Monday, April 13, 2009
Mardi Masks- Tuesday's Mask
Welcome to Mardi Masks.This site provides information on the ancient time honored tradition of Masking, of honoring our ancestors and continuing the tradition of Mask Making. Should you have questions not covered by Mardi Masks please email your questions to TuesdayNO@hotmail.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Here's our Mask Briefing:
ReplyDeleteMASK TIPS
One would think that picking out and wearing a mask all day is easy, but being mask collectors there are some tricks we’ve learned over the years that you may not think of as a first time buyer/wearer. These will help make your masking experience easier:
WEARING
1. Don’t bother getting a mask on a stick. It will look elegant on your wall, but is a pain to carry around all day and is more likely to get damaged. (If you have a mask in one hand and a drink in the other, how are you going to catch beads?) So we suggest a tie or elastic.
2. Get a mask that fits you well! You are more likely to leave it on and look natural in it if it’s comfortable and you can see, drink and eat in it. (See below under "buying’ for tips on this.)
3. The proper way to put on a mask with a tie (or elastic) (Don’t walk around with it over your hair, you’ll look like a dork.):
1. Fit the mask snuggly over your face, tie the tie in a TIGHT bow (it will slip a little in the rest of the procedure.)
2. Gently slip the mask down your face so that it’s hanging around your neck, pulling your hair back over the ties.
3. Put on your hat, do your hair, make-up etc.
4. Again gently pull the mask up to your face, the ties should be under your hair/veil/hat at the base of your neck and your mask should be secure.
5. If your mask starts slipping: place a finger on your nose or forehead to hold the mask in place, lean forward-flipping your hair forward over your head and have someone re-tighten the ties. (Elastic can be made tighter by putting a knot in it. This may need to be done a couple times before you get it tight enough.)
4. Once your mask is on. LEAVE IT ON! It will feel strange for the first 15 minutes or so (people who wear glasses seem to adjust quicker) but then you will forget you have it on. If you keep taking it off and on, it will bug you all day/night.
BUYING
1. As stated above, avoid masks on sticks unless they are for a stage presentation or to hang on a wall.
2. Try on the mask, don’t just hold it up to your face:
1. Put it on properly, then make sure it’s comfortable (not pinching or tickling you anywhere e.i: do the feathers go up your nose when you walk?).
2. Make sure you can see/eat/drink and kiss in it.
3. Does it seem to stay put when you are moving around?
4. Does it look good when you are talking, laughing etc?
3. Figure out what you are most likely to wear it with
1. Does it match in colour & style?
2. If the costume has a hat, wig or headress: is the mask too high in the front or back. (At the better shops/stalls they can fix this or make you a custom one minus the offensive bit.)
4. Most of the commercial "cheapie masks" have 2 problems:
1. The eye holes are usually too small for an adult- Depending on how much decoration is on it, this can be fixed with an exacto and the glue gun.
2. They are based on a plastic mask- the plastic is sticky and uncomfortable when wearing. The quick way to fix this is to glue a couple of cotton balls on the inside of the mask where it hits your face. This also helps keep the mask from sliding around. If this is the ONE AMAZING mask for you. It can be relined on the inside after we get home, it just takes a lot of work.
Well that's all I can think of for now.