Vassen Cocoro Gray

Quick shot of my new lenses! I love them a lot. The crystallized pattern reminds me of my other favorite lenses, the old Adult series from EOS, only these are three? four? tone and look a bit more natural which is always a plus in my book!

my love affair with circle lenses: photographic evidence of my dearly departed lenses

Very, very long wait for the continuation to my previous post on circle lenses. In September of 2010 I took the plunge and bought my first pair of circle lenses. There are soooooo many different varieties to choose from. You have different brands, different colors, different patterns, different diamaters...it can be very overwhelming. Lenses aren't going to look on the same everyone, especially since they're manufactured for consumers who have darker eyes. It's been a journey to see what looks best with my own eyes!

I should preface this entire post by giving you a disclaimer in the fact that I'm pretty boring when it comes to lenses. I don't like crazy and outrageous colors and patterns, and tend to favor lenses that will compliment my medium brown eyes. As I mentioned before, circle lenses are mostly worn in Asian countries. In my trials with these lenses, I've learned that many lenses look best on a dark eye. I've purchased lenses, thinking they would look so amazing, but it turned out that my brown eyes were too light to see some of the patterns! They just look bigger and muddy, but not as cool as I was hoping they'd be :(

For example, many lenses give me the appearance of having a peep hole in my eyes. Which I don't like. When your eyes are dilated in low light you don't notice it as much, but if you're inside with bright lights you can normally see parts of your iris (in my case the brown part) in the small pupil hole. The darker your eyes are, the less noticeable this is, but it's always been something that bothers me when I'm wearing lenses.

Here's my "peep hole" with a pair of Fresh Look color contacts. Regular color contacts usually look fine because they tend to have a translucent color towards the edge, so it's not so obvious. With that out of the way, it helps to better describe why I prefer one lens over another, though they might have the same color and similar patterns. I try to avoid that scary vacant stare at all costs.

Now on to the lenses! 

Circle Lenses: Hana SPC&eye AN3

Quick camera phone photo of the lenses I wore today. I wore them for close to 9 hours without any issues!

That Dolly Eye Dreamy Stare

My first doll was a Lil Miss Magic Hair Doll and I absolutely loved her. I loved her chubby little legs. I loved her fabulous hair. I loved her outfit. But most of all, I loved her eyes.

Those eyes were etched into my brain. Years would pass and I still remembered the dreamy stare that I cherished as a child.

A few years ago the same haunting expression found it's way back to me when I developed an acute addiction to Asian dramas. So many actresses held the same doe eyed expression that I loved in doll form. These women didn't seem real. It was like watching a presentation on a lobotomized Barbie, and I loved it.


Later I learned the magic behind that expression: Circle Lenses. Cosmetic lenses that are worn to increase the appearance of the iris.

I spent two years watching strangers post photographs of themselves on different message boards dedicated to these lenses. There were so many different styles and colors, and I wanted to try them but I refrained. There also seemed to be a certain level of secrecy involved with just where they were available for purchase. Being the giant lurk that I am, I never went out of my way to ask just where I could acquire said lenses. It was not until last year that various online vendors began stocking circle lenses for individual sale. Prior to this, you would have to place an order in a batch and wait a few weeks for your purchases to arrive. Last fall I purchased my first pair of circle lenses.

I hated them. I could not have looked more ridiculous. So I ordered another pair...