Cosmetic color contacts aren't for people who want their vision improved, they're for those who want to improve their appearance. The type of effect the lenses can provide ranges from barely noticeable to a complete change of eye color. The most extreme type of cosmetic color contacts are unnatural colors and designs made for special situations like the movies or for costume parties.

Cosmetic color contacts don't have vision correction, but are alike regular contacts in every other respect. They're still considered a medical product and so a prescription is required to buy them. And unless they're one-use disposables, they still need to be cleaned and properly cared for.

Although you can get cosmetic color contacts in the gas permeable style, most people prefer a soft lens because of the comfort. For maximum convenience you can get disposable lenses. Several brands let you wear them overnight for up to a week or just during the day for up to two weeks. Of course daily wear requires that the lenses be cleaned.

The cheapest option for cosmetic color contacts is daily wear lenses that only need replacing once a year. But again, they must be cleaned every time you take them out. Soft contact lenses are particularly susceptible to getting dirty so properly cleaning them is important.

There are basically two degrees of coloring with cosmetic color contacts. The less colored contacts are designed to complement the wearer's natural eye color. These are usually called enhancement lenses. The other type of color lens is designed to change the wearer's eye color. These color-changing lenses completely cover the iris of the eye with a non-transparent layer of color. Most people want a lens that gives a natural appearance, but theatric type effects are also possible.