Lens review: G&G Tulips Blue

 Hello in the hoods~

Here's the next circle lens review I promised! Today I'll introduce the G&G Tulips Blue, one of those lenses with uneven, patterned edges! I can't remember having reviewed a lens with this kind of stylized edges but I've wanted to give them a try so let's see how it looks! (hopefully not super alien lol)

 

Let's go!

Base curve: 8.8 mm
Diameter: 14.5 mm

Water content: 38%

Life span: 1 year (I recommend 6 months)

 

It should be noted that, based on the research I did years ago, that G&G, Dueba and Barbie are essentially all the same brand. I think Dueba is the manufacturer and the other two are simply rebranding names or something of the sort. No idea why they gotta make things more complicated but oh well, it is what it is. *shrugs*

This is a cute, summery and sorta girly design. It's cheerful, playful and just overall cute. The print looks like nicely arranged black and blue flower petals, it's quite smooth-looking and despite the edges being pointy like that it doesn't look too crazy – I don't think the aliens will come for me tonight...

One lens in.

Heck, it really is quite adorable! I honestly originally bought these just for fun, to try something different because I was curious. I didn't really go in with any kind of expectations but these lenses sure are effectful. They blend extremely well with my natural gray-blue eye color and there's more color output than I initially expected. 

I feel like this design is meant to draw the watcher's gaze in because you can definitely tell already from a distance that there's something going on, specifically those uneven edges and thus the lack of a typical stable black rim like on commonplace circle lenses. 

There is an enlargement boost but due to the lack of a limbal ring these don't actually bring as much attention to the size difference as conventional circle lenses do.

Lens photos ahead! All photos taken by me during a July noon with a semi-clear sky. 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.

Indoors, natural room light.

Indoors, yellow room light.

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

Indoors, facing a window (not sun side).

Indoors, unlit corridor with poor distant natural light.

Outdoors, back against sun. (facing wall)

Outdoors, facing the sun while standing under a shadow.

Outdoors, facing sun.

 

I can't grade comfort fairly as these lenses were expired by the time I rediscovered them in a storage box I had forgotten about. I only wore these for around 10-15 minutes, enough to take all the photos for this review and then I immediately discarded them. Do not wear expired lenses, like really. 

Regarding comfort and wear what I can say is that I had trouble inserting these lenses at first – they felt  perky on my fingertip, they kept their shape even as I tried putting them in and it just wouldn't go sploot on my eyeball you know? They just stayed in that basic upturned shape and wouldn't flop on my finger like most lenses do when your fingers are moist. These lenses were just really perky and hard for being soft contact lenses. It was quite a challenge to get them on, even for me whose worn a ton of lenses and normally do it routinely with no issues lol. 

When I got the first lens in it was crazy stingy and I had to remove it immediately as it was unbearable. I cleaned the lens and retried and this time it was fine. It still felt a little bit stingy (especially when I moved my gaze or when I blinked) but it eventually set and after that it felt thin and I stopped feeling it as much. The other lens was fine. I guess I could wear these for 2-3 hours if they were fresh, which is average considering my eyes are very dry naturally and I have periods when I spam eyedrops like no tomorrow (I normally wear glasses daily).

If you want a cutesy, kinda feminine and summer fresh lens then I would recommend giving these a try! They don't look nearly as weird as I feared they would at first. The color transitions nicely into my real iris and it's a pleasant blue shade that shows up just enough to be noticeable yet not too much to look crazy. It's a fun lens, I could recommend these if you can handle a lens that is notably more form-keeping than usual.

Distance photo!

I've reviewed another color of the Tulips series here: Green

Short summary:

Color: 7/10
A fresh medium blue mixed with black petals. Nicely enhances your eyes.
Design: 8/10
Super cute and girly flower petal design that completely lacks the usual round edges.
Opacity: 7/10
Considering the unusual shape and how it seems that high pigmentation isn't the main draw of the lenses, these do have quite solid color coverage.
Enlargement: 5/10
There is definitely a size boost but it's not brought as much to your attention due to the unique edge design.
Comfort: 5/10
 Aside from being perky and hard to insert these lenses are okay in terms of comfort. A bit stingy at first (possibly just dirt) but afterwards felt thin and decent.

Naturalness: 2/10
It's not even shaped like an actual iris so I hope you don't buy these expecting no one to figure out you're wearing lenses lmao.

Shiro Samurai out! Bye bye!

Lens review: I-Codi Eclipse IC3-31 Aurora Green

Hello!

It's time for another circle lens review again and this time I will show you all the I-Codi Eclipse IC3-31 Aurora Green, a cool multicolor lens! It's a blue-green lens with a streaky sunburst design, quite fancy.

Let's-a-go ~

 

Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 15.0 mm

Water content: 38%
Life span: 1 year (I recommend 6 months)

 

 

This is a fashion lens with an intricate pattern, it reminds me slightly of the GEO Xtra Aster series in terms of style. You can see already in the vials that these are not as heavily pigmented as the I-Codi Eclipse CO4-01 Brown I reviewed earlier but then again, it's not the same series.

I bought them from ifairycon (I'm not affiliated with this shop) ages ago but they seem to still sell these lenses, which is nice as I'm drawn to this kind of artistic, unique styles. x)

One lens in.

 

I don't know man, I guess I had really high hopes for these but they're not as colorful and bold as I was expecting. It's still a pretty lens and all but they turned somewhat dark on my eyes and that makes all the black lines look even more busy and noticeable somehow? I don't know how to explain and I'm not even sure what exactly I was expecting, but something just makes me nudge ever so slightly into that disappointed territory with these. :/ I do admit they blend nicely, although that thin black inner circle screws up any attempted naturalness on light eyes...

 

The color is a blue-ish green, somewhere in the seafoam green range. Outdoors in bright sunlight the colors looks the best, that's when it really shows properly. These lenses might be a bit indistinguishable when viewed from a distance because, at range, all the black details really darken the color of the lens.

These pack some size but it's nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to circle lenses – it plays in the bigger ballpark though. There's a distinct, black limbal ring to enlarge your eyes and make them appear more youthful.

Lens photos ahead! All photos taken by me during a July noon with a semi-cloudy sky. 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.

 

Natural room light indoors.

Yellow room light indoors.

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

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

Outdoors, back against the sun. (facing wall)

Outdoors, facing the sun (hidden) while standing under a shadow.

Outdoors, facing the sun while it's obscured by a cloud.

Outdoors, facing the sun.

These lenses were also part of that cardboard box I had stashed away and forgot for literal years, meaning that when I eventually rediscovered all these lenses it turned out that almost all of them had expired. Not so much one can do about it, shit happens. What this means is that I'm doing these reviews just to help the community out and, once I've taken all photos necessary for the blog post, I immediately discard the expired lenses. This of course means that I can't grade comfort fairly and it's thus based on my first (and only) impressions of wearing the lenses for approximately 10-15 minutes. I do NOT recommend wearing expired lenses! I'm only doing it under as short time as possible to get these reviews done.

In terms of comfort these lenses appeared to be just fine – they were thin, easy to insert, I barely felt them at all and they were overall comfortable. I have naturally really dry and sensitive eyes but I guess, if these had been fresh, I probably could have worn them for the usual 3-4 hours without eyedrops (which is good in my standards). Again, don't wear expired lenses to conventions, events etc – it's a stupid risk to take when lenses aren't even that expensive to begin with but your sight is irreplaceable.

Overall I think this is a decent lens. It has a cool burst-like design that sadly blends into my eyes to the point that the color darkens more than I would have liked. Only in bright, outdoor lights or up close do these really show their best side.. on light eyes at least. I wonder if these weren't intended for dark-eyed people? Whatever the case these are not really suitable as a cosplay lens in my honest opinion, simply because the color doesn't 'pop' enough and especially not from a distance. It's one of those lenses were you can clearly tell someone has lenses on but unless you get close, and in optimal lights, it's just kinda "oh it's some color alright". It's definitely not an ugly lens by any means but it's not what I was hoping for (your mileage may vary) and, to be honest, I now kinda lowkey wish I would have picked another color. xD I do feel like I'm sounding a bit harsh here but really, these are not bad I swear! It's just that I expected something more vibrant and bright.

Distance photo!

Short summary:

Color: 7/10
Multicolor blue-ish green lens, think seafoam green. The amount of black severely darkens the effect, dampening the 'oomph' I was hoping for.
Design: 7/10
A fancy, burst-like design with lots of black streaks. It's a fashion lens more than a costume lens.
Opacity: 6/10 

It changes my eye color but there's a bunch of transparency. Most pigmentation is near the edges. Blends nicely.
Enlargement: 6/10
Somewhat on the big side but very wearable.

Comfort: 7/10 

Seemed to be good. I didn't really feel them and they were thin and easy to wear.
Naturalness: 3/10

Too big and detailed to look natural on light eyes.

Thanks for reading, more reviews coming soon! 

Shiro Samurai out.

Lens review: I-Codi Eclipse CO4-01 Brown

Happy summer folks!

Hope y'all having a nice weekend. :) I will continue to do circle lens reviews as per usual (shame I don't really have any new cosplay content yet) and this time it's the I-Codi Eclipse CO4-01 Brown, a super pretty multi-colored lens!

Let's roll~

 

Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 15.0 mm

Water content: 38%
Life span: 1 year (I recommend 6 months)

 

As you can see this is not your typical brown lens. It has this kind of multi-color burst pattern with brown, orange, some yellow and blue shades and it's honestly thrilling! I've never come across a lens like this and it's so unique and gorgeous. I remember buying these from ifairycon, in case anyone wonders where you can find these lenses (I'm not affiliated with this shop). 

There's a prominent black rim although it's not super thick like on some other lenses. It still really frames your eyes and adds to the illusion of big, youthful peepers.

One lens in.

When worn you can kinda tell that the primary color is brown but the blue speckles are quite prominent as well! It makes me think of stained glass or a supernova or something, it's really fancy. The design is very eye-catching and it definitely won't pass as natural so yeah, wear these with funky fashion outfits that already turn heads and you'll turn even more heads lol. x) Oh and yeah, in terms of size these lenses are quite big but it's not too big, you know?

The color coverage is really good, it completely covers my real eye color. I'm actually lowkey surprised how the pupil opening doesn't clash badly where it meets my iris – it works better than I thought, despite the design being so intense and busy. Actually, I feel like the pupil hole might be just a tad smaller than average for circle lenses of this size now that I look closer...

Lens photos ahead! All photos taken by me during a June afternoon with a clear sky. 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.

 

Indoors, natural room light.

Indoors, yellow room light.

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

Unlit corridor, weak natural light in the far distance.

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

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

Outdoors, facing the sun while under a shadow.

Outdoors, facing the sun.

I've mentioned this in a lot of previous reviews before but, just in case someone new is reading this, I want to clarify that these lenses were in a cardboard box I had forgotten I had until way past expiration. When I found it again, years later, all the unopened lenses inside had expired. This means I am unable to grade comfort on these lenses along with most other lenses I will review for some time. I'm literally only wearing this pair long enough to get the photos for the review (approximately 10 minutes) and then I immediately discard them. Please do not wear expired lenses for events etc.

 

From what I can tell these lenses seemed fine – they were thin and I barely felt them. There was a moment immediately after I inserted the left lens that it was a little bit itchy around the corner but it settled after about one minute. I can only guess but it wouldn't surprise me if  I could wear these for the usual 3-4 hours (note: I have naturally very dry eyes so this is standard/good wear time for me) if they had not been expired. It's a shame I can't get some use out of these lenses as I really like the design and the, well, color vomit. xD 

 

Summa summarum this is a gorgeous, fresh and feisty lens. The burst-like design draws attention and the multiple colors work together in a wonderful, magical way. I feel like the blue shades in particular liven up the brown and gives it this kind of fantasy flare and it's exciting! It's a really unique lens with a cool color combination that you really don't run into every day. If you like multi-color lenses that stand out then don't sleep on these!

 

Distance photo~ 

 

Short summary:

Color: 9/10
Beautiful multi-color lens! Brown is the primary color but there's oranges, yellows and blues mixed in.
Design: 8/10
It has a respectable black rim and a wild, burst-like design that looks amazing up close.
Opacity: 8/10 

Really solid color coverage. High pigmentation.
Enlargement: 6/10
It's a bit big but still fairly modest. These aren't overly dolly.

Comfort: 7/10 

Seemed to be decent, thin and I didn't feel them much. A little itchy upon insertion but it went away fast.
Naturalness: 3/10

Somewhat too big, but definitely too colorful to really fly much at all.

Thanks for reading, I hope you found this review useful! 

Shiro Samurai out.

Lens review: Vassen Dolly Plus Gray

 Hello people!

 

Summer arrived very suddenly this year over here, man it's hot outside. xD I need to chug out more circle lens reviews while midnight sun is a thing and I have plenty of daylight hehe. This time I will review the Vassen Dolly Plus Gray lenses, also sometimes spelled as Vassen Dolly+ Gray.
Back in 2013 when I started using colored contact lenses for cosplay these lenses were a popular choice for cosplayers but nowadays there's a lot more options flooding the market than there used to be so yeah, I'm not too sure how things currently stand. Regardless, this is a beautiful lens and worth checking out!

Let's get on with the review~

 

Base curve: 8.6 mm
Diameter: 14.5 mm

Water content: 42% 

Life span: 1 year (I recommend 6 months)

 

This is a really big and dolly lens, just like the name implies. It's a great pick for lolita, cosplay, j-fashion and the like where having an 'anime eye' look is part of the desired aesthetic. There's a thick black rim to add to the illusion of big, youthful eyes and the color coverage is solid – despite the gray being very light in shade. It's a lovely, attractive lens that will look good on almost anyone. Actually I'm kind of surprised how nice it goes with my natural gray-blue eyes despite the design of the lenses not really having a smooth color transition at the center.

 

One lens in.

 

As you can see these are big and do indeed look a lot like 'manga eyes'. Because gray is close to my real eye color I feel like those black streaks near the pupil hole bring attention to the lack of blending between the lens and my iris – it's not necessarily a bad thing but it just strikes me more with these gray lenses than with the other Dolly Plus colors I've reviewed before.
I'm usually not drawn to gray lenses all that much, find it a bit of a dull color so to say, but these lenses are honestly very pretty. It's a light, almost pristine gray color that looks very clean and somehow alluring? It has this certain pull to it that I rarely feel with gray lenses, it's just captivating in a way.

 

Lens photos ahead! All photos taken by me during a June afternoon with a clear sky. 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.

 

Indoors, natural room light.

Indoors, yellow room light.

Bathroom light.

Flash photo.

Facing a window (backyard view, not sun side)

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

Outdoors, facing the sun while standing under a shadow.

Outdoors, facing the sun.

I've mentioned it many times before but I've kind of made it a rite, by now, to clarify just in case there's new readers stumbling into my blog who haven't read previous lens reviews I've done the last year or so – these lenses were in a cardboard box I had put a lot of unopened lenses in and then just stashed away and literally forgotten.. for years. When I found it again everything had expired, much to my chagrin. This means I am unable to grade comfort on these lenses along with most other lenses I will review for a while. I stress, do not wear expired lenses to events or for prolonged periods!! I'm literally only wearing the lenses long enough to get the photos for the review (approximately 10 minutes) and then I immediately discard them. 

The only thing I can really say about the perceived comfort is that the lenses felt thin and were easy to insert, despite a little bit of floppiness on my fingers. They appeared to be comfortable and I didn't feel them in my eyes almost at all. My estimate is that if these had not been expired I likely could have worn them the usual 3-5 hours that is standard for me, considering how stupid dry my eyes naturally are (yes, I'm one of those people who use eyedrops a lot).

Overall I'd say that this is a lens worth trying, even more so if you happen to like gray lenses. In my opinion it perhaps has a bit too much of an impact to be worn as a daily lens but for events, costumes, alternative fashion and the like I'd say this is a good option. The design is simple enough to work for many different looks and the color coverage is great, you even have the chance of getting a slight 'halo effect' in some lights and that's always a bonus! It's seriously a lovable lens, even for those like me who almost never choose a gray lens as their first choice haha.

And lastly, the distance photo~

Looking for reviews of Dolly Plus lenses in other colors?
I got you covered: Green, Blue, Violet, Brown, Red

Short summary:

Color: 8/10
A gorgeous, cool light gray. It shows up well and goes nicely with naturally light eyes.
Design: 8/10 
Simple and cute style that is rather versatile in what looks you can rock with it.

Opacity: 8/10 

Color coverage is solid and sufficiently intense, without being overbearing.
Enlargement: 8/10
Definitely large and dolly. The black limbal ring adds to the illusion of big, moe-like eyes.

Comfort: 7/10 

I barely felt them in my eyes, they were thin and comfy. A bit floppy but still easy to insert.
Naturalness: 3/10

The color could work from a distance but these are way too big and cutesy otherwise to really fly.

Thanks for reading, another lens review coming soon~

Shiro Samurai out.

Top 50 Cosplay Blogs

Hello!

I'm just making a quick post because I recently learned that my blog has been selected by one of Feedspot's panelists to be part of the "Top 50 Cosplay Blogs" on the internet. It's a comprehensive list of blogs run by cosplayers like me, just as well as cosplay stores and news sites. 

I'm honored to be part of this list and surprised that I'm as high up as number 9 currently. :D Not gonna lie I think it's kinda wholesome that my contribution to the community is noticed and acknowledged like this – I've had this blog since December 2011, so it's definitely been around for a while and I do plan to keep it alive for many more years to come. Motivation boost go!

But anygays, the link to the list is posted above so if you wanna check who else made the cut then head over there – you might find some new cool blogs to follow!

See ya next month~
Shiro Samurai out.