From Head To Toe: colored contacts

Adore Bi-Tone Grey Colored Contact Lens Review

Today's review is on some lenses that I've really been adoring (no pun intended... or is it?). Adore is a European brand of colored contacts that curiously reminds me a lot of Solotica lenses which I've posted about in the past a few times before. The thing that really makes both Adore Bi-tones and Soloticas stand out from the rest is the faded pupil hole which gives a very natural appearance to the eyes since the color blends in with your natural eye color.

First off, here is my video review of Adore Bi-Tone Grey lenses.

One thing I was really happy about was the fact that the color of these lenses is what I consider to be a true grey. On very dark eyes, all grey-toned or other white-based lenses seem to pull very blue or violet. Although Adore Bi-Tone Grey still does look slightly blue it is still much more neutral than other grey lenses I've tried.

Also, compared to my Solotica Hidrocharme Ice they are a bit less opaque but are also thinner and more comfortable. I know many people, myself included, had difficulties with Soloticas since they are quite thick and didn't allow as much oxygen to the eye as other colored lenses so this may be a good alternative. Actually the pattern of Bi-tones is VERY similar to Solotica Natural Colors since they both have the dashed-line limbal ring.

These are 3 month replacement lenses which is both a pro and con since they are probably going to be more healthy for your eyes but also can be pretty pricey compared to buying 1 set of annual lenses. Most circle lenses are around $15-$30 for 1 pair of annual lenses while Soloticas are around $75 after shipping from Brazil for a pair of annual lenses. Adore Bi-Tone lenses are currently €27.15 at lensmarketplace.com which is about $32.50 in USD. After the €5.95 ($8.27) shipping charge, they are around $40 for a pair of 3-month lenses. BUT if you are a frequent lens buyer then you are probably like me and get bored of 1 style of lenses quickly anyway. ^.^

Here are my pics:

In cooler light

And warmer light

Here are close-ups in slightly different lighting. First is natural light indoors, then more direct sunlight, and finally full-face sunlight. You can click to see the enlarged photos.

Face-punch photo. Gotta have at least one obligatory Asian pose in there, right? XD

The packaging. They come in a really adorable prism-shaped container with two slots for blister packs.

Packaging is yummy!

Here's a close-up of the lenses themselves. Notice the dashed limbal ring and faded pupil hole.

Aaaand one last one with messy hair just because I thought it looked awesome. Haha. Gotta love good hair days!

So tell me what you think about these lenses in the comments. I personally think they are wicked and I'm happy to have found a more eye-friendly alternative to my beloved Soloticas that I can't even seem to wear anymore for how dry and tired they make my eyes. The grey color is natural and a great shade for both regular days and going out and it doesn't wash me out like bluer grey lenses do. I love them!

Disclaimer: These lenses were sent to me for review from lensmarketplace.com. I have no affiliation with them and am in no way paid for this review. My reviews, as always, are my 100% honest opinion. :)

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Buying Contacts Online

Many of you have asked me about how to buy lenses online and if it is safe. There are many websites that sell clear and colored lenses on the new, but it may be a different experience than buying lenses from your opthamologist.

The first thing to keep in mind is to know your prescription. This means going to the eye doctor and finding out, whether you have 20/20 or have always worn glasses and want to try contacts. Your contact prescription is different than your glasses prescription because glasses sit away from the face whereas lenses sit right on your eye. If you used the same prescription, it could be too strong for you in lens form! Even if you do wear contacts, it's always good to get checked up to see if your prescription has changed. Some websites will ask for prescription verification from your doctor, and some won't.

Next, is to search for a website that has the lens you are looking for. We always want to get the best deal, but that can be difficult with there being so many sites out there. Most of the time you have to do your research and manually compare prices and shipping costs. I did come across a helpful website called Lensshopper.com which lets you search for lenses from various sites. I found the search most useful when I looked for "colored contacts" and sorted the listing by "total price" but you can also search by delivery time or by typing in words for what you are looking for. I'm not sure, but I think the shipping times are geared toward US domestic shipping which might be an issue for those looking for lenses internationally. Also, the listing for "incl freight" is inconsistent... Sometimes it is a small shipping price and sometimes it is the total price of the regular lens. In any case, the site is very useful to compare what site to get the cheapest lenses including Expressions or Freshlooks.

The site even has a colored lens viewer where you can chose a person who best fits you and test out colors on them to find a good match. There aren't any Asians, and the colors are different than what the lenses look like in real life, but it is fun to play around with nonetheless.

Circle lenses and Soloticas can be a different story, as you often need to buy them from overseas. The cheapest way to buy circles is to hop onto a seller's "pre-order" (usually on a forum or a website) which means they are buying many lenses in bulk so you need to reserve a spot for what lens you want before they order it. There are also other websites such as http://www.mycolorlens.com/, http://www.secreteyes.org/, and http://www.circlelens2u.com/ that have some ready stock that you can buy. The biggest factors here are cost and delivery time. Ready stock will get to you much quicker than waiting for a pre-order to be completed, but they might not have what you want and it might cost more than a pre-order. Soloticas you must order from a Brazilian website such as http://www.oticabellucci.com.br/ but you might need a translator for Portugese and a currency converter to know the price. Also, international shipping costs are a bit outrageous for Soloticas, which is just a fair warning.

In any case, for any website, you should do a bit of research and make sure the seller is reliable and that you are getting the lens you want. See if you can find real photos of people wearing the lenses, not just some ulzzang, net idol, or model that has photoshopped eyes and a makeup artist. Good luck on getting the lenses that are right for you!