1-Day Acuvue Define Natural Shine Coloured Contact Lenses

I’m not a regular user of beauty enhancement lenses but when Johnson & Johnson invited me to a press preview of 1-Day Acuvue Define Natural Shine, I decided to attend, to learn more about coloured contacts.

In line with Johnson & Johnson Vision Care’s ‘Proud to be Naturally Asian’ campaign, the press event was held at Xi Yan (囍宴), a cosy private dining establishment which specialises in modern Chinese cuisine.

I found it ironic that the tagline alludes to being natural yet coloured lenses are an artificial means of beauty enhancement. That said, this campaign is a celebration of being Asian (it emphasises the Asian woman’s pride in her roots and her ability to seek healthy ways to look natural), something I appreciate very much. Here I am with Kas, proud to be naturally Asian! :D

And here’s Lee Min Jung, the international face of 1-Day Acuvue Define and the delightful Korean actress whose precocious performance in her last K-drama, Smile, You, captured the hearts of many. Isn’t she stunning?

In a nice bit of coincidence, the Singapore spokesperson for the 1-Day Acuvue Define series is Fly Entertainment’s Stephanie Carrington, who happens to be half-Korean (I wasn’t aware of it until she surprised the audience with a little speech in Korean!).

Interestingly, coloured contacts first made their appearance in South Korea before their popularity spread to the rest of Asia. Perhaps it isn’t such a coincidence, after all? ;)

We spent the better part of the afternoon learning about the lenses, as well as watching celebrity makeup artist Andy Lee and hair master Shunji Matsuo perform their magic on Stephanie, giving her three different looks corresponding to the Acuvue Define lens styles. I was quite taken with her energy and pan-Asian beauty throughout the event – she is not only lovely to look at, she also has a charming accent. :)

The latest in the 1-Day Acuvue Define range of cosmetic lenses, Natural Shine has a dark grey limbal  ring  (the ring around the iris)  and a shimmering golden shine. There’s also a hint of green, for an interesting glint when the light hits the eyes.

Like the previously-released 1-Day Acuvue Define Accent (black limbal ring) and Vivid (brown limbal ring) styles, Natural Shine lenses are disposable dailies that are made with:

• A UV-blocking technology to offer protection against harmful UV radiation

Blocking approximately 97% of UVB rays and 82% of UVA rays, these lenses have the Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbing Contact Lenses from both the American Optometric Association and the World Council of Optometry’s Commission on Ophthalmic Standards. (Whew – that was a mouthful of credentials! ;))

• J & J’s patented Beauty-Wrapped-In-Comfort™ Technology (BWIC™)

With this technology, the colourants are sealed between two thin layers of lens material to prevent the pigments from touching the eye/colour leeching. This technology also allows high oxygen transmissibility and does not compromise your eye health. (I’ve never actually thought about this safety factor but I think it makes a lot of sense.)

I also learnt that these lenses respect the diameter of the Asian iris, thus fitting most Asians.

In addition, the panel of experts at the event constantly reminded the audience to visit a qualified optometrist before purchasing contact lenses because they are prescription products. According to the brand:

A contact lens is a prescription device and it must only be fit and prescribed by an Eye Care Professional. Although all eyes look pretty much the same, in reality everybody’s eyes are slightly different. Eyes come in a variety of shapes and sizes. That’s why it’s important to have your Eye Care Professional fit your contact lenses for your particular eye shape and size.

Borrowing contact lenses, or obtaining them without a prescription, could lead to serious vision problems due to incorrect fit. Even if you’ve been wearing contacts for years, it’s a good idea to have your Eye Care Professional check your prescription to make sure that your lenses offer the best possible fit for your unique eyes.

In order to take good care of your eyes, we recommend you see your Eye Care Professional at least once a year. Yearly visits can detect vision changes as well as any other unseen problems.

I’ve never really considered this, having used conventional lenses for years. Now I know what I have to do before I purchase contact lenses in the future!

Available as plano lenses with zero power (for the lucky non-myopic who want to enhance their eyes), as well as in prescriptions for myopia of up to 900 degrees, these lenses are rather comfortable. After an eye examination by an optometrist at Paris Miki, I was given two pairs and have already worn both. The first time they felt a bit loose and slid around a little on my eye. I was assured that they’d adjust though. Thankfully, I was able to wear them for about 8 hours without much discomfort.

I wore the second pair the following day and this time round, they fitted my eye nicely; I didn’t even experience the slight obscurity of vision that I get with some coloured contacts. I eventually wore them for around 14 hours, thanks to back-to-back events. To my surprise, they were easy to remove and felt very comfortable the entire time. I wouldn’t recommend wearing lenses for this long though. In fact, Iris texted me to chide me for doing so! ;)

Image source: Acuvue Singapore