DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraint

December 29th, 2015

DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraint
$46.99 from Lovehoney

There are certain things that have the right smell, taste or touch that instantly make  you feel sexy. I would argue that the DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraint aris e one of those things. From the instant I smelled the leather to the first touch, both of the unfinished suede and the finished leather side, I was hooked. This is the type of item that you lust over, the type of thing you write into your fantasies — or even the one thing that gets you back into the habit of fantasizing.

With as many toys, ties and treats as I’ve tried, it’s hard for anything to do that to me (for me? anymore, but the DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraint does.

So what exactly has me so gaga?

They feel high-quality. It’s the leather. It’s the firm stitching. It’s how I can pull on them with arms, spreading my thighs further, without any worry of them giving way. It’s the buckles, shining and secure around my wrists and my thighs. It’s the type of thing that makes you say “$47 is not only affordable but even a steal for these goodies!”. And I would say that. I’m saying it to you now.

It’s the leather. I love leather. I’ve tried vegan leather. I’ve had rope, fur, metal and foam cuffed around me. But there’s nothing quite like leather, with its intoxicating smell. The textured treatment of the exterior of these cuffs is interesting to touch and feel. The soft insides rest against my flesh, holding me enthralled, and the bordered hems give it a completed feel.

It’s the simplicity of binding thighs to wrists. The more you struggle from your upper body, the further open your legs spread. More often than not, I want to pull them closed as I cum, but these cuffs won’t let me. It’s my body being a an instrument of my own torture, if even torture it can be called.

But enough with the waxing poetic. You know that I love the DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraint. Will you?

They aren’t quite perfect, either. Because the buckle secures on another layer, you have to be careful if you want them to make a complete circle around a wrist and nestle the layers in securely. Think of how you make the two layers of your belt lie flat. If your wrists are especially small, the buckle will always join the two sides of the cuffs at an angle. This doesn’t affect performance. It’s just not aesthetically appealing to me.

Furthermore, these cuffs are best for straight sized people. I have 8-inch wrists — larger than your average bracelet but smaller than many men’s wrists. You can only secure wrists up to 10.5 inches in diameter with these cuffs. It seems a little small to me, but leather comes at a premium price, so I understand why the company would err on the side of smaller.

The thigh cuffs are both wider (2″ compared to 1.5″ for the wrist cuffs) and longer for obvious reasons. The cuffs range from 19 inches to 28 inches, depending upon which hole you use. You could potentially move them further down your thighs, toward your knee, if they’re too small for the fleshier part. However, I do like how they look further up the thigh! I have both muscle and fat in my thighs that makes them fairly wide, and I can wear the cuffs at the fleshiest point with them buckled at the third hole in, but there’s not a lot of give, there. If you’re plus sized, you might consider another option for thigh bondage.

DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraint

DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraint

You’ll probably want to secure the thigh cuffs toward the inside or underside of your thighs, so the wrist cuffs will face up or out. I find it’s easiest to secure them first around thighs, then to add your wrists into the mix. I can easily do one thigh and wrist by myself, but it’ll require a second person to secure the other side. once they are secure, they won’t come loose; although, there’s no way to put a padlock on them. They’re not that hardcore.

Because of the design, you’re going to have extra material dangling if you wanted to use these just as thigh or wrist cuffs — they don’t separate. Nor is there a loop or hook so you could attach them to other bondage gear. But they’ll work well for someone who is kneeling, lying on a bed, sitting on a chair so on and so forth.

Like under the bed restraints, the DOMINIX Deluxe Leather Wrist to Thigh Restraints use the bound person’s strength and body against them, which makes them more enticing than I originally expected. And at under $50, they’re really something you ought to try!

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Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Sportsheets Door Jam Cuffs Giveaway

August 12th, 2015

Sportsheets is among my most favored companies when it comes to beginner-friendly BDSM gear. I have their under the bed restraints, which have been imitated by countless companies. They also make devices for having sex in the shower, harnesses, hog tie sets, collars, cuffs and leashes and more.

You’ll find all of these items — and more — on UberKinky, the generous sponsor of this giveaway! Although I don’t currently have an S&M partner, I wouldn’t want my readers to suffer. So one of you lucky folks will soon own Sportsheets Door Jam Cuffs!

The door jam cuffs are designed to be place over any closed door. The straps are thin enough, and you wind up using the pressure between the door and jam to hold them in place. The two cuffs then wrap around your wrists, and you can has sex or endure whatever flavor of torture is up your alley in a standing position.

Alternatively, you could place them under the door so someone who is sitting or lying on the ground  is cuffed.

When you’re finished, simply open the door and remove the cuffs. There’s no permanent installation required, and storage is easy. The included cuffs use Velcro to secure, like the under the bed restraints. But you could swap them out with sturdier and more secure cuffs if you’d prefer.

If this sounds like something you’d like to try, you’re in luck. Sign in to the Gleam form below to get your free entry, then complete other entries and give my sponsor some love. Stop by every day to do things like tweet to increase your chance s of winning.

Good luck!

Sportsheets Door Jam Cuffs Giveaway

Ends September 2nd.

Winner must live in one of these countries.

I received no compensation for this post. Affiliate links will earn me a small commission when you make a purchase.

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Categories: Giveaways

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Scandal Corset with Cuffs

October 27th, 2014

Scandal Corset with Cuffs
29.41 from Amazon

I’ve kept my eye out for the pieces in the Scandal line because I love love love the black and red design — even if it matches nothing in my bondage drawer! The control cuffs worked well, and the “corset” is pretty sexy. Unfortunately, the corset is also once-size-fits-most. What do we know about this kids? That one size never fits all and rarely fits most and usually pisses reviews like me the fuck off.

But let’s back up. This corset is really a small waist cincher. There’s no boning, either plastic or metal; although, the fabric is definitely reinforced. There’s a series of hook and eye enclosures on the back that secure it. To either side of the fasteners, which you won’t see in any of the photos, is a thick strip of elastic, which makes this adjustable — and also less attractive from the front. CEN has added another ribbon – 31 inches of it on either side — for you to tie over the elastic and hooks to make it prettier. In the front, it’s laced with ribbon like corset, so you can extend it a bit if you loosen it or lace with with longer ribbon instead. As this stretches, skin will peak out from the front.

The default setting was one that I could just squeeze into. As a general size XL in most tops and lingerie, I could just make this fit, but it wasn’t comfortable, and I worried that I would damage it if I wore it for long or during strenuous play. I would say this is probably most intended for someone in the size medium to large range. Lying flat, it measures 17 inches in half. It will stretch slightly more than 34 inches thanks to the elastic, however.

By default, the corset comes with an extender with 5 hooks, like you might buy for a bra but obviously 4 inches wide, the same width as the hooks and elastic part of the bra. This is a fantastic idea on the part of California Exotics. If you remove it, you can tighten the corset by several inches, and you can gain 2.5 inches if you add it. Technically, you could buy another 5-hook bra extender in black to add more inches, but that’s not something that I care to do. You could do that and have amply ribbon to tie over it, however.

I did find the height to work well. You can wear it over a top — black or red makes the most sense — of course, or with a bra. There’s also the option to wear the corset by itself if you want to bare all.

Of course, this matches everything in the Scandal line, but you don’t need separate wrist cuffs because a pair is included. There is a D-ring on either side of the corset to which the cuffs attach, which keeps arms relatively prone as your sides. The cuffs are detachable, so you can instead attach them to one another or even

Aside from the red and black fabric, the cuffs are secured with long Velcro straps. There’s potential that someone who is strong enough could break out of them, but whether that would happen before a seam in the corset itself would give out is up for debate.

scandal coset with cuffs

scandal coset with cuffs

The cuffs are intended for wrists and just over 2 inches thick but would work for some ankles. They measure about 10.5 inches around with no overlapping. They’re lined with a super fuzzy material that I absolutely love, but the squishiness makes it more difficult to overlap the cuffs to make them smaller in diameter. There are about 5 inches of Velcro that you can adjust to make it wider, but it’s not going to hold as well.

The hardware on this is surprisingly impressive for this line, especially when you consider that there are decorative cuffs connected by a strand of faux pearls. Remember when I reviewed one of those? Nope. There’s nylon wrapped around an O-ring to securely attached it. Each cuff has its own double ended bolt snap — like this — painted black to match. It’s attractive and effective to both connect the cuffs to the corset or to one another.

While the Scandal corset with cuffs certainly isn’t one size fits most, it’s an attractive piece that’s going to work well for some people who care a little more about form than function, which is kind of the purpose of the entire Scandal line. But with a price around $50, you’re better off getting something a little more functional.

CEN Sexpert

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Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Scandal Control Cuffs

December 15th, 2013

Scandal Control Cuffs

Scandal Control Cuffs
$18.13 from Of Sex and Love Store

I have got to hand it to California Exotics — wow! Who ever would have thought I’d use that sentence? When it comes to the entire Scandal line, the design is quite attractive. If I hadn’t already started a purple bondage theme, I’d seriously consider getting everything in this line. It’s got that sort of boudoir feel to it.

These cuffs have a red and black damask style exterior. It’s classy. It’s sexy. I like it.

The interior is a plush velvet type material. It’s classy. It’s sexy. It’s comfortable, too. I like it.

I suppose you could wipe clean any spots with a damp cloth. Blood might be an issue so be careful when playing.

The cuffs themselves are connect by a length of nylon. Think backpacks. You can adjust the length, and the box described it as a “handle.” Sure, you can grasp it, but to call it a handle seems a little like a stretch.

The cuffs themselves secure with velcro. This could potentially be a problem if the bound person pulls her wrists or ankles apart with enough force. People with long hands can also often grasp velcro straps with their fingers to undo their binds. This was my main complaint with the cuffs that come with the Under the Bed system.

The major downfall with these cuffs is that they only attach to the other cuff with the plastic buckle. It’s good for leverage during sex, but it’s not versatile enough that you’ll use them with other restraints. The Scandal line does intclude it’s own bed restraints, hog tie set and universal cuffs, but it would be nice if more of the items were more versatile.

Although the package suggests these as ankle cuffs, they’ll work just as well on wrists. The cuffs are 2.5″ wide and 11 inches long. You can adjust the circumference so that it’s a few inches narrower or wider. These probably won’t work well if you have especially wide ankles.

The handle adjusts to just under 3 inches, and stretches to 9 inches long. It’s long enough to grasp with one or both hands.

Overall, I like these cuffs. I’d prefer them to be more versatile, like I mentioned.

CEN Sexpert

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Categories: BDSM, Reviews

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Nick Hawk GIGOLO Keyless Cuffs

June 8th, 2013

Nick Hawk GIGOLO Keyless Cuffs

Nick Hawk GIGOLO Keyless Cuffs

While these specific cuffs are no longer available, you can find similar sliding styles on rope cuffs.

Let me preface this by saying, WTF “Gigolo?” That’s not sexy. That’s not a selling point. What is wrong with the branding here?

And then I’ll say something nice, like, I really enjoy the look of these cuffs. The chain rope that connects them and the leather appearance are different, and it’s just different. The chain that connects them is a tube of chainmail, while the cuffs themselves are a braided rope. The braid is thick and tight, and the material is softer on your skin than metal cuffs, even with something soft around them. However, the material is pretty stiff, and that’s a difference I noticed between my cuffs and the product image. The keyless cuffs look quite round by default, but they’re not. They are folded in half in the box, and the crease remains in the cuffs as you can see in my photo.

However, they’re really made for form and not function, unfortunately. These are the type of cuffs you’d keep around for a photo shoot, but they’re not the cuffs you’re going to reach for in the heat of the moment. I’ll tell you why.

Rather than band-type cuffs that connect via snaps or an O-ring or metal cuffs, with which I’m sure you’re all familiar, these are two loops that do not open. Instead, there’s a small faux-leather strap on each cuff. The strap is permanently attached to the one side, while you wrap it around the other side and fasten a snap to secure it. You slide the leather enclosure up and down the cuff to make it tighter. Ideally, this design would work for both wrists and ankles because it’s adjustable.

However, it just doesn’t work very well. When the snap is fastened, you can’t move the strap up and down the cuffs. So, to adjust, put on or remove them you must completely undo the strap and then re-wrap it around the cuff. The strap really is quite tight. In fact, I can barely put this one with two hands let alone one.

What this means is that I would have to spend a lot of time just getting this on or off or in the right position, which could be a real downer when it comes to the mood. It’s much too much effort, and while it might loosen up a bit over time, I don’t have the patience to deal with it. I can’t imagine many people would.

When it comes to specs, these keyless cuffs has a circumference of about 12″ each, so they should work for ankles as well as wrists. There’s no minimum, really. I guess you could lock someone’s finger up in this. Because the strap is so tight, I cannot get out of these cuffs even though it’s just a single snap securing them. There is a little less than 4.5″ of slack between the cuffs, thanks to the chain and hardware. This is more than the tiger striped cuffs that I have, so this design, if it worked better, might be good if you’re not so flexible or have short arms like I do.

The connectors between the chains use a “swivel design.” This means added flexibility because you don’t need to keep your wrists in a single position. You can squirm as it were.

Maintenance is, well, iffy. I would consider these porous, and the braining provides lots of nooks and crannies for liquids to get into. You can wipe them down to preserve their appearance, but I wouldn’t share them with non-fluid bonded partners.

CEN Sexpert

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Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Playful in Pearls Satin Eye Mask and Cuffs

July 25th, 2012

Playful In Pearls Satin Eye Mask Playful In Pearls Satin Eye Mask

This product has been discontinued.

This month’s assignment from CEN’s Sexpert program was a surprise. I don’t know if I would have chosen anything from their light bondage line, titled Playful in Pearls, myself. However, I can more than give you a thorough review regardless.

The satin mask is a slight upgrade to the free masks. It doesn’t just look like a pad on a string. There’s a more defined contour for your nose. Rather than a thin elastic strap, the band is bordered with lace on the top and bottom. In the center, back of the blindfold is a big ribbon bow. To top it all off, there’s a row of faux pearls along the top front of the mask. All in all, it’s very feminine, and I think this definitely affects who is going to buy this. It’s a little too much going on for me. The ribbon, mask, and lace have too many textures for my personal preference.

So, while the mask isn’t quite a pad-on-a-string, it’s not perfect. The satin is stiffer than I like, but it’s not so stiff that it doesn’t pull across the bridge of the nose. I experience this with softer materials. My KinkLab blindfold, for example, is stiff enough to prevent this. The elastic stretches and the mask stays stationary. Plus, while the lace and elastic band is stretchy, it’s not going to fit every head. The band itself is just under 14″ long, with another 7.5″ for the mask itself. It stretches much larger, obviously. I find this to be a little loose on my head, and it’s not adjustable. On the other hand, if your head is larger than mine, this won’t be a problem.

The beads don't stay in placeAlthough contoured, the mask isn’t quite enough to block out all light. The layers of fabric are pretty thin, too. It’s not a very good blackout blindfold, and the blindfold will slip during use, especially if it’s loose. For these reasons, I feel like this piece is really better for show than function. Take some pictures, but that’s about it.

The problem is that it doesn’t look as good up close as you think. The line of “pearls” is sewn on with a clear thread, like fishing line. It looked up over the top of the mask and only goes through the actual material ones. This means that the pearl beads can slide out of place. One in particular, on my blindfold, likes to flip behind the mark, so I’m constantly adjusting it. This really wreaks havoc on the aesthetic appeal, at least for me. Because the beads are just spheres with a hole on either side, a regular stitch would work for this. I’m not sure if it would require more effort, but the result would be nicer.

Playful in Pearls CuffsOn to the cuffs, which, unfortunately, suffer from many of the same flaws. The cuffs are two elastic and lace bands with velcro enclosures, and they’re permanently attached to each other with a string of pearls. I think the cuffs themselves are cuter than the blindfold. I’d almost wear them as regular accessories with the loose lace and the pretty ribbon bow on top. If you look at the point where the velcro attaches, it looks a little odd, but this isn’t so noticeable if you’re not staring directly at it.

The wrist cuffs do seem pretty tiny, especially compared to some of the nylon and leather ones I’ve tried. They’re about 7.5″ long, unstretched. You can stretch them another two inches, and the lace does have some elasticity but, again, these seem intended for ladies and not men. This also limits their versatility as ankles cuffs.

Such lovely knotted fishing lineThe real drawback is the line of pearls in between. They’re strung on the invisible thread; although, they’re tight enough that you can’t see it at all. The long row of faux pearls looks pretty cheap and, IMO, tacky. It’s very plastic-y. The bound person has 9.5″ of space between her hands, which lets her move some, but not much. I would worry that, during actual play, the bound person might accidentally jerk, tear the thread and the pearls would go flying.

CEN has tried to avoid this, because you can see that the ends of the strings are tied in one giant glob of a knot. It’s noticeable only if you’re looking, I suppose, but you’d think they could do it much better. It’s really sloppy. I didn’t give this one a full-strength pull test but, again, I’d be careful with it.

While I like the idea of the playful in pearls pieces, the execution just needs some work.
CEN Sexpert

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Sexy Red Babydoll Set

February 20th, 2011

Sexy Red Babydoll Set

Sexy Red Babydoll Set

This is an archived review of a discontinued item.

You know how sometimes a unique element can attract you to an item but that same element can actually be a deal breaker? This was the case with the Sexy Red Babydoll Set from MyPleasure (the fine retailer of sex toys). I’m totally still on my lingerie kick (although I’ve received some awesome sex toys lately), and this bright red set caught my attention right away. The black details contrast nicely in pictures. The camera flash also makes this image look almost shiny or metallic but it’s really not. One thing you can’t see is that the set is pretty sheer because of the mesh, and because the weave is super fine, it’s really soft and silky to touch.

Another detail that is easy to miss is the heart-shaped black trim that runs as the waistline of the babydoll across the blindfold and panties. The cut-out hearts attach to each other in a row and are made from firmer lace. This isn’t as attractive as I expected on the baby doll, but it is downright confusing on the panties. The row of hearts extends along the top front of the panties and keeps going off the side, until it attaches to the black ribbons that you tie around yourself to create the panty effect. I think it would make more sense to simply sew the ribbon to the edge of the red fabric, instead of extending the hearts past the edge because then you’re worrying about twisting or even breaking them (the hearts attach at a rather narrow point)..

In fact, even if the design made more sense, I’d still struggle with this. I guess I never realized how difficult it can be to lace up a pair of panties. I still haven’t found a method that isn’t completely ridiculous and results in attractive bows, like the one on the model in the picture. The ribbon-tie design offers no stretch and will really only be flattering if your hips and abs are fairly flat. If you carry extra weight around the midsection, I wouldn’t expect it to be flattering. Lastly, the panties are a weird style. They’re sort of a wide thong or maybe super thin cheeky style. The strip along the back is much thicker than normal but not thick enough to count as briefs. In case you’re wondering, the piece includes a cotton-lined crotch.

The babydoll is absolutely the redeeming piece in the Sexy Red Babydoll Set. As I mentioned, the red mesh is super sleek and is sheer but tints the skin in a sexy way. I ordered the queen size, figuring the one size fits all would run small, and the queen probably runs a bit large on me, considering how roomy a babydoll is to begin with. Still, the adjustable straps help with this, and the same elastic runs around the back of the waistline (the front does not stretch) for added comfort and customization. One last piece of elastic makes up the piece’s rounded neckline, and there’s a ruffled piece of mesh that extends above this. I’m not sure how I feel about the ruffle yet. It could be flirty or it could just be grandmotherly.

I’m also not sure if it’s because of the lace hearts, but this piece offers some support for the breasts through reinforced stitching. There is a pretty ribbon bow sewn into the middle of the lace at the center of the waistline. The rest of the piece free falls to approximately hip height.

The seams and hems seem quite secure (unlike the other pieces), and I’ve even slept in this piece quite comfortably without issue. Although the instructions say to hand wash in cold water, and I would advise this for the other pieces, you could probably toss the babydoll in the gentle cycle or normal cycle in a lingerie bag. I’ll wind up doing the former because I’m so dangerous!

The accessories of this piece would have been a disappointment if I had been looking forward to them. The “cuffs” consist of mesh sewn to elastic to complete that ruffled look. There is a single red ribbon attached to each cuff so that you could tie them together (in a bow?) but offers absolutely no realistic bondage function for several reasons. One, the elastic is quite loose and easy to slip out of, and two, the sewing is utter crap. I put on one cuff and immediately noticed the ribbon was ripping and becoming detached from the cuffs. These are absolutely for fashion only. Present yourself as a pretty present to your partner, then ditch them.

The quality of the blindfold is slightly higher, but it boasts a design that reminds me of a sanitary napkin and, just, eww. It’s also asymmetrical in a really weird way. Even if the elastic weren’t so loose as to render it virtually useless, the cut would make it impossible to block out all light and sight. The sewing is also very angular, so while the black-hearts-on-red may look cute from a distance, it looks sloppy and amateur up close. Luckily, the sewing on this piece is more secure than the cuffs, and you could potentially shorten the elastic with a few stitches of your own. For whatever reason, Dreamgirl opted to make the backside (that touches your face) satin-y but the front is a rougher, less shiny material.

Basically, I have a babydoll that feels great on my skin and offers a lot of support. Because I can easily pair it with a basic black or red thong or pair of panties, I’d call this one a success, but if you really want to love the whole set, you’ll probably be disappointed.

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Categories: Lingerie, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.