I am a soft pastel painter
So, after much research and trial and error with other masks that I bought at Lowes or WalMart, I purchased the Totobobo mask.
I feel strongly about what I am about to tell you. This mask may have saved my life.
First, the mask is made out of a rubbery material, so it sticks naturally to your skin. It is a bit tricky to learn how to put it on, but once you've got it, you've got it. At first, there was a slight gap near the nose area and I could feel the air coming in around my nose, so I wrote to the makers of this mask and they responded very quickly and told me what to do and it worked perfectly! Since I found the perfect position on my face for my mask, I no longer have any problems with breathing...at all...period. My nose has cleared up, my eyes are no longer irritated, I don't cough or sneeze at all any more. And, it's comfortable! I hardly know I'm wearing it! Also, it's easy to clean and the filters are easily replaced.
I feel it has given me the freedom to continue using my pastels. Oh my gosh, I could NOT imagine not painting with pastels. My heart would just die!
So, I'm hear to tell you, if you EVER have any breathing problems due to pastel dust or any other art medium, please buy this mask. It will make all the difference in the world and it may just save your life.