New Year, Same Me, New Glasses! - Meet Ralph!

You all now how the drill goes - new year, new me. Well I'm going with new year, same me, new glasses! Those who follow me on Facebook and Instagram have already caught a glimpse of my new pair of Ralph Lauren glasses which I got from Optika Opticians in Sliema. Technically I got them last December but I guess they can still count as something new to look forward to getting loads of wear out from in the new year, no?

I love my D&G's to bits but sometimes we all need a change - the little details make all the difference and these Ralph Lauren glasses are just what I needed to change up my look a little. For starters, I have been wanting a pair of tortoiseshell glasses for as long as I can remember but somehow, I never found the perfect pattern for me - it's either too dark, too light, too busy, but the pattern on this pair is, well, perfect! The very front of the glasses is black though so the tortoiseshell colour is most notable on the temples.

My favourite part of these glasses are in fact the temples - understated yet full of details! There's the Ralph Lauren logo on the brushed gold-toned metal end piece and a bit of leather that 'connects' the end piece to the temple. The lenses are the perfect size for my face and I like the fact that the nose pads are in-built. I always tend to favour such models more.

The sales assistants at Optika always go out of their way to help me choose the perfect frame for a) my very demanding tastes and b) my small face. With the vast choice they offer, I always find it difficult to narrow down my choice to just one pair but with their professional help and advice, I somehow manage and I am always satisfied with my final choice :) Finally, to keep my lenses clean and scratch-free, I use Kler Spectacle Lens Cleaner and the provided cloth to ensure my glasses are always kept in tip-top condition.

For ideas on what Optika have to offer, go ahead and check out my gift ideas post for it doesn't have to be Christmas to give gifts! Wishing you all the very best for the year ahead!

Choosing the Right Contact Lenses & Taking Care of Our Eyes with Optika Opticians

It's no secret I love wearing glasses - I've been wearing them for the last 10 years and I like to think of my current D&G ones as a fashion statement and an accessory. However, sometimes I still like to change it up and opt to wear contact lenses instead.

I visited Optika's Sliema outlet this week to find out more about the different types of contact lenses they offer as well as some other eye care products and cosmetics you can find at each of their outlets. The staff were very helpful in thoroughly explaining the different types of lenses as well as providing tips for optimal care which I will be sharing with you in this post.

The concept of contact lenses was first introduced by Leonardo da Vinci in 1508 but it wasn't until the 1970's that adequate materials were developed for them to actually be comfortable enough for use by people on a daily basis. Today, contact lenses come in different types and can either be prescription lenses or purely cosmetic, and in most cases, they are either supplied as dailies or monthlies. Optika stock three brands of contact lenses, namely, Johnson&Johnson, Alcon and Bausch&Lomb.

Each of these established brands offers a wide array of lenses to suit different requirements. The most asked for types are the prescribed dailies and monthlies. Whether you choose one or the other really boils down to how and when you wear your lenses. This decision should be taken together with an eye care professional. I am a dailies contact user myself and up to now, I have always used the Alcon Dailies Aqua Comfort Plus but as of late, they didn't seem to agree any more with my eyes and sometimes I just had to take them out the instant I put them on. It was suggested I try the Alcon Dailies Total 1 instead and was given a trial pack to try before I buy - now that is excellent customer service! The Dailies Total 1 are the newest lenses being sold at Optika and I admit I have high expectations for them - they are a water gradient lens making it very comfortable to wear as well as very breathable making sure your eyes get as much oxygen as possible.

As the name implies, daily contact lenses are meant for a one time use. Monthly lenses can be worn for one month, with a strict day to day cleaning regime, and for that Optika, stock different sanitizing solutions. Such solutions are multi-purpose and are meant to clean and store the lenses before wearing them again.  There is a second type of solution called a hydrogen peroxide solution which needs to be used with caution and under the recommendation of your eye care professional. Once the lens is placed in the solution the hydrogen peroxide turns into water over the time span of 6 hrs thanks to a metal disc found in the case. It is safe to use after 6 hrs but it is always recommended to rinse with saline solution prior to use. The staff at Optika will guide you accordingly into choosing the best solution or your needs so do not hesitate to ask for help. 

Other eye solutions in stock are designed to be used on your eyes when you're not wearing contact lenses to refresh them after a day of wearing lenses.

Moving on to cosmetic lenses or coloured lenses, Optika offers a good variety. The most popular are AirOptix and Fresh Look which have similar colours that look very natural whereas the ones from Bausch&Lomb are much brighter and not really for the faint-hearted.

Here I am wearing Air Optix Green (right eye) and Brown (left eye) and the bottom picture shows my natural eye colour just to show how natural the coloured lenses look. Air Optix can also be supplied with vision correction.

pictures taken by my boyfriend

Air Optix employ a 3-in-1 Colour Technology which defines the eyes, transforms the eye colour and brightens and adds depth with 3 different colour rings.
Picture taken by my boyfriend

Lastly, if you suffer from astigmatism, there are toric contact lenses which are not usually stocked at Optika but they can order them for you and have them available within 10 days. Contact lenses are supplied in packs of 30 or 90.

I hope you learnt something new about contact lenses through this post. Watch this space for another post in collaboration with Optika, treating cosmetics for sensitive eyes and effective remedies for dry eyes. In the meantime, I look forward to trying my new contacts!

I'm wearing:
Top, Michael Kors at Rebelli
Hat, Jimmy Choo at Rebelli

Photography by Neil Psaila unless otherwise stated.