Makeup mirror for a college age trans woman new to makeup?

December 11, 2024 3:58 PM

My college age daughter has requested a makeup mirror with these features: light around the mirror, sits on a tabletop, has magnifying option (flip-over?). She is new to makeup, and is just out as a trans woman to immediate family. I have seen expensive ones from Vera Lara and cheap questionable ones on Amazon. Is there a decent and trustworthy mid-point? Tips for related purchases are welcome.
posted by anonymous to Shopping (8 answers total)

I've had one forever that's probably of the cheap Amazon variety. Flipover magnifying mirror is good. Mine can fold flat against the base and that mechanism includes a joint that effectively makes the height adjustable, which I feel is important ergonomically. One thing to pay attention to is the power situation for the light. LED brightness tends to be very sensitive to battery charge level and that's annoying, although cordless is convenient at times. If I were buying a new one I'd look for USB rechargeable.
posted by aincandenza at 4:15 PM on December 11 [1 favorite]

I've had a corded one from Conair for well over a decade, similar to this but without the adjustable lighting options. Works great!
posted by platinum at 5:25 PM on December 11

My Conair mirror (like this but much older) has worked out just fine for me. It's sturdy and gets the job done, and Conair has been doing mirrors like this for a long time. I'd call it decent and trustworthy.
posted by EvaDestruction at 5:27 PM on December 11 [1 favorite]

I've had several of the Conairs over the years since the 80s (none of them ever broke, they just disappeared in moves or whatever).

I currently have one of the smaller rechargeable ones and it's fine for my very limited needs, but every girl deserves time with the Conair if they're not in the position to put up a whole lighted vanity table and mirror.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:02 PM on December 11

I have this Fancii mirror, I like it enough that I repurchased it when I accidentally left it in a hotel 2 years ago.

It does have lights but I forget to charge them and rarely use them. What I do use constantly are the 3 different magnifications, so I see what looks good up close and then at 1x without having to look to my regular mirror. Which is good b/c atm the way my bathroom is set up, I have to sit on the the toilet to do my makeup and stand up and move around to see myself in my regular mirror. I would think about the space when selecting a mirror, where will it be used and how much space is there. If she'll be standing maybe something that can be positioned higher would be better. I would prefer to stand but never found the right magnification mirror for me for that. If you're lucky to have a makeup vanity/desk you can sit that's great, but if you are using it in a bathroom are you sitting on something? Does it need to travel or be plugged in? If it's sitting on a counter with a sink, is there enough counter space for the mirror's base? I bought a fancier conair a couple years ago, and I really couldn't set it up in a way that worked for me in my space, and went back to this cheaper option.
posted by snowymorninblues at 8:34 AM on December 12

Not sure if this counts as a related purchase, but if your daughter is new to makeup you might pair the mirror with a gift card to Ulta so she can try a few new products. They have a wider range of price points than Sephora, everything from NYX to the fancy stuff, and I generally find the vibe in Ulta to be friendlier and more accessible than in Sephora.
posted by stellaluna at 9:44 AM on December 12 [1 favorite]

The SimpleHuman is the gold standard makeup mirror. Expensive, but worth it. I’ve had mine (the original one) for 10 years, so I can’t say how it compares to the multitude of mirrors made by SH today.
posted by matildaben at 9:33 PM on December 12

I like this Conair mirror because of the removable magnifying mirror that you can hold in your hand. If your daughter prefers a larger magnifying mirror, that may not be useful though.

I would avoid anything rechargeable- those seem to just break down suddenly.

One other thing I got for my vanity in the bedroom that is not expensive and super helpful (if you have an existing large mirror) is this "Hollywood mirror" light kit. I bought my set in 2019 and it still works well. Infinitely adjustable brightness and tone. It's not a substitute for a closeup makeup mirror for me, but for looking at one's overall self these lights have worked brilliantly. There's a clear cord (not shown in their silly photo) that runs to each bulb which is visible but not obtrusive, and you need a nearby outlet.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:18 PM on December 13