Almost everyone stops to look in a mirror at one time or another during the day. Some are large, perhaps attached to the back of a door, allowing one to have a full look of themselves from head to toe. Others are smaller and are used for a closer look, usually of their face and hair. These are especially helpful when applying makeup, shaving or styling hair. Most of the smaller mirrors also magnify, which allows the user to see a much closer view of his/her face.
Magnifying mirrors have been around for quite a while. They enlarge the view of one’s face, allowing the user to see small details clearly. They are especially helpful when tweezing one’s eyebrows, making it much easier to see all the hairs. Applying makeup more precisely is another advantage of using this type of appliance. Men can also benefit from using it when shaving, insuring they do not miss a spot as well as being able to shape facial hair as they wish. Having the magnification is also helpful for those who wear eyeglasses and have to remove them, but still need a clear close-up view of their face or hair. The magnification power that is the most useful is 7x, although some magnify more and others less.
One of the best improvements made to the magnifying makeup mirror was the addition of attached lighting. Using one without its own lighting can cause one’s makeup to look very different from when originally applied. The added lighting imitates normal daylight, which is important for both applying makeup as well as shaving. The lighting is especially useful for those who have uneven skin tones and are applying makeup in rooms without a direct outside light source. With the illuminated magnifying mirror, the look one achieves inside will be the look they will have outside.
These days, there are many different versions of the lighted magnifying mirror, and it is important to choose one that suits a person’s needs the best. They are available in various light styles, shapes, and magnifications. They can range in cost from inexpensive to very costly, depending on the size and measure of magnification. If one desires, they can come with digital clocks or built in outlets for hair stylers, dryers or razors.
When deciding what type of lighting to use, it is important to know the effect of each on a person’s skin. Incandescent bulbs tend to make one’s skin look yellow/orange, so this would not be the best choice for lighting a modern day looking glass. Instead, a good choice would be LED or fluorescent bulbs, which will give more accurate coloring. It is also important to be sure that the light is bright enough to simulate the type of light in which the person will be seen.
There are several styles of lighted magnifying mirrors available from which to choose. Some are designed to be placed on a bathroom counter or a dresser, but others can be mounted on a wall. Some of the wall mounted bathroom magnifying mirrors make use of a swivel arm; allowing for close up views of one’s face. These are the classic styles that were featured in bathroom scenes in movies from the 1940”s and 1950’s, and are becoming popular again today. Also coming back into style are the vanity magnifying mirrors seen in earlier times. For those who are frequent travelers, there are small, portable versions with all the attributes of the larger types.
The lighted magnifying mirror is becoming an important component in more and more bathrooms and makeup areas. Most people take pride in how they look, and along with the greater availability of makeup and other grooming products, the above types of mirrors allow one to look the very best possible.
