In my search for non-threatening bondage items I have to admit I have usually been let down. I need something that looks sexy, is soft and feminine and yet holds up to some mild abuse. When I saw the Black Rose Collection I was intrigued but I didn't expect perfection. It was a good thing I didn't.

The Black Rose Budding Blinder is arguably the weakest part of the whole set but since a chain is as weak as it's weakest link, this is one hell of a strong set! I have to compliment Doc Johnson, when they decide to make a bondage set that is just about perfect for the bedroom enthusiast they really go all the way.

The Blinder is visually appealing, it is also very soft and feminine. This doesn't mean guys are left out! The silky ties are long enough to tie around even the largest of male heads comfortably. The colors are striking and deep. There is a large black rose bud on the blinder itself that makes storing the blindfold somewhat tricky but it is firmly attached and doesn't crush easily. The rose bud is made of the same faux leather as the blinder itself.

The blindfold is actually rather small and could have been cut to fit better. It is not a black out style blindfold. To me, it is more the idea of a blindfold rather than the real thing. The blindfold is made of black faux leather and is softly padded. It measures 6.5 inches across and just a little over 3 inches wide at it's widest point. The problem comes in when you take a look at the nose cut out, which only measures 2.75 inches wide. This isn't large enough to fit over the bridge of the nose without causing the eye patch area to ride up making it easy to see underneath the blindfold. This flaw is not an easy one to overcome but it's a great feature for someone who is excited by the prospect of being blindfolded but has trust issues.
The blindfold is stitched firmly and evenly together and is finished properly so that there are no fraying ends or loose threads. It will stand up to some pretty heavy use.

The silky sashes are in a deep purple color. This is supposed to be silk and it certainly has all the properties of finished (as opposed to raw) silk. The main difference is this silk doesn't "crush" and won't require ironing after every use to maintain it's gorgeous appearance. The edges of the silk are turned and double stitched giving the finished product a high end look without the high end price. The ends of the ties are diagonally cut and also beautifully finished. Sometimes when a tie is cut into a point, the end of the point isn't turned properly and you end up with an unattractive wad at the end of the point instead of the delicate point that just makes this piece look so perfect.
The silk ties measure 24 inches from the seam where they are firmly and beautifully attached to the blinder to the delicate knife point of the end of the tie. This is long enough to tie around almost any size head comfortably and easily. On most heads it will allow you to tie a beautiful bow.
I found a way around the issue with the nose cutout not being big enough by wrapping the silk ties around my head and back to the front crossing over the bottom of the blindfold and effectively giving me the blackout experience without interfering with my breathing. It goes without saying that this won't work for everyone.
The silk ties are attached to the blinder very firmly. They are folded and stitched down so that the stress points are firmly supported and the ties will not tear away or fray with use. It also means the blindfold will not slide around on your head during play and doesn't have a bulky wad at the side of the head if you are lucky enough to be able to wear the blindfold to sleep in. The large rosebud on the blinder might make sleeping slightly uncomfortable for anyone who sleeps on his/her tummy.

Contemplating washing the blinder was a bit problematic but that's because I don't have much luck with washing silk. I put mine in a lingerie bag and used the cool water setting on my washer. I then allowed it to air dry before using the silk setting on my iron to smooth the ties. This shouldn't be necessary with moderate use but in the spirit of providing the best answer to any potential purchaser I washed mine. It held up perfectly with no loosened threads or marking on the silk. I would imagine a simple hand washing and drip drying would be all that is necessary for most users. Use the silk setting on your iron to smooth out wrinkles should your ties need it. Faux leather doesn't always hold up well in the dryer even on the air only setting, but if your dryer is newer and really doesn't heat up the material the air setting should be fine.

The blindfold arrives securely wrapped around a small piece of cardboard, wrapped in cellophane and inside a heavy cardboard box, that is beautiful. It is striking how beautiful the box is and it would make a lovely gift for a special someone though it isn't exactly discreet. The box is large and eats up storage space so you might want to consider storing your blindfold in your lingerie drawer.

Still love this blindfold even though it isn't the blackout blindfold I tend to prefer. It hasn't begun to show any signs of wear and the seams are still tight and firm.