What we used: ’Freedom is deciding whose slave you want to be’ blindfold
From: Coco de Mer U.K.
Price: £25.50
Material(s): Silk
The first in our series of posts on Christian Grey’s playthings, in which we discover that silk blindfolds feel lovely but are very, very hard to keep in place …
First impressions …
Lizzie
This blindfold is beautiful. It’s gorgeously soft, feels wonderfully silky to the touch, and the words ‘Freedom is deciding whose slave you want to be’ are stitched in a pretty scripted font in the middle of the outward-facing panel. The Coco de Mer logo is embroidered at the right-hand end. All-in-all, very seductive and a million miles from sleazy and cheap. I’m impressed – and a bit surprised! – that Thomas has chosen this for me; it’s far sexier than a hanky or one of my pashminas, but being an average bloke, they’re exactly what I’d expect him to be wrapping around my head in place of this!
Thomas
The blindfold came in quality packaging from Coco de Mer along with several other items, none of which looked cheap or tacky, which is to be avoided at all costs if you are shopping for toys. The blindfold is of decent silk and is well made with black embroidery on one side. It has a nice look and feel and you won’t be embarrassed to whip it out (so to speak) on your partner.
Putting it on …
Lizzie
As you’ve probably gathered, I’m on the receiving end of the blindfolding. Thomas asks me to take my clothes off, kneel on the bed, and close my eyes. After a moment, I feel him climb onto the mattress behind me and, a few seconds later, the blindfold touches my eyelids. My first thought is that it feels lovely and smooth. Thomas brings the sides over my ears and starts to tie a knot at the back but, unfortunately, the silk slips on my hair as he pulls it tight, causing the blindfold to slip down my face and over my nose. I bring my hands up to help hold it in the right place while he yanks the knot a bit tighter and higher on my head. After a bit of faffing about we finally get it to stay in place.
Thomas
Tricky little beast to tie up (the blindfold, not Lizzie). It’s so smooth it tends to slide off and simple knots loosen quite quickly if there is too much vigorous activity. Now where did I put the catalogue with the masks in it?
How if feels …
Lizzie
If I open my eyes I can just make out shapes through the lawn of the fabric – the silk is very fine – but other than that, it feels good on my face. Comfortable but sexy.
The roadtest …
Lizzie
With the blindfold in position, I’m completely focussed on sound and movement because I can no longer see what’s going on; it’s very arousing. I have no idea what Thomas is going to do next or where he’s going to touch me. Unexpectedly, he grabs my shoulder, and I find myself being pushed over onto my back. I’m quite thrilled by this but, unfortunately, the moment my head hits the bed, the blindfold starts to slip. Not wanting to ruin the moment, I squeeze my eyes shut and try to yank it back up. Alas, I can’t get it back in the right spot in my supine position; I sit up and Thomas and I have another go at getting it fastened. (I’m pleased the fabric is soft because, at this point, his knot-tying is quite vigorous!) This is pretty much the pattern we follow for the remainder of the roadtest – us fastening the blindfold, getting a bit physical, and then attempting to reposition it when it invariably slips. The times the blindfold stays in place, it’s great. The times it doesn’t? Really frustrating. In the end, we give up with the repositioning and I just shut my eyes instead.
Thomas
Lizzie enjoys the sense of control the blindfold gives me; I can tell she is quite excited, and it is good to be able to surprise her when she can only hear what I am doing, but the slipping of the blindfold is a pain. We found the best way was to tie it quite high on the head (tying tighter does not help – it just slips off faster if it is not in just the right place).
The verdict?
Lizzie
Blindfolding in general? Ten points. It makes your other senses – hearing, smell, taste and touch – work that much harder. For me, the thrill of not knowing what Thomas is going to do next is a big turn-on. This particular blindfold? It looks lovely, feels lovely, and is a gorgeous gift but it’s the Devil’s work to keep in place. I think a mask-style blindfold would be a better choice for us.
Thomas
I have found blindfolding to be something some woman find very exiting. I think the loss of control, plus the element of surprise, is something that can be very erotic with the right partner. However I agree that despite the quality look and feel of the blindfold, a mask (or similar) would be better – especially where more vigorous activity is going to take place.
In summary
Things we liked:
- The look and quality. This is a lovely, well-made blindfold and a very pretty present.
- The words stitched onto the outer panel of the blindfold. Psychologically, a real turn-on.
- The feel. Once in place, the blindfold is very soft and comfortable.
Things we weren’t so keen on:
- Slippage! It’s difficult to keep the blindfold in place once you start rolling about. Next time, we’d consider something a bit more stable; the Intima blindfold from LELO has caught our attention. It’s 100% pure silk, adjustable, shaped to fit the nose, and available in red, purple, and black.
Editor’s note: Thomas bought this item for Lizzie as part of Coco de Mer’s ‘Bound to Please’ gift set, which is, unfortunately, no longer in stock. However, a similar blindfold is available as an individual item from the Coco de Mer U.K. and you can buy it here.
