Color contact lenses can really brighten your look and your life, but selecting the perfect pair is not as easy as it sounds. We will tell you everything you need to know about color contacts.

1. Are your eyes light or dark?

When deciding what color contact to buy, take into account the natural color of your eyes. If your eyes are light and you want to brighten their natural color, go for enhancement color contacts. Enhancers look more natural on light eyes. However, if your eyes are dark or you want a dramatic change, look at opaque color contacts.

2. What kind of change do you want - a dramatic effect or a slight change?

Some color contact lenses are brighter than the others. The brightest hues, like Freshlook Colorblends True Sapphire, are best for parties, when you are also going to have evening make up. For work, on the other hand, you might prefer lenses that aren't so vivid. These rules are not set in stone, of course, just make sure to consider how bright a lens you want before making your purchase.

3. Think about comfort as well as the look

Go for well-known brands of contact lenses, so your lenses feel as good as they look. You can get disposable (weekly and monthly) as well as traditional (annual replacement) color contacts. Which is best for you depends on how often and for how long you intend to wear your color lenses. If you are going to wear them every day and all day long, it is better to buy disposable lenses, like Acuvue 2 Colors or Freshlook. Replacing the lenses often won't let protein deposits to build up on them and the lenses will feel more comfortable.

On the other hand, if you only want to have those perfect blue or green eyes occasionally, annual replacement color lenses would serve your purpose.

4. You need a prescription to buy color contacts

All contact lenses, including color ones, are considered medical devices. So, whether or not you need vision correction, you will need a doctor's prescription to buy color lenses. Color contacts are not "one size fits all ?, and even if you have perfect vision your eye doctor has to measure the base curve of your eye.

Most famous brands of color contacts are available in plano (no correction power) as well as with plus and minus powers. But if you have an astigmatism your choices are very limited; so far only Freshlook offers toric color contacts.

5. You can get free trial color contacts from your doctor

Most doctors can offer you a trial pair of color contact lenses. Of course, he or she won't let you try many lenses, so you should have some idea about brand and the color you want before you ask your doctor for a free trial pair. Many people are searching for free trial color contacts online. However, since color lenses are medical devices, the only place you can get them is an optometrist's office.

6. Compare the prices at several shops

You probably already know that the best way to save on color contact lenses is to buy them online. However, online prices differ from shop to shop. After you have selected the exact lens you want and visited your eye doctor for a prescription, check the prices for your lenses in several shops. You should also take the shipping charges into account.

7. Be prepared to care for your color lenses properly

If you already wear corrective contact lenses, you probably have guessed that color contacts would require similar care. If you want to buy non prescription color lenses purely for cosmetic purposes, you will still have to look after them properly. Don't be scared, this is not hard and take only a few minutes. When giving you a prescription, your doctor should show you how to put the lenses in, take them off, clean and store your contacts. If he or she doesn't, make sure to ask. Then all you need to do, is not to forget to clean your color contacts every time you take them off.