It pays to take a 'coloured' view of the scenario around
By - Tana Trivedi

A view through a lens always gives a different perspective and after coloured hair and body tattoos, coloured lenses seem to be the latest fad among trend savy youth of the town. With changing fashions and racy lifestyles, altering the colour of eye to suit the occasion is no big deal as long as one has the access to it, and it cures the bored housewife or the excitement craving teenager. Coloured lenses have made their presence in market since 1980, but their demand has picked up only since the past three years.

Experts of the industry say that coloured lenses did not get the required market boost in its initial period since it were very expensive for the common man. But with competitive prices, attractive range and widespread awareness of its use the sale of coloured disposable lenses has shot up.

Anup Kumar of R.Kumar Opticals in Navrangpura says, "The demand for coloured lenses is definitely on the rise. We make lenses for about seven to eight customers in a week, which is considerably higher than what it used to be about 3 years back."

As an interesting piece of trivia, the first person to don coloured lenses in Hindi cinema was veteran actor Ashok Kumar in 1954, the trend has once again caught on almost after 50 years later.

As Sonia Arora, 21, says, "The reason why I wear coloured lenses is simple. I want to look trendy and be noticed. Changing my eye colour makes me look cool and also gets me instant attention."

However, it is not only teenagers who crave for a ‘new look’ even mid-aged women say that coloured lenses makes them feel younger and adds exuberance. Ms Neelam Shah a resident of Navarangpura feels that lenses are a part of eye make up.

According to her just as women apply eye liners, mascara and eye shadows coloured lenses is also an ornamentation. The price of disposable colored lenses varies from Rs 950 to 4,000 and comes in seven different shades available in the market. The shades in demand are grey, hazel, blue and green, with women preferring hazel and green for their eyes.

The notion that only women are cosmetically inclined is nil these days as men are also mindful about their looks and what can be done to enhance it. Aman Kumar, 23, says, "I change my lenses every three to four months. I know the colours that suit my eyes and skin, and I like to see my eyes in."

Republished from The Asian Age