We’ve all heard the old adages that “a workman is only as good as his tools” and “a bad workman always blames his tools”. Most of us girls know that not all mirrors are equal – some mirrors make us look absolutely great, while others may leave a lot to be desired. When it comes to applying makeup, getting the right mirror is absolutely essential.
At some point or other in our lives we’ve all probably had a bad mirror experience. You know the one – you might have spent ages carefully applying your makeup in front of a mirror, only to catch sight of yourself in a different mirror later on and realising that you’ve applied far too much and look like you’ve been Tangoed! This is what happens when you apply makeup in poor lighting.
If you want to get your makeup just right every time, then a well-lit mirror is essential. Not only does this mean that you need enough light to apply the makeup properly, you actually need the right colour of light to make sure that what you see is what you get. Whether you usually apply your make up in the bathroom or bedroom, even if the room itself is well lit, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the light is appropriate for applying makeup.
If you’re applying your makeup in the wrong type of lighting it will leave you looking either pasty and washed out or much too dark and unnatural looking. The last thing you want when you’ve invested in some great makeup and spent time carefully ‘putting on your face’ is to look like a fright as soon as you venture outdoors.
The best light for applying makeup is natural daylight but manoeuvring your mirrors, makeup and tools into the right spot isn’t particularly convenient – especially when you consider that the right spot will change during the day as the sun travels across the sky. It’s far simpler to make sure that you always have the right light for makeup application by investing in a good quality illuminated mirror.
Illuminated mirrors in the past were mostly the Hollywood glam style – a mirror with a collection of light bulbs fitted into the mirror surround. These types of mirror are not suitable for bathroom use – they need to be plugged into an electrical outlet and the old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs don’t provide the best type of lighting for makeup application.
Modern illuminated vanity mirrors use LED (light-emitting diode) lamps which are great when you need a constant and reliable light source. Because LEDs are so small, they can be added to a bathroom mirror without sacrificing much needed space, whether the mirror is part of a bathroom cabinet or a standalone mirror. LED lamps will last for 50,000 hours of use and emit very little thermal radiation. The light can be focused on specific areas and don’t produce a glare.
Unlike fluorescent (energy saving) bulbs, LEDs don’t need to warm up and are suitable for use as soon as they are switched on. LED lamps offer a large selection of colour and those used for mirrors will present just the right lighting conditions for makeup application. Even better, modern illuminated mirrors that are designed for bathroom use often come with a demister to ensure that your mirror is steam free whenever you want to use it.
If you often need to retouch your makeup when you’re out and about, then why not treat yourself to a handbag sized LED illuminated mirror – or better still, put it on your birthday wish list.
