“Premium price” means different things to different people according to their budget and their personal perceptions of value. But a simple universal definition is that the price is significantly more than you would typically pay for a particular wardrobe item.

I can think of many reasons to pay extra for certain wardrobe items. Superior fabric, unique design, an out of the ordinary colour, sublime fit, longevity and better-end quality all spring to mind.

When it comes to shoes, comfort is a big, big issue and that’s why my pockets are extra deep for footwear. To some degree this is desperation. I won’t compromise comfort or aesthetics and unfortunately that comes at a high price for my fussy feet.

I have to admit that sometimes a purchase experience conjures up so much positive emotion that I am happy to pay a premium. Like the time I bought two Anne Fontaine shirts in Paris, or when I recently purchased a pair of Prada boots in Milan. Of course, both of these examples have many of the other characteristics above — design, quality and fit — but there was also something enjoyable about the process that made it easier to part with the premium. Greg and I were having fun on vacation and these beautiful items are mementos of that, reminding me of our experience every time I wear them.

Do any of these reasons resonate with you? Do you ever pay a premium, and if so, why?

I recently stumbled across an article on the wackiest beauty products ever and I thought it would be fun to share. Here they are:

1. Press-on eyeshadow: In the spirit of keeping an open mind, it could be fab for rock concerts, fancy-dress parties and theater costumes. I wonder how well it works?
2. Tooth gems: Certainly one way to add a little sparkle to your life.
3. Foot tanning machine: I don’t understand this one. My lower legs and feet (along with my face and forearms) tan before other parts of my body. Remember my two toned feet? I could better understand a thigh tanning machine.
4. Twilight makeup: Again, great for costumes and fancy-dress parties.
5. Detox footpads: Very skeptical about this type of thing.
6. Breastmilk soap: Interesting…..
7. Bacon flavored lip balm: As a person who does not eat mammals – no thank you.
8. Eau de Play-Dough: Hah! Great name. I did love the smell of play dough when I was little, but doubt I’d sport it as a perfume today. I’m sticking with Kenzo Flower.
9. Sheep placenta face cream: Really?
10. Mood nail polish: This nail polish changes colour when your body changes temperature. Probably the most fun product on this list.

And if you are using any of these products, please set me straight in the comments. It is quite possible that I need to have a more open mind.

I love the look of flat oxford shoes and vote yay. But I do so with caution because I’ve found them one of the hardest types of shoe to style.

As soon as flat oxfords started resurfacing a few years ago, I was over the moon. I thought: Yes! A spunky flat casual closed shoe! Move over ballet flats, loafers and booties.

I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve had try them on, only to pass on the look. As inviting as they are on display, you really need to get all the elements of your outfit right to pull off the trend with panache, AND feel fab too. Flat oxfords look masculine fast, and not in a good way. They also have the tendency to make the wearer feel stumpy and dumpy because of the flat heel and high vamp. Heeled oxford shoes that ooze a feminine touch are easier to pair with an outfit in my opinion.

That being said, I’m still a fan of the darling little ped. I especially like flat oxfords worn in daring and arty combinations with Bermuda shorts, short shorts, cropped pants, skinny and straight leg jeans and pants, dresses and skirts – sans socks or hosiery.

So how say you?  Yay or nay for flat oxfords and tell us why.

After searching high and low for the perfect pair of flat oxfords, I went with the comfortable Fitzwell Justice in black and white (bottom left). No matter how often I tried on black, grey or brown flat oxfords – they never looked right. They felt too masculine and did not bookend my look with my blonde hair. The two toned black and white oxfords make me feel more girly, and that’s why they work. I almost went for a white pair of flat oxfords instead, but decided against them when the comfort and gangster vibe of the Fitzwells won me over.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Zenni Optical. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I was given the opportunity to order prescription eyeglasses from Zenni Optical, I jumped on it. I wear specs all day every day and have always invested a lot in my frames and lenses. I was eager to try an inexpensive option at the other end of the price range.

With an open mind and busloads of curiosity, I hopped onto the site and ordered two pairs of specs. The grand total for two pairs came to only $54.90. Ordinarily I would have paid ten times that amount for one pair of prescription eyewear (with some help from our medical insurance of course). The price difference was astounding.

The Zenni Optical site is fairly easy to use if you have a recent eyeglasses prescription in hand. But you do need to be familiar with measurements like lens width and height, temple length, and frame width and weight, in order to select a style that will work for your face shape. You also need to measure your PD (pupillary distance, the distance between the centers of your pupils). I enlisted Greg’s help for that measurement.

As I searched for the right pair on Zenni’s site, I found myself having two main concerns:

1. Selecting a pair of killer specs is not easy under any circumstances. The slightest change in frame shape, color or detailing makes the world of difference. It’s definitely an art and not a science, and for this reason I was very skeptical about ordering prescription eyewear online. On the other hand, these Zenni’s specs are so inexpensive that one could afford to make several mistakes before finding a pair that looked good. You can also measure the dimensions of a frame that you’ve worn in the past and find a Zenni pair that is quite similar.
2. I also worried about the accuracy of the prescription. I mean, would I actually be able to see properly with these inexpensive specs?

Despite these concerns, my mind was still open. After using my own specs as references for calculating the dimensions, I placed an order for a red full rimmed, acetate pair, and fun patterned plastic pair.

The specs arrived three weeks later. The first thing I noticed was that one pair was completely bent out of shape. I phoned Zenni Optical customer service hoping that they would send me another pair. No. I was told to hold the frames under hot water and bend them back into shape. Okay. Moving on.

The lenses seemed fine — I can see quite sharply through both pairs of specs — but aesthetically the frames were not so fab and I won’t be sporting them as everyday eyewear. First, the shapes are unflattering, which illustrates how difficult it is to select specs without seeing them in person. Second, the quality is in line with the price. The only way I can think of describing it is that they seem a bit like toy glasses. Finally, the colours look quite different in person to the way they did on my computer screen.

This experience has reinforced my opinion that specs shopping is something you need to do in person. Also, when it comes to quality you often get what you pay for and Zenni is no exception.

That being said, I have to acknowledge that these specs are incredibly cheap and there are situations where a “throw away” pair would be really useful, like a river rafting trip or a costume party, for example. Or perhaps you would really like to wear a different pair every day of the week. Zenni’s price point makes that possible.

In fact, the experience has left me wondering whether we are overcharged for specs in general. In particular the lenses, which in Zenni’s case are less than $10 a pair. I think the lenses in my normal glasses were ten to twenty times that price and I’d love to know why that is. Are they more optically correct? Will they be ten times more durable? If you have some knowledge about this I’d love to hear about it in the comments.