Me, I’ve always been a cheap, get ‘em at the local drug store, kind of sunglasses girl. It’s not that I haven’t ever wished for a nice or expensive pair. It’s just that I worried about spending a lot of money on glasses that I would break or lose. And while my kids were younger, I was afraid little fingers would grab hold of an arm and break it off or scratch the lenses. Over my life, I’ve probably paid for 8 or 10 nice pair, without the joy of actually owning any. So when I had the opportunity to try out a Maui Jim pair through Jen is on a Journey, I jumped at the chance (literally and figuratively).

I discovered Maui Jim is quickly growing into the premium polarized sunglasses manufacturer in the world. My assumptions were correct – they started in Hawaii. I had a great time looking around their website, MauiJim.com. The fact that their company’s goal is to help you see the world at its best was really moving to me. Their marketing slogan, “Like you’ve never seen” is so fitting. They want to enhance your vision and by doing so, improve what you “see”. I have heard from several VERY loyal customers that these are high quality sunglasses and the company is very customer service orientated.

While shopping on the website, it appears that they have something for everyone. You can search for lenses for male or female, frame type, lens material, facial features, and even activity type. After checking out a few glasses designed for smaller faces, I selected the Tortoise/Ivory Demi “Malie” with the HCL® Bronze lenses.

When my glasses arrived I was immediately impressed. The glasses came in a cute Hawaiian printed box. Inside was a hard protective carrying case and the glasses were wrapped in plastic with plastic sleeves on the arms to protect against scratching. ALSO included…was a soft carrying case!!

The actual glasses are STUNNING! They are different from the usual sunglasses I choose…kind of flashy and big, but I love them on and they are incredibly comfortable. The arms on some glasses can rub the top of your ears – not these. They sit nicely on my nose, don’t squeeze my temples, and the coverage is thorough. It’s the first time I’ve worn glasses that don’t allow any light in either from the top or bottom. But what you really want to know is, how do I see in them, right? Well, let me tell you, it is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Everything is unbelievably crisp and clear. Colors are brighter and bolder. It’s genuinely something everyone needs to experience!

Not only are my new sunglasses comfortable AND beautiful; they enhance my vision and ALSO protect my eyes. It’s a truly amazing technology. My HCL® Bronze lenses are meant for everyday variable conditions, from full sun to overcast. They are made to provide excellent contrast. They are also Proprietary MauiGradient® Lenses, so they feature a darker coating at the top that gradually gets lighter moving down the lens. This ensures an appropriate amount of light is allowed to filter through certain areas, while less in places where protection is paramount. All of Maui Jim’s glasses have their PolarizedPlus® technology. It’s said to wipe out 99.9% of glare, 100% of harmful UV, and boosts color via specially designed lens treatments. So your view is clearer, with crisp contrast and amazing brilliance. They also apply CLEARSHELL® – a scratch coating – to the front and back of every lens. This is a proprietary, silicone-based hard coat that protects your lenses.

Maui Jim absolutely knows how to do sunglasses right! They have earned a lifelong customer in me. I am unequivocally smitten with my sunglasses and I will be guarding them with my life!! (On a side note – I did see on their website that Maui Jim does offer repair service. Let’s hope I never need to use it!)

Bridgette writes for Jen is on a Journey–I’m a mom with 3 kids (translated…a husband and 2 boys – 10 and 12 ) who’s reached that 35-47 age bracket. I love music, coffee, crafting, and devouring a good book! I currently work as the Office Administrator at a preschool. I’ve also worked as an HR Assistant, 911 Communications Operator, and Golf Course Starter. Our family loves animals, camping and fishing, baseball, hockey, and going to the movies. We have 4 cats and 1 amazing dog, Buster. When the kids aren’t playing baseball, we love spending time with our friends and family.

Product sent to facilitate review, all opinions my own.

Deja Vu!  It was just 17 short months ago that I wrote about having a pair of Maui Jim Sunglasses and heading to Hawaii.  Here I am again with a gorgeous pair in hand and in just 6 short days heading back to the Big Island and thrilled to be sporting the brand!

I’m a prescription glasses wearer, currently my lenses tint outdoors and minimally while driving.  This is fantastic for general every day use and when I’m out and about doing errands, but often I want to be in style.  Not to say my glasses are not IN, it’s just that they always look like everyday specs.  There are times when you want to go to the beach, hang out at the mall, or just take a vacation from your every day look.

This is where Maui Jim enters the picture with their new Ginger styled sunglasses. Not only do they fit so many face shapes, come in a great selection of colors, but they are also available with prescription lenses!  Getting these lenses in prescription is huge because Maui Jim is the only company to make prescription single gradient polarized lenses!  That means, I can have a true IN style look and not need to purchase an extra set of contact lenses just to be able to wear them!

In the manufacturing process, prescription MauiGradient lenses go through 22 separate manufacturing steps and are inspected six times throughout the process to ensure quality. Unique to Maui Jim is that the engineering process is customized to compensate for each individual prescription. “We are the only company that not only accounts for the unique aspects of a patient’s prescription, but also adjusts the digital manufacturing to the precise measurements of our frames,” added Ponder. “This is how we are able to produce the clearest, edge-to-edge optics; and our accuracy is six times better than a conventional lab. Less than one percent of jobs are returned for manufacturing errors. This is the lowest return rate in the industry.”

The Ginger sunglasses have the MauiGradient tint that is darker at the top and lighter at the bottom of the lens. They are durable, scratch- and saltwater-resistant, and optically clear. In addition to Mauve, these sunglasses come in Charcoal, Chocolate and Matte Sandstone.

My Take:  I love them!  At first I thought the lenses are too big for my face, but I’m so used to my rectangular every day glasses.  My teenager looked and said, “Wow mom, fancy! Where are you headed?!”  I took that as a compliment and she assured me that I look like a star and that they are very cute.

I love the color, it compliments my hair and skin tone and the prescription lenses are spot on!  I sent over my prescription (O.D. and O.S. spheres) and P.D. (pupular distance) and I can see perfectly.  One thing about my normal glasses is that the transitions only darken slightly in the car.  Often I need just a bit more to shaded the sun and brightness.  These Gingers are perfect for the car and especially on my trip to the Big Island next week.  I did adjust the temples slightly to fit better and not slip down my nose, but they fit fabulous now! I’ve been getting many compliments on the look, I’m giddy and very smiley once I have them on now!

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