Magnification: Don’t make the mistake of simply choosing the greatest magnification available. You might be surprised to find how strong that is. Each and every pore can look like the Grand Canyon if you buy the wrong magnification! Most department store cosmetic-counter mirrors are 3x magnification. The most popular makeup mirror is 5x. However, if you have vision problems then a higher magnification (all the way up to 10x) might be better.
Size: When two mirrors with the same magnification are compared, the larger size mirror will always have better image clarity and fewer distortions. Choose as large a size as practical for your application, whether it be on your vanity or in your purse.
Tilt and Swivel: Tilt and swivel is an important feature for mirrors in your bathroom or on your vanity. You won’t be able to get tilt and swivel in a compact makeup mirror that fits in your purse, but may want it for a travel makeup mirror that fits in your luggage. Swivel is usually 360° and tilt is usually 15° up or down. A double-arm wall-mounted mirror has more rotation than a single-arm mirror because in addition to rotating at the mirror pivot, it also rotates at the elbow.
Distortion: All magnification-mirrors create some distortion. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t magnify anything. The reason for this is that the mirrors magnify by using bent glass to form a sort of lens which does the magnification. The larger the magnification, the greater the bend in the glass and the greater the distortion. The center portion of the mirror, at any magnification level, always has the least distortion. In a larger mirror, the absolute size of the center section is relatively larger, and therefore the area of least distortion is larger. This is the main reason a larger mirror is preferable.
Expensive Mirrors: The most expensive mirrors have silver-backed glass forming the image, rather than aluminum-backed glass. The larger mirror sizes of the more expensive mirrors are much more difficult to produce correctly but once you’ve seen the difference in the larger image it’s hard to go back. Also adding to the cost of the high-end mirrors are the frames of solid brass.
Fluorescent, Incandescent, or LED: The long and the short of this is that it’s what you prefer that counts. With the exception of cool-white fluorescent, most people find color-corrected fluorescent lamps and LEDs agreeable, as they do regular incandescent lamps – it’s purely a matter of preference.
Good mirrors use only color-corrected fluorescent lamps and LED lamps, which approximate daylight. They do not have the green tinge of commercial indoor fluorescent lighting.. Even so, daylight is not always what people like. Light from incandescent lighting or “regular” light bulbs usually used indoors, is often preferred.
An energy-saving feature of modern fluorescent lamps is their greatly reduced wattage, and the lamps stay cool. LED lamps consume even less electricity, stay cooler and last 50,000 hours on average. That’s 6 years of continuous usage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Switch on Base: Putting a switch on the electrical cord is the cheapest way to include a switch. More expensive mirrors always have a switch on the base, not on the cord.
Brands: Kimball & Young mirrors are a mid-priced line of high-quality Makeup Mirrors. KY Mirrors come with a 3-year Manufacturer’s Warranty.
Alto/ TonJon mirrors are super-high-quality mirrors. These mirrors are used in many top hotels. Extra-high-quality glass is used, and large glass areas reduce distortion. TonJon mirrors are backed with pure silver instead of aluminum.
Zadro mirrors are reasonably priced and come with numerous innovations not available elsewhere. The Surround-Light 2000 group produces exceptionally bright images.
Samuel Heath & Sons produce makeup mirrors in Birmingham England. The look of the Samuel Heath mirrors is noticeably different than the American Brands above, and distinctive. The quality is superb as are the fit and finish.
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