FACT – the average masquerader, without even realizing, spends at least TT$1000 in addition to their costume cost…*Cough*…”Designers, in Mas you either wine IN or OUT, wave left or right OR drop to the ground and roll!” (In Heidi Klum’s voice). You will now have till the end of this column to realize whether your costume this year will be properly ACCESSORIZED or become a proper hot messy ACCIDENT (Screeeeech…BADANG!!!).
The months between launch and the road really is like entering Project Runway – challenge > craziness > runway! After costume choice, masqueraders slip into a fit of purchases seemingly feeling that every gaudy accessory in the world would just ‘ups and disappear’. Just the other day a masquerader called me in a frenzy saying that she bought ten pairs of earrings for her costume and now can’t choose which to wear…*Cough again*… In the wise words of Anya, “DIS IS MADNESS!”. Instead of turning your homes into a Rattans look alike with random accessories, makeup and glitter that you will not use, THINK SMART! Remember that Mas and Cosquel are two different things! Your costume is like an outfit and should be treated as such – An accessory could make or break it.
“Designers, you have 5 more minutes to design and sketch your plan of attack” (Tim Gunns’s Voice)
In this day and age where EVERYONE is an individual and VS Supermodel, the right approach to a costume could guarantee you a spot in that magazine and make you shine brighter than any Diamond Rhianna could sing about! “Find a place make a stage and MOVE!” Fayanne had the right idea – if you’re going to be in the same costume that 300 other people are wearing you need to know how to stand out! Thus, ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you to the ABC’s of Mas: ‘Accessories’, ‘Boostamas’ and ‘Cosmetics and Curls’, aka the ‘Tun-Up Triangle’; the three elements that can make you look either TUN UP or TUN DOWN!
A
There is nothing worse than a man with a big tool who doesn’t know how to use it. In the same way, the Triangle is a tool to be used to our advantage. Before you even venture into Wonderful World, consider the Accessories (Options) that the designer has provided for the section. These have been designed for the costume and are often part of the original plan. Sometimes the inclusion of a simple collar can be all that a girl needs to shine. Moving on to phase 2 (aka wonderful world), take the same approach as a designer – look at your costume as a base, study the picture and assess where you think needs color, ‘filling out’ or sparkle, just as you would an outfit. Even though mas is about excess, do not overdo! A feathered earring is not a solution to everything.
B
Ladies, putting it simply, God has already done it for you. The two best accessories known to man are right below your neck and just above your stomach (Go ahead and check to make sure lol). Just keeping it real! Half of designers’ time goes into your Bosoms, how to make them stand and keep standing and shining throughout the day! Much to the dismay of many of my straight guy friends, I have had much experience and interaction with braziers and their inhabitants and my expert approach is quite simple. When you look at them, they must look like they are looking back at you (Like bright eyes 0_0). You pack enough Bounty into the bottom of that bra until the cleavage evens off with the bottom boning and you’d be surprised with the results. I call this ‘doing the TRIBE’; proudly turning B’s into C’s for ten years.
C
HAIR is to today what boots were to 5 years ago. Just as we rise to get makeup did at ungodly hours of the morning, pay heed to your head ladies and be-weave in the power of the stylist! Can I get an AMEN!? There is nothing more unattractive than a weave gone wrong after lunch! Choose a hair style that is good for you, your head piece and your costume. With all these tiaras that have trended costume showrooms these days, I strongly recommend making a hair appointment alongside that makeup so that your doo is as tight as that face! Recommendation to my hairstylist and makeup artists out there, TEAM UP in tha name of beauty! BEAT DAT FACE!!!! I need say nothing more on this, except again…BEATTT DATTT FACEEEEEE!!!! There is no excuse. Running behind the truck and away from tusty men on the road is a hard day’s work, and you want your face to keep up just as much as you and Johnnie are Walking. Make your appointment early with reliable, recommended and tested makeup artists. BE ON TIME! DO NOT miss your appointment! Realistically there are only so many hours before the truck horn blows and if you miss your spot, GURL BYE! Also, do not be afraid to ask questions on primers etc. In terms of style of makeup its purely up to you, but this should also be discussed with the artist beforehand to prevent ‘surprises’.
As ridiculous as this may sound, mas is like your wedding day. The Triangle and all the prep and prodding we do is to create a magical experience for you to enjoy. One of the things that I have always loved about Carnival is that it is an opportunity for a person to take on a different persona, stand out from the crowd, jump out of their shell, break away from the dogma of the mundane, put on a costume and bawl ‘LOOK AH REACH!’. I cannot end talking about accessories without mentioning the most effective one of all – confidence! There is absolutely nothing more attractive on a woman than that. It is our God given bronzer and highlight! It’s almost confusing to ask which comes first, the costume or the confidence? The chicken or the egg? In the end, the question shames in comparison to the result. The Jumbie that is MAS within us begins to veer its little head from July getting stronger and stronger with every week. Maybe it’s the spirit of mas that wakens something in us, an adrenalin or a madness (Admit it! Bitches be cray!) that dispels fears, quails inhibitions and opens the flood gates to love, laughter and lacaray. Prepare and be smart! And know that you are fierce and fabulous with or without the glitz! Remember the costume accessorizes you and not the other way around!
