Lens review: Neo Dali Extra Blue

Hello chums!

It's time for another circle lens review so let's roll this one out! I will be reviewing the Neo Dali Extra Blue, a lens by the Neo Cosmo brand (often just abbreviated to simply Neo).

Let's go~

Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 14.2 mm

Water content: 45%

Life span: 3 months

Some of my long-time readers might remember how my previous Neo reviews had the lenses in the typical glass vials but yeah, now they seem to come in blisters. I personally prefer the little glass bottles (they're easier to photograph for reviews etc) but whatever the case for the change Neo lenses are still just as good as they used to be, it's just the packaging that has changed.

One thing that's distinct to Neo is that pretty much all their lenses seem to be 14.2 mm diameter and 8.6 base curve, meaning that if you're picky about what lenses work for you and those measures that Neo use are ideal then you might want to stick to them; some people's eyes are very sensitive and can only use their exact base curve, while others have more leeway.

One lens in.

This is a really pretty lens with a deep blue color and a nice blending effect that goes really well with my gray-blue eyes. The shade of blue is somewhere between medium and dark but it has a lot of depth to it and doesn't look flat. I really like how soft the transition to the black rim is as well, it adds intensity and really frames your eyes without being jarring or cartoony.
There is a slight enlargement effect and although a 14.2 diameter is considered on the smaller end (when it comes to circle lenses) I dare say that due to the thickness of the limbal ring the enlargement effect appears bigger than on some of Neo's other lenses. It's all about the illusion really – a simple note to remember is that the thicker and more pronounced the black outer rim is, the more dolly and bigger the lens will appear when worn.

Lens photos below!

All photos are taken by yours truly during an afternoon with a clear sky. All close-ups are free from color-altering filters etc and that's so that the photos would appear as true to life as possible.

Indoors, natural room light.

Indoors, yellow room light.

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

Facing a window indoors, not sun side.

Outdoors, back against the sun. (facing wall)

Outdoors, facing the sun while under the roof's shadow.

Outdoors, facing the sun directly.

I've worn these lenses out to an anime convention and I had no issues with the comfort. Overall I'd say that the Dali Extra Blue are thin and easy to wear, they're comfortable even for longer wear and I barely even felt that I had lenses on. I should note though that my eyes are naturally sensitive and very dry and I do tend to experience dryness earlier than people with more "normal eyes" but I managed to wear these for roughly 5-6 hours before I felt like I really had to take them off. If you have dry eyes you might want to invest in eyedrops that are suitable for contact lenses to improve your comfort at events etc.

Overall this is a versatile circle lens that can be used for many different purposes ranging from cosplay to street fashion and dress-ups. The blue shade is very pleasant and has a good coverage, I think it would show up even on dark eyes? I can recommend this pair if you're looking for this type of blue color and don't want overly huge lenses; these lenses are a solid option for cosplaying male characters due to their modest size.

Distance photo!

Short summary:

Color: 8/10
A beautiful, darkish blue that has that a lot of depth to it.
Design: 7/10
Quite the standard design but a very succesful and multi-purpose one, it's minimalistic in a way yet full of life.
Opacity: 8/10
Surprisingly strong coverage, it blocks out my real eye color and is densely pigmented.
Enlargement: 4/10 

It's between small and moderate when you factor in the illusion of the rich black rim.
Comfort: 7/10
Thin, comfy and I barely notice that I have lenses on. Definitely on the upper half of the scale.

Naturalness: 5/10

The color and bordering on ethereal appearance gives these away; a bit too dark and impactful to fly under the radar but still within the outskirts of semi-natural.

Do you have a preferred circle lens brand that you gravitate towards?

Shiro Samurai out~

Lens review: Chromaview Blue Manson

Hello friends!

I'll be reviewing a pair of crazy lenses called Chromaview Blue Manson, wiee! I'd wager that most people who are familiar with sfx lenses have at the very least seen photos of this classic long-standing design – yes, the namesake comes from rockstar Marilyn Manson's iconic looks. There's tons of different brands that produce 'Manson' lenses but the ones I'm showing y'all today are from Chromaview, a brand more prominent in the western market.

Let's go!

Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 14 mm

Water content: 42%

Life span: 30 days

This is a really simple design consisting of a solid block of color and a thin black outer rim, nothing else. It's so minimal and yet it has an immense impact because of how unnatural and intense it ends up looking. Yes, the color payoff is crazy vibrant and whatever your real eye color is there will be no traces of it after you put these bad boys on!

One lens in.

As you can see on the photo above I have a light gray-blue eye color and it gets completely blocked out! It's only possible to catch slight glimpses of your natural color through the small pupil opening but it's not distracting at all from the overall effect and besides, one has got to see lol. Yes, the pupil hole is rather small (especially if you're used to wearing circle lenses) and that does mean that in some poorer light conditions you might experience some blurring in your field of vision, especially at the corners. If you're new to wearing special effect lenses then this might feel weird and trippy at first but don't worry, after some time your eyes will adjust!

There is some very minor enlargement effect for me but, honestly, it's not really noticeable once you have both lenses on. Of course the actual size increase will depend on the size of your eyes so yeah, there's some individual variety to factor in. But I doubt anyone would look alien with these on because they are considered small in the realm of colored contacts. Of course with this kind of bright Halloween-style lenses I recommend wearing eye makeup to really frame your eyes and make the lenses pop!

Lens photos below!

All photos are taken by yours truly during an afternoon with a clear sky. All close-ups are free from color filters and the like and that's so that the colors would appear as true to life as possible.

Indoors, natural room light.

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

Facing window indoors, not sun side. (backyard view)

Unlit corridor, weak natural light in the distance.

Outdoors, back against sun. (facing wall)

Outdoors, facing sun.

You can see on the photos above that these lenses are unquestionably a screaming bright blue regardless of what light conditions I am in. There's no transparency whatsoever and yes, it looks extremely unrealistic but that's exactly the point with this type of lenses – if you want a hyper-pigmented, unapologetic neon blue that turns heads because of how bonkers colorful it is then look no further, you got it here. This is a great lens for costuming, carnival parties, punkrockers and literally anyone who breaks the mold of society and who doesn't give two shits about normalcy. If your vibe is being bold and extra then 'Manson' lenses are likely a good fit for you! This is of course also a solid choice for cosplay, depending on your preferences. :)

When it comes to comfort I'd say that the Blue Manson lenses get a pass, they're thin and generally comfortable to wear. I wore them at an event for about 7 hours before my eyes gassed, which is quite the feat for me because my eyes are very dry naturally. They did start to show signs of drying a couple or so hours in but almost all lenses do this for me because my eyes suck lol, so it isn't really anything out of the norm. I do want to mention though that I think I might have had one of the lenses being of a poorer batch because the right lens was always scratchy when I inserted it, and so I had to reinsert it a few times and clean it thoroughly between each try before it finally was wearable. The left lens was perfectly okay so I dunno, I inspected the right lens many times but I saw no defect on it so maybe just had bad luck with stubborn dirt or something.

Distance photo!

Short summary:

Color: 10/10
Absolutely insane neon bright blue, great for alternative fashion and costume parties.

Design: 7/10

Classic crazy lens design with a single bold color and thin black rim. Greatly visible from a distance!

Opacity: 10/10

100% coverage, no question. 

Enlargement: 3/10

There's a minor size boost but I'd say it's not jarring even if you'd only wear one lens.

Comfort: 6/10

Sufficiently good. Might be a bit more drying than some other lenses due to the low-ish water content (42%) but overall thin and decent to wear. Bring contact lens suitable eyedrops for prolonged wear at events etc, especially if you have naturally dry eyes.

Naturalness: 0/10

Hell nah, these are as crazy as they come and proudly so!

Are you interested in crazy lenses? Tell me about your favorites in the comments!

Shiro Samurai out~

Top 60 Cosplay Blogs

Hello everyone!

I've once again had my blog humbly selected by Feedspot to be part of the "Top 60 Cosplay Blogs" on the internet. It's a comprehensive list of different blogs and sites aimed at providing resources and experiences from and for cosplayers. I'm number 3 on the list omg and that's honestly quite flattering. I like thinking that my ramblings are beneficial to and read by the wider costuming community out there!
I've documented my trials and errors in this blog since 2011 and despite most content creators moving on from blogging to social media platforms I honestly prefer blogs every day of the week – and I don't care if that makes me a fossil lol. I appreciate all my readers and supporters along with everyone else who still runs quality blogs in this day and age, you are all the real champions! I do recommend checking out the list linked above though, you might find some new cool blogs to follow. :)

That's all for this mini post, stay geeky out there~
Shiro Samurai out.