Trying out circle lenses: Lil Moon Eye Doll "Old Fashioned" review

Circle lenses are a part of Japanese and Asian beauty which is pretty different to back home in the UK. Although it's not like everyone in Japan is wearing them all the time, among celebrities and models at least, circle lenses are really common.

I've wanted to try them out for so long, so I picked up these Lil Moon "Eye Doll" ones in "Old fashioned". I chose these ones because they're only a little different to my natural colour, but they are large (14.5mm) and have the black ring around the outside (which I think is why they're called 'old fashioned' because a lot of Lil Moon's designs don't come with this ring, and this style was really popular a few years ago). The pair I picked up last for one month, and cost 1800 yen. I bought them from a shop called San City in Teramachi, Kyoto, but you can find them anywhere fairly easily. I also bought a lens cleaning solution, which handily came with a case too.

The first time I tried them, I wore them inside on a day when I wasn't going anywhere. If you're not used to circle lenses, you'll definitely need some time and practise getting them in. Also, taking off your makeup actually does make it easier to put them in. I thought they were pretty hard to put in (because I'm a beginner). Also these lenses are pretty big, at 14.5 mm. Maybe I should have started off with some that were smaller and easier to put in....?

(These three pictures are from Lil moon's website)


These lenses were 1800 yen, and unlike some others only last a month, which is something to consider cost-wise. They definitely do give a dolly eye effect- I look just like I've stepped out of a purikkura machine. I think they take some getting used to- I'm not used to putting contact lenses in at all, and I could definitely feel them in my eyes at first. Not really uncomfortable though. Just weird. I definitely got used to wearing them though, by the end I couldn't really tell there was anything in my eye at all. I kept them in for about 6 hours before taking them out again, cleaning them and putting them away to soak. I think you're not supposed to wear them more than 8 hours. Of course I wouldn't wear them everyday (it's not too great for your eyes to wear them everyday anyway I don't think) but I think they'd be so nice for the summer ball and special occasions. I also really want to try full Gyaru makeup with these sometime <3 

So, for a comparison, here's what my eyes look like with.... 

And without the circle lenses~ because the outer ring is pretty thin, and the lenses are close to my natural colour, I think they almost look natural?

 (P.s. Sorry for the grainy pictures.... They look so much worse now that I'm using my Nikon for most of the blog pictures on here.)

Overall, I think these lenses are gorgeous, but considering the fact that I'm not an avid circle lens wearer, I think next time I'd either go for one day lenses that I can just use once, or ones that last a whole year so I can get my money's worth and wear them a couple of times. I definitely wanna buy another pair of lenses though, I think they look amazing and these ones were so wearable.
I used this video from Noodlerella to help learn how to put them in,  but don't forget to read all the instructions and care information from your actual lenses.

You can buy circle lenses abroad from sites like Pinkyparadise and Uniqso, and these particular lenses are £20 here, but I've never shopped from any of these sites before so I can't advise on where is best to buy your lenses from. I've heard good things about Pinkyparadise and Uniqso though. I'm sure you can find lenses that have a similar design to these easily- just look for a 14.5mm diameter, a thin outer ring and a light brown with a gradient. I think I wanna try out the GEO Princess Mimi in Almond brown, or the GEO Bella Brown. They are a little smaller, but last a whole year and look pretty natural.

Lastly, guys, I can't stress this enough: please be careful when using circle lenses! Always follow the instructions, don't wear them for too long at a time and make sure to clean them carefully! Your eyes are so precious, so even if it's a pain please be safe and don't risk damaging your eyes.

Thanks for reading~ Have you guys tried circle lenses or colour contacts? What do you think? Should I try a different colour next time?

-Amy xoxo

My first MAC haul: Russian Red Lipstick and Cherry Lip liner// UK beauty and makeup haul// Korean makeup and beauty haul // Manic Panic Virgin Snow: mini review and before and after// Japanese brush pen liners: Sailor Moon vs Dolly Wink review