Buying a mask is all about personal fit. There are many good quality masks out there from reputable manufacturers: Scubapro, Aqualung, Oceanic, Mares, Tusa, Cressi, XSScuba, H2Odysea, Diverite, etc. just to name but a mere few (that's only the tip of the iceburg). There are also many different features available: purge valve, split lens, full frame lens, low volume, prescrition lenses, clear skirt or black skirts, neoprene vs rubber straps, not to mention frame color. There are even masks with built in digital cameras and some with built in dive computers.
You should visit your local dive shops (there are many in LA county) and try on as many masks as possible until you find the one that fits comfortably. You may get lucky with the $35 mask that fits you or you might find that only the $100 mask is the most comfortable...again it is all about the fit.
To verify mask fit, place the mask on your face WITHOUT the strap and suck in through your nose. If you can get a decent suction that holds the mask firmly yet comfortably in place, then it will probably not leak. Then try smiling, squinting etc... the movement that your face muscles would make when placing or removing a regulator/snorkel from your mouth. If smile lines, crinkles, crows feet etc, create a gap, then the mask may leak underwater. Try another one. I tell folks to try them all on, leave the best choices on the counter and then go back and try on the best choices again and again until you finally narrow it down to one.
Most reputable dive shops will let you try it in the pool and exchange it within a few days if there is a fit problem.
There are many shaped masks to fit many different shapes of faces. Some folks need bigger nose pockets, some have prominent foreheads, some have wide faces while others have narrow faces, some faces are long, others are short with very little upper lip space for the mask skirt, some want low volume, others want side-view lenses. Some folks report that black skirts give them a bit of a claustrophic feeling since it limits peripheral vision wanting the extra light that a clear skirt affords, while others prefer the dark skirts for a multitude of reasons. There are as many opinions on masks/snorkels as there are styles & manufacturers and as there are folks on scubaboard. Everyone has their favorites for their own personal reasons.
Snorkels also have a variety of feature to investigate: standard J snorkels, purge valves, semi-dyr, dry, with or without moving parts, folding snorkels, etc...
It's all up to you and what you feel comfortable wearing. The more comfortable you are in your gear, the more you will use it.
Go out and explore your options. Most of your local dive shops folks are knowledgeable on the various features and can explain them to help you make a selection that is appropriate for you and the type of diving you plan on doing.
