortable I can just wear them around the house even when we’re not playing. They are very well-made and the velcro is firmly sewn on and they fit securely on my wrists and ankles. While they are easy to put on and remove with the velcro fastening, once on, there is no way I can get out of them no matter how much I struggle. Not only that, but I can struggle to my heart’s and My Man’s content and the cuffs remain comfortable, no digging into my skin, no hurting me.

Rather than a D ring, each cuff has an adorable silver heart-shaped ring attached and a hooking clasp so you can attach them to each other or the tethers. The wrist cuffs will fit up to 10″ wrists and the ankle cuffs adjust up to 12″ in circumference. I am somewhat big boned and both the wrist and ankle cuffs fit me with tons of room to spare.

Tethers
The Beginner Bondage Kit comes with two tethers that adjust from 18″ to 36″. The tethers are made from a very strong, durable nylon and are 1″ wide. They are similar to the the types of straps used on travel bags. Each tether has three heart rings and three clasps, one on each end and one attached to the plastic adjuster loop. This makes them very flexible and has allowed us to come up with different variations on strapping me down. My Man can get me in several different positions with these. He can loop my wrists and ankles together, get me in a hogtie, strap me to the bed, even to a door. What can I say? He’s very creative…

Storage Bag
The black satin drawstring bag is 13 1/2″ long and 7 1/2″ wide and has “MyPleasure” with the logo on it in dark grey. The drawstring is made of the same black satin. It’s lovely and closes securely. It fits everything in the Beginner Bondage Kit with room to spare. You can easily fit some condoms, lubricant, massage oil, even a small sex toy or two.

Beginner Bondage Kit Pros:
• Awesome cuffs
• Great storage bag
• Cute heart detail
• Perfect flogger for beginners

Beginner Bondage Kit Cons:
• Blindfold may be too tight for some

I love a nice kit that comes with lots of goodies, but I tend to be hesitant about beginner kits. Often they are too “beginner” for me, especially when it comes to bondage. However, the Beginner Bondage Kit is just great. I love, love, love the wrist and ankle cuffs. They look great, they feel great, and they work great. The tethers do their job and are very useful and the heart-shaped ring detail is so cute. The mini flogger adds some nice sensations to play and the blindfold works well. To top it off, it all comes in its own pretty satin storage bag.

The only real downside of the kit is the tightness and stickiness of the blindfold. Part of that is just me, I tend to be sweaty and apparently I have a big head. This set is perfect for beginners as it provides some good quality products for a very reasonable price. I think even more advanced players will appreciate the excellent wrist and ankle cuffs. For me the Beginner Bondage Kit is worth it just for the those!

So head on over to MyPleasure and order your own Beginner Bondage Kit!

Beanfiddler Rating: