I am the queen about applying makeup in strange places under tight deadlines. I'm completely literal (not literal) always applying makeup on the go. I can't tell you how many times I've drawn my eyebrows in the passenger seat of my boyfriend's manual Honda Civic SI, loitering around as he shifts gears, waiting to pass the next streetlight to making sure my arches are even. Or how many times I spontaneously decided to go out, racing to finish my winged eyeliner despite being in a dimly lit parking lot. In the club bathroom, I was the one using lipstick as blush while holding a tube of mascara between my teeth. At one festival, I was constantly besieged by ADHD-induced time blindness, racing to get ready in the tent before we needed to leave, using the mirror I'd snuck in with me. to make sure my glitter is sparkling properly. I even hosted a class for my WIRED colleagues on how to be prepared during difficult times. For better or worse, I'm still that girl.
So it makes sense that my group's goblin ways would lead to me testing the ultimate in That Girl's innovation. I'm talking about makeup mirrors with lights. They shine light onto your face so you can see it from every angle (and in some cases, they have magnification that will show you every pore, whether you want to see it or not). ). You'll be able to use the power of Precision Vision to ensure a flawless finish, whether you're going for a bold contour, a smoky crease cut like it's 2016 again, or you're simply wanted to make sure my lined lips weren't too obvious. These are my favorites.
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Introduction to CRI (Color Rendering Index)
Some lighted makeup mirrors feature a specific CRI (Color Rendering Index) measurement. It's a way to measure how close artificial light is to natural light (like daylight). The scale goes from 0 to 100, where 100 is a perfect indication of how the color looks under natural sunlight. I think this is an interesting thing to know, but ultimately, your environment will influence your makeup application more than the mirror's CRI score (if listed). Placing a lighted makeup mirror in front of a window or in a well-lit area will give you a clear picture of your makeup look in any room. Once my makeup is done, I usually take a look at any mirror's available lighting options to make sure it looks good in all of them. So, in short, a high CRI is a good sign of a mirror's color accuracy, but it's not the only thing you need to care about.
I completed my initial makeup look (shimmery nude eyeshadow, winged liner, lots of blush and highlighter, penciled brows, heavy mascara) using each mirror at least twice—once in a dark environment and once in natural daylight. . I tested each lighting mode and ran each battery completely at least once.