Nailing Each And Every Sunglasses Shape
When we’re shopping for a new pair of shades, we like to think the world is our oyster. Wayfarers? Sure. Cat eye? Easy. Round oversized wire frames with reflector lenses? Why not. We like to think we can make any pair work for us, rather than being told what we can and can’t wear.
Of course, face shape definitely plays a part – a ‘heart’ or ‘square’ shape may lend itself to certain styles, but we don’t like being put in a box, so we went looking for a plan B. Turns out, ‘cheating’ is actually pretty easy if you know how to work-in all the other elements.
The way you wear your hair and how you do your make-up counts, guys. If you’re going to wear something on your face, make it count. You need to pay attention to the total package. It’s all about working with what you’ve got, to make your shades work for you.
And if you need a bit of encouragement to step outside your comfort zone, #inspo is everywhere.
We take our eyewear cues from girls like Poppy Delevigne or Gigi Hadid at Coachella because looking cool is kind of their MO. Think Poppy Delevingne, pre-fall, Miu Miu front row, denim flares, shaggy fur, oversized round Miu Miu shades and loose waves – it was a match made in heaven, and we didn’t need any further convincing to whip-out our credit cards. If there was ever a case of single white female, it was us. Those shades and those waves we had to have.
But knowing whether to do the flick, a strong brow, a bit of subtle colour on the cheeks or a statement lip isn’t always intuitive. There’s kind of an art to it, so we’re going to show you how it’s done.
With spring just around the corner, we’ve chosen eight of the best shades (and opticals) and we’re going to show you how to pull them off.
Pictured: Giorgio Armani round frames. All frames pictured available at OPSM.
When your shades are this awesome, you don’t need much else. Slick your hair back and let the reflector lenses do the talking. The aim of the game with statement frames is to keep everything else minimal. Don’t go crazy with bold lips or colour on the cheeks as this will only detract from the sunglasses. Less is definitely more.
It’s all about the 70s vibes right now, and these Miu Miu’s are on-point.
Loose, tousled waves are the perfect partner in crime for these (a la Poppy Delevingne) as it will help to soften the square shape. Flick all your hair over to one side and don’t be shy with the texturising spray. We recommend Oribe’s Après Beach Wave and Shine Spray.
The cult classic ‘Clubmaster’ shape has had a natural, wooden makeover, and we’re all about it. We went for ‘nude’ looking skin and a barely-there lip to match, and kept the hair slicked-back to emphasise the shape. This creates a kind of tonal look (and you know how much we love going tonal).
Bold, brushed-up brows work to give the shades placement on the face. Bobbi Brown’s Natural Brow Shaper & Hair Touch Up is our favourite.
These cut out Miu Miu’s are our favourite opticals for the season. They just about suit every face shape. The thing about this style is that the brows are as much a feature as the glasses. We made sure ours were perfectly groomed and filled in.
Pay very close attention to your choice of make-up when wearing opticals. Especially your foundation. Our advice is to keep the skin matte by wearing either a powder foundation or set your liquid foundation with a powder to minimise make-up movement on the nose.
These opticals are lighter than your standard black frames, so you want to keep the overall look fresh.
A slick of white liner along the lower waterline will do the trick. It will open up the eye area and make you look like you’ve slept for 8 hours (hint: you haven’t).
Tie it all together with flawless skin and I-woke-up-like-this hair.
Opticals are where things get super interesting. You can actually get away with wearing more eye make-up than usual – and you should. You need to enhance the eye area so it pops through the lenses.
Always pay special attention to the under eye area as glasses can drag the eye area down. Use a salmon-coloured concealer to counteract under eye darkness, and a bit of highlighter on the cheekbone and in the inner corners to lift the whole area. Finish with a few thick coats of mascara to give the eyes definition.
Clearly, timber frames are having a moment. Let the wood do the talking (we always do), and opt for matte skin and brushed up brows. These strong, square statement frames call for a soft & minimal look everywhere else. We kept hair out, and straight nothing too severe (no tongs in sight).
The thing about great eyewear is, they draw attention to the face, so it’s important that your eyebrows are on their best behaviour; groomed, filled-in and brushed up. Try Benefit’s Gimme Brow, we’re obsessed.
We’re still not over the round shape. And these reflectors our our new favourite statement rounds. Here, we’ve kept the hair loose with a casual side flick to almost dress the frames down and balance-out the look.
