Hello everyone! I thought of writing this while I was uploading one of my old cosplays of Sunako Kirishiki from Shiki. It was back in 2015 by the way, which was quite some time ago.
I'm pretty sure not much people remember her, so here's a photo of Sunako.
Sunako is a vampire that does not age and feeds off other Humans, which transforms them into 'Shiki's'. And the key characteristic of these 'shiki's', are their pitch black eyes, and when they feed on their victims, their irises glow red.
While I was searching for a way to achieve this effect, as Sunako can't be properly portrayed without those haunting eyes - I stumbled across a company called ColourVUE.
I discovered them through Yugana, who's their local Cosplay ambassador. And I was very surprised when I found out that they're a local Malaysian company. ColourVUE is actually very well-known internationally for their 'crazy' lenses and bizarre designs that are highly sought after by cosplayers and special effects artists. It was among the main reasons why I didn't expect them to be a Malaysian company. (They are available in 72 countries worldwide through different retailers, I think)
Types of Sclera Lenses
If you're also a fan of Tokyo Ghoul, you would also know that the ghouls have black scleras with red irises.
Conveniently, ColourVUE also offers such a design, named Gremlin. They offer a total of 15 sclera designs at the moment of writing.
Anyway, back to the topic.
These Sclera lenses are 22mm in size, and just like their name, they are made to cover your entire sclera. The one I used for Sunako to achieve her dark eyes is ColourVUE's full black sclera named - 'Sabretooth'.
Advertised Features include -
0.15mm edge thickness
Comfortable wear with high water content
Sandwich printing technology
100% safety quality inspection
Tested - No chemical residue and color removal
Manufactured with highest grade of materials in lens production
3-curve to ensure the lens follow the natural curvature of the eyes
These lenses are only available in PLANO (0 Power). They are recommended to be used for a month after opening, but I think it should be alright to wear for around 6 months to a year (provided that you do not use it often, please note that this is just my personal opinion since this is expensive, and to use it for only a month uhhhhh).
The price was set at MYR350 for a pair, but this was back in 2015, so the price may be higher now. Feel free to check with your local distributors for the current pricing.
My experience
I was able to purchase these lenses through Mr. Navin from ColourVUE, who was very helpful and kind with the process. They come in two separate bottles and packaging, along with a special custom-sized contact lens case for the huge lenses.
After dumping them in contact lens solution for some time, I finally took the time to try them on. And man, was it a huge challenge.
It took me 2 hours for my first try.
And I had watery eyes at the end of it, but I was so happy when I finally got the lenses to slide in. So the trick to inserting these lenses is to actually place them onto your iris, and then slide. them. up. Continue pushing slowly until the other end of the lenses are at your lower eyelid, and then once everything is inside, it's done!
The challenging part is to not blink during the process. But note that I have been wearing lenses since I was 15, and my first try still took me two hours. To be honest, it comes easier after some practice. So if you can't make it during your first day, let your eyes rest and try again the next day. Don't strain your eyes too much!
After a few tries, I was finally ready for my first event as Sunako! And trust me, the expressions of the con-goers is what makes it for me. Because back then, these lenses weren't so popular and not many knew of them.
I'm actually really proud of how my Sunako turned out! I also went for a shoot not long after, which resulted in these wonderful photos!
Some questions you may have -
Makeup first or lenses first?
Personally, I do lenses first. I think you can do your base first if you want, but I definitely won't recommend putting on any eye makeup before you put in the lenses. Your hands will definitely smudge something and you wouldn't want makeup on your lenses.
Are they comfortable?
To be really honest, it's not the I-feel-nothing-at-all type of comfortable. There will be slight discomfort, but that's only logical, you're inserting a 22mm object into your eyes. When you blink, you will feel the edge of the lens under your eyes, but you will definitely get used to it. And it's something you can bear for a few hours for your event or shoot.
Can you see anything? Do the lenses obstruct your view?
Yes I can see, and no they do not obstruct your view. If you're looking for completely black lenses that cover the iris, you can try looking for blackout lenses instead. But those would mean that you would be completely blind. One downside to these sclera lenses is that it's not available with prescription. As someone who wears glasses, I'm half blind without them. But with my boyfriend around to navigate me around the convention and shoot, I can still work with these for the sake of Cosplay! I envy you guys who have perfect eyesight, I could never!
I lost a lot of my photos since this was quite some time back, but I hope these will suffice! Feel free to ask me anything!
Discover ColourVUE and find your nearest retailers here -
ColourVUE - International [Website] | [Facebook] | [Instagram] ColourVUE - Malaysia