Black Contacts

An Overview of Black Contacts

Black contacts aren’t just for cosplay or dress up parties. These pack a bold statement that can pull either to the creepy side or the cute side, depending on how you intend to wear them and what kind of makeup you pair them with.

Tones

Since the tones will always coordinate with the color of the lens, you may find it a little bit difficult to work with the tones on a black circle lens. The only tones that black lenses can use are grey, but fortunately, this likely won’t cause you any issues. The gray tones are great if you want to incorporate your natural eye color with the black circle lens, which works very well if you’re choosing a lens with a wide open center.

When evaluating the tones of a black circle lens, you aren’t actually looking for the different blends of color that you would ordinarily be looking for in other lenses. You’re looking for the pattern of the tones. Each pattern will create a different effect. Some are designed to fade in on the eye color, where the lens itself is made to look like a giant limbal ring. Others will swirl in the gray tones to prevent an abrupt ring of blackness, which can sometimes look strange on lighter eyes.

Size or Diameter

The diameter of black circle lenses is perhaps the most important decision you’ll have to make. The larger the diameter, the more of your natural eye will show through. Think of your black lenses solely as an extension of the natural diameter of your eye. The larger that diameter is, the larger your eye will appear. While this is true for the diameter of all lenses, the effect you’ll get from a black lens is very different.

Black lenses affect the appearance of your eye mostly by boosting the contrast of your natural eye color. The limbal ring of your eye is naturally light. It isn’t very defined or crisp. By adding a larger diameter black circle lens to your eye, you’re giving your eye color a defined band of black to contrast against. The larger the diameter, the greater this contrast will be.

Smaller diameter black lenses will allow less of your natural eye color to show through, and you’ll have to make your considerations accordingly. The effect you get from a smaller diameter lens will be similar to a marble. The black lens closes the eye a little more. In the end, the result is something that looks sexy and sultry. Think about the classic vixen “bedroom eye” look. If you’re looking for a retro glam result, or you simply want your eyes to appear smaller, go for a smaller diameter in a black circle lens.

Limbal Rings

When it comes to black lenses, limbal rings aren’t so much of a concern. Black lenses are essentially giant limbal rings in and of themselves. Instead of focusing on the limbal ring, you should be focusing on how far out the black travels from the limbal ring. This is what ultimately will create your desired effect, and that depends on the variation you choose.

Advice for Green Eyes

With black lenses, green eyes are less tricky than blue eyes, but not as easy as brown eyes. Typically, green eyes offer up a stunning contrast between the pupil and the iris all on their own. If you want to intensify that green, sandwiching it between a black lens and your pupil will really make it stand out. It may be best to avoid black circle lenses with a lot of grey tones, as the grey won’t blend with green. The result is something that can look a little murky. Stick to something with less tones and a larger diameter.

Advice for Brown Eyes

If your eyes are brown, particularly dark brown, you have it easy. It’s super simple to give the impression that brown eyes are much larger than they actually are with black lenses. Since your eyes are dark, you won’t have to worry about the way your black circle lenses will interact with your limbal ring. Just be careful with lenses that have a lot of tones.

With brown eyes, grey tones are very easy to spot. Since the lighter shades of gray create so much contrast on dark eyes, they can actually prevent the black circle lens from blending with dark eyes. If you can, avoid gray tones entirely, and opt for something that’s purely black.

Advice for Blue Eyes

Blue is the lightest natural eye color, and black is the darkest color there is. This is an intense contrast, and it can seem hard to pull off when you’re attempting to blend your lenses with your eyes. While people with brown and green eyes will have a hard time blending, blue eyed people have the least amount to worry about. While others should avoid tones, blue eyed people can put them to good use.

Lenses with a lot of grey tones will play very well with blue eyes, because blue eyes naturally have some gray tones. This can create a seamless transition, and if your contacts are open wide in the center, you may be able to trick people into thinking you simply have a pronounced limbal ring. Your lenses can look real if you pick a pair with a lot of tones.

Though black circle lenses may not seem that exciting, they’re an important piece of your contact lens wardrobe. They provide you with one of the best ways to enhance your eyes without actually changing the color, as subtly or as dramatically as you choose. Our verdict? Pick up a pair that will work for you. You’d be surprised how often you can use them.