Halloween is an open invitation to experiment with your look. Whether you go for a macabrely glamorous style or a diabolically daring one, the right pair of coloured contact lenses can take your terrifying costume to an even more chilling level.
Fancy trying coloured contact lenses but not sure where to start? Read this handy guide to find the perfect option for every costume or occasion.
A beginner’s guide to coloured contact lenses
Choosing the ideal coloured lenses for you
Coloured contact lenses are designed to enhance or transform the natural appearance of the iris. Depending on the look you want to achieve, you can choose from a few varieties of lenses and countless colours.
Opaque coloured lenses are designed to cover your natural eye colour and create a more dramatic transformation. If you really want to stand out from the crowd, go for intense colours such as blue, green or violet — the perfect finishing touch for a macabre costume. Pair your violet lenses with an evil witch outfit, or try cloudy grey lenses to give your eyes a ghostly look.
If you want a more subtle change, colour-enhancing lenses (also known as Freshlook Dimensions) may be the best option for you, as they intensify your natural eye colour rather than transforming it completely. Bear in mind that colour-enhancing lenses are generally created for people with light eyes, as their subtle tint does not show up well on dark eyes.
Choosing the right prescription for coloured contact lenses
When wearing contact lenses, you should not be able to feel them at all. To ensure they are comfortable, take note of your contact lens prescription, which specifies the correct Base Curve (BC), diameter and type of lens you should use.
Before buying your lenses, always make sure you have a valid, up-to-date prescription. If you have not had an eye test or optometry consultation, or have not visited your optician in the last two years, we recommend that you do so. During the fitting process you will have the opportunity to try some of the colours available in store to get an idea of how they look on you.
If you are new to contact lenses, your optician will be happy to provide your lens specification once they have completed your fitting. You may need to return to your optician for more than one follow-up visit to complete the fitting entirely — but trust us, it is well worth ensuring a proper fit.
If you are lucky enough to have 20/20 vision, you can also buy coloured contact lenses purely for cosmetic reasons, without any corrective purpose — these are known as plano contact lenses. When placing your order, select power 0.00; this ensures your lenses are purely cosmetic. Remember: we still recommend consulting an optician to ensure you get the correct fit for your eyes.
Top tips for caring for your coloured contact lenses
- Wash and dry your hands before handling your lenses.
- Clean your lenses with solution after removing them.
- Store them in a lens case with fresh solution (unless they are daily disposables).
- Never share your lenses with anyone!
- Put your lenses in before applying make-up and take them out before removing it.
- Only wear your lenses for the period of time recommended by your optician.
Whether you are looking for coloured lenses to complete a costume or simply want to freshen up your look, we hope these simple tips are useful.