Halloween Masks

thehigherstandard | May 10, 2010 |

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It is never too early to get a head start in looking for that perfect Halloween costume for this year's costume party. Browsing through your local costume store or the available online selections, you have no doubt noticed that Halloween masks represent a huge portion of the costume industry. Although an extremely popular a costume parties, Halloween masks may or may not be the answer to your costume needs. The following is a brief discussion of the pros and cons of this Halloween accessory.

There are many positive aspects of Halloween masks. First, a good mask will disguise you and keep you anonymous. They are available in styles that will cover you from your neck up (i.e., over your head and face), as well as those that merely cover portions of your face or head. Either way, the effect is to alter your appearance, making it more difficult to tell just who you are, especially as compared to simply using face paint.

Another advantage of Halloween masks is their simplicity. Let's face it. Face painting takes time. And lots of it. Additionally, it takes skill. And lots of it. If you or whoever is applying the face paint lacks the requisite artistic skills, your Halloween ensemble can go horribly wrong in a hurry. Halloween masks, on the other hand, are fast, easy to use and hard to mess up. Talk about a winning combination!

Finally, Halloween masks enable the wearer to "become" the intended character without the necessity of pulling off the entire look. For example, if you want to dress like Darth Vader from Star Wars, all you need to do is wear a Darth Vader mask with solid black shoes, pants and shirt and you can become the Sith Lord you always wanted to become (although, if it were me, I would invest in an awesome lightsaber "just because"). Because there is no real need to purchase the rest of the costume, Halloween masks can result in huge Halloween savings.

Additionally, this Halloween accessory allows you to use clothes and props that you have in your ordinary lives to create unique costume ideas. For example, if you are a nurse who routinely wears scrubs, you can wear those scrubs along with a zombie mask and transform yourself into a zombie nurse. Creative, quick and inexpensive. A new trio, if you ask me!

However, any discussion of Halloween masks would not be complete with a discussion of their downside.

It should go without saying that, if not properly worn, Halloween masks can be dangerous. There are two main things you must insure is not impaired by the masks: your vision and your breathing. If you cannot see where you are going, you are in trouble. At the risk of sounding condescending, please take off your mask while driving your car. Every year I hear a story about some idiot that crashing because he or she could not see through the Stormtrooper's eyes.

If you cannot breath, well, that is a problem as well. It is imperative that special attention to these factors be paid to children's costumes with masks. Take the extra time necessary to make sure that your children are not injured by an improperly fitting mask. One method of doing so is advance preparation. Do not wait until the last minute to have your child try on the mask. If it does not fit properly, simply do not allow it to be worn - period!

Another disadvantage with Halloween masks is particularly evident in warmer climates (i.e., South Florida) or environments (i.e., a crowded party) -- they can be hot. Unfortunately, this can lead to the wearer to become extremely uncomfortable, oftentimes very quickly. In the event you feel lightheaded, short of breath, or any other signs of overheating, take off your mask. Do not be concerned that someone might learn who is in the Mickey Mouse suit. After all, if you pass out, everyone is going to learn who is in the costume anyway!

A third disadvantage to Halloween masks is their price. Make no mistake about it, Halloween masks can be expensive. While they can certainly add that something special in completing the intended Halloween look, it can sometimes break the bank. As you are no doubt aware, the higher the quality and details of the masks, the higher the price tends to be. Accordingly, you can either periodically save up for your ideal mask by pinching pennies leading up to the Halloween party, or you can settle for a cheaper Halloween mask. If your budget is extremely tight, you might also want to consider skipping the mask altogether and simply having your face painted.

As stated above, Halloween masks are oftentimes exactly what a trick-or-treat goer needs to complete the perfect Halloween costume. With that said, Halloween masks are not the answer for all Halloween goes. It is entirely up to you whether your costume "needs" a mask and whether this Halloween accessory is right for you.

As a parting idea, Halloween masks can also be used as decorations throughout the rest of the year. Accordingly, if you buy one and then later decide not to use it, try finding a place that it can be displayed for year-round enjoyment.

My favorite Halloween mask is the Star Wars Super Deluxe Darth Vader Mask. This thing absolutely and totally rocks. Constructed of 100% injected molded ABS, it is literally theater-quality having been directly cast from the original Darth Vader molds. No details were spared. Even the flat and shiny finishes were cast from the Lucasfilm molds. Nice!

While it is made with a comfortable liner consisting of light foam and includes several adjustable straps to fit all sized heads, it is a collectible in its own right. In fact, this Darth Vader Halloween mask is not packed in a run-of-the-mill box. Instead, it features a full color collectable display box that can be displayed year round.

However, if you decide to wear this piece of art to your next Halloween party, I certainly would not blame you!