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Beauty lenses accentuate the appearance of our eyes and are becoming an important part of our “beauty routine”. After all, wearing the right pair of beauty lenses can really bring out the radiance of our eyes, even with little eye makeup on.

Beauty lenses have become an essential in our beauty routine in recent years. But unlike our favourite cosmetics products, beauty lenses aren’t “over-the-counter” products you can simply grab off the shelves whenever you like it; they’re technically prescriptive items and may have a more direct impact on something as important as your eye health.

To help you enjoy beauty lenses as much as possible, we have compiled a list of common mistakes that you may be guilty of, to help you be better at choosing your beauty lenses the next time.

1. You buy lenses without a prescription

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

If this is your first response upon seeing this first point of the article, we’re sorry we have to burst your bubble – because lots of bad things could happen.

The first commandment of all eye care, is to never use contact lenses unless you have had a proper fitting by an eye care professional. Even if you have had a past prescription, you shouldn’t assume that all contact lenses will be right for your eyes because your eye health may change over the years. While you may not always require a power prescription for all beauty lenses, it is still important to have a professional choose the healthiest lenses for you.

Being your own optometrist and buying without professional help is akin to driving without a license – you’re putting yourself at risk. We know our eyes are important to us, so give only the best to them!

2. You buy lenses from unverified sources

Are you guilty of buying beauty lenses from unverified online sources, or maybe even off the street when you’re overseas, from makeshift stalls?

These beauty lenses may be cheaper or maybe even offer more colours and designs than what you usually find, but you can’t be sure what went into its manufacturing.

You may have heard of gory stories about how certain beauty lenses caused infections and other eye problems to their wearers. The cause? Colour pigments.

Beauty lenses with colour pigments printed on their surface could come into direct contact with your eyes, causing irritation or even scratching the cornea. We won’t get into the gruesome details – we’re sure you can find these examples for yourself online. Remember, beauty lenses are supposed to enhance our beauty, not strip it away from us, so don’t be one of the victims in this irony.

Thankfully, not all lenses are made the same. Instead of imprinting pigments on the surface of the lenses, there are beauty lenses out there with pigments that are enclosed within the lens, to ensure your eyes are kept safe and healthy. Ask your optometrist for recommendations of lenses that are proven to carry this technology.

3. You believe reusables are the most cost-efficient

Many people tend to think reusables are convenient because you don’t have to change them for weeks, and that if they cleanse their lenses, they’re as clean as they were when you first take them out from the packaging. This is a huge mistake.

Even if you cleanse your lenses thoroughly, the lenses can still trap germs and grime. These can transfer to your eyes, increasing risk of infection. Moreover, we know how we can slack off with cleaning on days we feel that we need to hit the sack immediately.

If you want to save on buying lens-cleansing solution yet still maintain high level of hygiene without risk of infection, switch to daily lenses. These are thrown away at the end of the day, which means that you can save yourself the hassle of cleaning, and most importantly, the lenses that you put on each day are guaranteed to be in their cleanest and freshest state, to give you the most comfort and highest level of hygiene.

4. You assume that all beauty lenses are uncomfortable

You may have some bad experiences with beauty lenses – they don’t feel comfortable and your eyes are typically irritated and dry even before the end of the day.

The truth is that choosing a pair of lenses that are manufactured using the right material is the trick to absolute comfort. Ask your optometrist to recommend lenses that are able to keep moisture in, so that your eyes remain moist and comfortable throughout the day.

5. You don’t think about whether your lenses provide UV protection

You don’t ever leave home without applying sunscreen, but how about UV protection for your eyes?

Exposure to UV rays has been linked to eye health problems including cataracts and macular degeneration, which can cause vision loss unless treated.

Thankfully, there are beauty lenses that offer UV protection to your eyes so that UV damage can be minimised. Your optometrist will be able to recommend suitable options for you.

6. You go for designs that mask your natural eye beauty

Did you know that every iris is unique, just like how fingerprints are different from person to person?

This is why when considering which beauty lenses to go for, colour shouldn’t be the only consideration. The patterns of the lenses and how they’re designed to accentuate your iris should be one of the areas you look into too.

You should also try out different designs before deciding on the pair that accentuate – not hide – your natural iris pattern.

Left: Brand X | Right: ACUVUE® DEFINE®

Let’s see if you can spot the difference. The image on the left masks your iris pattern. On the other hand, the image on the right is of a model wearing the ACUVUE® DEFINE®, which accentuates your iris pattern, so that you can show off beauty that’s uniquely yours.

Because ACUVUE® DEFINE® lenses are designed to bring out your natural iris pattern, you’ll notice that the lenses are able to help retain the uniqueness of your eyes, while accentuating their natural beauty. What this means is that even if your friend and you are wearing the same pair of ACUVUE® DEFINE® lenses, your eyes will never look identical.

Let’s celebrate our individuality – and it starts from the feature everyone notices first: our eyes!

Discover your natural eye radiance

Learn more about ACUVUE® DEFINE® lenses on their website. And at the meanwhile, you can also download the MyACUVUE app on your mobile device to enjoy loyalty points and exclusive perks with your purchases.

Want to discover your natural eye radiance for yourself? Click here for the chance to win three months’ worth of 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE® lenses by answering a simple question. Details are in the giveaway page.