Lens Review: EOS New Adult Brown vs. Super Pinky Hazel
If there’s anything I’ve learned from buying circle lenses for cosplay, it’s that not all colors are created equal. This is most apparent when finding blue contacts, but it’s amazing how difficult it is to settle on “the right” pair of brown contacts. Detail-oriented cosplayers might recognize this struggle: Two cosplays, both brown-eyed characters but different shades. How do you decide? In this review I compare two brands and two browns: EOS New Adult Brown and Super Pinky Hazel.
(L: EOS New Adult Brown | R: Super Pinky Hazel)
These contacts were purchased last year for two of my AX 2013 cosplays, one being Natsume Takashi from Natsume Yuujinchou and the other being Natsume Asako from Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (both Natsumes — cute coincidence haha!).
Natsume T and Natsume A are both brown-eyed characters — but the look and shades are completely different when compared. Natsume T’s eyes always makes me think of a cat, with a dull, goldish-brown iris. In the manga version, his eyes are even more striking. Natsume A, being admired for her cute appearances, has a very rich, round, and dewy look with a more reddish-brown iris.
I remember researching for HOURS on lenses for these two characters alone, because I wanted to get two pairs of contacts that A.) were different enough from each other to justifying buying two and B.) helped give off that cat eye vs. dewy eye look. For the most part I like to buy from brands that I’m already familiar with, because lenses are anywhere from $20 – $25/pair, not including shipping.
I’ve purchased EOS and Super Pinky lenses before, so I could at least feel confident that these lenses would be vibrant enough in natural light against my eyes. But it was hours of researching other lens reviews that helped me finalize my purchase — which is a good rule of thumb when buying anything! Research, research, research. 🙂
EOS New Adult Brown
DIA: 14mm
Water Content: 38%
BC: 8.6mm
(L: Before | R: After)
Above is a comparison of my natural eyes (L) and the EOS lenses. The difference between my brown eyes and these brown lenses is striking — and perfect for Natsume T. The black ring gives the gold color a very defined piercing look while emphasizing the dark natural color in the center. For this cosplay, I was really hoping for this kind of effect :)! To be honest though, I wouldn’t list this series as a favorite. They’re probably my most uncomfortable sets (I own EOS New Adults in brown, blue, and pink). Most definitely due to my astigmatism, this particular series slides around my eyes and shifts whenever I blink more often than any other brand/series. I don’t enjoy wearing EOS New Adults the maximum 8 hours, and should probably stop buying them because they slide around so much haha! But there’s just something about their look and vibrancy that made me buy a third pair. The EOS New Adult Blue actually isn’t as uncomfortable as the brown and pink, which I read happens sometimes. Sometimes certain colors give off different levels of discomfort — which I’ve found to be true! Still, for photoshoot and short-time wear purposes I was very happy with the results, and love the look.
OVERALL
OVERALL
Design – ♥♥♥♥♥
I love the outer ring, and how the color breaks up into speckles towards the pupil – it allows the lens color to blend into your natural eye color, but I wish the retina opening wasn’t as large as it is. For colors like pink, blue, and this brown, you can clearly see my natural eye color.
Color – ♥♥♥♥♥
The color is great for what I was looking for! It’s absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t really consider this brown though, which was why I bought 2 brown lenses for comparison. They also reflect light beautifully, and sometimes I can get the halo effect around the outer edges.
Enlargement – ♥♥♥♥♥
The outer ring definitely helps with the enlargement qualities of this lens. I generally don’t go over 14.5mm for male cosplays, so this lens was a pretty happy medium.
Comfort – ♥♥♥♥♥
I always struggle putting in EOS New Adults for the first 5 minutes. They just don’t sit right on my eyes, and they tend to shift around. They also tend to sting, even after cleaning/refilling the lens cases. It’s hard to wear the maximum 8 hours. I probably only wear these at most 6 hours.
Super Pinky Hazel
DIA: 14.8mm
Water Content: 45%
BC: 8.6mm
(L: Before | R: After)
I’ve actually been wearing these Super Pinky Hazels as everyday contacts the past few months! My ordinary clear contacts ran out awhile back, and I haven’t bothered to restock yet (I only wear glasses at school, anyways. Long hours and early schedules = not contact-friendly!). In natural light they blend in really well with my eyes, giving off that enlarging effect. They’re also 0.8mm bigger than the EOS lenses. Out of all my lenses, I own the most from Super Pinky. Their vibrant selection of colors and blending design (the retina opening is considerably smaller than the EOS lens, which allows for more color and less visibility of the natural eye to show) keep me coming back, as well as their frequent BOGO sales on honeycolor! I would say discomfort is mild in that I’m always aware that I’m wearing them — lenses from GEO are well-known for being incredibly comfortable lenses, which I agree 100000% and perhaps unfairly compare every single subsequent purchase to the pairs I’ve owned. I replaced my GEO Nudy Blues with Super Pinky Blues in a heartbeat, however, as the vibrancy in GEO Nudys is severely lacking. Will there ever be a HG blue lens? Who knows…
Comfort – ♥♥♥♥♥
OVERALL
Design – ♥♥♥♥♥
My only quip is that there’s no outer ring (I’m a sucker for that effect… sigh…). Other than that I really love the design. They’re very natural, and the lens color covers most of your eye, leaving just enough for your retina opening. I love how it’s blended with darker brown/black to break up the color. From far away they look very natural.
Color – ♥♥♥♥♥
I love the color vibrancy that Super Pinky puts out. I have the most colors from this series alone, and will probably restock once it’s time to buy new lenses.
Enlargement – ♥♥♥♥♥
The Super Pinky series really don’t do much if you’re looking for lenses that enhance the size of your eyes. But that makes them a bit more natural!
Comfort – ♥♥♥♥♥
This lens isn’t one of those “forgot I was wearing them” lenses comfort-wise, but they’re way more comfortable than the New Adult ones. I wear these casually every now and then, and can wear them the maximum 8 hours.
Comparison
(L: EOS New Adult Brown | R: Super Pinky Hazel)
And just for fun, a side-by-side comparison shot! It’s crazy how different “brown” can look, especially between two or more brands. When you’re researching contacts, just like researching wigs, fabric, anything, it’s important to know what’s available to you. I’ve been told by a lot of friends just starting out buying circle lenses that they only stick with GEO brand because that’s all they would see on Soompi, but there are soooo many other wonderful brands out there (granted, it’s still trial-and-error finding your preferred brand + series)! What’s great is that there are many wonderful bloggers who’ve reviewed any number of contacts, so don’t be afraid to spend some good time researching your options for the look you’re going for. 🙂
EOS New Adult Brown (in cosplay)
-Will add photos of the Super Pinkys in cosplay as well!
I hope this review was helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below.