Sarah Knows Eyes

“Spectacle holders” are a great idea, especially for anybody that wears reading glasses, and there is a huge variety of designs available out there. Anybody that knows me will tell you just how much I love doggies, so naturally I just couldn’t resist pointing out these little beauties…

 A great gift idea!

 

 
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O.M. Freakin’ G. peeps! It’s December, officially time to open day one of your advent calenders and start getting excited about Christmas! With that in mind, I thought I would do something a little different this month… SarahKnowsEyes “Twelve Days of Christmas”. I have scoured the interweb for the very best eye/spectacle related paraphernalia available for purchase out “there”, a kind of 'optical gift guide' if you will? I think I’ve managed to cover all bases, something for the ladies, gents and kiddies. These posts are just for fun – I haven’t been paid to promote any of these products (sadly!), but who knows, if you’re stuck finding a gift for that one person who has everything, maybe I might have solved a dilemma?

 

So, without further ado...

 

SKE #TwelveDaysOfChristmas – Day One

 

I love a bit of Cath Kidston me and she seems to put her name to everything these days. Imagine how excited I was to find out that you can get official Cath Kidston glasses case and straps! Check them out…

 

 

Obvs. tailored more for the feminine recipient, and not wanting to ignore the gents, I found this *gorgeous* (albeit rather extravagant) Jacob Jones glasses case (also available in khaki)...

 
 
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It occurred to me that SKE can be a little more tailored toward the female reader (this months blog post being a prime example!). So, as it's "Movember" (hence the change in profile picture!) and it's all about the boys, I wanted to take this opportunity to invite all you guys out there to pitch me your eye related questions! Go on, don't be shy... ☺️

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Have you ever wondered what this symbol means on your toiletries and cosmetics?

Having covered the 7 eye “sins” during #NationalEyeHealthWeek in September, there was one topic that I wanted to discuss, but effectively ran out of days, and that is using out of date make-up!

‘The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association’ states that cosmetic products must show a “period after opening” time, capturing the amount of time that the product will remain in good condition after it has been used for the first time. A symbol of an open cream jar is usually used instead of words, and the time in months can be inside the symbol or alongside it.

I personally, had no idea!!

Us girlies (and some guys?!) can rely heavily on our make-up, day in / day out. We’re all guilty or it – we find a brand we like, we buy every colour and texture variation of eyeshadows, creams, blushes and pencils, half of which don’t suit our colour palette and very rarely (if ever!) get used. It is worrying that so many of us are using old eye products, well past the use-by date, sometimes even 10 years+ out of date! Subsquently, Ophthalmic surgeons are concerned about the possible risk of eye infection.

Research has shown:- 

  • A shocking 8 in 10 (80%) of women in Britain are wearing eye make-up much older than the recommended use-by date.
  • 70% of women use mascara which is over a year old while the use-by date is generally just four months!
  • Over half (52%) of women who buy premium brands admit they would wear it for longer than the use-by date.
  • 1 in 5 Brits (19.2%) do not even realise there is a recommended use-by date on make-up!

This will vary across products and brands but some examples are: -

  • Mascara and liquid eye liner – discard after 4 months.
  • Liquid foundation and creamy eye shadow – discard after 6 months.
  • Powder eye shadow – 12 months.
  • Pencil eyeliner, lip liner, powder blusher/bronzer – can last up to 2 years but don’t share!

A lot of people don’t realise that out of date eye shadow, eye liner and especially mascara which is a dark, wet product, can be breeding grounds for bacteria and, as we apply them so close to the surface of the eye, they may cause painful infections.

So, the advice is to get into good make-up hygiene habits, which include: -

  • Sharpen eye pencils between applications.
  • Washing brushes regularly.
  • Always remove your make-up in the evening - leftover make-up can cause chronic eye irritation.
  • Turn out any old, out of date make-up, especially if it has developed a strange smell.
  • Store cosmetics at a cool room temperature. Normally they will contain preservatives to help prevent bacteria growth but storing them in a hot place will make it easy for bacteria to thrive.

I’ve done it! I’ve emptied out my old make-up! Look…

So I urge you all to do your eyes a favour – check your make-up bags this week – out with the old and in with the new! It’s a great reason to treat yourself, and your eyes, to some fresh make-up with no risk of infection!

And please, if your eye(s) becomes itchy, red, painful, watery or swollen, you may have an infection so do seek advice from your Optician or GP ASAP.

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