I love color contacts (especially grey and light brown)- can't live without them. Everybody here in Asia uses them, but I personally think some of the circle lenses (especially the jet black ones) look horrifying... I've tried so so so many brands that I can't even keep track, but I'd have to give everybody a piece of advice:
Stay away from the asian brands!!!
Somehow only freshlook and acuvue have managed to NOT irritate my eyes... Obviously their quality steps up a notch from asian manufactured lenses. Even the ones from japan and korea. I opened up new and expensive as hell lenses from japan a few months ago and didn't even get to wearing them, because after I opened the pack I noticed that there was a tiny part of the edge of the contact that was "ripped" off...
My friend also thinks that the asian lenses aren't manufactured up to meet any safety standards. Once she took out her blue lenses from taiwan and there were remains of the contacts still in her eyes!
I've also seen on taiwanese television that some guy got his eyes blind because he was wearing color contacts while having a barbeque and his lenses literally melted in his eyes...
Always check your lenses for faulty parts that could potentially damage your eyes. And since color contacts are obviously more damaging than the standard non-color ones, try to use the daily disposable types. They are more expensive but sure as hell more worth it in the long run.
Edit, because I wanted to talk a bit about the other stuff mentioned before this post:
For my freshlook lenses, I barely had to use eyedrops! They pretty much never irritated my eyes... Even if I left them on from morning till next morning (clubbing, of course I didn't fall asleep with contacts on!) I also love the colors of freshlook lenses, they are so natural and so well blended. They have the best color combinations and don't look at all fake.
It's good to bring a bottle of eyedrops along with you, as long as you're wearing lenses. Sometimes dust gets in and it will REALLY irritate your eyes. A drop of the eyedrops will flush the dust and debris out of your eyes... Eyedrops are also essential eye moisturizers esp. if you haven't adapted to wearing contacts yet.
My doctor also told me that if your eyes still hurt after eyedrops, it best be to just throw the contacts out. Even if they aren't close to expiration. A lot of contacts I've worn claim to be ones for two-weeks or a months but I notice that they pretty much dry up and rot after a few days...