The power of speech, and the power of sight---two potent senses, two relied-upon ways of interacting with the world.

If you're interested in sensory deprivation, you know that forbidding speech with a gag and sight with a mask can be powerfully erotic. A blindfolded lover has no idea whether you'll grace their skin with warmth or with ice, with a smooth glide or with a scratch, with silk or with fur or with a slap. A gagged lover has yielded her speech to you---you must watch and interpret her body language, her stifled gasps and her instinctive arches, to treat her body well.

When the senses of sight and speech are blocked by a mask and a gag, how lovers relate to each other and to the world can be explored in new ways.

The Fetish Fantasy Elite Silicone Ball Gag and Mask are an excellent, affordable set, whether you're exploring sensory deprivation for the first time, or whether you're an experienced player who wants a sterilizable set for sharing. The silicone is stretchy and comfortable to help new users from being intimidated, and the mask and gag both can be "cheated" to allow a quick glimpse, phrase, or stretch of the lips if the user still has control over his hands.

This mask and ball gag are designed with utility in mind---they are built simply yet sturdily, in order to get the job done with no extra frills. Their simple style is excellent for a beginner set---the mask is designed only to block out light, so it effectively blocks out light without snagging hair in its clasp or being uncomfortable. Similarly, the ball gag is designed only to hold the wearer's mouth open and prevent them from speaking, and that's exactly what it does. Both parts of this set have fairly strong construction. The mask is all one piece, and the ball gag seems sturdily connected---there is a slight seam around ball, and the strap comes from both sides of seam and is itself seamless. Having tugged and stretched it pretty aggressively, I can say it seems as though it will hold up well.

The silicone construction for both of the items in this set gives some special benefits. It can be sterilized easily, and is completely body-safe and odor free. The silicone of the mask allows it to conform to the shape of your face to help block out light effectively. The silicone of the ball is smooth and soft to the tongue, but resistant enough to bite into easily should you need to bare your teeth.

Both the mask and the gag have identical closures, made of hard plastic, as shown in the product photos. These slide shut and, unlike Velcro or other closures, won't snag hair, even when used solo. The end of each of the silicone straps has a bulge that keeps the plastic clasp from slipping off the end, but up until that bulge, the clasp can slide for infinite adjustability for different head sizes.

Though this set is labeled "large," that's referring to the diameter of the ball (1.75") more than the head sizes this is designed to fit. Though I have an average-sized head, I wear the mask in its largest position (16.5" circumference in its latched but unstretched position). I wear the ball gag with about two inches of total slack, but its maximum latched but unstretched circumference is about 16" (I tried to "measure" at the center of the ball). This is best suited for average to small-sized heads.

The Fetish Fantasy Elite mask does an effective job of blocking light and preventing vision. I've found it to be very comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time. Assuming the hands of the masked person are free, they should be able to lift the eye flaps to allow some vision in the case of emergency, but the mask softly holds your eyelids shut unless intentionally moved.

Fetish Fantasy's Elite ball gag, as well, silences the wearer without pulling hair or inviting too much discomfort (other than the discomfort you expect from wearing a ball gag---the jaw being open for a long period of time). I found that the straps did sort of pull at the corners of my mouth, and I felt like I wanted to give my mouth some massaging after use---but it wasn't noticeable enough to make me want to stop wearing the gag early.

As this is the large sized ball gag, at 1.75" diameter, it may be a bit big for a newbie. For your first ball gag, choose a 1.25" or 1.5" diameter ball (for example, the small size of this same set), unless you know your mouth to be on the larger side.

As the Elite series ball gag and mask are made completely of silicone (save the hard plastic fasteners), they may be rinsed with water for a light cleaning, or even boiled or bleached for a full sterilization. The sterilizable nature of the ball gag, in particular, makes it a great choice for those who practice safe sex with multiple partners. The great benefit to silicone, even if it is only being used by one person, is that it doesn't have a scent of its own (very important when it's on your face!) and it doesn't absorb scents either, so it will always feel and smell good as new.

This mask and ball gag are easily storable in the zip-top bags they arrived in, out of contact with soft rubbers with plasticizers, but contact with other inert materials is fine.

The Fetish Fantasy Elite Ball Gag and Mask ship in the cardboard box you see in the product pictures. Five inches tall and four inches across, the box can easily be hidden away. The back of the box is dedicated to text, while the front features a non-explicit but very descriptive photo of a mannequin wearing the mask and gag. The sides of the box are decorated with red leopard print. The Fetish Fantasy packaging makes no secrets of what it contains, but it is quite tasteful in that there is no nudity or explicit language.

Inside the cardboard box, the mask and ball gag are each neatly folded up in a small zip-top bag, and these, while minimal, are just fine for storage.

I've had limited experience with ball gags in the past, and by 'limited' I mean 'limited to a little tugging of the cheeks in doggy-style sex, and occasionally having some blanket tucked in my mouth so I can stay quiet when necessary.' An actual ball gag is a step up from these experiences---it's more intense in that your mouth is really held open without any effort on your part. It is a little awkward, as a first-time user, to figure out what to do with my tongue. It feels slightly more natural curled up behind the gag, but I might be different from average there. Also, perhaps a smaller diameter ball might be a better first gag choice. In terms of things I didn't like about the ball gag compared with other, non-ball-gag gag experiences, is that it was a little difficult to swallow so saliva tended to build up unless I was paying careful attention and swallowing mindfully. My other main complaint might just have been that the diameter wasn't right for me, but after more than 20 minutes my jaw got a little uncomfortable from being held open for so long, and the right angle edges of the silicone straps had bothered my cheeks a bit. No damage done, but I was rubbing the corners of my mouth for a few minutes afterward.

In terms of things I liked better, I like that my power of speech was actually thoroughly taken away. Also, if you're using a blanket corner or handkerchief as a gag, your mouth will quickly dry out, which is more uncomfortable for me than the wetness that came with this ball gag. Somehow, finally, being gagged and blindfolded so thoroughly felt relaxing---even though my jaw was under tension, I felt comfortable and secure.

I was finally very appreciative, as a greenhorn, that I could pull the gag out of my mouth with my hand, thanks to the stretchable band, if I needed to speak or swallow. I'm sure this won't please hardcore players, but for someone at my experience level, it was very much welcomed.