Many women dream of having their own makeup table. It’s beyond most people’s financial means to have a Hollywood-style makeup station in their bathroom, but a dedicated table or desk with a lighted vanity mirror can come very close at a much lower cost. And an LED vanity mirror is perfect for the task.
These mirrors feature a variety of configurations for their lighting, but two approaches are most common. Rectangular models will either have tiny, individual LED lights installed around the edges of the entire mirror, or a number of LED lights mounted inside a translucent frame to provide consistent and seamless illumination. Round, oval or square LED vanity mirrors will normally have a lighted frame.
One caution: there are similar vanity mirrors which use fluorescent instead of LED lighting. Fluorescent is a poor choice for a makeup mirror, because the cool, bright light washes out colors and can lead you to put on way too much makeup. Stick with LEDs, which provide the best simulation of daylight and will last for years of regular use.
These mirrors can be found in many sizes, from large rectangular models that are almost three feet in width (rectangular vanity mirrors will have either a vertical or horizontal orientation), to compact, round LED vanity mirrors just eight inches in diameter. Prices, of course, usually increase with size. The mirror will either be mounted on a stand or base, or built so it can sit safely on a table or counter.
The majority feature a sleek and modern design and are manufactured with materials like chrome or acrylic, although you can also find some with antique gold finishes or design features like scrollwork, which will be a better fit in a more traditional bedroom or bath.
Almost every LED vanity mirror will allow you to dim the strength of the light it provides, and some even have sensors so they’ll light up when they sense a face in proximity. Smaller models are more likely to be adjustable so you can tilt the mirror for optimal views, and some provide magnification between 3x and 10x.