Contact lenses can be a big part of your cosplay costume. They can be finishing touch or the key feature. They can be used for something as minor as changing your eye color or they can be used to make your eyes look unworldly.
But contact lenses can be the most dangerous part of your cosplay costume. If you are not well informed and make a mistake you could permanently damage your eyes.
PopCultHQ.com has recently sat down with a contact lenses distributor, ColouredContacts.com, to ask them some of the common questions cosplayers have.
PopCultHQ: There are a lot of contact lenses distributors and sources out there. What makes your site different?
At Coloured Contacts, we have a big focus on customer safety. We want to ensure our customers feel confident and safe when using our coloured contact lenses which is why we provide as much information as possible across our product descriptions, articles, and blogs. This includes our Care Guides (https://www.colouredcontacts.com/en_GB/coloured-contacts-care-guides) which are particularly helpful for beginners looking to learn how to properly use and care for contact lenses.
PopCultHQ: Do you require a doctor’s prescription?
It is important to get a contact lens fitting before purchasing coloured contact lenses to ensure that the lenses match your eye measurements even if you are purchasing non-prescription lenses.
In the US in particular, patients have a right to access their eye prescription and purchase contact lenses from a seller other than their optometrist. Contact lens sellers are permitted to sell coloured contacts as long as they follow the laws of the country of registration. However, it is important to watch out for coloured contacts pop-up shops that may be selling contact lenses without certification.
PopCultHQ: I thought you needed to have your eyes measured to find contacts that fit properly?
That’s correct! At Coloured Contacts, we ask that you have a recent contact lens fitting before purchasing coloured contacts. Both non-prescription and prescription lenses have a Base Curve and Diameter measurement that need to match your eyes for a comfortable and safe fit. If you are purchasing prescription contact lenses make sure you are choosing the correct strength too, or see our lenses for astigmatism if you also need to choose the axis and cylinder measurements.
PopCultHQ: Where are your contacts sourced?
Our range of coloured contacts are from the brands Chromaview, Freshlook, Air Optix, and TORIColors.
PopCultHQ: What is their material?
The material of our contact lenses varies. Some of the types we stock include: Polyhema, Methafilcon A, Terpolymer, and Hioxifilcon All our contact lenses are made from soft and breathable materials and the material type can be found in each product description.
PopCultHQ: Are they FDA approved?
Our coloured contact lenses are FDA Approved and CE Marked.
PC: How do you reduce “scratchiness”?
If you are experiencing ‘scratchiness’ from your lenses, there are a couple of things you can check:
- Inspect the lenses for any signs of damage before wearing them and do not wear them if you can see any perforations or imperfections. Unfortunately, it does happen from time to time. At Coloured Contacts, we ask that you check the lenses before opening them and send us a picture if they are damaged in order to get a refund or resend.
- Make sure you are purchasing contact lenses that match your eye measurements. Even if you are purchasing non-prescription lenses it is important to get a contact lens fitting as you will need to make sure the Base Curve and Diameter measurements match your eyes for the most comfortable fit.
- Have you soaked your lenses in fresh solution? At Coloured Contacts, our lenses are stored in a different stronger solution to keep them ready to use. This is why we always recommend soaking your lenses in fresh contact lens solution for at least 2 hours before use.
Remember, the safety of your eyes is always your top priority so if the problem persists then do not attempt to wear the lenses again. Either visit your optician for advice or try out a style with a different duration or material.
PopCultHQ: What eye drops are recommended for use with costume contacts to prevent dry eye?
We would recommend talking to your optometrist to find the most suitable eye drops for your needs. We currently stock a contact lens solution that can be used for storing and hydrating the lenses.
PopCultHQ: Do contact lenses require any lubricant to wear all day?
The contact lenses require storing in fresh contact lens solution to prevent them from drying out so once you have soaked them for at least 2 hours and inserted them you should find that they feel comfortable. However, some customers do like to apply eye drops during the day to prevent dry eyes. This is one of the reasons it is important not to sleep in your contact lenses, even if it is just a quick nap! During this time the lenses become dry and can therefore cause discomfort. Simply, blinking regularly helps to naturally keep your eyes hydrated and the breathable material is designed to help your eyes stay feeling fresh. We recommend wearing coloured contacts for a maximum of 8 hours at a time. If you are new to wearing contact lenses, you may prefer to try them out for a couple of hours at a time to allow you to get used to wearing them.
PopCultHQ: Which lens styles affect your vision?
At Coloured Contacts, we stock a couple of designs that will affect your vision:
- Blind Coloured Contacts: These lenses cover the pupil and iris in colour so vision will be obstructed. The amount of light that is let through will vary depending on the colour but all blind lenses will cover your vision.
- Mesh Coloured Contacts: The mesh design has small transparent squares so will leave more vision than the blind effect lenses but it will still be restricted.
- Enhance Tint Coloured Contacts: Unlike other natural contact lenses, the enhance tint range does not have a clear pupil. It covers both the iris and pupil with a subtle tint of colour which will give a slight tint to your vision.
Most other coloured contacts have a clear pupil hole so you will be able to see clearly. Some customers find that the colour block over the iris can affect their peripheral vision which is why we recommend not driving in our costume lenses.
We stock both prescription and non-prescription lenses so that you can correct vision as well as add colour.
PopCultHQ: How do you prevent contacts from folding in on themselves during application?
For help with inserting contact lenses, you may like to view our tutorial video (https://www.colouredcontacts.com/en_GB/blog/contact-lenses-video-tutorial). If you continue having trouble with the contacts folding in, why not try out an application wand? These are widely available and can be very useful when inserting coloured contacts. You may also find that choosing a lens with a longer duration helps to prevent it from folding as it will have a thicker surface.
PopCultHQ: What styles/colors work best on dark brown eyes? In my experience, most seem to look unnatural.
The results can vary depending on natural eye colour and the style you are hoping to achieve. At Coloured Contacts, we have a transparency scale on every product to show the effect that they are likely to have. This ranges from Enhancing to Vibrant. We also have a contact lens Gallery (https://www.colouredcontacts.com/en_GB/gallery/contact-lens-gallery) which shows our affiliates wearing our coloured contacts so you can see how they look in action. It is important to read the descriptions when shopping at Coloured Contacts as we always include information about the effect the contact lenses may have. We always listen to customer feedback to improve our stock imagery but it is intended for illustrative purposes only.
PopCultHQ: I only want to wear them once every few months. What is the best way to safely store them for long term?
Make sure you are keeping within the duration of the contact lenses if you are storing them for long periods of time. To ensure your contact lenses are ready for use, it is important to refresh the contact lens solution that the lenses are stored in at least once a week. This will ensure that no bacteria grows on your lenses and they don’t dry out.
PopCultHQ: How do I clean contact lenses?
Check out our Care Guide (https://www.colouredcontacts.com/en_GB/blog/coloured-contacts-aftercare) for detailed information on how to clean your coloured contact lenses. Make sure to have fresh contact lens solution and a contact lens case; on our website you can buy these with your contact lenses. Gently rinse the lenses with fresh solution to remove any build-up and then store them in the case in new solution. It is also important to make sure you clean your contact lens case. To do this, use contact lens solution to gently rub the surface. It is important to never use substances such as water to clean your contact lenses and equipment as this can introduce unwanted bacteria.
PopCultHQ: How long do contact lenses last?
The duration of the contact lenses varies. We stock single-use daily lenses available in pairs and 10 packs as well as reusable contact lenses in 30 day and 90 day durations. It is important to note, that once you have opened your lenses, if they are reusable, you can use your lenses for up to 30 or 90 days rather than 30 or 90 uses. Each lens is designed with its given durability in mind meaning that single use lenses will have a thinner surface compared to 90 day lenses. This is the reason that it is important to only use lenses for their intended duration.
PopCultHQ: Why aren’t the cosplay lenses available in stronger prescriptions?
We are always looking to expand our range of lenses which includes increasing our range of prescription lenses. We have recently expanded our range to include + prescriptions but can see from community responses that expanding the strengths for both + and – strengths will give more people access to our coloured contact lenses. We also introduced an exciting range of Toric lenses for correcting astigmatism, currently available in natural colours.
PopCultHQ: How do I know if they are inside out?
Make sure you have washed your hands with anti-bacterial soap and then place the lens on the tip of your finger. If the lens creates a bowl shape then this is the correct orientation. If the lenses are inside out you will notice a slight lip to the shape of the lens that causes it to look like a ‘V’ rather than a smooth ‘U’.
Have any other questions you want to know about contact lenses? Put them in the comments and we will get you the answers.
About Coloured Contacts:
We here at Coloured Contacts supply one of the most diverse and largest ranges of natural, UV reactive and fancy dress coloured contact lenses you can find anywhere online. We’re proud to have been trading in the latest coloured eye fashion and hottest cosmetic accessories for well over 20 years.Our enormous wealth of experience is reflected in the high quality coloured contact lenses we provide and our passionate and responsive customer services team that are always ready to help.
Whether you want a beautiful, natural and temporary change in eye colour or a truly petrifying, Halloween eye transformation, we offer safe and comfortable coloured contact lenses at affordable prices with uncompromised quality.
