Through the Looking Glasses

hey there,

when I went back home for Easter I had a long To-Do List, most of which consisted of catching up on sleep and clearing out my old boxes. Something else that was on the list was to get my eyes tested. I had been having trouble focusing on my reading if I had to do it late at night. My concentration was off and I couldn't bare to look at my screen for a long period of time. Whilst eye drops certainly helped with the dryness that resulted from the staring contest I had created with my screen, it wasn't the be all and end all. So there I went full nerves to the Ace & Tate store in Rotterdam to get my eyes tested.

Turns out I am farsighted, only slightly. It's not terrible really, it's to be expected when most of your family has had to wear glasses from a young age. Doesn't mean I liked it though, I was quite upset. Thankfully I have some great friends who talked me down: not a big deal, barely anyone has perfect vision these days. So I got over myself, but was immediately faced with the next hurdle: actually having to pick a pair of glasses. In store I quickly reached a consensus: most frames available are not suited to my round face shape *shrug* on to the next thing.

I was tapping through my Instagram stories when I happened upon an ad by Bloobloom (damn you analytics!! they work). Like other online eyewear retailers they offer to send you five pairs of glasses of your liking. Unlike the others, Bloobloom did have frames suited to my face shape. Choosing five was quite difficult, but the process in itself was quite easy and straightforward. With (free!!) next day delivery, you have five days to try them on before you have to return them (for free!!). Best is that you're not obliged to commit to one -or anything- if they're not your cup of tea. They arrived in a neat blue box, all individually packaged in thick (blue) pouches -there's a theme here-. They even offer advice if you need it with a neat hashtag. Without further ado, here are my five picks:

1. The Amazon
I have a few friends who absolutely love clear frames so I gave in and tried one on myself. Sadly, it was not the one for me. If I'm gonna have to wear glasses you better see them. The shape was all right but I think the frame itself is a bit too thicc. The frame was also too small for my big ole head so sadly this was a no.
2. The Diva
What I originally liked about these frames was the square top of them. Yet upon trying it on, I found the glasses to be quite small on my face, both the actual glass as well as the fit. They gave me dominatrix vibes and not in a good way. Some of my friends liked the size of the glasses, because they were on the smaller side, especially considering some of the other frames. I found them to be too small and too tight on my head. Too bad.
3. The Lover
When I first tried these on I didn't think I'd like them. They're they most structured pair out of the bunch, yet the longer I had them on and the longer I stared at the selfie I took, the more I came to like them. They are big enough for my face but don't take up too much space, they frame the face nicely no pun intended. They're light and have a nice color pattern.
4. The Pianist
I'd figured out I needed a square frame and these were about as square as Bloobloom offers. They're a good size and very sturdy, I just didn't like them as much on my face. They were too harsh and too square, sadly.
5. The Superhero
With a name like this and me just having finished Captain America: The Winter Soldier (swoon) how could you go wrong with a pair like this right? Exactly, you can't! The second I put them on I found myself smiling at my reflection. They were the last pair I tried on but the first ones that gave me a good feeling about the outlook. They were a hit amongst my friends (and mom) too so definitely a front runner.

The Verdict:
There were some clear hits and misses, but I do honestly believe that the right pair is in this group. The immediate losers were the clear frames and the second pair. The clear frames just didn't do much for me and the second pair made me feel both 12 years old and a dominatrix. Now if that's your thing, great, but it's not the one for me. The Pianist frames also did not work for me as they were too square. So that left the third and left pair. Honestly if it came down to it I would've been happy with either, but my preference went to the last one: The Superman. I like the way I look in them, they give a bit of the tired nerdy girl that we all aspired to be one day. They are light and the edges don't frame my vision. I'm excited to see where this takes me.

- Y.