About Nikki's masks:

Nikki's masks are made using Slip Latex, and there are vent holes in the ears - and nostril openings for comfortable breathing. The pupils are open and measure approximately 5mm to 7mm in diameter.

Because the masks are made when ordered, it is possible to accommodate special requests, such as different skin-tones and makeup designs. The only exception to this is the licenced Tura Satana mask, which is offered as a faithful likeness of the legendary Cult Movie Star. Otherwise you have a lot of freedom to customize your mask(s).

{photo right Nikki wearing Renee half-mask}

Masks are detailed as depicted; however, please note that colors may vary because every mask is handmade.

Wigs shown on our website are for demonstration purposes only, and we do not sell or included wigs with our masks.

Laces are used down the back of the full-head masks, and like a corset they may be drawn taught for a perfect fit. Zippers, open mouth, and custom sizing are also possible upon request.

When masks are to be used in displays (such as a Vamp mask used in a Halloween scene), then they can be provided without entry provisions and used strictly as props.

Nikki's Monster Shop masks can be worn comfortably for many hours, and they are designed for playful transformation, fantasy and fun.

Nikki Dyer

{photo left Nikki Dyer}

SABINE: Sorry to learn of your car accident, are you OK?

NIKKI: Yes, and I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you. I have been trying to take it easy for a couple of weeks, but it’s so hard for me not to work, or to check my emails.

SABINE: You are very dedicated, and it shows in the magnificent work of your masks. When did you start making masks and did you first start with Halloween masks?

NIKKI: Lets see... I first started making Halloween mask in 2003. I liked it, but the market was very big, and I just wasn't inspired enough to keep coming up with new ideas. When you're a mask maker you 'need' to always be coming up with new masks, otherwise people will forget about you - and then you're done.

SABINE: Maybe like the Music Artist, who will say, “you’re only as good as your last record,” but in this case “last mask.”

NIKKI: (laughs) Yes, exactly.

SABINE: What inspired you to start making female masks?

NIKKI: Occasionally, I would get emails from people who wanted me to make realistic female masks. To tell you the truth, I didn’t know anything about the whole wonderful world of female masking until I looked it up, and then when I did, I saw a whole new world that had both of my loves inter twined... latex masks and makeup!   It became a great way for me to continue making and sculpting masks, and to create sexy and strong faces with beautiful makeup as well.

SABINE: In your MySpace blogs you mentioned that you started with half-masks - was there a special market for them?

{photo right Nikki wearing Renee half-mask}

NIKKI: I thought that the half-masks would be great for those who just wanted to throw on a new face and to play around. Without the latex neck, they offer more mobility, and it is possible to move your head more freely. It really makes for a whole new look, and you can have a little more attitude that way too.

SABINE: All of your masks are custom made, is that right?

NIKKI: Yes, and you can have your mask with any type of makeup, eye color, mouth open or closed, zipper, laces… sized down if you need. Really, almost anything that you want, I can do for you.

SABINE: How long does it take to make a mask?

NIKKI: If I already have the mold, it takes about five days from start to finish. I first pour the latex into the mold, and then it has to dry over night. However, because latex has so much air in it, I might have to do a few pours to create a mask that doesn't have any air bubbles. Air bubbles slow everything down, but once that is done, I wait another day for it to totally cure.

SABINE: It sounds time consuming.

NIKKI: (laughs) Yes, there is a lot of waiting in mask making, but once the mask cures, I drill the holes for the eyes and trim away the extra latex - then I paint and do the laces. The eyelashes need to be on for a full day in order to dry completely, and then when I’m done, I put a blindfold on her so that the lashes don't get damaged when she is shipped.

SABINE: That helps me to appreciate all the hard work of my mask. I have also read about the new Tura Satana mask. Can you tell us more about this, and when it will be available?

{photo left Nikki wearing Tura Satana mask}

NIKKI: The Tura mask... I really loved the way she came out. “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” is a very big movie for me, and I was so happy to do the mask. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the contract, so until we have that we are on hold. However, I will start sculpting a new mask once I'm feeling better, and one way or another there will be something new for everyone soon.

SABINE: That will be great, and thank you for sharing this with our readers. I hope that you are feeling better soon.

NIKKI: Thank you Sab'.

{Note: The Tura Satana mask is now available.}

Hot Girls Magazine
June 2011
First Looks

Bella, by Nikki Dyer
Reviewed by T-Vyrus

Truth be told, it was Doll Anja and Sabrina Valentine who first drew me to female masking, and I learned later that they wore the Emeraald mask made by Kerry. Many years would pass before I ventured down the rabbit hole, but when I finally did, the Emeraald was among the first masks that I purchased.

{right: Bella by Nikki Dyer}

Meaning no disrespect to Kerry, but I was also aware of masks made by Cyn and Nikki, and they created masks with much prettier faces and makeup. Still, on that day when I hatched from my vanilla egg, it was the Emeraald mask that I patterned myself after.

That said, when I ordered my first Emeraald mask I asked Kerry not to apply any makeup to it, because I felt that I could do a good job myself, which I think that I did.

Still, Cyn and Nikki were out there on the web, and being worn by other girls, and they were calling to me also, so in 2010, and with the Rubberdoll World Rendezvous approaching, I finally bought my first Nikki mask...an Anastasia, which as it turns out is Nikki's middle name. It shared very similar construction to my Emeraald, but it fit me better, and because Nikki is a genuinely good makeup artist, it was very pretty right out of the box. I had a great time at the Rendezvous, and I was thrilled to wear Anastasia during photo-shoots in the courtyard.

It was thru Nikki that I was introduced to B-movie star Tura Satana, and Tura and I began discussing the possibility of an interview for Hot Girls Magazine. Nikki was also trying to license Ms. Satana's likeness for a "Tura Satana" mask. Regretfully, Ms. Satana passed on, but not before Nikki successfully licensed the mask, and it was the second that I would purchase from her.

Nikki and I have since gotten to know each other a little better...at least as well as people can through the Internet and emails. We have managed conversations about things other than masking, bordering on our vanilla lives, and it has helped me to appreciate her more than other mask creators, many of whom keep their customers at arms length.

A few weeks ago, and very unexpectedly, Nikki wrote to me to say that the masking bug had bitten again, and that she was excited to be working on a new mask. It made me feel excited too, because by then I had some appreciation of the turns that she had taken in her life, and some of the other things that she had been exploring.

{left: Bella as worn by T-Vyrus}

It had been two years since Nikki released the Tura Satana mask, so a new mask from her was going to be quite a special occasion, and I was truly honored that she wanted me to receive the first one. I made some extra efforts myself, and things that I'd been working towards such as professional backdrops and lighting were all coming into play just in time...as were some costume ideas that I had long dreamt of, but had yet to realize.

Bella, Nikki's newest and most beautiful mask, arrived one day before my trip to Atlanta, Georgia for the Southern Comfort Conference...as did some of my wardrobe and photography items, and so it seemed that all of the stars had aligned just in time.

The mask fits very comfortably, and it measures 25 ½" about the head and around the brows. By comparison, Anastasia measures 23 ½", and I've sized my Tura Satana mask from 25" down to about 24", which is just about right for me. Needless to say, I will probably resize Bella also, but for now she is perfect. Nikki's masks are very durable and I've never had any worries when resizing them.

Anyway, what I really want to talk about is how Bella makes me feel...hmmmm...in a word, "beautiful," as her name suggests. Well, that was a short conversation. (laughs)

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about silicone masks, some of which owe a debt of gratitude to FemSkin, who documented their successes and failures, and allowed us to publish the results in Hot Girls Magazine, February 2010.

However, if I am sincere with you, I will say that I prefer thick latex masks, such as Kerry's original masks, and those made by Nikki Dyer. ...and here is why. I don't want to see 'me' when I look in the mirror, or to see myself in pictures. When I wear one of Nikki's masks, I get to see 'her' beautiful creation, and 'her' beautiful representation of a female, and I don't have to worry that my own features are going to distort that creation. With the silicone masks that I have worn so far, and with foam latex masks, my own features always stretch the masks and cause my own features to show through.

With my Greyland mask, I counter this problem by wearing a hard plastic female mask underneath it, so that the mask conforms to that, instead of to me - and hard plastic foundations are one of the ways that silicone mask makers are preventing their own designs from distorting - something more learned from the folks at FemSkin.

{right: Bella as worn by T-Vyrus}

All that said, I mask to lose myself...not to become a thicker version of myself, and I do love being a Living Doll and not a quasi-realistic masked female. I still have my different looks, which include unmasked femme mode (with decent results), foam latex (my Lolita fits me better than most girls), and Doll...Living Doll. For this, I have now found the greatest mask ever, and her name is "Bella," by Nikki Dyer.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Hugs and love to all,

T-Vyrus

*The actual release date of this mask was September 22nd 2011, at the Southern Comfort Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. T-Vyrus