If you really want to look your best, applying your makeup should be more than just a daily chore. When you’re in a rush, brushing on foundation, blush and mascara can either work for you or against you. It depends on what you can see in the mirror. Even when you have time to spare, if you can’t see what others will see when you step into the bright lights at the office or outside in the sunshine, a disappointing discovery might be waiting for you.
Where do you apply your makeup most frequently? Most of us don’t have a dedicated vanity with professional makeup lighting and mirrors with different magnifications to accomplish our daily work of art. Usually it’s a mirror in the bathroom or bedroom with a light on the ceiling or a lamp on a nightstand nearby. Let’s not get into those daring damsels who stroke on some eye shadow and lipstick while looking into the rearview mirror of their cars at a stop light!
The point is that many of us apply our makeup in lighting conditions that don’t reflect how we will look in the environments where we’ll find ourselves throughout the day. If the place where you do your makeup is poorly lit, or lit with the wrong type of lighting, the result of your daily cosmetic application could be, shall we say… yuck! And, it’s very unlikely that anyone, including your friends, is going to mention it.
Scroll on to discover a key secret for applying your makeup to look your absolute best. The solution is simple, and it doesn’t cost a fortune. Let us show you!
Light has its own set of characteristics that can play tricks with your eyes. It’s more than just intensity or brightness. Bedrooms are often not the brightest rooms in the house—lighting is usually subdued to promote relaxation and sleep. But there are also other qualities of light that can make things look very different depending on how those characteristics reflect on your skin.
Color temperature is a characteristic of light that can create a tint photographers describe as being either warm or cool. Warm light tends to have a red or amber tint, while cool lighting has a blue tone. Light that is passing through a lampshade can take on and cast the color tints of the shade. The effect of color temperature can throw off your judgment when applying your makeup.
Take a look at the kind of bulbs that light up the area where you apply your makeup. Are they the same as those you will be spending your time under throughout the rest of the day or night? Chances are you will find yourself in a variety of lighting conditions on any given day. So, how do you take those variations into consideration? More about that coming up!
Remember how as kids we would place flashlights under our chins in a dark room to create that horror movie look? Well, that’s the best example to prove that the direction from which light travels to reach your face can have a big impact on what you see. Most bathrooms have a light on the ceiling or above the mirror at the sink. The light that reaches your face comes down at an angle from above creating shadows under your eyes and nose. It can make you look older, which means that you might overdo it on the makeup to compensate.
The most natural light source for doing makeup is the sun, which is not always found in our bedrooms and bathrooms with any consistency. However, if you can set up a mirror near a window or outside on a sunny day, and let that reflected daylight reach your face evenly without shadows, do it! But, direct sunlight tends to be harsh and, if coming in from an angle, will create lots of shadows. The key to success is diffused, natural light reaching your face evenly at eye level. You want sufficient brightness, not glaring intensity, with no shadows. But, how can you get it without relocating and rewiring the lights in your home?
Makeup mirrors have come a long way. Originally, they were simply framed, reflective, glass plates affixed to a stand to sit on a vanity, table or countertop. Today, they are more than just makeup mirrors with lights. Contemporary makeup mirrors are engineered for precision cosmetic application with high-quality LED illumination and frosted bulbs that diffuse the light for accurate reflection under different lighting conditions. Some come with adjustable brightness and different color modes. And, they come in various shapes and styles with designer looks to accommodate just about any room décor. A high-quality makeup mirror is a valuable investment if looking your best is important to you. A carefully selected makeup mirror can give you a natural, diffused light source that you can place at eye level for the most evenly illuminated reflection of your face.
Selecting the right makeup mirror is not rocket science. There are just a few key must-haves to keep in mind. And as we mentioned earlier, it really depends on how important looking your best is to you. This will determine how much you are willing to invest. So, what are the absolute requirements for a good makeup mirror?
Your first considerations should be size and shape. The larger, rectangular and multi-panel mirrors take up a little more space, but they give you a wider overall viewing experience. Some of them tend to have a very modern look with thin white or black framing that can go with any décor. The smaller round and oval mirrors fit nicely on a vanity or bathroom countertop, and you can get a good close-up view of your face. They come in a wide variety of designs and in different finishes, such as chrome, nickel, bronze and lightweight plastic to accent your décor.
Here’s an example of a rectangular design in single panel and small compact styles. The Conair single panel Lighted Makeup Mirror features a slim, modern design with 1x magnification and a tray in the base for storing makeup items. It has bulleted LED light strips on the left and right that run the full length of the mirror for even illumination with touch-panel low, medium and high brightness control.
Another choice with a rectangular design is the small and portable Conair Reflections LED-Lighted Compact Mirror. It features modern styling and LED lighting, but it's portable for packing in a suitcase or purse. Both are reasonably priced and available on the conair.com website.
For that fine, detail work, such as shaping eyebrows and applying mascara, a mirror with a magnified surface can be a big help. Most of the pedestal-type mirrors feature a two-sided glass that you can flip or rotate. One side has the standard 1x magnification, while the other side has a magnified surface ranging from 2x to 10x. The degree of magnification is something to consider. If you have a friend with a 2x, 5x or 7x mirror, try it out to see how much magnification you prefer. A 10x magnification mirror can be overwhelming for some, so try to get a feel for what works best for you. If you would like to learn more about mirror magnification, check out the article A Magnifying Mirror Is the Perfect Makeup Mirror.
The Reflections 1x/10x LED Rose Gold Makeup Mirror gives you a wide magnification span—1x for natural viewing and 10x on the flip side for up-close, fine detail work. It has LED lighting around the full circumference of this circular-shaped mirror with a rose gold finish.
If magnification interests you, take a look at the Conair Tri-Panel LED Mirror. You have a 1x main panel for standard viewing, with 2x and 3x foldable panels on the sides for more close-up grooming. High-efficiency LED lighting is adjustable to low, medium and high intensities and it’s battery operated.
This might be the most important feature to consider when buying a makeup mirror. Trying to do your makeup in poor lighting conditions can affect your appearance, usually in a negative way. So, to avoid the guessing game or simply hoping to get lucky with your makeup application, get a makeup mirror with lights. Position it at eye level to get an even dispersal of light with no shadows on your face.
You want a lighted mirror that produces warm, white, natural light. Long-lasting, lifetime LED lighting is a good choice as are frosted bulbs that diffuse the light evenly. Some more advanced mirrors have adjustable light intensity and color modes so you can see how you will look in various lighting situations.
The iconic makeup mirror of all time must be the one you see in dressing rooms that actors use to prepare for performances in movies or onstage. You’ve seen them. They have light bulbs around the perimeter because even lighting has always been key to doing your makeup right whether you’re getting ready for your close-up or heading out for a candlelight dinner with your significant other.
If you're looking for portabilaty with rechargeable power, the Conair Reflections Rechargeable Tablet Mirror features LED lighting for use on the go anytime, anywhere. The large 1x mirror swivels for vertical and horizontal viewing. Charge the lithium battery using a USB cable that's included. A precision 5x magnification spot mirror attaches to the main mirror for close-up viewing perfect for trimming eyebrows and applying makeup. Touch the screen to set the brightness to low, medium or high.
There's also the cordless convenience of the round Conair LED-Lighted Mirror. It features a single sided 9-inch mirror with a 10x spot magnifying mirror.Tilt to any angle for a perfect view. Remove the base and store it in a purse to take it along. The lights stay on for 2-hours before you need to recharge. Touch the mirror to adjust the light setting to low, medium or high and choose from 3-color modes for office, home and outdoor daylight. A USB cable for recharging is included.
Ok, now let’s say you have the perfect makeup mirror and you’re ready to get down to business. What can you add to take your makeup routine up another notch? True Glow® by Conair® has developed a collection of advanced makeup applicators and tools that can improve the way you do makeup.
Start with the True Glow® Microdermabrasion Beauty Tool, an all-in-one skincare essential that exfoliates, cleanses, and revitalizes skin in minutes. Four treatment tips — a small pore extractor that removes blackheads and whiteheads, a large pore extractor for targeting clogged pores, and 2 crystal diamond-head tips for deeper exfoliation — easily attach it to the USB rechargeable handle for customizable 2-speed vacuum suction.
Now there’s a way to make eyelashes appear longer and fuller in just seconds. The True Glow® Glam Heated Eyelash Curler can instantly add lift and volume for an eye-opening, awakening effect to complement any style you choose. It’s perfectly sized for travel or on-the-go touch-ups.
Conair® Skincare is sending you good vibes with the new True Glow Glam Vibrating Makeup Brush Set. The sonic vibrating advantage evenly disperses your makeup in even layers for a flawless, airbrushed-looking finish. It comes with two heads, a makeup sponge for perfect foundation blending and a brush for applying foundation or powder.
And, for a polished, professional makeup appearance, the True Glow® Glam Vibrating Makeup Blender features vibrating action for smooth, even application. The rounded surface is perfect for larger areas, and the pointed tip makes precision blending in hard-to-reach spots effortless. To learn more about the True Glow® Glam line of skincare tools, check out the article How to Apply Makeup with the Newest Skin Care Tools.
All of the mirrors and makeup application tools you see in this article are available for purchase at many major retailers and online at the Conair website. Mirrors, makeup tools and much more can be found in the Beauty + Skincare section. Stop by for a visit. We have lots to show you!
* Relative sizes of mirrors shown in images are not represented accurately. Visit the product pages on Conair.com for actual dimensions of each mirror.