OK I admit I've not scrutinised every post so apologies if my twopenn'orth is repeating someone.

I was at Straw Bear last weekend. There I saw border and Molly sides with red faces, blue faces (not just the cold), black-and-white faces, Gog Magog in which every face was a different colour, and faces with a range of black marks ranging from lightly-smeared through blacking on middle part of face (i.e. not round ears or jaw) through to musicians for one group who, with the aid of hats, scarves, coats, and deep black faces, showed no vestige of true colour. And of course other Cotswold, North-west and sword dance teams with no face paint at all.

As to is it effective - some while ago someone from a blacked-up border morris side came up and was talking to me for quite a while, obviously knowing all about me & my family. Only later did I piece together who it must have been - to this day I'm not certain!