Types of colour contacts

Visibility tint

This is usually a light blue or green tint added to a lens, just to help you see it better during insertion and removal, or if you drop it. Visibility tints are relatively faint and do not affect your eye colour.

Enhancement tint

This is a solid but translucent (see-through) tint that is a little darker than a visibility tint. As the name implies, an enhancement tint is meant to enhance the natural colour of your eyes.

Opaque tint

This is a non-transparent tint that can change your eye colour completely. If you have dark eyes, you'll need this type of colour contact lens to change your eye colour. Colour contacts with opaque tints come in a wide variety of colours, including hazel, green, blue, violet, amethyst, brown and grey.

Choosing the right colour

The contact lens colour that will suit you best depends on numerous factors, such as your hair colour and skin tone. Ultimately, the best colour and design to choose depends on the kind of look you want to achieve — subtle and natural-looking or dramatic and daring.

Colour contacts for light eyes

Colour contacts for dark eyes

Colour contacts for light eyes

If you want to change your appearance but in a more subtle way, you may want to choose an enhancement tint that defines the edges of your iris and deepens your natural colour.

If you want to experiment with a different eye colour while still looking natural, you might choose contact lenses in grey or green, for example, if your natural eye colour is blue.

If you want a dramatic new look that everyone notices immediately, those with naturally light-coloured eyes and a cool complexion with blue-red undertones might choose a warm-toned contact lens such as light brown.

Colour contacts for dark eyes

Opaque coloured tints are the best choice if you have dark eyes. For a natural-looking change, try a lighter honey brown or hazel coloured lens.

If you really want to stand out from the crowd, opt for contact lenses in vivid colours, such as blue, green or violet, if your skin is dark, bright-coloured lenses can create a dramatic appearance.

Colour contacts:

What you need to know

Before you choose coloured contacts, be mindful of these key factors:

Although there are different-sized lenses to fit most wearers, there will be some occasions (such as during blinking) where the coloured portion may slide somewhat over the cornea and show up against the white of the eye . This creates a less-than-natural appearance, particularly when wearing opaque colour contacts.

Also, the size of your pupil is constantly changing to accommodate varying light conditions — so sometimes, like at night, your pupil may be larger than the clear centre of the lens. In these instances, your vision may be affected slightly.