Raise your hand: who else wears contacts out there?
A little backstory for me: both of my parents wear glasses, so I knew I was pretty doomed in the vision department from the start. I started wearing glasses in the first grade, and year after year, my lens prescription just kept getting stronger. C’est la vie!
I started wearing contacts in the 7th grade, and I felt like a new woman. There were many years where I refused to wear my glasses in public as a teen because teens always make poor choices, amirite? However, over the past couple of years, I’ve fallen back in love with my glasses again, and have started wearing them much more often! Here are a few reasons why I stopped wearing my contacts every single day and started rocking glasses more often.
Reason #1: My Allergies
I’ve always struggled with allergies, but they got really bad once I moved to Richmond, VA for school back in 2013. There’s a particular tree that grows in Central Virginia and states further south that I’m really allergic to, and yet I still live in the same state for some odd reason.
My allergies were so bad; I had to go on allergy shots in college to avoid constant sinus infections. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep up with my allergy shots post-grad, so I had to go back to the drawing board. My eyes water a lot because of my allergies, and I had one eye that would constantly water 24/7 whenever the air quality was at its worst. My doctor told me that my contacts were trapping some of the allergens, despite the fact that I cleaned them daily. He switched me over to daily contacts and suggested that I start wearing glasses more often — and I had to take his advice for some relief!
Reason #2: Glasses Are So Much More Affordable Now
I remember as a child, whenever I wanted a new pair of glasses, I would head to my optometrist and we would end up spending $200+ on a pair of designer frames and glasses. I could only get a new pair of glasses every two years because that’s when our insurance would give us an allowance for it.
My Zenni Optical Review
Fast forward to 2018. There are so many affordable options for prescription glasses now! I wanted to add to my collection of glasses, so I decided to order a few new pairs from Zenni last month, and I am loving them so far. The price point is incredible: I picked up this tortoiseshell square pair of glasses for less than $35. Say what? Incredible, right? At this price, you could get a new pair of glasses every couple of months rather than every couple of years. I have to say: I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of these glasses as well. They look like a million bucks — they’re incredibly stylish, comfortable, and I get so many compliments while wearing them.
Ordering my new pair of Zenni glasses was easy: I used their Face Shape Quiz and Try On Tool to determine what pair of frames look the best on me — all from the comfort of my own home. Afterward, I plugged in all the info from my prescription, measured my PD, and voila! I had a brand new pair of prescription glasses at my doorstep within in a few weeks.
Reason #3: To Cut Costs
Remember when I said my doctor told me to start wearing daily contacts rather than biweekly or monthly pairs? Well, my friends: daily contacts cost an arm and a leg! I was paying around 30% more for my contacts after I made the switch, and I always dreaded the day when I needed to order new contacts.
While I love blogging full-time, I don’t get a paycheck every two weeks, and I had to start cutting costs just in case I went a month without pay. I started wearing my glasses a lot more often to save up a bit more, and on average, I wear my contacts 2-3 times a week. This means I can make a month’s supply of contacts last for 2 or 2.5 months. Score!
Reason #4: To Accessorize
Over the past couple of years, I’ve fallen in love with wearing glasses again, and I think it makes a stylish touch for any outfit. The incredible thing about Zenni is that they offer a wide selection of fashion-forward frames, meaning you can try out the craziest trends and still won’t break the bank! In addition to these classic tortoiseshell frames you see here, I also picked up this pair of Blue Cat-Eye Glasses, which are super funky and add some much-needed flair to some of my ensembles. I can’t wait to experiment with fashionable new styles over the next few months: at this incredible price, I could really buy a pair of glasses for every outfit!
Do you wear glasses or contacts?
Thank you to Zenni for partnering with me on today’s post! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Photos by Tom McGovern
