Free Pair of Glasses from Coastal.com

Yeah, you heard me...FREE! Coastal.com is a contact and eyeglasses online website that has an offer where your first pair of glasses is free (use promo code: FIRSTPAIRFREE) and you only have to pay for shipping and handling. The company wants you to feel confident ordering from an online eyeglass website and to show you how easy it is.

I've looked at a lot of eyeglass websites that have very, very cheap quality products and I was expecting the same when I started looking at the glasses on Coastal, but I was wrong. They offer many well known brand names, such as: Cynthia Rowley, Espirit, Bongo, Converse, and more. They do offer luxury brands, but those products are not included in the free promo. And thankfully, they are easily labeled as not being part of any sale/promo. The majority of the frames that I liked were from their own brand names, but the quality of the products still looked stellar. The prices range from about $30-$100. And no matter the price, all of the standard glasses are included in the promo!

I had a blast deciding what I wanted. Ever since I saw Ali Wong on the Chelsea Lately Round Table back in December I have wanted to be her. No joke. And that includes her glasses. To really appreciate the glasses, take a look at the full-size image. I love the semi-cat eye shape, the strong bridge that fades into nothing. It is just such a great shape! And who can resist such a classic, vintage style. So my Coastal.com pick was my own version of Ali's glasses for me!

What I ended up on was Derek Cardigan's 7010 in Grey Haze. Derek Cardigan is a brand I've never heard of and from my searches I have only found the glasses on Coastal's website. The line is vintage inspired and 'reflect Derek's joie de vivre philosophy on fashion and life. Derek Cardigan eyewear evokes the spirit of a swinging by-gone-age brought right up-to-date full of color, whimsy, joy, and style' (Do I just buy things that are described in someway as joie de vivre?) 7010 are browline eyeglasses that were ever so popular in the 1950s.

The frame is made of acetate and silver metal. I chose the Grey Haze color which is a translucent grey tortoise style. I love that they define my brows but are not over powering as a fully opaque black would have been. Plus, if you look closely you will notice they are massively geeky. Check out the multiplication and division signs, and on the sides the equal signs. That sold me. There were multiple browline styles, but it was a done deal.

Once I got my eyeglass prescription from my optometrist I was ready to order.
Note: Your contact lens prescription is not the same as your eyeglass prescription! Because contacts sit on top of your eyes whereas eyeglasses sit a few cms away from your eyes they have different focal lengths. Call your optometrist and they will be able to give you the correct prescription and your pupil distance. If you have an astigmatism you will also need your cylinder power and axis numbers.

The website recommended me to upgrade to a higher quality lens, but even though my prescription is somewhat high (-3.5 and -4) I decided to go with the standard free lens. You can also change the lenses to sunglasses or transition lenses (although I do not believe these are part of the free promo) and you can add UV protection, scratch resistant coating, and anti-reflective coating. The coatings each are an extra +$9.95 so I did not take advantage of them.

I received my lenses just 3 business days after I ordered by Fedex. The glasses came with the case, a cleaning cloth, and a lens tightener. I was so happy when I first laid eyes on my new glasses, they are gorgeous! The lenses were obviously high quality and crafted carefully. The frame feels durable and looks just as in the picture, well even more shiny and beautiful. They fit my face perfectly, are really comfortable because they have spring hinges and adjustable nose pads. But if you find yours don't fit perfect, take them to lenscrafters and they will do an adjustment for free. I did find the lenses took some adjusting on my eyes. But now that I've had them for a few weeks they no longer bother my eyes and I see well. One thing I wish I had done is paid the extra $10 for the anti-glare. Any light causes a glare to show up, good luck using flash! I'm going to stop by Lenscrafters and ask if they will add the anti-glare coating. It is worth the extra $10!

I have gotten many compliments on my glasses! Even from my 60 year old photography professor! They pair very well with my style. They definitely add a whimsy and fun feel to any of my looks. I have a heart-shaped face and they do not overpower my big forehead or accentuate it at all. Plus, I think the fact that the majority of the frame is thin, silver it allows me to shine through! I originally bought these to be an extra pair to wear when Im just around the house or laying in bed watching TV, but I almost think I like this style more than my Ray Bans!

top: Gap

necklace: Jewelmint

earrings: F21

Coastal's website is a bitch glitchy. I couldn't use the try on view and the website is slow. It took forever to search through all the glasses since the pages would every so often freeze up. But in total, I am VERY satisfied and will probably get getting another pair from Coastals in the future. I would definitely recommend taking a look at the Coastal website. Don't forget your first pair is free with promo code (FIRSTPAIRFREE), excluding any additions and shipping ($9.95). So for $10 I have a pair of glasses that beat out my $300 pair!

Have you ordered from Coastal's before? What is your favorite style of glasses? Let me know what you think in the comments!