My daughter says it’s an addiction. I say I need options.

I’m talking about my vast collection of “cheaters,” those small colorful magnifying lens glasses available on the endcap of your local grocery, or drug store. I started using them when my arms became too short to read the small print on my phone, or a menu, or book… or just about anything.

They’re cheap, so every time I pass the kaleidoscopic display, I’m so dazzled I pick up a pair. I’ve got a couple in my nightstand, some blue ones in the kitchen, a purple pair in my desk drawer at work, and a beat up pair of zebra striped ones in my purse, not to mention the one or two that always end up on my head. I can’t seem to have enough of these necessary, but vibrant accessories. The problem is, they work, but they don’t always fit. They’re either too tight, or too loose, or the ear pieces are uneven making them sit cockeyed on my nose. It seems I’m always in search of the perfect mix of style and comfort.

This all changed when I was offered an opportunity to try out and review a pair of Borghese readers from Icon Eyewear. In exchange for writing a blog post explaining what I liked most about them, I would receive a free pair. I was skeptical, but I volunteered to give them a try.

When I received the package, the first thing I noticed was the fact that they were pretty cool looking, with quality details you don’t normally find on the ones available at the grocery store. When I put them on, I noticed that the lenses were also much clearer than the ones I was used to. Granted, the mass produced cheaters I usually buy probably had been tried on and dropped about a hundred times before I ever got my grubby hands on them, so anything new would have been an improvement. But the thing I noticed and really appreciated most, was that they FIT REALLY WELL. I could wear these lovely readers for long periods of time without the usual resulting headache from the earpiece being too tight, or from looking through the lenses with a slightly tilted view.

I can now read my book, or email, or even menus for hours on end, and at a comfortable distance, using my new Borghese readers, and look mighty stylish to boot! I may still feed what my daughter calls an addiction by adding new styles and colors to my readers wardrobe, but now, I think I’ll put quality over quantity.