Thursday 13 November 2014

Eye & Beauty Talk - Grand Straits Optical

I'm sure for everyone else with shortsightedness like me, our glasses-and-contact-lens-days dated all the way back to Secondary or even Primary School days. And likewise for many, glasses and contact lens are very essential in our daily lives and routines. I started wearing glasses in Primary School days and contact lens when I reached Secondary 3 (when vanity started creeping in). Both glasses and contact lens are super important to me because of my recurring eye infection (thank God its milder nowadays). I wear my glasses on 'bad eye days' and at home when I let my eyes rest from wearing contact lens, and I need my contact lens when I workout and when I go for events.

Read on, because I have a surprise for you guys at the end of the post! :)

Grand & Straits Optical

I'm very sure this neighborhood Optical will ring a bell! Established in 1984, Grand & Straits Optical had been one of the early trailblazers of the optical trade. Known for their quality-services and honest prices, they managed to expand adequately over the years. They focus very much on customer service, which had helped us maintain a ‘Family-like’ relationship with our customers where their regular customers often return with their families and friends to support. Not only that, they are conveniently situated at 7 main heartland areas!



So, I was invited to head down to Toa Payoh to select my glasses, before I went to the Clementi outlet to get my contact lens done. They had a huge array of frames to choose from, I think I took 2 hours to finally pick my favorite!

The Sales person, Karen patiently took me through my selecting process and explained to me that Grand Straits Optical carry a good range of frames suited for our needs and budgets. The higher-end brands on one sides and the more affordable brands on the other, so this helps in my selecting process too!

I actually love this Prada one, I know, too loud (LOL).

And I tried this pair from the affordable range and I was considering this as well!

There are more on display outside the store, and I think that was how I found the love-at-first-sight!

If you are looking for sunglasses, they have a huge range too!

After I narrowed my choice to the last 2 pairs, Karen sat me down again and I went into the details of the material used and whether it will fit me well. I have an uneven nose bridge so I always had a problem looking for a perfect frame.

Frames picked, degree check is the last process!

So this was my pick! How do you like it on me? :P

I was rushing off that day, after spending 2.5 hours at Toa Payoh so I decided I should pay a separate visit for my contact lens check. Headed down to the Clementi outlet to collect my glasses within a week. You can actually have your spectacle prescribed and collected in about an hour if you are in a hurry and the frames are in stock! Simply ask for the Fast collection service!


For my contact lens check, I had to go through 3 main checks:
1. Assessment of anterior eye health - To check if contact lens is suitable for me
2. Keratometry - To check the base curve (size of my eyeballs) of my eyes
3. Slit lamp examination - To check is there is adequate lens movement

As they already had my degree checked at Toa Payoh, the optometrist did the 3 checks for me and went through with me the dos and don'ts, aftercare and the insertion/removal of contact lens. It really helped to refresh my memory after wearing contact lens for more than a decade! She was professional, well-trained, friendly and made me feel comfortable sharing my concerns. Afterwhich, I collected my lens and left a happy customer! :)

So here is the good news!

I will be giving away a $50 voucher to the first 10 readers to answer this question:

Question: Name the 5 of the outlets of Grand & Straits Optical.

Simply email me with your answer and I will pick the first 10 emails I receive. Have fun! Do follow them on Instagram and Like the Facebook page as they have monthly giveaways and promotions and you might learn some eye care tips too!


Thank you so much for having me Grand (& Straits) Optical! :D



Wednesday 12 November 2014

Beauty Talk - Beauty from within

Beauty Talk Beauty from within

I have always had a problem area on my face since the aging started getting more visible as the years go by the fine lines under my eyes, and the sunken cheeks, making my eye trough deeper and thus I looked very tired all the time. Having said that, I never thought I could do anything about it, until Dr Lim came to my rescue.

Went together with Jason to consult Dr Lim from Trinity Medical Centre (Marine Parade). He advised me to fill the cheeks up slightly and in the same process, puffen the under eye area and lessen the visibility of my fine lines and sunken eye trough.

So what is this Restylane?
Restylane is a FDA-approved dermal filler made of biodegradable, non- animal stabilised hyaluronic acid (NASHA). Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in all living organisms and provides volume and fullness to the skin.


This was a photo taken earlier this year before I visited Dr Lim, as you can see, I have slight fine lines around my under eye and sunken on my upper cheeks. I used to be very conscious when I smiled because I was afraid to expose the fine lines under my eyes and it affected my confidence level when in front of a camera, in fact, I ended up taking more photos not smiling at all.

Im very pleased with the results now! I look less tired and am more confident than ever especially because I love to smile! :D

Feel free to comment if you have any burning questions about fillers or email me if you are shy! Im more than wiling to share my experience! J

87 Marine Parade Central
#02-500A
Singapore 440087
Tel: 6344 0027