Adventures in Munich (Part 2)

If you havn't read part one of our adventures in Munich.....go and read what we got up to on our first day...........done that?Ok.....lets continue the story.

We stayed at the very convenient BOLD hotel in Munich. This hotel very much appealed to my own interior decor sensibilities. It was bright, modern and clean, with funky furniture.
As we were so tired after our long first day, we chose to grab a bite to eat at the hotel before an early night.......not the finest dining experience we have ever had! There was a very strange moment when a rice pudding was served up with a caramel top instead of the creme brulee! Perhaps we can put this down to a language barrier?Not sure, but needless to say we stuck to the breakfast buffet after that, which was VERY good!

Day 2 of the tradeshow was another busy one. We had an early appointment with LINDBERG. Anyone well versed in the world of optics will know that LINDBERG are a bit special. They are, perhaps, most famous for their rimless styles, however their collection is so much more than just rimless. We were blown away by the frames! We were invited to sit down to view the collection (which is huge, and has sub-collections) and instructed to wear gloves as we handled the frames!!
We have picked a good selection of amazing styles, from their 'Spirit', 'Acetanium' and 'Strip' collections. These bad boys have just landed this week, come in and have a peek, they have been worth the wait!

So after LINDBERG, we viewed one other collection, which we are playing close to our chests for now. They won't arrive until September or October and so, we have a bit of a wait for these......but I will admit, they are a brand that we have been lusting over for more than a year. I'm so glad we decided to order them, but we want to keep it a surprise for now....!

Intrigued???So you should be!! ;)

Besides our first questionable experience with the Munich food, we did have a really good dinner and brunch in the city on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. I'm going to leave that to another post, which I won't leave as long in between this time!But just in case your going to Munich anytime soon, we will post about the hotel and the restaurants we liked.

Thanks for reading, guys, hope your excited for our new frames.....a few of them have already landed!

Sunglasses Style with Modafix

The very chic Triona from Modafix shared a great post on her blog recently, styling a range of our sunglasses for the Autumn/Winter season.

Head on over to Modafix blog for a look, it's well worth a read!

Looking good, Triona!

Purple Is A Magic Colour!

As part of our 'colouring' series I thought that we would include an ode to Purple.
People love purple. And not without good reason either, its pretty much the perfect colour!

When you consider that purple is made up of a mixture of red and blue you'll know (because you've read our last 'colourings' post!) that means it's got both WARM and COOL tones!
So it's a little bit like red lipstick - it suits everyone - you just have to find the right shade.

Cool colourings should choose shades of purple with more blue in them. Think Lavender, Amethyst and Violet.

Warm should try richer shades with more red in them, like Raspberry, Marsala and Plum.

Simple!

Why not try a few purple tones the next time you're in the market for a new pair of specs? If this isn't enough to make you take the purple plunge maybe Jenny Jospeh's poem will help! 

When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beer mats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

Choosing A Frame For Your Colouring

We talked before about what sunglasses styles suit your face shape. The principles for choosing a pair of glasses are the same. Opposites attract so try and choose a frame that balances your face shape. So what about frame colours? What will suit you? 

Principles Of Colour

We are BIG fans of colour! We don’t like to play it safe and neither do our clients!

It can be intimidating to commit to a coloured frame, especially if you wear your glasses all the time; but a coloured can add so much personality to your look and getting the colour right can enhance your best features and balance out your complexion regardless of what colour clothing you choose everyday.

Play With Colour

Want to know how? - Let’s play with colour!

First, focus on two aspects of your own colouring - hair colour and eye colour. Experts agree we all have a ‘dominant’ colouring and then either a warm or cool undertone. We won’t be discussing undertones too much in this post, but - just to skim the surface – generally a ‘warm’ undertone is anyone with dark eyes and a sallow complexion, whereas a ‘cool’ undertone describes light eyes and a fair complexion. Makes sense, no?!

Choosing a frame which complements or contrasts to your eye colour can really enhance your look. Look at the colour wheel - colours that sit on opposites sides are complementary and provide the best contrast.

We love frames that have a little variance in colour, or subtle nuances of different tones, it makes them much more versatile. If you have light blue eyes, for instance, a grey/blue frame can deepen your eye colour, whereas choosing a warm brown or a tortoise shell frame can make your eyes pop, as it creates a greater contrast.
You can go into all sorts of details describing many different colourings, but for today, let’s just focus (spot the pun!)on eye colour.

Hope this helps you be a little more adventurous with your frame colour. We are always happy to help with any questions (or if you feel we have left anything out ). We are working on a Part 2 which will describe some of the complexion and hair colourings that you can base your frame choices on too, if you want to get a little more technical. 

Let us know what you think in the comments!

How To Choose Sunglasses For Your Face Shape

Sunglasses season is in full swing - it seems like everyone is heading away for week abroad or just enjoying the (very!) few evenings of sun here at home.

I know we may not always have the strongest sunshine in Ireland, but I for one hate any kind of glare - which is why on an overcast day, or even during the Winter months, you'll find me with my sunglasses on. *Here comes the science bit!*The lighter in colour your iris is, the more photo-sensitive you are! This is why it is essential to have a really good pair of sunglasses (or four!). Squinting in bright light can give you eyestrain, headaches and *gasp* - wrinkles. No fun – especially when the solution is so fun to wear!

A good pair of sunglasses are an investment and should last you for years, and it’s probably why the biggest question we get asked in the practice about sunglasses is “What shape best suits my face?” There are no rules exactly, but there are some guidelines for your faceshape that you can stick to if you want a starting point. 

The old adage of ‘opposites attract’ are the name of the game with face shapes - the idea is that if you have a round face, you choose a square style; a square face should choose a round style and so on. 

Features: Face is wider than it is long, with a prominent jawline.

Square-Faced Celebs: Angelina Jolie and Gwenyth Paltrow

Try: Round/oval styles soften an angular jaw & soft curved or cat eye shapes work well.

Our Picks (Top-Bottom): Etnia Barcelona 'Wild Africa 6', WOOW 'Super Chic 1'

Features: Prominent forehead, wider cheeks tapering into a pointy chin.

Heart-Shaped Celebs: Reese Witherspoon and Naomi Campbell

Try: Draw attention away from the forehead with low set/keyhole bridge & graduated tints. Stick to curved shapes.

Our Picks: Maui Jim 'Honomanu', Etnia Barcelona 'Paris/Tokyo'

Features: Face is roughly the same length as width, with full cheeks.

Round-Faced Celebs: Mila Kunis & Emma Stone

Try: Angular shapes work best with a round face and will give definition.

Our Picks: Maui Jim 'Kawika', Elle

Features: Face gently tapers towards chin, with prominent cheekbones & forehead.

Oval-Faced Celebs: Jessica Alba & Alexa Chung.

Try: Everything!Oval faces are the most versatile. Just be mindful of size - smaller oval faces should choose petite styles.

Our Picks: Etnia Barcelona 'Wild Africa', Lacoste

With all that said, it's fun to break the rules! If you find a style you love, don't worry if it doesn't fit the criteria of the face shapes. If you love it, work it!

Once you have found the perfect pair, look after them! Keep them in their case, clean them regularly with a good lens spray and microfibre cloth, don't leave them on the dashboard of your car to warp in the heat....and try not to sit on them! If you mind them they will reward you with years or service and you will feel like a million bucks everytime you pop them on!