If there was ever a woman who deserved to be branded an icon, it was Bettie Page. Stunningly beautiful, bold and unafraid, she’s been on my personal list of inspirational women for a long time. Given her work as both dominatrix and submissive in fetish film and photography, it stands to reason that there should be a range of bondage equipment that bears her name.
Some folk like frills and fancy boxes, some don’t, and I sit firmly in the latter group. I really like well-presented products, and the minds behind the packaging for the Bettie Page range have done the woman justice. The outer sleeve bears a cameo of Bettie herself, as well as her signature, and is printed with the same quilted pattern you’ll find on the products themselves.
Slip off the sleeve and you’ll find a solid black box, again featuring Bettie’s name, which is perfect for storage. The inside of the box is lined with a plush insert, decorated with signed elastic, and on top of it rests three things:
- A collector’s card, featuring Bettie striking a sexy pose
- A button shaped keyring with a cheekily grinning Bettie on one side and her John Hancock on the other
- The product, and in this review that would be the Bettie Page Bad Girl Blackout Blindfold
I have to be honest here; my first impressions of the Bad Girl blindfold weren’t as positive as I’d expected them to be. Made from black satiny ties with a faux leather mask, the blindfold was folded neatly into the box, and the first thing I saw was Bettie’s signature, embroidered onto one of the ties in white. And it looked wonky.
I was pouting a bit because I wanted it to be perfect, but quickly realised that it was just the way the embroidery was nipping the fabric that made it look this way. After smoothing it out, I can see that it’s actually fine. The whole piece is 54″ long with approximately 9″ of that being the mask, so this gives you plenty of loose satin around the back to accommodate whatever hair situation you have going on.
Now blindfolds can be a pain in the arse sometimes. The actual blinding part either gapes, digs into the bridge of the nose, or refuses to hold its shape, and many of the glossy fabric ones slip against themselves, loosening during wear and falling off. The Bettie Page Bad Girl has a rectangular piece of quilted faux leather sewn directly onto the strip of satin feel fabric that makes the ties, so your eyes are wrapped in silky softness. Things can get a bit sweaty if you have it on for ages, but it’s not uncomfortable at all. Tucked into the masks edges is what I’m guessing to be wire, designed to allow you to mould the mask to your own face shape.
Like I mentioned above, silky fabric ties often work loose, and the Bad Girl is no exception. It is easy to get situated, but it does require tightening throughout the session. While it does let in a little bit of light still, it works for the best part. The quilted look is reminiscent of the luxury of the vintage boudoir, so looks sexy on your sub, or so the Fella tells me anyway. I mean, I’ve never seen myself wearing it cos, obviously, whenever I am I’m blindfolded.
There are better blindfolds out there, and as you’re not paying for the name they’re cheaper than this one too, but if you’re into collecting sets (like I am) or if you’re a Bettie Page fan (like I am) it’s definitely one to look into purchasing. If you’d like to get your hands on one, click the button below.
