I was thrilled when Olens selected me to review their new BLACKPINK x Olens Scandi collection, since it's no secret that I'm a huge fan. I've tried their colored contact lenses many times in the past—and loved all of them!
* (Please use this link, https://bit.ly/3lXczuo, to visit the website! Promo code: Elaine10 for 10% off! )
The package they sent included:
Members-only new Limited Edition Welcome Kit (mine contained Secriss Ice Gray, Spanish Brown, and Russian Silver)
The Scandi Collection: Gray, Hazel, Olive, Light Gray, and Aqua
O Fresh contact lens drops, and Special Lens Case
(By the way, how beautiful is Scandi's packaging? It's definitely my favorite out of my other Olens products.)
But before I get to the collection, I'll quickly introduce you to Olens as a company.
There are many colored contact brands out there, but I've stuck to Olens for a few years now now. I prefer their more natural-looking contacts, compared to brands like Solotica. And given the high quality of Olens products, they have comparatively cheaper prices to companies such as TTDEYE.
Recently, it's been a huge hassle for me to receive overseas shipments in this current climate (i.e. I've been tracking a package from Hong Kong all over the country).
I expected something similar with ordering from Olens, given that they are an overseas company, but they surprised me with the speed and ease of delivery. Olens provides worldwide shipping, and deliveries arrive in the U.S. within an average of 3-5 business days, via DHL International Shipping. I received the Scandi package less than a week after they confirmed my delivery, and had similar experiences with my previous orders as well.
Olens's slogan is "Beauty and Healthy Eyestyling." I don't know about you, but I definitely don't want to put anything dangerous or low-quality inside my eyes. Fortunately, a bit of research revealed that Olens always places safety and health as a priority (check out this report from a reviewer who visited their headquarters in Seoul!).
Now, I know you're just as excited as I was to know how these products actually look. So I tested all 5 colors, starting with...
1. Hazel
My favorite colors for contacts are browns and pinks, so I couldn't wait to try Scandi Hazel first. These are Jisoo's pick from BLACKPINK's music video for "Ice Cream," and I love how they look on her!
The hazel tones blended with my natural eyes (see my "Before and After" above), creating a really subtle, pretty color. Scandi Hazel is an upgrade of Spanish Brown. Compared to the Spanish version, Scandi Hazel is a warmer and more auburn tone.
Recently, I've been spending the majority of my day staring at a screen, so my eyes tend to get dry easily. I was a little worried that contacts would irritate my eyes, but I wore these lens for an entire day, and they were actually pretty comfortable.
Olens' daily contacts are made of Puscon, or phosphorylcholine. I did a bit of research, and found that this material is used in medical instruments, artificial tears, and even inserted into human bodies in artificial hearts or blood vessels. According to this article, "the permeability of PUSCON is 5-6 times higher than the traditional low-moisture materials." That means Olens daily contacts are made of the safest materials, and have a smooth texture that helps keep the moisture of your eyes.
I already regularly wear night contacts, but don't worry if you have no experience with contacts! Olens provides instructions on how to wear and care for your lenses, and you get used to the feeling. And for those who have a prescription, Olens also offers 0.00 to -8.00 power versions of all their products.
2. Gray
Scandi Gray color is Jennie and Lisa's favorite, and I can definitely see why! While Scandi Hazel has a more romantic vibe, Scandi Gray is chic—which definitely suits their personalities!
Scandi Gray is an upgrade of Spanish Circle Gray, which I have actually purchased and used in the past. It's difficult to find contacts for dark eyes, especially when gray itself is already a pretty dark color. However, Scandi's isn't a typical gray. There are subtle light brown and blue tones that blend with the natural eye to create this rich, 3D color.
Even though I love Spanish and wear it often, I notice that the added specks of color in Scandi makes the lens brighter and more visible. I wore both these lenses for an entire day, so I was able to observe the variances in color under different lighting conditions.
3. Olive
Day 3 was selected by my ultimate bias, Rosé! (Because, well, she's perfect.)
It's the most natural color of the Scandi line, with both elegance and everyday wearability. It's also the most similar to my own eye color—as you can see in my Before and After picture above, it's only a feel shades off.
The name is fitting, because although Scandi Olive is categorized as green, it actually has a very warm tone. I've never tried green contacts before, though I have purchased Olens's 3con Green lens in the past, because I was nervous about trying a color so drastically different to my natural eyes. So Scandi Olive's neutral tone is a good middle-ground.
Scandi Olive is meant to be an upgrade of Spanish Olive, and the main difference I see is in the pattern. Both lenses are green on the outside but brown towards the center, which helps the olive color transition smoothly towards the dark iris. However, Scandi has a denser pattern, whereas Spanish Olive's is more spread out. This makes Scandi Olive a little more opaque than the Spanish version.
4. Light Gray
Scandi Light Gray was used by Lisa in "Ice Cream" M/V, and of course she looked amazing with them. It really suits her cool and mature style.
This color is the most distinct from my natural eyes. I was surprised to see the Before and After picture—it looks completely different!
Scandi Light Gray is an upgrade of Spanish Gray, and is very similar to Russian Silver (which was included in my Welcome Kit). Personally, I think the Scandi version looks more natural. The pattern of the Russian Silver lens is denser on the outside, while most of Scandi Light Gray's is centered in the middle. They're similar in terms of opacity and color, so it's a matter of personal preference.
As of now, Scandi has monthly versions of every color, but daily versions of only Hazel, Gray, and Olive—so Light Gray is the first monthly Scandi lens I have tried so far.
It's important that monthly lens don't accumulate proteins, since they are worn repeatedly (which isn't an issue in daily lens). That's why Olens longer-use contacts are made of HEMA (aka poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, or polyHEMA), which this article states is "relatively cheap to produce, highly flexible, dimensionally stable to changes in pH and temperature and has proved to be a very successful contact lens material."
Although I've only started wearing the Scandi lenses, I have worn Someday Choco and Caribe 3con Pink lens in the past for an entire month. Someday is also made of HEMA, but Caribe is actually made of silicone hydrogel (SiHy)—a "higher-DK... counterpart" to HEMA.
According to an article that compares and contrasts the two materials, "whether to prescribe hydrogel lenses versus SiHy lenses as a first choice is an ongoing topic of debate, and new technologies in both categories indicate that there is a definite role for the two different material types."
Having worn both materials for a long period of time, I actually didn't notice a huge difference comfort-wise between HEMA and SiHy. Even though I had these lenses on almost daily for an entire month (including during school, dance, etc.), I eventually got used to them to the point where I didn't even notice they were there.
So as long as you take care of them properly, your Olens monthly lens are completely safe to use!
5. Aqua
Last but not least, Scandi Aqua! It was used by both Lisa and Jisoo in the "Ice Cream" MV, and I think it really suits the concept!
Unlike the other Scandi colors, I have never purchased or worn blue contacts before. I was skeptical that cool colors would be visible on darker eyes, but I didn't have to worry!
Scandi Aqua is an "upgrade" of Spanish Sky, but the two actually have many differences. Aqua is a warm blue-green, while Sky is a cool light blue.
Like the other Scandi lens, Scandi Aqua has its color concentrated at the center, whereas Spanish tends to have a pattern that feathers out towards the edges. They're difficult to compare since the colors are so different.
Scandi Aqua is one of two aqua-colored lenses on the Olens site (besides Aqua Gold 3con), which makes it all the more unique!
So with all this in mind, take comfort in knowing you'll be receiving high-quality products! And when you sign up as a member, you'll also have access to the Olens Global Benefits:
Monthly Buy 1 Get 1 Free
New member sign-up coupon (up to 15%)
Welcome Kits (3 free pairs of 1-day samples)
Free express shipping (3-day delivery) for orders over $150 / Free standard shipping for orders over $100
Now, it's difficult to pick a favorite from the Scandi collection, but I think my current ranking, in order of personal preference is...
Light Gray
Gray
Aqua
Hazel
I'm actually very surprised! Like I mentioned earlier, my favorite contact colors tend to be browns and pinks, so I didn't expect to like the cooler colors more.
Which color is your favorite? Use this link to visit the website and get yourself some Scandi so you can see it in-person—then tell me all about what you think!
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