Summer is around the corner and because we haven’t been going too far as a result of the pandemic, you may not have had your prescription sunglasses updated in a while. Getting a new pair of prescription sunglasses was high on my priority list since I need them to drive! I have seen glasses in the larger optical chain stores, but I wasn’t really impressed with the selection or the price! I have passed by Cristall Opticians on Bay Street numerous times and after reading some great reviews online, I was curious about the different brands of glasses they sell. [Disclosure: I received a complimentary pair of prescription sunglasses from Cristall Opticians in order to write this blog review.]
Cristall Opticians is located at 1168A Bay Street just north of Charles Street. Gina Kay, co-owner along with her sister, advised me that they have been in business since 1980! Customers keep coming back to this family-owned business because they offer brands and styles that they can’t find at the big chain eyeglass stores. Gina said that you won’t find the popular designer brands such as Chanel, Michael Kors, Prada, Gucci or Coach at Cristall Opticians; you will instead find a variety of gorgeous and stylish unique frames from designers Tom Ford, Ray-Ban, dicaprio, EF Emmanuelle Khanh, Genesis, Plein Les Mirettes and Fabulous Fanny’s NYC at more affordable prices. I told Gina that when I shop for sunglasses, my priority is that they look good on me – it doesn’t matter who makes them!
When I arrived for my appointment, I was met by optician Cindy Gomes, who asked me if I had a preference in sunglasses. I have always tended to buy cat-eye shaped sunglasses, but I read that square-shaped glasses were also an excellent choice for oval-shaped faces. Cindy showed me several pairs of sunglasses, which I tried on. They were generally square-shaped and cat-eye sunglasses. We ended up settling on three pairs of glasses. I then went to have my eye appointment with the in-house optometrist.
The doctor greeted me warmly and she proceeded to test my eyes. Since my last eye exam, my nearsightedness had improved (!), but my stigmatism had gotten worse. As a result, I needed a stronger pair of prescription glasses. This was no surprise as I’m finding it a little harder to read small print!
She then performed a second test to determine the health of my eyes by looking at the retina, the optic disk and blood vessels. Optometrists can detect diseases such as stroke, brain tumours, diabetes, arterial plaque, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and other conditions by examining your eyes. I was pleased to find out that my eyes were healthy!
Best Sunglasses for Oval-Shaped Faces
Equipped with my eyeglasses prescription, I was greeted by Gina who provided me with several more eyeglasses to try that would suit my oval-shaped face. I made sure to bring the three frames that Cindy and I had already liked. Gina encouraged me to try on glasses that conservative me would not normally choose lol. For example, Gina suggested these sunglasses pictured below, which made me immediately think they belonged to Elton John:
Gina also chose these black speckled frame glasses, which I thought were quite pretty:
I liked the shape of these square-shaped sunglasses, but I thought they were a bit big for my face. Gina jokingly advised that there is no such thing as too-big sunglasses!
I have never worn aviator-style glasses before so I was a bit hesitant to try these on (wow, I really am fearful of change lol), but I was surprised to find that they looked okay:
Gina chose another pair of cat-eye shaped sunglasses for me to try. These sunglasses had a speckled brown frame.
I had a great time trying on sunglasses at Cristall Opticians. There were so many wonderful sunglasses to consider and Gina made the experience fun and exciting! Plus, she and Cindy really know which frames are best suited to your face. If you are looking for stylish sunglasses – that you probably won’t see anywhere else! – I definitely recommend checking out the selection at Cristall Opticians.
Which Sunglasses Did I Choose?
Which sunglasses do you think I ended up choosing? Please let me know in the comment section and I will provide the answer in a few days.
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They look good on you! Not much of a sunglass person but it looks that this branch has great services!
Hi Michael, Yes, this store offers a great selection of glasses and great service! Cheers, Lori
They all looks great on you! I admit I agree with Gina sunglasses cannot be too big, our eyes are sensitive. Mine are especially sensitive to light and so I go dark and big!
Hi Di, Thank you. Well, I went dark and big too lol. Yes, both Gina and Cindy said I needed sunglasses that cover the whole eye area to properly protect them. Cheers, Lori
very cute options and wonderful styles shown. I like it when the glasses stand out, neutrals are SO boring for me. I am glad you found this place and shared it with us
There are some interesting things to note from your article. I don’t wear glasses yet, so I have a lot to learn.
Hi Shar, You are lucky that you don’t need to wear glasses yet although I will enjoy wearing my new prescription sunglasses! Cheers, Lori
Wow so many stylish options, love it!
Yes, they carry so many stylish sunglasses and eyeglasses! Cheers, Lori
We must have similar styles! I love these cute sunglasses options!!
Yes, don’t they have a great selection of sunglasses? Cheers, Lori
Absolutely love the styles! Each is complementing your face and none of them looks boring. It’s great you found the place!
Thanks Lyosha! I relied on Gina, the owner, to advise me which sunglasses looked best on my face! Cheers, Lori
Your post just reminded me to get a new pair of sunglasses. Thank you!
Happy to know that your eyes are healthy. I had no idea that they can detect diseases by examing our eyes. Will ask my optometrist to check.
Hi Clarice, Thanks! I knew that the eyes can reveal diseases but I didn’t realize the optometrist checked for this when getting a prescription! Cheers, Lori
I think the aviators looked the best on you. I may be biased because I REALLY want those for myself. LOL
Hi Michele, I have never worn aviators before, but I have to admit I liked the way they looked on me! Cheers, Lori
Very cool post – as I love glasses as well as sunshades. Now that I’m old, I actually do need glasses, however, for many years, I was wearing glasses with regular glasses – just for the fashion aspect 😀
Thank you. I have needed glasses for distance since I was in my twenties so I am used to them now. That’s funny that you were wearing glasses when you didn’t need them lol. Cheers, Lori
Gotta go into summer with style! what a great place to get cool sunglasses. I got eye surgery a couple of years ago and don’t need glasses, but I do miss cool sunglasses.
So many styles to choose from and sound like you had a good time! Thanks for sharing the experience with us! Knycx Journeying
Yes, I had a great time trying on all of these beautiful sunglasses! Cheers, Lori
I am a sucker for cat-eye frames! Every frame looks good on you!
Hi Jenjen, Thank you! I have worn cat-eye frames in the past so I didn’t opt for them this time! Cheers, Lori
I liked all of them. All looks good on you. I think you must have selected the last one.
Hi Khushboo, Thank you! I have to admit I liked several of these sunglasses on me too! Cheers, Lori
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