I have been curious about colored contacts in cosplay, but I wasn’t sure where to start. Last year, I posted in a local cosplayer Facebook group and I’m glad I did. They advised me to go to the eye doctor to begin the process. It sounds silly because I didn’t even think I needed to visit the eye doctor. I figured I could order colored contacts online and that’s it. I decided to write my own guide as to how I proceeded with colored contacts because I wish this would have existed for me before starting this process.

I have seen professional cosplayers use colored contacts and I thought it made their cosplays look more realistic. It inspired me to want to try colored contacts for myself. After posting in that Facebook group, I took Vision insurance when my health insurance open enrollment began last November. I’m not sure if my Vision insurance covered much of my Vision care since technically it wasn’t medically necessary. I have no regrets about taking Vision insurance even if it didn’t cover the cost of colored contacts. It didn’t cost extra on my insurance and it’s nice to have just in case.

After CONvergence passed, I remembered how I wanted to prioritize getting colored contacts. It’s funny how fast time passes. I checked with my insurance to find an optometrist in-network and made an appointment at a clinic five minutes from my house. When I called in, I jokingly told the receptionist how I wanted colored contacts for cosplay. She assured me it was more common than I thought it was and booked me for my first appointment.

To get colored contacts, I had three eye appointments. The first appointment was a general exam to see if I needed colored contacts with prescriptions. I have 20/10 vision, so I could get away with contacts with little to no prescription. In my second appointment, I had an hour-long lesson on how to put on contacts. I’m not sure what I expected, but I STRUGGLED to put in contacts. I found myself feeling frustrated and wanting to give up. The person who was working with me was incredibly kind and she encouraged me to keep trying and that it took some getting used to. I finally figured it out and was sent home with clear contacts to try. For the final appointment, I had to come into the clinic with clear contacts. Surprisingly, it took me ten minutes to put the contacts in myself. I was shocked. When I arrived, the doctor checked my eyes to see if my eyes were getting enough oxygen with the contacts. Everything came back great, so I ordered my colored contacts. I chose green because I felt it complimented my Keyleth cosplay. I haven’t picked them up yet, but they have been ordered and should be ready soon.

When I got home from the final eye doctor’s appointment, I had to take out my contacts and that took much longer. It took me about 20 minutes to take them out versus 10 minutes to put them in. Oddly enough, I did much better with my right eye than my left even though I’m left-handed. I am going to practice with my clear contacts because I want to feel confident in wearing them and taking them out, so when I’m getting ready for a convention, I’m not late to it because I’m struggling to put my contacts in.

I learned so much from this process! I learned about my eyes and how to wear contact lenses. I know how to take care of my contact lenses and how to order colored contacts, so I’m not buying anything that can’t be put into my eyes. I won’t wear colored contacts for every cosplay I do. I will save colored contacts for those cosplays where it feels necessary to get the look I want. In summary, I would highly recommend going to the eye doctor if you’re like me where you never needed glasses or contacts. If you are already accustomed to contacts, I would be careful about where you order colored contacts to ensure you’re getting them from a good place. I’m happy I made the time to get colored contacts and I can’t wait to experiment with colored contacts in the future.