The 10 Best Makeup Mirrors
Special Honors
WS Bath Collections Spiegel WS 85 If you're in the market for a high-quality and sophisticated permanently installed mirror, this pick is worth the hefty price tag. Its curved design helps focus the LEDs towards your face for an enhanced look at your makeup job. Plus, it has an extendable arm so you can tuck it against the wall when you aren't using it. Once it's been hardwired, you'll appreciate that it automatically shuts off after 10 minutes of inactivity. wsbathcollections.com
Hammacher Schlemmer Every Angle LED Mirror Gone can be the days of picking up your mirror and moving it all around your head, trying to get a good view of every side of your profile. This model has four panels that fold out and curve around you, giving you one of the most comprehensive looks at your makeup job. Each hinged panel locks into place once set to the desired angle, and the center mirror lights up. hammacher.com
Editor's Notes
February 09, 2021:
We removed the Jerdon Tri-Fold JGL9W due to issues with the color temperature settings and removed the Fancii Daylight FC-LMMM10X and ReignCharm HM6002 due to availability concerns. We replaced the iHome iCVBT2 with the iHome Reflect II, a newer model that has many of the same features, such as a USB port for charging devices and a button for voice commands. New to the list, the AirExpect Trifold has several mirrors, providing both different angles and different levels of magnification. The large bulbs around the edge of the Waneway Vanity give it a classic Hollywood vibe, while the touch controls offer modern convenience. For those looking for a truly portable option, we added the Fancii Compact. At 5 inches in diameter, it's larger than most compact mirrors in order to provide optimal coverage, but it's still slim and lightweight enough for easy transport.
When storing a makeup mirror, especially one that has a magnifying side, be sure to keep it away from direct sunlight, as it is possible for the surface to reflect and intensify the sun's rays, which can pose a fire risk.
December 06, 2019:
Some beauty-lovers want a product as glamorous as the look they're creating, others want something simple, but everyone needs a mirror that offers a clear reflection and makes it easy to get a full view of your makeup job. We believe there's a model on this list for every experience level and lifestyle when it comes to cosmetics.
We have a few great options for particularly busy individuals who can only get by through multi-tasking. The iHome iCVBT2 has Siri connectivity and handsfree speakerphone abilities, so you don't need to stop making important calls or getting news updates while you complete your look. The HiMirror Mini 16G has Amazon Alexa support built-in, so you can use that handy resource for information while applying your bronzer. We ultimately decided these options offer all that the MiroPure Tri-Fold offered, and then some, so that model lost its spot on the list.
If you like to put your makeup on in the bathroom one day, your bedroom the next, and your living room another, the Fancii Daylight will serve you well as its suction cup makes it easy to set up a vanity area just about anywhere. You could even take it with you when traveling if you just can't stand the thought of doing your make-up in a non-magnified hotel mirror.
As for some nice stationary options, there is the wall-mounted DecoBros MM-004-1, which can extend out when you need it, and retract when you don't. It takes up no counter space, leaving your table free for your extensive makeup brush collection and more. There's also the DecoBros MM-007-1, which will look nice on a vanity table. We removed the Conair Oval because the switch is too delicate and there are many complaints of it breaking.
What Makes A Good Makeup Mirror?
Once you have found the best light bulb, make sure your makeup mirror has a magnification side.
Makeup mirrors are designed to highlight and zoom in on the subtle curves of the face, and the particular texture of makeup, in ways that standard mirrors simply cannot. The most thorough ones have adjustable side panels so a person can see the front of their face, and their profile from both sides, at the same time. This is the best way to actually know if they're applying makeup evenly on their cheeks and temples.
If you want to know how your makeup will look out in the real world, then the best light to use when doing your makeup is natural light. Since that isn't always an option, there are certain types of lights that best mimic natural light, such as pure white. Once you have found the best light bulb, make sure your makeup mirror has a magnification side.
Five times magnification is ideal for more detailed jobs like eyebrow plucking. Magnification can also help one examine their pores to make sure makeup isn't clogging them too much or causing blackheads. Considering the tremendous amount of pores humans have, it's a good idea to examine them regularly for any blockage.
Since you'll need your hands to do your makeup, you need a mirror that not only has an adjustable angle but will stay in place so you don't need to hold it. On the topic of angles, the more degrees a mirror can rotate, the better. If a person intends to put their makeup mirror on a surface, like a vanity table, they should look for one with a small base so it won't take up much room. If you plan on mounting your mirror to a wall, consider one with an adjustable arm so you can manipulate its positioning.
The History Of Mirrors
There are countless stories from ancient mythology that involve someone catching their own reflection in a still pond, and believing it to be another person. The first man-made mirror, however, didn't come to be until 2900 BCE, when the Ancient Egyptians carved them out of polished bronze and attached handles to them made from either ivory, wood or metal. There is also a cast bronze mirror that historians have dated back to 2000 BCE China.
There was even a version of a compact cosmetic mirror at the time; it was housed in a boxed metal cover, and people would carry it around with them.
These original mirrors were only large enough to reflect one's face, but the Ancient Greeks are accredited with creating full-length mirrors sometime between 4 and 65 BCE. They would typically decorate their mirrors with images of the gods. The most commonly represented gods were Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, and Eros, the god of desire. There was even a version of a compact cosmetic mirror at the time; it was housed in a boxed metal cover, and people would carry it around with them.
In Ancient Greece, mirrors were considered very valuable. The Greeks evolved from carving them out of simple bronze and began making them out of silver and gold, and adding gems. Some women paid a price for a mirror equal to a woman's dowry at the time. Meanwhile, the Japanese considered mirrors to be sacred objects. Since mirrors arrived in Japan, they've been an important part of imperial rituals. They're also used to ward off evil spirits, and to communicate with the gods.
Where Makeup Fits Into Feminism
The standard definition of feminism is the advocacy of women's rights in all matters of life, from the social arena to the political and economic ones. For centuries, many women have felt that society stripped them of the right to go makeup-less. To this day, major publications dedicate entire pages to images of celebrities who are not wearing makeup, pushing the notion that this is revolutionary, or even inappropriate. Trends like these inspired a more recent trend; the no-makeup movement.
But a new wave of feminists argues that the movement is exclusive.
Advocates of the movement say that it is liberating, and intended to show women they do not need conventional beauty products like makeup and bras. But a new wave of feminists argues that the movement is exclusive. Many say that the use of the words, "women don't need makeup," imply that the women who do wear makeup do so because they feel they need to when, in fact, they may just want to. One such group that states women should get to choose whether or not they wear makeup are the lipstick feminists.
There is a third group that doesn't quite side with or against the no makeup movement. Many people believe that, while it is true women should get to choose whether or not to wear makeup, and shouldn't be deemed as anti-feminist for doing so, they argue that perhaps the reason women want to wear makeup is inherently anti-feminist. Essentially they argue centuries of pressure to wear makeup have made women subconsciously believe they need it, and now they struggle to know if they actually want to wear it or are responding to societal pressure.