Elf Ears (Days 384 & 385)

So I tried on the elf ears that I plan to use for Link today. I'm a little worried about them, though. Most obviously, they're not accurate. While Link's ears point more outward and downward, the ears I have point upward, and they're about the same size as a normal human ear, so they don't point outward very far.

Most importantly though, they're latex. I wasn't allergic to latex when I bought them a couple of years ago. That's part of the reason I decided to try them on today, to see if I get an allergic reaction. They didn't bother me when I was wearing them. Well, the back of my ear itched at one point, but that could have easily been the wig. I freaked out when inside my ear started itching, and I couldn't scratch it. But that was just a random itch.

Anyway, I also can't hear very well out of the elf ears. They cover my entire ear and have no ear hole to hear out of. When i wear them, it sounds to me as though I have a head cold and my ears are all stuffed up. But conventions are loud anyway, and I like my quiet.. Then again, I said the exact same thing about my Chi ears, haha.

Of course, they're not the exact same color as my skin. Even with makeup on them, they're a lot lighter than my face. I'm considering using a slightly darker makeup on them to see if it matches my face a little more. I had to shade and highlight the ears with makeup to make them look more realistic as well.

The ears also don't match each-other. The left ear (the one I wear on my left) is thinner and wrinkled in weird places, and it looks like it's been cut, so the ear lobe is closer to my face than the one on the right. The left ear also doesn't have some of the structure that the right ear has, so I had to create the illusion that it did using makeup. It needs some work, but it's mostly covered by hair anyway. I also need to put makeup on the backs of the ears.

Anyway, if I do end up getting an allergic reaction, even a small one, I know of an online tutorial for making custom elf ears. They won't be as convincing or comfortable, and they probably won't stay on as well, but I'd rather take the hit than risk my health over it. Also, I'll get to make them into the exact shape I want, so they'll be more accurate at least.