Coloured contacts are one of the more divisive issues in the cosplay community with most either loving or hating them. I really was against them until quite recently because I know firsthand how much damage not wearing the right contacts can do to your eyes.
I wanted to figure out for myself if there was truly a way to wear coloured contacts for cosplay safely, so I reached out to PinkyParadise who sent me some free contacts for review.
Disclosure: I was sent these contacts for free by PinkyParadise. However, all opinions and statements are my own and are in no way paid for or influenced by PinkyParadise or any third parties. I urge readers to continue to do their own research and to not purchase contacts based on what their favourite cosplayers wear.
And with that, let’s jump right into the steps on how to research, purchase, and wear coloured contacts safely!
1. Go to Your Eye Doctor
If I catch any of you skipping this step I’m revoking your contact lens privileges. Your eye doctor knows best and can tell you whether you’re even able to wear contacts (some people can’t) and will give you a prescription to get contacts that fit your eye shape best. Yes, even if you have 20/20 vision you still get a prescription for contacts.
Also ask your eye doctor if they have any recommendations for brands, stores, or sites to get reputable contacts from.
2. Look for Companies with FDA Approval
The American Food and Drug Administration exists to ensure what you’re putting in/on your body is safe and their approval is key. However, many contact companies do not operate out of the USA, so check to see if they are approved by their country’s FDA. Another good sign is finding a site that requires you to submit your prescription. As I said earlier, this makes sure your contacts fit your eyes. We don’t want any scratched corneas here!
I can say with certainty one company to avoid at all costs is TTDeye. They have a history of racist marketing, eye damage, and selling illegal contacts. All of these alone are HUGE red flags but the fact that they have had this many controversies tells you to STAY AWAY.
3. If They Seem too Good to Be True, They Probably Are
Never EVER buy contacts from Halloween stores, mall kiosks, or gas stations (yes, I have seriously seen gas station costume contacts). Not only are these contacts non-prescription, but they’ve been made on the cheap.
You only have two eyes for your entire life, do you really want to put something that cost $5 from a GAS STATION in them?
4. Look for off-website reviews
A lot of companies will hide or straight up delete negative reviews for products on their site, so take any reviews with a grain of salt. I recommend googling “[COMPANY NAME] review” and finding/reading reviews from various other sites. Make sure they aren’t being paid to provide a good review either!
For example, using TTDeye again, on their TrustPilot page their rating is 2.8 stars, which isn’t terrible, but it's not great either. However, once you look closer you see 52% of reviews left are ONE STAR. That does not reflect well on the company AT ALL if that many people hated their products enough to leave a review that low.
Now that you’ve done your research and purchased from a reputable site with legitimate contacts, what’s next?
5. Upon Getting Contacts
The first thing to do is remove them from their bottles. The contacts usually come in small bottles full of liquid with your prescription number on top. Make sure you keep track of which is left and which is right because the incorrect prescription in the incorrect eye can cause damage.
Be careful when opening the bottles. I thought the metal on them was like aluminum foil, but it was a lot harder and a lot sharper. I ended up slicing my thumb open and it was not a fun experience.
Once you’ve got your contacts open, transfer them to a contact lens case and soak them in a contact solution. And I mean soak! Nobody wants dry contacts in their eyes, so keep these bad boys hydrated, Keep your fresh contacts soaking for at least 8-24 hours before putting them in your eyes.
Once your contacts are in, take a few minutes to test them out. Look around, blink, squint, etc. Do essentially all the things you would normally do with your eyes and make sure your contacts fit comfortably. There should be no pain or scratching feelings.
Once you’re done wearing your contacts, dump out the old solution in your lens case and put new solution in. Do this EVERY time you wear your contacts to keep them clean. Once again, you only have one pair of eyes, so don’t slack on eye care.
With cosplay coloured contacts, they often are only worn a few times before their expiry, but caring for them in between wears is crucial. Make sure you change your lens solution once every two weeks if not wearing the contacts.
Finally, please for the love of god throw out your expired contacts. I see so many cosplayers go “oh they’re only a little expired” or “oh they’re only a little dry” and put these nasty old contacts in. That’s gross, it's unsanitary, and it's unsafe!
Checklist for every time you put in contacts:
Are your hands clean?
Have you checked the lenses for scratches or tears?
Are your lenses expired?
Does anything appear “wrong” on the lenses such as discolouration, or the contact is beginning to dry out?
When in doubt, follow your gut. If something seems wrong with the contacts do not put them in your eyes and throw them away.
At the end of the day, no cosplay is worth permanent eye damage. You can always edit your eyes into the colour you want and if anyone gives you flack for that they aren’t worth your time!
Below I’ve included some articles and first-hand reviews. I highly recommend giving them a read: