A Good Book and The Better to See You With!

Let’s go back a couple of weeks. Shall we?

We’re taking a little trip back in time!

Mother’s Day.  One of the gifts I received was a book. The book was from my daughter, Oona.  Oona knows me so very well.  She knows my likes. She knows my delightful glee with a fun read.  It’s true.  I know.  I know. Other than cerebral literature such as Alexandre Dumas’ Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, I enjoy a light, easy and entertaining read. Especially when it’s about reality show stars!

Oona gifted me with “The Art of Southern Charm” by Patricia Altschul with Deborah Davis.

You know what?  This book is PERFECT reading during this covid/pandemic/lockdown/quarantine time because it is so thoroughly entertaining! And fun!

If you are a regular reader of this blog or if you know me in real life, then you know I’m absolutely obsessed with Miss Patricia.  In fact, I wrote a blog post as an homage to her “My Sprit Animal…”

This book is fun, in it she discusses her fabulous career and life and there’s some great little tidbits to use in everyday life. Seriously. This born and bred New Yorker loved the book and finished it off in one sitting while relaxing in my sunroom.

Okie Dokie–so I don’t have a cat. I have Chippy instead!  But I spend time–an entire afternoon, in fact, to read this delightful book!

And here’s the thing.

My eyesight is horrific.  And we all know that eyesight is one of the most important senses.  We need to take care of our eyes—especially as we pro-age!

And—prescription eyeglasses are expensive. The stronger the prescription, the more money you will shell out—whether or not you have insurance, those windows of sight assistance are pricey! It’s a daunting subject, the one of eyeglasses, because for most of us who need to wear eyeglasses, we have one pair.  Maybe two if we invest in prescription sunglasses.

Let’s face it.  We change up the color of our hair. We even change up the style of our hair regularly if we wear wigs!  We change our clothing daily. And, hopefully, change our underwear daily.  But we cannot do that with our prescription eyeglasses.

True dat.  We can change up our looks with different clothing and even hair!  But what about eyeglasses?

I know that the over-the-counter and readily-available readers can help a good many people who need slight assistance.  However, for those of us with really bad eyes, that 200 or 250 or 275 or 300 lenses doesn’t suit our needs.

There is a solution!

A while back I received an inquiry from Voogueme online eyeglass company.  They wanted to know if I would be interested in trying their glasses out for review.

Hmmmmmmmmm. Intrigued and interested, I headed to Voogueme.com to find out more about this affordable brand!

So off to the website I went and was intrigued.  Frames are affordable ranging from $6.95 for sale frames up to the average price of around $25 give or take a few bucks.  You can get the glasses in readers, frame only or build up your pair with your prescription.  And the buildable prescription price with progressive lenses, or coatings still come in less expensive than what one would normally spend elsewhere.

I took a good look at my current glasses, which I happen to love. They are a rounded black frame by Ray Ban.  I have the same frame in tortoise for my prescription sunglasses.  With my medical insurance, progressive lenses, blue coating (for computer use) non-glare coating, both pair cost a pretty penny.  Actually, a lot more than a pretty penny. Two pair cost me—with insurance about $850. And I have good insurance.

Don’t misunderstand me. I LOVE my present glasses but it’s nice to know that options and affordable prescription eyeglasses are out there!

Spending this amount of money really doesn’t give me wiggle room to change up my glasses.

And that’s why I was intrigued with Voogueme.

When I agreed to review two pair of glasses that would be sent to me, I headed back to the website to choose frames.

I got a copy of my prescription from my eye doctor and then used the printable ruler from the website to measure appropriately for the glasses.

Taking the measurements was the area that made me nervous, but with the help of my husband and carefully following directions, we entered the numbers and that was it.

Now; because of our current situation with the Covid and lockdowns, etc., it took longer than expected to receive the glasses.  But—it was no big deal. We all need that extra bit of patience during this time.

The glasses arrived last week.  And during this week, I’ve worn both pairs to work and out and about. The lenses are fine and I’m incredibly impressed. I can see clearly.  I can work on the computer with no issue.  I can read.

My Ray Ban glasses are in the far left photo. The two pairs of glasses I received from Voogueme are the middle and far right.  They are rather fetching if I must say so myself!

Now—I did not get any coatings or bells and whistles other than my lenses.  That means I cannot wear these at night or in pouring rain because the glare from oncoming traffic would be really bad.  Other than that, these are excellent.

Let’s talk more:

The packaging:  I was thrilled with the packaging.  Have you ever ordered something online and the size of the box is ridiculously large for the items you ordered?  Yeah. I thought so.  Not in this case. We’ve got some very practical and pragmatic packaging here. No wasted space!  The two pair of glasses fit snugly into the box.  That’s a biggie for me!

Just big enough to fit the eyeglasses, I was very pleased with the packaging. It bothers me to receive a huge box when the product is so much smaller. I don’t like wasted space!

The cases:  The glasses came in separate cases. One, a bright orange, plastic case that has a built-in clasp closure.  The plastic is hard and strong.  Inside the case, the glasses were packaged in a plastic zip bag with information pertaining to the glasses.

Inside the case, the glasses were placed inside a plastic pouch with information pertaining to that particular pair of glasses! There’s no such thing as too much information here!

The other pair came in a deep, bright pink case with black trim and a black ribbon tab.  The pink and black trim are fabric over a heavier component material. I don’t know whether it is plastic or a heavy-duty cardboard.  It zips open and closed and the zipper appears strong and doesn’t stick. Like the orange case, this is a hard case as opposed to a soft, pliable case.

The cases were very well-constructed. The top case was a fabric-coated plastic or heavy cardboard. It was solid. The zipper was of good quality. Not cheap and it zipped very smoothly. I like the ribbon tag as well  The bottom orange case was all plastic and strong with a built-in clasp. Both the cases offered excellent protection for the glasses inside.

The frames: I’m a fan of big glasses. It’s my personal preference. With a square face shape that is angular, my jawline is as wide as my forehead. Small glasses look out of proportion on me. Trust me, I went through that small, rectangular glasses phase and hated it.  It was such a pleasure to return to big, round frames.

That being said, both pair are “oversized”.  The first pair I liken to Iris Apfel glasses.

This is a photo from the Iris Apfel MAC cosmetics ad. See the glasses?  They are huge and match this fabulous woman’s personality!

Big rounded with a hint of cat-eye at the far ends, they are black frames with a strong wire arm. The fit over the ear is very comfortable and the fit at the bridge of the nose is comfortable too.  There are two little plastic “nose rests” if you will (I can’t think of what to call them), on each side of where they rest on your nose. They are incredibly comfortable.

My big, rounded Iris glasses!

These are fun glasses!  They are big and bold and I love ’em!

The second pair is tortoise with gold accents.  Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I would like the gold trim/accents but I have to say, of the two pair, this is the one I love!  The “arm” is thicker and isn’t wire. However, the comfort level over the ear is stellar.  The bridge of the nose is gold and also has those nose “thingies” albeit a tad lower.

These tortoise and gold glasses are the greatest surprise!

I must say, the husband did a fantastic job in measuring for these glasses because both pair are a perfect fit!

This is the money pair.  Quite honestly, I love these glasses.  The fit is excellent and the quality exceptional.  I’m over-the-moon with these tortoise and gold cuties!

The quality: The quality of both glasses is absolutely excellent. Neither pair feels “cheap” or flimsy.  They are both constructed very strongly. Compared to my Ray Bans, I would have to say that the tortoise pair is better made.  Ain’t gonna lie.  Both pair are slightly heavier than my Ray Bans but certainly not in a bad way.  On the head, they don’t feel heavy.  They feel strong.

There’s nothing to complain about with these glasses!

They are securely screwed.  The lenses are solidly in place and overall, I am very impressed and pleased.

Everything about these glasses is a plus!

The extras:  Each pair came with its own microfiber cleaning cloth.  For a natural glasses slob such as me, this is great.  Honestly, I don’t know how I do it, but I’m the biggest glasses pig ever. It just about kills the husband that I can even see.  I give new meaning to “walking around in a fog” due to the filth on my lenses.  So, this is a good touch.

The bright orange microfiber cleaning cloth came inside the case for each pair of glasses!

A ruler to measure future purchases also came with the glasses. Can I tell you how great this is?  Working with the printable ruler was a bit challenging because it was copier paper. But this is more substantial. It’s coated/laminated cardboard and the printing is clear.  It’s going into my eyeglass file for future use.

The stronger construction of this ruler as opposed to the printable one on the brand’s website is wonderful. It’s a heavier and sturdier version and is now safely placed into my eyeglass file for future use!

Oh Wait. Get this—a repair kit was included.  Can you believe it?  A cute tiny screwdriver on a hangtag.  Who hasn’t needed one of these at one time or another for glasses?  An extra set of nose-thingies was also included. And so, I ask—why don’t all prescription glasses come with a little screwdriver and nose-thingies?

This!  There’s a screwdriver at each end and a hang tag so you can’t lose this essential accessory in repairing the glasses. And why aren’t these little gems included with EVERY pair of glasses we buy?  I also love the extra nose thingies!

Lastly, a card for ten percent savings on a future pair of Voogueme glasses was included. This card is going into my glasses file with the ruler!

This expires on 12/31/2020.  But I have a feeling the ten percent could go a bit longer!

Last thoughts? I recommend Voogueme Look. I can’t predict the cost of everyone’s prescription eyeglasses simply because we all have different sight issues.  Whether you want all the bells and whistles such as coatings, progressives, etc. or whether you are looking for a pair of frames only or whether you want a simple pair of readers, you have your choice.

With the rising cost of health insurance, our needs are becoming more expensive and it’s great to have an affordable option. I’m not saying a “cheap” option but I’m saying an affordable option.

Perhaps you own a very, very expensive pair of designer frames for your prescription glasses—I’m talking really expensive. Whether prescription or not. You’re going to the beach, a pool party, barbeque or even on vacation.  You don’t want to spend the entire time worrying about your pricey designer glasses.  Voogueme gives you an incredible option.

A less expensive pair—or rather, a very affordable pair will alleviate any fears you have of losing that number one pair.

For me, these glasses are an excellent change up to my regular glasses and a great option for a day down the shore or a travel weekend.

This is definitely a reputable company and I’m both impressed and happy with the glasses I received.

I’m a happy camper here. And I must say if you are looking for an affordable pair of perscription glasses, Voogueme is a great start!

About Catherine

Far from perfect, but enjoying life as a non-perfect and flawed individual at 60 years young. I'm still wondering what I'll be when I grow up! The characters in my life's screenplay include my better half. He is a refined Frenchman who grew up in Paris and summered in St. Tropez. I grew up in Long Island and summered in Long Island. I am not refined. My three grown children are also a big part of my life. For their sake, they happily live where their careers have taken them! But I can still mother them from a distance! I write about the mundane. I write about deeply shallow issues. But whatever I write or muse about--it'll always be a bit on the humorous and positive side! It's all good!
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8 Responses to A Good Book and The Better to See You With!

  1. juliet brown says:

    Oh spectacles – so hard to get right aren’t they. Yours look fabulous, but the ridiculous thing if you go to the optician and they try and help you try new frames is that if you are like me, you cannot see without your existing glasses!!! Seriously, I have bought new glasses in the past and come out and thought “ick! if I had noticed this or that detail then no way Jose would I have bought that pair – seriously…” Oh yeah and then you have to wear them as you bought them and you know that little irritating detail/embellishment is there even if you cant see it. But – I love BOTH pairs, they look great, a nice bit of detail/shaping but no twirly bits or scroll type stuff (both personal phobias of mine), I like that you got to really look at them online before committing – great job there missus.

    As for a good book – well when you write yours, I am definitely buying it 🙂

  2. junedesilva says:

    I love my Raybans which have a heavy black frame but I also have a much cheaper, spare pair with transparent frames. I’d love to have a whole wardrobe of glasses but the lenses are SO expensive. My lenses are ‘varifocals’ but I don’t know what you would call those in the States – haha! Anyway, I’m off to check out that site!!!

  3. Leah says:

    Love Patricia, love Iris and I am definitely trying out this eyeglass option. BTW, if you want to give your eyeglasses a little “pandemic cleaning“ definitely don’t put them in very hot water. I did and my lenses got all smoky (it messed up the coating.) Oops!

    Have a great Memorial Day! So glad the Frenchman is better too.

  4. Anne says:

    Absolutely LOVE you in those tortoise frames Catherine! So pretty. Keep wearing them as much as you can! Does Bonaparte have a favorite pair on you??
    Anne

  5. Great review, Catherine. I have always been concerned about those issues too; measurements, extra things like bifocals and coatings. But I may have to try it, now that I’ve heard your review. Thanks for sharing. – Amy
    https://stylingrannymama.com/

  6. emjayandthem says:

    I will have to read that book, I adore Patricia.
    Your glasses – and you – look fab. thanks for the review & recommendation! 🙂 MJ

  7. Joan Brown says:

    HI Cathe, I love me some Patricia. There’s a ton of trouble brewing with the current cast of Southern Charm – Cameron, Chelsea and Namoi quit! Can’t wait to see the new season!!!

  8. Very helpful article for me! Thanks for sharing and keep posting.

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