Tinted contact lenses that make blue eyes appear even bluer have been around for several years. Now Wesley-Jessen, a Chicago-based lens manufacturer, has become the first U.S. firm to market a lens that lightens dark eyes, turning them blue, aqua or green. The firm also plans to introduce hazel lenses. Consumers in droves are now snapping up the blobs of soft plastic for about $250 a pair. A solid third of the sales are to customers who buy nonprescription versions solely for cosmetic reasons.
Wesley-Jessen expects the lenses to bring in revenues exceeding $50 million in their first year. That could...