From underwater cycling to $300 lattes, we cover some of wellness’ weirdest trends in our series, Would You or Wouldn’t You. This week, we’re talking about face shields. We want to know: do you love them, hate them, wear them? Would you or wouldn’t you?
At the time of this article, one or even two face masks are government recommended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — an absolute non-negotiable in our minds. That said, we haven’t given much thought to the look or style of those masks. At this point, we’re just not that interested in whether our face coverings are solid, printed or designer-made, as long as they work.
When it comes to masks, our only mission has been to equip readers with skincare advice to avoid maskne and, even worse, skin injury due to daily wear. If you know someone in the medical community or elsewhere who struggles with constant masking, FaceGlide is an absolute savior. The product is clean, non-irritating, affordable and mess-free — pretty impressive.
When it comes to masks, shields and face protection in general, at any point from March 2020 to now were you tempted or did you actually try out a face shield? We’re curious. And we’re torn.
The brand that’s caught our attention most is Vue Shield by product designer, Joe Doucet. The Vue Shield is almost like an objet d’art with it’s completely transparent design, including that wavy little bridge that sits on your ears and nose like a good pair of glasses. But, as seamless as the design is, the Vue Shield is far from invisible. Would we put it on our face? Jury’s still out.
The Vue Shield is just $39, provides bubble-like face coverage and includes an anti-fog coating, SPF 50 UV protection, plus blue light filtering. Compelling!
You can wear a mask (or two) and prescription glasses or sunglasses underneath the shield without a problem and — when appropriate — the face shield can be worn without a mask.
On one hand, we’re thrilled by all well-designed innovations that solve real life problems. And we all need more protection right now as we brave what so many call ‘The New Normal’.
The use case for Vue Shield is clear: face coverings are a reality we all face for the foreseeable future. But are the stylings of this face shield so good they’re bad? The Vue Shield feels miles away from every other form of ‘PPE’. With the serious of the times, does a modern face shield read clever — or gauche?
We’re certainly not positioning ourselves as the fashion police on this one. Our hunch is that only time will tell whether shields like this will take off or fade away. For now, face shields feel above and beyond the norms of our own daily life. If we’re all still wearing face masks in 2022, we might find ourselves gravitating more readily toward shields like these that meld with the looks we’re dreaming of hitting the streets in in better days.
What do you think about designer face shields: Would you our wouldn’t you?
