Bettie Page Teasearama Riding Crop Review
By Carnal Queen.
Do you know the story of Bettie Page? If the answer is no, you might want to go and have a read about the Queen of Pin Ups, the fabulous lady who inspired this striking range of bondage accessories and sex toys. She became incredibly popular during the 1950’s for her Pin Up shoots and BDSM scenes, and her influence is still very much alive today, with celebrities such as Beyoncé taking inspiration from some of Bettie Page’s most famous work. So yeah, Bettie Page is a big deal, and any company brave enough to create a whole range based on this truly iconic woman needs to make sure they do it right … enter Lovehoney!
As much as I always try to pay attention to product packaging, packaging is just packaging, right? Wrong! The Bettie Page range takes product presentation to a whole new level. Receiving and unveiling this Teasearama crop was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. First you’re greeted by the long elegant box, encased in an outer cardboard sleeve with a picture of Bettie and her trademark bangs in the centre, there really is no mistaking her, she was so beautiful. On the back is a write up about what’s in the box, which in all honesty you probably wont read initially, you’ll be too eager to get to what’s inside. Upon removing the sleeve, you’re greeted with a very solid feeling black box, with ‘Bettie Page’ embossed in silver foiled text. I found myself handling it so delicately, like the contents were going to be fragile, which of course they’re not, but to me, superior products are handled with care. This notion didn’t last long, because the lid of the box can be quite hard to remove, so I soon resorted to vigorous lid wiggling and bashing, before long I succeeded and I was in!
The first thing that hit me was the delicious smell of leather. There really is nothing like it, I find it really arousing and it evokes all sorts of erotic images for me. Not all of the Bettie Page range is actually leather, but the Teasearama crop is, and there’s no mistaking it. The inside of the box lid is covered in snapshots of Ms Page, they’re all different, and they’re all beautiful. She’s even wielding a crop very similar to this one in some of them. For me, this is extraordinary attention to detail, it’s a box lid, it didn’t need to be decorated, and yet the product gains something because it has been.
In the bottom section of the box you’ll find your new leather crop, it’s restrained, ready and waiting for you by two Bettie Page branded elasticated straps. Inside is also a really lovely keyring featuring the words “Bettie Page’ on one side, and a lovely head-shot of the lady herself on the other. You’ll also find a collectors card, mine was number 11. It has a picture of Bettie on it, with some basic facts about her on the reverse. I’m assuming that these cards will differ across the range.
Right, now on to the main event, the oh so beautiful crop, and it really is beautiful. With it’s fairly rigid but flexible braided stem and its leather braided handle, measuring in at 23.5 inches in length, it feels truly delightful to hold. A branded grosgrain ribbon wrist strap resides on the handle of the crop, and allows the user both security and the ability to switch between hand and crop action quickly. The leather flat loop tip is buttery soft and finished very well, I genuinely couldn’t find a flaw on it anywhere.
I really love the sound this crop makes as it swishes through the air, it’s a real turn on for me all by itself. As with all ‘hitty’ implements, practice makes perfect, and always start off more cautiously, building up the intensity as you and your partner become more accustomed to the piece. Follow those rules and you really wont go far wrong. If you allow just the tip of the crop to make skin contact it delivers a delicious, sweet sting. Allowing more of the braided stem to make contact creates more of a ‘thwack’ and obviously flicking your wrist and varying the swing intensity produces different sensations. Just practise and find what your personal preference is.
It really is a struggle to find anything to criticise. I think aesthetically I would’ve preferred a leather wrist strap, but this may of compromised on comfort. A couple of ribbon tabs on the box to make the lid easier to remove would be a welcome addition, but really, I’m just picking flies now! This crop is absolutely exquisite, from the moment you start to unpack it, to the build quality and the spine tingling sensations that it delivers. Undoubtedly there are cheaper crops to be had, but you’re buying a complete package here, with a beautiful storage box containing definite room to store more crops etc inside if you want to. This would make a stunning gift for a loved one in your life, and it even makes a wonderful decorative piece if you so desire. It’s definitely the cream of the crop in my opinion, and I think Bettie Page would be proud for her name to be put to these products …
Lovehoney sent me the Bettie Page Teasearama Leather Riding Crop for free, in exchange for an impartial and unbiased review, this in no way affected my opinion of the product. Affiliate links have been used in this post.