Best Multipurpose Solutions for Circle Lenses

Here are some of our top picks for solutions to cleanse and store your colored contacts and circle lenses.

OPTI-FREE Replenish & Express

Hands down OPTI-FREE is my favourite brand of contact lens solution.  You know how when you put on contact lenses, you get that initial stinging sensation?  Especially when it's early in the morning and your eyes are still sensitive to light?  I've never gotten that with Opti-Free.
I also find that pre-soaking my lenses in Opti-Free makes my eyes less prone to dryness throughout the day.  My eyes feel quite comfortable all day long.  Sometimes, my lenses become blurry due to dryness, but I haven't experienced that with Opti-Free treated lenses.
I haven't noticed any difference in comfort levels between the Replenish and Express versions so they're pretty much the same for me.  The Express is "express" because its formula supposedly dissolves the protein deposits on the lenses for you so you don't have to manually rub your lenses.  However, I read a paper the other day about how rubbing your lenses significantly reduces the deposits on the lens compared to no rubbing, even though multipurpose solution was used.  So make sure to rub your lenses; 20 - 30 seconds twice per day is nothing!
You can buy this solution at almost any optical store and drugstore.


ReNu Multiplus

This brand is only so-so for me.  In the morning, I sometimes experience the stinging sensation described earlier when initially putting on contact lenses.  Also, I find that this solution doesn't help my eyes retain moisture as much as the Opti-Free brand ones do, so my lenses are prone to bluriness later in the day.  I can't really think of any aspect in which this one wins over Opti-Free...maybe slightly cheaper price?  It's usually available as a free sample when you get clear prescripted contacts at your optical store. 


ReNu Fresh

I've had better experiences with this one than with the MultiPlus.  ReNU Fresh keeps my eyes as comfortable throughout the day as Opti-Free does.  No initial stinging sensation as well.  However, I got blurry lenses sometimes, but only at the very end of the day (after 10+ hours of wearing the lenses...which you aren't supposed to do anyway).  I think this is cheaper than Opti-Free, so more bang for your buck.
Get it at your local drugstore.  I haven't seen this one in value pack format.

Hope this post helps you on choosing your contact lens solution!

GEO Nudy Quarter Brown: A Staple for Any Circle Lens Wardrobe

The circle lens industry has been incredibly active over the past 5 or 6 years. There are literally thousands of patterns, colors and designs that have made their debuts over this time. Some of them had their 15 minutes of fame, having their brief burst of popularity quickly extinguished by newer, more exciting designs. (Remember the Bescon Tutti or the Pop C. Dark lenses, anyone?) A handful of others, however, have withstood the test of time and remained consistent sellers from the start. One of these definitely the hugely popular GEO Nudy Quarter Series; this circle lens in Brown is one which I find myself defaulting to whenever I'm in a rush or just too overwhelmed with choice!

Color & Design: 

The GEO Nudy Quarter Brown consists of the famous speckled pattern in a shade of beige which has underlying yellow tones. On my dark Asian eyes, this light color shows up very well, though light-eyed wearers might get a more subdued effect. The Nudy Quarter Brown lens matches well with both light pastel eyeshadow during the day, and looks nice with darker smokey shadow for night. Thumbs up for versatility. The finely detailed dot pattern gives a pretty crystalline effect. I also like how the limbal ring is thin so it adds a subtle line of definition to the iris (I find that lenses without a dark rim make me look quite ghastly).  These lenses are by no means "like-my-own-eyes-but-better" kind of natural, so pairing it with basic eyeliner and mascara is a must.

As you can see, there is a considerable "halo" effect, referring to the white (sclera) portion of the eye that shows through the translucent parts of the lens. I don't really care for this, but there are people on either side of the fence.

Enlargement: 

I feel 14.0-14.2mm is the perfect diameter for circle lenses (at least for small to medium sized Asian eyes), but I am giving 4 stars because most people like 14.5mm+.  People with already big eyes may find the enlargement of this lens to be insufficient.  Anyway, to compare with other lenses in the same "class," the GEO Nudy Quarter is bigger than the GEO Tri-Color World and looks bigger than the GEO Angel, though all these are labelled 14.2mm.

Comfort: 

GEO Magic Color contacts are just ok in comfort. Rohto Lycee eye drops were needed after 3 hours of wear and consistently throughout the day. (For reference, my 5/5 comfort rating for circle goes to NEO Vision monthly lenses and Bausch & Lomb LACELLE)

All in all, the GEO Nudy Quarter Brown circle contacts are a staple. They're like a pair of shoes which can take you from day to night. I hope that this didn't bore you guys too much as I am sure there are more than tonnes of other reviews on the GEO Nudy Quarter series; but my goal was just to share one of the cosmetic lenses that has attained HG status in my makeup drawer!

GEO Nudy Quarter Series can be purchased here on EyeCandy's website for $24.39 plus free worldwide shipping.

xoxo,
Coco

Comparing NEO Sweet Chocolate Dali Brown, Dali 2 Brown and Dali Premium Brown

NEO Vision has 3 models within its "Dali Brown" circle lens series.  You may be thinking that having 3 lenses, all of which are meant to provide a super natural, almost "invisible" effect, is a bit redundant.  Perhaps it is, but when worn, each design actually produces subtle but appreciable differences.  Our company sent a well-known Chinese blogger, An Ming, to compare these 3 lenses.  Photos below are untouched, un-Photoshopped except for resizing purposes.

The first photo from the upper left corner is NEO Dali Sweet Chocolate Brown, the original best-seller from the series.  This design is the thinnest and the least patterned, consisting only of a brown ring that's about 2mm in width.  Because of this, it covers the tiniest portion of the natural iris, surrounding your eye color with only a brown halo.  The edge of your iris will appear more defined.  The enlargement effect is definitely not as dramatic as the 14.5mm+ lenses, but it's enough to give a cuter and more youthful look.  The one con about the Dali Sweet Chocolate is that, when you look to the extreme side, the lens may not align perfectly with the iris, causing the "halo effect" which will make it obvious that you are wearing circle lenses.  With that aside, the comfort, as with all NEO Vision lenses, is perfect.  I love that NEO Vision makes such thin lenses with high water content so that my eyes aren't tired by the end of the day.

The next photo from the upper right corner is NEO Dali 2 Brown, released in 2011.  This is actually my favorite one of the lot because its dense pattern gives the darkest, richest color.  Even though the diameter is the same (14.2mm) as the other two lenses, the dark color actually makes the eyes look more dolly.  Dark colors actually contribute to making my eyes look larger because they contrast against my skin which is quite pale.  This is what I've picked up from personally trying many different circle lenses; so it might not be the same case with everyone.  The swirl pattern also makes these lenses easier to locate if I've dropped them!

Dali Premium Brown is the latest addition to NEO's Dali Brown line.  The diameter is the same as the other 2, but it actually gives the smallest enlargement because it has the lightest color.  The color is more orangey, cocoa-tinted than the other two.  The edge of the design is the most natural and mimics the real human iris in that it slightly fades outwards (take a mirror and examine your real iris; you'll that there's a thin "buffer" ring between the colored portion and white of your eyes).  For those of you who don't want anyone to know that you are wearing cosmetic lenses, this is definitely for you!

Happy New Year! New Products from NEO Vision Added!

Hello again everyone and happy new year! Hope everyone's 2013 is off to a great start!

We recently got some new colored circle lenses from our favorite brand NEO Vision.  Let's introduce them!

NEO Natural Touch Brown

This is a very natural circle lens design with a unique starburst pattern.  The soft cocoa color matches with most dark brown eye colors.  Compared to the original NEO Vision Sweet Chocolate Dali Brown circle lens which has a thin limbal ring, Natural Touch's design is more like a halo, with a gradient that fades towards the centre of the lens.  This allows the outer edge of the iris to be defined and the brown color to blend with your natural eye color towards the middle.  The thicker design also means that you don't run the risk of getting the "halo effect" when wearing this circle lens.  This lens is available in 0.00 - -8.00.  Natural Touch is perfect for wearing everyday to school or work.  We love it!

NEO Natural Touch Brown is available at EyeCandy's for $29.40 plus free lens case and free worldwide shipping.

NEO Flora Series

Our NEO Flora Series comes in grey, brown, blue, green and violet.  Power is available from plano 0.00 to -8.00 for grey and brown and 0.00 only for the other colors. Here are a few photos of this circle lens.

   

As you can see, NEO Flora circle lens doesn't provide a drastic color change as the color is quite translucent.  It just adds a nice tint of color to enhance your eyes.  The most unique thing about the design is the clover shaped ring of color.  It's only visible up close.  Whoever's farther than arm's length will see a little colored sparkle in your eyes.  This makes for a natural yet mysterious effect.  NEO Flora is definitely a fashion lens which you may want to wear for a night out.  Our staff fave from this series is the brown and the violet.  The brown's quite natural so it's great as an "everyday" circle lens, especially if you want something livelier than the standard brown ring design.  The violet looks sweet and romantic and would be great for a dinner date!

NEO Flora Series circle lenses are available from Eyecandy's for $29.40 plus free lens case and free worldwide shipping.

So what do you think about these lenses?  Any suggestions for lenses that you would like to see in our store in the future?  Let us know in the comments below!

- D