Each step of the way is clearly explained to help you make the right choice.

Just click on any of the steps above to go straight to the information you need.

In this section you will find information on choosing frames which suit you, by finding out about your face shape, your personal colouring then matching this with frame colours which enhance your best features.

You'll also find out about selecting frames which fit you and about the different ways of searching for just the frames you want.

What shape of frame will look best on me?

For all of us, the most important aspects of choosing a new pair of glasses are; how they make us look! and how they make us feel!

Our simple guide makes it easier to choose frames which make you look and feel your best. First you need to figure out your Face Shape and your Personal Colouring.

There are three principles for matching your frames to your face shape;

1. The frame shape should contract with your face shape,
2. The frame size should be in proportion with the size of your face,
3. Your frames should repeat or enhance your best feature, e.g. eye colour or hair colour.

All faces are a combination of shapes and angles though most of our faces fall more or less into one of the seven basic face shapes:

Round faces are equal in width and length, are curvilinear and have no clearly defined angles. To compliment a round face try angular frames which can lengthen the face, a clear bridge that can widen the eyes and try frames which are wider than they are deep such as a rectangular frame.

Oval faces have well balanced proportions, slightly longer than they are wide, an non pronounced angles. To enhance this balance try frames that are as wide or wider than the widest part of the face and which are well proportioned, especially not too deep or to narrow.

Oblong faces are longer than they are wide and have a long straight cheek line and sometimes a longish nose. To make the face appear shorter and more balanced, try frames that have a top-to-bottom depth, decorative or contrasting arms that add width to the face and maybe a low bridge to shorten the nose.

Base-Down Triangle faces have a narrow forehead that widens at the cheek and chin areas. To add width and emphasize the narrow upper third of the face, try cat-eye shapes or frames that are heavily accented with color and detailing on the top half.

Base-Up Triangle faces have a very wide top third and small bottom third. To minimize the width of the top of the face, try frames that are wider at the bottom, very light colours and materials, and rimless frame styles.

Diamond shaped faces are narrow at the eye line and jaw-line, and cheekbones are often high and dramatic. This is the rarest face shape. To highlight the eyes and bring out the cheekbones, try frames that have detailing or distinctive brow lines, or try rimless frames or oval and cat-eye shapes.

Square faces have strong a jaw line and a broad forehead, plus the width and length are in equal proportion. To make the square face look longer and soften the angles, try narrow frame styles, frames that have more width than depth and narrow ovals.

The three key points to remember about colour analysis are:

1. Everyone has either warm (yellow based) or cool, (blue based) colouring,
2. Everyone looks best in their own base colouring,
3. Eyewear colour should complement your personal colouring.

The main factors in determining your personal colouring are the colour of your skin, hair and your eyes.

Skin tone is the main element determining colouring.

Everyones complexion falls into one of two colour bases, blue (cool) or yellow (warm).

• Cool complexions have blue or pink undertones,
• Warm complexion have a "peaches and cream" or yellow cast.
• Olive skin is considered cool because it is a mixture of blue and yellow.

Hair colours are also considered warm or cool.

• Strawberry blond, platinum, blue-black, white, salt-and-pepper and "dishwater" brown are cool,
• Golden blond, flat black, brown-gold, "carrot" and "dirty" grey are warm.

Eye colour is usually a secondary element in determining colouring.

This is because of the wide range of eye colours, for example, blue eyes can range from a cool almost-violet to a pale blue-grey, which is warm. Brown eyes can vary from a light cider shade (warm) through a medium-brown to a cool almost-black.

Once you have determined if you are "warm" or "cool," then you can find the frame colours that will suit you the best

Frame colors best for warm coloring are: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, off-white, fire-engine red, warm blue and blond tortoise.

Frame colors best for cool coloring, are black, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, jade, blue and demi-amber (darker) tortoise.

Take a look around, how many of us look exactly the same? None, right! So how do you choose a frame that's going to fit?

Well every frame has a standard set of measurements printed either on the arm or the bridge (often beside the model number and colour, a typical example would be 48-19-140).

These numbers are measurements, in millimeters, of the width of each lens, the width of the bridge and the length of the arms from hinge to tip, [insert illustration]. If you have a frame which fits you well you can use these measurements as a useful guide to selecting a new frame.

Here are a few fitting tips:

1. Make sure that the frames are wide enough and the arms don't touch the side of your head as they extend back towards your ears.
2. Make sure thearms are long enough! The curve at the end of the arm should extend over the ear without pressing down on it. The curve can be adjusted up or down but it can't be lengthened.
3. If the glasses fit properly you should be able to bend down and pick something and the glasses feel secure and stay in place.
4. Check out the nosepiece for comfort and fit. Many glasses have adjustable nosepieces for fine tuning with soft silicon nose-pads. For frames without nose-pads make sure they fit securely without pinching

If you have selected a suitable frame based on our guidelines, then your glasses should only require some very minor fine tuning for a perfect fit.

Because Metsuki is about bringing you well known Designer Brands and because everyone likes to "do it their way" we offer you multiple ways of helping you find what you want.

Search by Brand is the easy way to go instantly to the full range of glasses of your favourite brand. Just click on the brand icon, browse through the thumbnails and take a closer look at the items you like.

Our Frame Finder toolbox saves you time and effort by getting you go straight to the right glasses, the right size, the right shape, the right material and best of all the righ price!

Frame only is especially for people who have a complex bifocal or varifocal prescription that requires extra measurements to be taken by an optician. Check with your optician that they can glaze it for you and this way you get the frame you want and make a significant cost saving!

Like most of our customers you need single vision lenses and you want them at the best possible price. Now you've selected your frames you can move right on to providing us details of your prescription and choosing your lenses.

Did you know that we can supply you any frame you choose with un-corrected clear or tinted lenses? This means you make up your own designer sunglasses from our huge range of frames at much lower cost than off the shelf designer items.

After you have an eye examination your optometrist or ophthalmologist will give you a prescription. Your prescription will indicate whether glasses are required and what they are to be used for i.e. all the time or just for reading, distance, or for driving etc. When ordering your glasses from us your prescription must be less than two years old.

In theory your prescription should provide all of the information needed to make up glasses to meet your requirements. However many opticians omit to note the pupillary distance (PD), which is the distance between the centres of your pupils in each eye. Your optician is obliged to provide you with this informtion, and you shouldn't hesitate to ask for it, but you can also measure it by having a friend hold a ruler close to your eyes and note the measurement in millimetres between the centres of both pupils.

Astigmatism is a commonly occuring condition caused when the cornea or lense of the eye fails to focus equally in every plane or meridian. This can usually be corrected by adding a "cylindrical" lense along the axis (0-180 degrees) in which the distortion occurs. When your optician prescribes a cylinder value in your prescription it will always be accompanied with an axis value.

Longsightedness means that you can see things at a distance clearly but that your eyes need some help to focus clearly on things closer to you, for example when reading or working at a computer.

Lenses which correct longsightedness have a plus power, or +ve Sphere (Sph) value and are thicker in the centre and thinner towards the edges. To minimise the lense thickness and weight, and enhance apperance, especially with higher +ve powers, choose Thin and Light or Hi Index Lenses. If you work in artificial light or with a computer anti-reflective coatings can reduce the strain on your eyes and make you feel more comfortable.

Also known as nearsightedness, this means that you can see things near to you without difficulty but that your eyes need some help to focuss clearly on objects beyond arms reach and into the distance.

Lenses which correct shortsightedness have a minus power, -ve Sphere (SPH) and are thinner in the centre and thicker towards the edges. To minimise the lense thickness and weight, and enhance apperance, especially with higher -ve powers, choose Thin and Light or Hi Index Lenses. If you wear your glasses for driving anti-reflective lenses can reduce glare. Sunsenor type lenses can also provide UV protection and act as sunglasses without requiring a seperate pair of glasses.

Presbyopia is the loss of the eyes ability to accomodate, or focus at different distances usually and occurs with age. Presbyopia can be corrected with glasses which have complex lenses, bi-focals, varifocals or progressives which may combine +ve and -ve powers. These lenses usually require additional measurements to be taken by your optician and are generally not suitable for supplying over the internet.

There have been huge advances in lense technology over recent years. For most of us this means lenses are now thinner and lighter and more durable as well as being capable of reducing glare and reflection more effectively. Photochromatic technology, lenses which vary in colour according to the amount of ultra violet, has vastly improved meaning that quality photochromic lenses, like Kodak SunSensor, are completely clear indoors but react to UV light very quickly giving 100% protection.

Price is no longer a barrier to choosing the best lenses to suit your lifestyle and prescription. Metsuki supply some of the best lense technology on the market at every day low prices. So before you opt for standard lenses be sure to read on and see what you might be missing.

Recommended for prescriptions up to +/- 2.5 The most common type of lens used today, lighter than glass, so more comfortable to wear for long periods. CR39 is less scratch resitant than glass, Metsuki can provide an antiscratch coating at a small additional charge. If your glasses are for computer use consider adding an anti-reflective coating. Likewise anti-reflective coating will be beneficial if you have a distance presciption and use your glasses for driving.

First choice for rimless or semi-rimless frames. Polycarbonate lenses are 10 times more shatter resistant, 30% thinner and 30% lighter than plastic lenses, and they offer virtually 100% UV protection. Anti reflective coating is available as an option. Great if you're into racket sports! However if you have selected rimless or semi-rimless frames and wish to apply a tint to your lenses choose from our range our Thin and Light lenses as polycarbonate is difficult to tint.

Suggested for prescriptions of +/- 3.00. Don't restrict yourself to choosing chunky frames just because you have a stronger prescription. Thin and Light lenses are up to 33% thinner and 33% lighter than standard lenses and will make your new glasses look better and feel more comfortable when worn for long periods. Thin and Light lenses are supplied with a free anti-refelctive and UV coating giving up to 100% UV protection.

Suggested for prescriptions of +/- 3.00 particularly if you have selected delicate frames and where weight and appearance are important to you. Extra Thin and Light lenses are up to 50% lighter and thinner than Standard lenses and are supplied with a free anti-reflective and UV coating giving up to 100% UV protection.

Recommended for prescriptions of +/- 5.00 and above. Ultra lenses provide the ultimate in thinness and lightness for high prescription strengths. The superior lens option when you require to look your very best and when you have to wear your glasses for prolonged periods. Ultra Thin and Light lenses are supplied with a free anti-refelctive and UV coating giving up to 100% UV protection.

For many people SunsenSors take away the need, the expense and the inconvenience of having a seperate pair of prescription sunglasses. Sunsensors offer you the very latest in smart technology:

• As clear as regular clear lenses indoors
• Even clearer with an anti-reflective coating
• As dark as sunglasses outside in bright light
• Fast to activate
• Fast to fade back
• Block 100% of harmful UV rays
• Reduce the effects of glare
• Reduce eye fatigue
• Offer the right tint at the right time in changing light

Available in Brown or Sunglasses Grey, you'll wonder why you've never tried these before!

A hard coating, or scratch resistant coating helps to reduce the effect of every day scuffs and scratches. The hard coating will not make the lenses scratch proof, but with careful handling and cleaning the lenses should last much longer.

Every lens we supply, including our Standard C39 lenses, comes complete with a hardcoating at no extra cost to you.

A/R coatings dramatically reduce reflections and glare which cause discomfort and increase the amount of light reaching the eye from about 90% to 99% or more. A/R coatings also make the lenses cosmetically better looking. The following types of users will especially benefit from A/R coated lenses:

1. Drivers, A/R coatings significantly reduce the amount of glare especially for night driving
2. Office workers, the coating will help reduce glare from fluorescent lights and computer monitors, windows and reflective surfaces

A/R coatings give a much better cosmetic appearance to your glasses, less light will be reflected from your glasses and people can see your eyes more clearly. This is especially good if you have a stronger prescription and thicker lenses.

Because anti-reflective lenses are much clearer they show up smudges and fi finger prints more easily. Cleaning with a good quality cleaning solution and microfibre cloth will keep them, and you, looking their best.

Most lenses can be tinted in a wide variety of different colours and tint can graded from top to bottom. Grey tints are best for maintaining true perception.

When you have completed the three key stages above you can opt to continue shopping for additional pairs of glasses, accesories or make your way to our secure checkout.

We hope you have found this page helpful and interesting.

Happy Shopping.