See Yourself In The Best Light

Picture this: You just woke up...You enjoy your first coffee  and have a little  breakfast before hopping in the shower.  You do your hair... put on some makeup... pick out your outfit and grab your bag.  You’re ready to go!  Except you’re not.  You get in your car and look in the rearview mirror  only to see yourself looking nothing like how you looked 5 minutes ago in your bathroom.  Ugh!!! 

The good news: It’s not your makeup skills or faulty product...It’s your lighting!!  The even better news: It’s an easy fix...and of course Luxe Light Studio to the rescue!

Lighting plays a HUGE role in how you see color, texture, and shadows so it only makes sense that your vanity lighting is extremely important, especially when the canvas is your face!  There are a few reasons why your at home look and your office look aren’t quite the same, and we’re here to help so you can see yourself in the best light, everywhere.

LIGHTING PLACEMENT

Lighting placement is something often overlooked during the building process.  It tends to be more standard to have fixtures placed above the vanity.  While this option offers lots of light, as well as lighting styles, it’s not always the most functional for “working” vanities (working vanities being where you do make up, shave, and so on!)

In these working vanities, we recommend opting for fixtures that go on either side of your mirror.  By having lighting placed on either side of your face, you’re getting an even light across your face, eliminating (unflattering) shadows and dark spots – shadows and dark spots that aren’t there once you leave your bathroom!

Even if you have a wide vanity with a long mirror, by placing two or more fixtures 36” to 40” apart, you’re going to get an even light, optimal for enhancing your beautiful features. 

COLOR TEMPERATURE OF YOUR BULB

Think about how the world looks at summer sunrise versus mid afternoon on a cloudy winter day — beautiful warm golden glow compared to a cool dull white.  Just like the color of the day outside changes, the color of your interior versus that of your office changes.  

Why does this matter?  If you’re getting ready under a warm, golden light, your skin tone and colors of your products will appear much warmer and golden.  Once you move to your office with bright, white light, that warm, glowing skin tone and product is suddenly not so glow-y.

While we are all about warm, cozy spaces, your vanity is not one of those spaces.  You want to opt for bulbs and fixtures that do not modify the appearance of your skin and products, aiming for a color temperature of about 3000K.  This color temperature (noted on your bulbs box or fixture information sheet) tells you how warm (golden) or cool (white) you’ll get from your fixture.

STYLE OF FIXTURE

While we all have our own design and style preferences, there are a few things that remain the same between all of us — one of those being the style of fixture we need in our vanity to provide enough working light.  Don’t worry, there are oh-so many beautiful options within this style!

When looking for fixtures for vanity, opt for fixtures that do not direct the light up, down or backwards only.  Metal shades and mercury glass are beautiful for living rooms, stairwells and hallways, but are not practical for vanities.

Instead, go for fixtures that have either an opal (white) or clear glass.  We also prefer glass to fabric shades, especially if your vanity is located in the same space as your shower.

DON'T:

DO:

WHERE TO USE FIXTURES INSTALLED ON TOP OF YOUR MIRROR

We completely love a good linear vanity fixture.  They come in so many styles and designs, so it’s only natural to want to feature these fixtures throughout your home!  While we always recommend fixtures on either side of your mirror for your working vanities, your powder rooms and spare bathrooms are the perfect spaces to use these above mirror designs!

Typically these spare bath and powder rooms are not used for makeup, shaving, and other self care routines, meaning the main goal of the lighting is to simply illuminate the space itself.  This is where you get to exercise those creative muscles and opt for designs that may not work in other bathrooms.

Here are a few things to note:

Direction of installation —  In most cases, you can choose whether your fixture is installed with the globes facing upwards or downwards.  When making this decision, keep in mind where your fixture is mounted, and the height of the glass.  

If your ceilings are low or your mirror is tall, installing your fixture upwards may put the fixture too close to your ceiling.  Alternatively, if this is your only lightsource in your space, you may want to install the fixture with the globes facing the ceiling so that more light can bounce around the room.

Length of fixture — It’s important to note the width of both your vanity and mirror when selecting your fixture.

This will allow you to select a fixture that will not exceed the length of your vanity, or look too small above your mirror.

You may also opt for two or more fixtures above multiple mirrors or sinks.  If you have a double vanity, for example, with a mirror over each sink, two separate fixtures sized appropriately to each mirror will create a balanced look.

So, now that you’re fixture is mounted just right on either side of your mirror, has a color temperature that won’t alter tones, and features an opal or clear glass, you can confidently leave the house knowing you’re going to look just as flawless regardless of whether you’re in a dimly lit restaurant or your bright white office.

Ready to see yourself in the best light?  Browse our selection of vanity lighting, or come in and talk to our lighting consultants about your vanity!