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What kind of mirror do you use for applying your makeup?


What kind of mirror do you use for applying your makeup? How is it working out? What do you prefer?

I just use a large mirror that spans the length of the bathroom countertop, so it doesn’t have any special lighting or magnification. I could use a slightly magnifying mirror for detail work!

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Kristen Avatar

I have a Conair dual sided mirror with three sides. One side is normal and one is magnified, lights on the sides. But the lights are going out so I’ll need a new one by Christmas, I’m sure.

Christina Avatar

I don’t know why, but I can only ever apply makeup with a hand mirror. It feels really uncomfortable for me to lean over so I can get close to a mirror. I do want a fancy vanity one day, though.

Myriam Avatar

I’ve always used a hand mirror, too! I’m very near-sighted so it’s the best option for me. I thought I was the only one doing that 🙂

Jan Avatar

Ditto to both you and Myriam. I have two huge bathroom mirrors (great for checking hems and for making sure I get exercise bending over to clean them). But, when it comes to applying makeup, I can only use the large ones for tinted moisturizer/foundation application. Anything else requires a round mirror with 4x or higher magnification – particularly to ensure everything is blended properly. I keep one in each of my more frequently used purses and one on my vanity.

Megan Avatar

I used the tiniest mirror. I got a few Sephora gift cards that had their small open/close mirrors. So I use a mirror the size of two credit cards. I like using blocking to do my makeup. I focus on one section of my face at a time, except with foundation.

Shrutilaya Avatar

I have one of those table mirrors with is magnified on one side and normal on the other. I also have a huge mirror on the wall above my desk. I usually look at that for most of the time, but use the magnifying mirror for liner.

Trix Avatar

For my face makeup I use the medicine cabinet mirror above my sink, then I switch to a hand mirror to do my eye makeup since my vision is terrible and I need to be close to the mirror to get the details just right. One of these days I’m going to get a proper vanity so I don’t have to do my makeup in my tiny bathroom. I have a beautiful antique brass stand mirror that I would love to use.

Natalie Avatar

I have a vanity mirror which has a normal side and a 5x magnifying side which I only really use for tweezing my eyebrows. It also has a light which is great in the evenings and on winter mornings when the light in our bedroom is a bit rubbish.

Sunny Avatar

I don’t have a vanity, so I apply makeup standing up in front of the big mirror on my wardrobe. The only problem I sometimes have is the light isn’t the best there, so I occasionally have to run to the bathroom and check how even/intense something has turned out.

zainab Avatar

I use a small hand mirror. I have a full length thin mirror in the room, but I just find I prefer to be able to hold the mirror pretty close. On the other hand having a small mirror makes it harder to make eyeshadow and blush even on both sides. I don’t think I’ve found a perfect system yet >.<

Julia Avatar

I use a $10 table mirror that use to have a light, but I haven’t changed the batteries since I got it (the light was useless anyway). I keep it on the desk that I never used for studying so it became my vanity of sorts. The mirror does have a magnification side, but I never use it.

Kylee Avatar

I have a little vanity (aka a cute glass-top “laptop desk” I got from IKEA) with a dual-sided lighted magnifying mirror. My boyfriend and I are usually getting ready for work/school at the same time, so that way I can have all of my makeup in its own little space and not take up the bathroom for ages at a time!

Liz Avatar

I am near sighted and have astigmatism, so one of the first tools I picked up was a magnifying mirror. Made doing eye makeup so much easier! Eyeliner and Mascara was especially problematic before picking up the mirror.

Eileen Avatar

I just stand in front of my wardrobe full-length mirror since I can be closer to the mirror that way! If I really need detailed work for formals I use a compact magnifying mirror. But that would be rare for me.

Julie Avatar

I use the mirror above my sink. It’s about 7′ x 4′. However, with my lack of eyesight up close I also used a magnified light up mirror to do my eyeliner, eyeshadow and to check my mascara.

Kelly Avatar

I use my bathroom mirror with a suction cup magnifying mirror stuck to it. I don’t like to use the magnifying mirror too much because I don’t want to see all of my wrinkles up that close!!! I wish I had a dedicated makeup vanity so I could sit down and do my makeup. It would be a lot more comfortable and convenient!

Kelly Avatar

I use my bathroom mirror with a suction cup magnifying mirror attached for detail work. I don’t really like using the magnifying one very much because I don’t like seeing my fine lines and wrinkles up close! I wish I had a makeup vanity so I could sit down and do my makeup. It would be so much more comfortable & convenient.

tzwiggy Avatar

My bathroom mirror. I don’t understand how anyone can use a handheld mirror or those tiny makeup mirrors. I just lean in for detail work. Most people are gonna see me from a distance anyway, not 5 inches from my face, so the most important thing is that it looks good from a normal distance.

Nic Avatar

A small handheld mirror, because I have terrible vision and I don’t wear contacts, so I need to be inches away from the mirror to do my eye makeup. For the rest of my face, I use the bathroom mirror.

Wwendalynne Avatar

I have two makeup mirrors. One lighted, one not. Both are oval with magnifying mirrors on their opposite sides. I flip back and forth because I can’t see jack sh*t up close anymore and need magnification to do my brows and eyes.

Geneva Avatar

My rearview mirror (only when parked), the mirror over the driver side window shade thingy, the mirror from my eyeshadow palette, my lighted conair 5x mirror if I’m applying my makeup at home, and a dual sided mirror on my desk at work.

Erika Avatar

I have a large dark brown wooden vanity desk with a foldable mirror that doubles as a cover for a large compartment (pretty difficult to explain, I wish I could post a photo). On the side of the vanity desk that isn’t covered by the folding mirror, I also have a round moveable tabletop mirror (you know the ones that you can rotate because they have a magnifying mirror on the other side?) that I bring closer to me when I need to see more clearly and I’m too lazy to move closer to the built-in mirror on my desk. 😀

Lastly, behind the small mirror is a desk lamp with a 9W fluorescent white light bulb, which I use when the lighting in my dressing room isn’t sufficient. 🙂

Nicole Avatar

Currently I apply my makeup while having breakfast in the morning. I use the mirrow in my Bobbi Brown Sheer Pressed Powder package, which works pretty good.

Lee Avatar

I use one of those old school counter top mirrors that’s rectangular with a normal mirror on one side and a magnified one on the other and lights on each side. I think it’s by Jerdan and it was pretty inexpensive, maybe $30? It’s not particularly attractive on my counter top but it’s great for make-up, lots of light and good magnification.

Lorrie Avatar

I used to always use the mirror above my bathroom sink but with four in our family and one bathroom it was hard to get in to do it! I now have a small oval lighted mirror on an old desk I put in our bedroom. It has magnifying but I rarely use that side. I think the bathroom lighting was better so I do a final check in the bathroom mirror before I leave for work.

Cynthia Avatar

I have a large round mirror mounted above my desk and a conair double sided mirror with the lights around it. I mostly use the conair one to apply my makeup but I like have the round mirror because it gives me a bigger picture.

Terri Avatar

I have a makeup vanity and stool from IKEA and also bought a mirror to stick on wall and lights on either side of it. I also added a magnifying mirror which pulls out to use and then flexes back to get out of the way. All of it came from IKEA and it was not a lot of money (which was the deal I made with my husband!). I love the whole setup except for the lights…they are kind of annoying. I need to get proper makeup bulbs I guess. Still, I love my little makeup corner!!

Denise Avatar

I have a wall mounted extension mirror with a 1x and a 10x side. No lights, but my bathroom has very good lighting on its own. I don’t have vanity space, so I mounted the mirror at standing height. 10x is very scary, but at my age it’s my only hope for applying eye liner!

Susan Nevling Avatar

Because of nerve damage, I can’t stand long enough to use the bathroom mirror. I use a larger hand held mirror for most makeup and a magnifying mirror for eye makeup.

Melissa C Avatar

I apply most of makeup looking into the mirror that hangs over our bathroom vanity. I use a handheld mirror with a magnifying side to apply mascara, eyeliner, etc because I too am blind as a bat! Also, the mirrors in my NARS blushes are great – so big. I use those for applying eyeshadow because they are easier to hold while also using a brush and standing up.

Deb Avatar

I have a vanity top lighted magnifying mirror that I got from Brookstone. I don’t know if they even sell them anymore; mine is about 15 yrs old. It has the one piece round type bulb for shadow free lighting. It was spendy but the best beauty investment I ever made. Hands down. It’s been moved I don’t know how many times and I’ve never had a problem with it. It is heavy with a very solid base. The bulbs last forever but I have backups just in case. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve stuck a smaller mirror with suction cups on it for higher magnification. It is scary to see every wrinkle, flaw, and pore in unflinching detail but it’s worth it when you can be confident you don’t have mascara flakes under your eyes or eyeliner smudges or that your base hasn’t settled visibly into your pores. I just have a phobia that if I use a regular mirror I will have stray makeup marks everywhere and I’ll go out of the house looking like a crazy lady. If you can afford one of these types of mirrors, I HIGHLY recommend it. If you use one, you will never go back. I rely on mine so much that when I travel, I stress over the fact that I can’t take it with me.

Mardi Avatar

When we renovated I designed a dressing table for our dressing room. It has a mirror in the middle with cupboards either side. The mirror has fluoro tubes behind it, with frosted glass in the mirror to let the light out. The cupboards, which are glass fronted, have halogen spot lights in the top so I open the doors when I do my makeup to get lots of light. There’s no window in our dressing room. I also have a mirror that pulls out on a concertina thing. It is round and has a normal and a magnifying side. I’m very short sighted so I pull it out and use it to apply makeup then check the long distance effect in the dressing table mirror. I don’t really use the magnifying side. I hate standing to do my makeup or hair so I have a stool to sit on. If I stay at a hotel I have to plan a dressing table area so I don’t have to stand up! I think my fluoros aren’t daylight because sometimes I manage to overdo the blush so I need to find daylight tubes. What I also need is more storage!

Stephie Avatar

I use the mirror I’ve been lugging around for 8 years now. It’s huge enough to fit my face that’s why I use it. I don’t have a hard time looking at all the angles of my face.

Lauren Avatar

I’m currently using both a small dual sided mirror, and a wall mirror over my vanity. I’m thinking about investing in a Vanity Girl Hollywood table top mirror soon. I’ve seen them in a lot of makeup-collection videos on youtube and I think they are so glam and useful because of the dimmer switch and outlets.

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