Mask

Women on Vamizi Island have been painting their faces in a white cream for centuries.

This is known as muciro face painting.


The cream is extracted from an indigenous plant called Kipalo which is cut in the bush, and left to dry in the sun for five days. It is then crushed on a stone with a little water and applied to the face with help of a traditional brush hand made from coconut fibre.

Here on Vamizi space is made for this special rictual.


The mask is usually applied in the morning at around 5am and removed only after the sun has set.

It shows up better on black faces rather than white, but it was a good excuse to chat with the local women. Women around the world always find something to talk about, even if only in sign language..


Tradition goes that women about to wed should always use a muciro face mask to signal their purity and virginity, and to keep their skin soft and healthy.

These days many women of all ages use the paste as a beauty routine.


My skin felt good after I took off the mask.

Better than Clinique perhaps....?