When summer gets too hot to handle, we spin the display racks of cooling glasses and contact lenses for you to make the right choice for your personality.
This classic black one has a timeless charm but this crystal encrusted piece in tortoise hue looks affluent… That twinkling hazel has a sensuous appeal, while the solid plum with pink undertones, just next to it, is refreshingly chirpy. What comes to your mind? A collection of party-wear outfits or stilettos?! Did we hear jewellery? Nay, none of that! We are in fact giving you a glimpse of an interesting selection of summer eyewear ensemble that graces the wardrobes of today’s women. Yes, why not! When you have exclusive pairs of jeans, earrings and wedges for every occasion and season, why should eyewear take the backseat? Surely, the well-informed and up-to-date multitasking go-getters can’t be fooled into believing that sunglasses are mere sundry accessories. There’s no denying that most eyewear enhances your fashion quotient. However, it’s protection from UV radiation that’s become far more vital today. Whether you are a fashionista in town or not-so-style conscious, eyewear is an indispensable wardrobe essential for one and all. So why not get it right?
Plan Your Wedding walks you through the different styles, shapes and tints of cooling glasses and contact lenses to grace your unique visage and shield your eyes from harmful UV rays. A guide on care for the eyewear comes handy.
LOWDOWN ON COOLING GLASSES
“There are a variety of factors that people keep in mind while picking sunglasses for themselves. While you will know how, a particular pair of sunglasses looks on your face once you wear it, conventional wisdom tells us which shape best suits, which face type,” informs Nitin Grover, Owner of Scavin. “It is very essential that you find the right sunglasses for your face. First of all, you need to know what the shape of your face is: round, square, oblong, triangular or oval… Whatever is the shape of your face, there is a pair of sunglasses out there for you!” assures Shilpa Jain, Celebrity Makeup Artist & Stylist.
Funky Avatar of Aviators
How often have we gone weak in the knees admiring those suave and dashing pilots, sporting their sleek aviators and taking swiftly agile strides across the airport lobbies?! Aviator glasses, also called pilot glasses, were originally developed for pilots, mostly men way back then, to protect their eyes while flying. The lightweight aviators have taken a unisex avatar today and go well on both men and women. Aviators for women usually have a larger lens and are available in cheery hues unlike men’s section which is more demur. The best thing about aviators is you can carry them well with casuals, formals and beach wear too! They look perfect with western outfits.
Face cut: “Aviator frames may be the best for longer, rectangular faces. They make a long face appear shorter and wider,” advises Nitin Grover.
Hair: For deep brown hair, pick gradient brown or brown gold bronze aviators. The classic black and grey ones will look perfect on black wavy/curly tresses.
Makeup: A variety of lip shades from pinks to nudes complement these cooling glasses.
Ever-Trendy Wayfarers
At a time when sunglasses were framed in metal, wayfarers came as a break from this trend in 50s. Just like aviators, wayfarers for women have more vibrant lens and frame colours. Best for casuals, these timeless sunglasses are ideal for skiing, cycling and trekking. All you brides-to-be, if your honeymoon destination is set and tickets booked, pack these wayfarers in your luggage bag. Pick the lens and frame going by your post-wedding outfits or your honeymoon collection. So get set go!
Face cut: Being the versatile of the lot, these sunglasses go on all types of face cuts.
Hair: Let your tresses down, tie them in a bun, clip them… do as you please!
Makeup: Go flamboyant or natural, either way works well.
Bold & Beautiful with Oversized Ones
When you look at these oversized sunglasses, aren’t you reminded of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s? That’s the kind of impact these imposing shades have. So gals do you have loads of attitude in you to pull it off? If you do, you’ve found the perfect accessory for yourself! And if you don’t, you still have the right reason to wear it on. Oversized lenses give you the best protection from Sun because they cover greater area of your face. Available in varied shapes such as round, oval and even geometric- shaped lenses, these are must-haves for your honeymoons and post-wedding outings. Go playful with hi-fi cat-eyes or make a smart choice with butterfly style. But Shilpa Jain has a word of caution here: “If you have a very small face with delicate features, it is probably not a good idea to overpower your face with a dramatically large pair of sunglasses.”
Face cut: “Whatever the shape of your face is, choose a pair of sunglasses that are the opposite shape. If you have a round face, you should choose rectangular frames or thick frames. If you have a square shaped face, you should wear more rounded or oval sunglasses,” advices Shilpa Jain.
Hair: With oversized ones on, choose a long, layered hairstyle with extra volume on the sides so that the large-framed glasses are in proper proportion.
Makeup: “A bold lip is the pathway to your eyes,” goes Nitin Grover and adds, “If you are wearing a statement frame, go neutral with makeup but wear a bold lip color, like a bright pink or a deep red. The bold lip will naturally lead them to your eyes. With cat eye frames, add a little blush and your cheeks and cheekbones will be more prominent.”
Round it Off!
That’s only if it suits you! Many fashion experts are a bit cautious when it comes to round frames. Round frames help balance a narrow chin, high forehead and strong angles. “For people with a heart-shaped face who have wider foreheads and thinner jaw lines, narrow frame styles work best, advices Nitin Grover.
Face cut: They are best for heart-shaped, diamond and square faces. But the size of the glasses should be in proportion with the size of the face.
Hair: Try a short, cropped wavy hairstyle to highlight the face or go for long blunt cuts. But if the frame size is large, long layered hairstyles with extra volume on the sides is a good idea.
Makeup: Go for natural pinks and browns.
Wrap this Around
Sport an athletic look with this wrap around and go on a joyride! A refreshing long drive, thrilling trekking, sultry bay watch or a fun yacht party, these wrap-around sunglasses are cool options when you think of adventure.
Face cut: Oval faces are best for wrap-around style. They also work well in balancing out diamond shape faces.
Hair: Let your hair down in long and layered style.
Makeup: With very little scope for visibility of eyelashes, lip colour is your mantra to makeup. Go bold with lip gloss to plum them right.
| Style Tips for Shades Use your frames as a guide to match the density of your eyeliner to the thickness of your frames When choosing eyewear, your eyebrows should still be visible, just above the rim of the frames To make your eyes look more defined and wider, go for a thickening mascara and apply it up and out. Put a hint of shimmer eyeshadow on the lids above the lash line to attract more attention to the eyes Go for a dramatic and smudgy smokey eye, especially with a thicker frame Gel liner is actually one of the best liners for eyeglass wearers If your glasses are gold, silver or bronze-toned, co-ordinate them with complementing jewellery, belt and purse Match your eyeglasses with your wardrobe. With traditional clothes, wear traditional glasses. Since glasses are more prominent than earrings, let your earrings just be a nice accent and not compete for attention. When wearing fun funky glasses, you will be able to pull off chunky jewellery. Fine jewellery works best with the rimless frames. |
LOWDOWN ON CONTACT LENSES
Many prefer contact lenses over glasses for their convenience and style, while some make a cosmetic choice or are prescribed for medical reasons. As our new-age vadhus go bolder and experimental with looks, you have a mammoth variety of lenses available on the shelves. From sapphire, turquoise and gemstone green to the more natural ones… the choice is simply amazingly. “Coloured contact lenses are a cosmetic application that can offer you a change in personality or appearance,” says Nitin Grover.
My Kinda Look!
Shilpa Jain has some useful tips for selection, “The contact lens colour that will suit you the best depends on numerous factors, such as your hair colour and skin tone. But, ultimately, it depends on the kind of look you want to achieve — subtle and natural-looking or dramatic and daring. People with tanned skin should go for green or navy blue lenses and if you have very fair skin, then bright shades like blue and dark grey can complement your skin tone. You could also try colours like turquoise and amethyst.” She adds, “In today’s world, the latest fashion accessory is coloured contact lenses. Select your lenses according to your face complexion. People with dark complexion should wear colours like hazel and honey to enhance your look.”
| Contact Care Wear your contact lenses before applying makeup Always wash your hands thoroughly before touching your contacts Cream eye shadow is less likely to get in your eyes than powder If you prefer powder, keep your eyes closed during application. Then, brush off any excess powder before opening your eyes. Do not use outdated makeup. Use only hypoallergenic make-up in order to help prevent irritation in the eyes. Tips for the Bride Make sure that contact lenses and storage cases are cleaned and disinfected. Keep an extra pair of contact lenses in your bag in case they clear off from your eyes. |
Pick Your Tint
Go light with Visibility Tints if youdon’t want your eye colour to change in any significant or noticeable manner. Enhancements will deepen light-coloured eyes to create brilliant blues, emerald greens and smoky greys. They have little effect on those who already have dark-coloured eyes. Make a gorgeous style statement with Colour Tints. These are darker, opaque tints that change the colour of your eyes. Designed for athletes and sports enthusiasts, Light-filtering Tints enhance certain colours and diminish other colours. For instance, if you are a tennis player, these lenses enhance optic yellow, the colour of tennis ball! Party animals should check out Special-effects Contacts for theme parties, club hopping and cocktails. These lenses add an extraordinary effect to your gaze.
To gear up for summer, keep your eyes on the eyewear that’s perfect for you and show off your shade to the world.
The article was originally published in Plan Your Wedding magazine.
