Lens review: I.Fairy Ruby Red

Hello everyone!

I'll show you peeps the beautiful I.Fairy Ruby Red circle lenses, also sometimes known as Vassen Ruby Red. ^^ I originally bought these to use for when I cosplay Chikage Kazama (Hakuouki) but I have yet to cosplay him and, sadly, the expiry date is closing in on these and thus I had to open them. I always viewed the I.Fairy Ruby series as a cosplay lens and now let's see if you agree!

Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 16.2 mm

Water content: 55%

Life span: 1 year (I recommend 6 months)

These lenses have a rather simple design featuring a black limbal ring with some longer and shorter streaks reaching towards the pupil. The design of the I.Fairy Ruby series is like a middleground between anime/fantasy and semi-natural – these red lenses could work for cosplay purposes as well as for some creepy cute lolita outfits etc. I'd say that because of the design the Ruby series is a pretty versatile lens.

The first time I wore these lenses was at a con. I had no problems inserting them and they were comfortable right off the bat. Too bad they started to feel dry already after the first hour had passed and, while I can't know exactly becaus I didn't check the clock, I couldn't wear these longer than for something between 2-4 hours. The same thing happened the second time I wore these as well, really comfortable once inserted but start to feel dry after 1 hour. 

I'm not sure if I just got an Monday example or if the fast drying is because these lenses would have expired in their vials in January next year, had I not opened them.

One lens in. Notice the size difference.

You can see that these lenses are big. Not humongously big but I.Fairy type of big, if you know what I mean. The thick black limbal ring also adds to the illusion of the eyes being bigger and it also makes the lenses look 'anime'. The size doesn't hinder my vision in any way.

The color is definitely a red that shows up well, slightly more on the deep/dark side but still not a dark shade in itself. In some lights I have noticed that it takes on a pinkish tint though but, then again, that could vary depending on what your natural eye color is – mine is a light blue-gray. 

The lenses have a nice color coverage. These are especially suitable for cosplayers because the color is very noticeable from a distance and it photographs well.

Lens photos ahead!

All photos taken by me during a November afternoon with a clear sky and approaching sunset. There's no color filters or such on the close-up photos and that's so that the colors would be as true to real life as possible.

Apartment room light, only natural light (window).

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

Facing a window in the corridor. (not sun side)

Yellow light in the corridor.

Weak yellow light in the staircase.

Facing a weak orange-ish lamp in the staircase, with a window at my side.

Outdoors, back against the sun. (aka facing the wall)

Outdoors, facing the sun.

What more can I say? It's a pretty red multi-purpose lens and I would recommend trying these if you are in need of red lenses. Just be aware that I.Fairy always have big lenses and if you have small eyes it might not look the best on you, of course depending on the person.

As far as naturalness goes I wouldn't call these natural but they are surprisingly okay for being an unnatural color; they don't look scary for being a red lens and that's quite a feat. With that said I still wouldn't wear these as an everyday lens (then again, if you like to stand out then go for it!) but they do work for j-fashion and such, especially those with darker themes since red eyes often add to the look. Goths and rockers might enjoy these lenses too, hehe.

Distance photo!

Want to see the I.Fairy Ruby lenses but in different colors?
I've reviewed some more pairs here: Brown, Green

Short summary:

Color: 8/10
A good, clear and deep red that shows up well.

Design: 8/10

The design itself is fairly basic but it makes it versatile!

Opacity: 8/10

These do change my eye color yet doesn't look too fake.

Enlargement: 8/10

Big, just like I.Fairy lenses always are.

Comfort: 4/10

These are comfortable at first and don't hinder my vision in any way. They do start to feel dry already after 1 hour though. I can wear these for anything between 2-4 hours.

Naturalness: 2/10

Despite being a big red lens these don't look scary or super weird. Still not natural though, for obvious reasons.

Thanks for viewing, I hope you found this review helpful!

Shiro Samurai out.