Many people, both men and women, are looking to invest in a good lighted makeup mirror. Before you do, it’s important to know what features to look for, what works best, and what NOT to buy.
Why do you need one? Estheticians and skin care professionals use state-of-the-art facial systems, including cool stuff like multiple extractors, high circular wave devices, glavanic instruments, and of course, an illuminated magnifying lamp. They use the magnifying lamp to get a close-up view of the skin they are examining, necessary to properly treat specific areas. If you’re going to give your skin a daily treatment at home, you need the same view.
What are the important features? A mirror is a mirror, right? Mistaken! There are some specific features to look for in your lighted makeup mirror: magnification, type of light, size, and power source.
When you choose your mirror, from the start you can exclude any magnification power less than 7x. Power less than 7x won’t really give you the magnification you need to see your skin well. You need to look very closely. A 5x will help you, but why bother with something that will barely meet your needs, if at all? It is better to start well. A 10x mirror is too much for most people and can actually strain your eyes a bit. There are many options that have a 7x on one side and a 10x on the other, a good possibility.
The type of light is also an important consideration for your lighted makeup mirror. It’s the old incandescent vs. fluorescent discussion. And the winner is? Fluorescent. Incandescent lights almost always make your skin look a weird yellow/orange color. You want a nice white light that shows off your natural skin color.
A common complaint about lighted makeup mirrors is that the light is too dim. Make sure the light is enough. Many manufacturers will say “bright lights” or “great lighting” blah blah blah. But when you bring the mirror home, it barely emits light or goes away from the mirror altogether.
Another common difficulty is size. Many lighted makeup mirrors will say they are 8″ or 10″, but when you take them home, you realize that the actual mirror is only 5 or 6 inches! Just be sure to check the size of the actual mirror and not the entire light fixture and frame.
Lastly, you will want to make sure that the mirror is the correct height. A mirror with a 15- to 18-inch “neck” will allow you to examine your skin without bending too low.
There are many lighted makeup mirrors on the market. With these guidelines, you are sure to buy one that will perform very well for a long time.
