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Which colour?

1st May 2015 Lens colours and special effects are all the rage. From the palest pastels to classic dark greens and blues and wild and intoxicating mirrors, making a decision on the right lens colour and coating has never been a hotter topic. Eyestylist recommends seeking guidance from an independent optical boutique, where the team will know the latest technology, as well as the fashion styles and lens fittings and how those might suit your complexion, eyes and hair colour.

Gwendoline Radley, dispensing optician and eyewear stylist at Adam Simmonds / Primrose Hill Optometrists (www.adamsimmonds.co.uk) shared some tips with us on how to choose a gorgeous lens design that protects your eyes and highlights your style.

“As last year, this year sees lots of bold mirror colours, flash coatings and, by contras, lots of the more subtle graduated and pastel tints which are mainly there to compliment the frame colour.” (Above: Vuarnet model 002).

“Bold mirrors work very well with neutral colour acetate frames or fine rims such as metal, where the lens is the one doing the talking. This year there is a trend for oversized clear / nude / peach styles, making a blank canvas for the strong lens colour, for instance a flash turquoise lens can look stunning in a fine rim gold or silver metal frame, as equally as it would look stunning in a nude acetate frame.

“The beauty of neutral frame colours means they work with many complexions and outfits and you can go to town with accessorising your lens colour with your favourite bag, lipstick or shoes. There is also an array of bold coloured frames, matching the colour of the lens or producing exciting contrasts.”

Oversized frames apart from being uber stylish also offer greater protection against the suns harmful rays. A fine soft rim with either a baby pink lens or a sky pastel blue lens, both on trend this year, can also work beautifully with either dark or fair complexions.

If a mirror coating is too much, then opt for a dark tinted lens. “Again there is a lot of colour choice,” explains Radley, “but the darkest and most versatile tints are grey, brown, blue and green. The green offers the most traditional look, a green lens in a simple tortoiseshell or nude is the ultimate in cool classic style.”

Lens tints – the checklist

Aim for: 1. 100% UV and CE marked / 2. Which category? General purpose tints range from 0 (lightest) to 3 (darkest) – look for Cat 0-3 / 3. Polarising lenses cut out glare – the reflected light off horizontal surfaces / 4. Choose between full tint (same density through the lens) or graduated tint, usually a very attractive choice for the aesthetic results / 5. Mirror coatings reduce even more of the light transmitting the lens as some light is reflected off it, making the tint appear darker. Mirrors are varying hugely in quality this season; look closely and be sure you are happy with the quality of the finish/colour effect – we love the gold and silver options in particular / 6. Understand the tech features behind the lens: buy your sunglasses from an optical boutique if you want high-quality lenses + high level fashion.