I have been a glasses wearer since I was about 12. Originally, the glasses were for lessons at school: reading, and seeing the blackboard.
The glasses prescription is for astigmatism, which is a common problem where the cornea is shaped more like a rugby ball than a football. That means that without glasses, the world seems rather blurry. As with many things, astigmatism worsens with age.
A couple of weeks ago at my routine two yearly check-up at the opticians I discovered I needed a much stronger prescription, and to wear my glasses all the time to help prevent further strain.
I don’t mind wearing glasses: there are so many pretty styles available these days. That is in stark contrast to my very first pair, which were late 1980s NHS standard issue monstrosities!
The need to wear glasses all the time presented me with a style challenge when choosing a new pair. The glasses needed to suit me, first and foremost obviously, but also represent my style.
I like to describe my style as timeless; fashion and the latest trends are not of particular interest to me. My preferred items to wear are dresses and skirts that show off my curves. I like bright colours and patterns, but nothing too ‘showy’.
At first, I thought I wanted a half-frame pair, but having tried on literally every such pair in the shop discounted that idea (the frames were all really boring).
Pretty detailing on the arms of one of the new frames.
That said, I tried on pretty much every frame in the shop…the lovely assistant who was helping me choose was very patient! Some pairs just didn’t suit me, while others were too showy. A number of designer pairs were guilty of that, with too much bling on the arms.
I fell in love with the shape of a Nicole Farhi pair but they only came in a pale taupe, which is a colour that really doesn’t do anything for me. I was tempted by a couple of other designer pairs, and ummed and ahhed over them, but they weren’t quite right.
In the end, my favourites and the ones I chose were Boots ones. The more sensible price and an offer meant I could get two pairs, which was even better! The lenses are the same quality irrespective of the frames, so it was the perfect scenario.
The purple pair.
Both pairs have a retro feel, with a nod to 1950’s Mad Men era style. The first pair is a deep purple shade, with lovely detailing on the arms. I wear a lot of purple, and even I know too much purple can be well, too much so the other pair I chose are a lovely chic tortoiseshell, in more of a cat’s eye shape.
While in the shop, I tried on the frames with hair up and hair down – they had to be right!
I’m also trying contact lenses so I’ve got another option for times when I might prefer to not wear glasses.
The glasses arrived this week and I am really pleased with them. The stronger prescription has made a massive difference: it transpires it’s not normal for things in the distance to be blurry…
Tortoiseshell pair.
Wearing glasses all the time has prompted me to update my eye make-up. To be honest I don’t like to wear a lot of make-up; while I like to look like I’ve made an effort, I don’t like to look ‘made-up’. Usually I wear a bit of powder and blush to even out my skin tone. I think my green eyes are my best facial feature, and I like to play them up a bit. Before, I wore a bit of neutral shimmery eye shadow, eye liner and mascara, but I wanted to make sure my eyes remained a feature beneath my glasses, so I’ve added a dark brown shadow along the crease of my eyelid to my repertoire.
My eye make-up armoury.
My favoured make-up brand is Clinique (with a bit of Benefit); it’s best for my sensitive skin. I like:
- Chubby stick for eyes in beige shimmer – it’s so easy to use, just sweep it over the lid like a crayon;
- Cream shaper for eyes in black diamond. As the name suggests, it has a creamy texture, and provided you keep the pencil sharp it’s really easy to use. I like to do the classic line along my upper eyelid that gets wider towards the outer eye, and a sweep under the bottom eyelashes.
- Benefit They’re Real! Mascara. This stuff really is fabulous. It really spruces up my eyelashes.
- I try to stock up on Clinique when there is a bonus offer on, meaning you get lots of little goodies to try. I’d given away most of the make-up because it wasn’t being used, but I was glad I kept this colour surge eye shadow quad. I’ve been using the chocolate chip shade (bottom left) lightly blended along the eye socket with a gentle brush. It really makes my eyes ‘pop’. Now I know this looks ok on me, I’ll try the darker brown next to it.
The photo below shows the finished result. What do you think?
Headspace Perspective 