FLIP the pages of any entertainment and gossip magazine and chances are, you’ll see tons of celebrities with one thing in common.

No, not botoxed mugs. Although I could probably write an entire column about this as well. Check out what’son their faces – sunglasses.

It’s a fashion and beauty accessory most of us take for granted.

Look around you, how many people are wearing shades in the street even when the angry sun has been threatening to burn their eyeballs out of their sockets for the past month?

You’ll probably catch more people wearing them indoors. A habit that I can’t, for the life of me, understand.

Unless you’re Jack Neo trying (but failing) to look inconspicuous; you have a giant shiner you don’t want the world to see or you’ve just had an eye operation done,why would anyone wear shades indoors?

Then again, if you fall into any of the categories above, you probably shouldn’t even be out running around the streets.

Really, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist or a qualified optometrist to know that you’ve got to protect your peepers from the sun’s harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays.

Don’t be blinded by bargains

But beware, wearing cheap sunglasses can do more harm than good. These sub-standard products are usually made of the cheapest, lowest grade plastic and they don’t come with UV protection.

So while these cheap sunnies keep out the glare, your dilated pupils are absorbing harmful rays.

So, choose your sunnies wisely. If they don’t come with a sticker or tag that indicate the amount of UV protection, give it a miss.

When it comes to sunglasses, don’t be a scrooge. Saving that few dollars now may mean living in darkness in the future.

Sunny Deals

If you have to go for just one brand of sunnies, make it a classic Ray-ban aviator. Besides 100 per cent UV protection, its polarised lens help to reduce eye strain and fatigue.

Prada and DKNY eyewear, which are 100 per cent UV protected, come in customised models for Asians. The Asian-fit sunnies have the nose bridge narrowed and deepened to allow the eyewear to sit higher on the face and stay comfortably in place.

This article was first published in The New Paper.