Lady Gaga in her “Bad Romance” music video
After the recent article in the NYTimes on circle lenses, it seems as if everyone is talking about how to get “Lady Gaga eyes.” It seems to be odd timing, since the “Bad Romance” video came out months ago, and Lady Gaga most likely used digital editing, not contacts, to get those crazy enlarged eyes, but it has given the American audience insight into what used to be a primarily Asian fad.
Photo Credit: frmheadtotoe
Circle lenses are contacts that not only change your eye color, but also give the appearance of having anime-like eyes, thanks to a wide black circle around the irises, and have been around in Asia for years. The circle lens thread on Soompi.com spans over 1500 pages and is filled with photos and Youtube vidoes of consumers reviewing the different colors and styles.
The only thing you won’t find in the thread is where to buy the lenses, for one very valid reason: it’s illegal to sell any type of contact lenses in the United States without a prescription.
But for those who are willing to flout the rules can easily find websites selling the lenses through Google, and the NYTimes article even links to a few:
At Lenscircle.com, which is based in Toronto, most of the customers are Americans, ages 15 to 25, who heard about circle lenses through YouTube reviewers, said Alfred Wong, 25, the site’s founder. […]
Jason Aw, an owner of PinkyParadise.com, a site based in Malaysia, is well aware that his shipments to the United States are illegal. But he is convinced that his circle lenses are “safe; that is why a lot of customers will recommend” them to others.
His “job,” he wrote in an e-mail message, is “to provide a platform” for people who want to buy the lenses but cannot do so locally.
It is true that many people misunderstand the dangers of circle lenses: they’re not actually any worse for you than normal corrective lenses, it’s simply unsafe to purchase lenses from an unknown provider that doesn’t verify prescriptions with a licensed doctor.
What do you think? Is this fad silly/dangerous or just another way for girls to change up their look?
