Hi! I'm Kaitee a Licensed cosmetologist and Bridal Stylist. I'm here to share my personal experiences and knowledge on choosing the right makeup light for your vanity, studio or on location jobs.
I'll share...
- Why temperature of your bulb is important
- Reviews on my top 3 makeup lights
- My favorite brand and Why
- Pictures of how I use my Favorite Lights
Why temperature of your bulb is important
First, lets chat Kelvin "the SI base unit of thermodynamic temperature, equal in magnitude to the degree Celsius" Kelvin is used in lighting to measure the color temperature of a particular light bulb. The higher the Kelvin (K) rating, the whiter the light will be. Understanding all of this, will help you pick lightbulbs for your studio, vanity, bathroom and any other makeup lights you may want or need.
Less than 2000K: gives off a dim glow of light, similar to what you might find from candlelight. This will lean VERY yellow.
2000K-3000K: gives off a soft white glow, often yellow in appearance
3100K-4500K: gives off a bright amount of white light; best for kitchens, offices, work spaces and vanities where task lighting is needed
4600K-6500K: gives off a bright amount of blue-white light, similar to that of daylight
6500K and up: gives off a bright bluish hue of light, often found in commercial locations; best for bright task lighting
Let's review my top 3 Makeup Lights
Number 3: Neewer 14in Ring Light - 5,500K
I Purchased this light back in December 2018 and loved it for recoring videos, but it wasn't the best for makeup applications. It does have an array of different attachments to make it easily customizable for your filming/beauty needs.
This light combo has a ton of features from light dimmer, tabletop stand, white and orange color filters, portable accessories, and phone/camera attachments for mounting your recording device. Its a great light for recording videos, going live on social media and a slew of other things, I just would recommend it for Pro Artists.
Number 2: Glamcor Classic - 5,600K
My husband purchased this for me when I first starting doing makeup back in 2013. I had been researching makeup lights for almost a year and couldn't find anything I could afford that met all my wants/needs. This was the best light I could find through all my research (at the time)
It's fabulous! Easy to setup, tear down and travel with. Glamcor was definitely thinking of artists when they created this light. The bendable lights make it extremely easy to change your lighting and setup without much fuss. The only thing I didn't like about it. The light leans a little green/blue. I found this out the hard way when I was taking pictures of my clients and their foundation and skin color looked off.
My favorite brand and Why!
The Makeup Light (TML) Key Light 2.0 (Master Kit) - 5,000K
- Use code "KVBeauty" for 15% off! -
I purchased the original 1.0 a couple years ago and LOVE it! They have a dimmer so you can easily switch the brightness to match your needs. It does take a little bit longer to setup and tear down than the glamcor but you have 10x more options. I am constantly on the go, in hotels, kitchen, bedrooms and rooms panting faces and I never know where I’m going to be. So it’s nice having options to mount my light anywhere, that don’t take up a lot of space in my kit.
I’ve clipped my light(s) to my makeup kit, kitchen counter, bathroom mirrors, curtains and the back of chairs. I don’t know any other company that allows these options or flexibility.
I’ve seen key lights mounted to a car window and a car Trunk, setup for a photoshoot out in the desert! You can literally do makeup anywhere at anytime with the right lighting. So this has been a life savor! If your lighting sucks your makeup sucks.
TML Eyelight - 5,000K
- Use code "KV Beauty" for 15% off! -
I am absolutely in LOVE with this light. It's easy to travel with, easy to setup and take down. It doesn't emit a lot of heat and can be left on for hours. Great for all beauty services, tattoo artists, and anyone that needs some extra light to get your job done.
I offer full body waxing and facials in my studio and this light easily illuminates the areas I need and is easy to maneuver around my studio.
Let's see how you can use these Lights!
Remember how I was saying your makeup is trash without the right light. Look at the difference. You can see EVERYTHING! I was using 1 Key light here.
Working in a Bridal Suite in Texas.
Record live webinars with the perfect light, this will also make your camera footage more clear.
Makeup application in the dark city! No space and nowhere to mount your lights? Clean a window off and BAM!
Film all types of videos and webinars with the right lighting and a camera!
If you considering purchasing some lights for yourself, or your kit use "Kvbeauty" for 15% off! It makes a HUGE difference. That's over $110 off for the Key light and $45 for the Eyelight Kit!!!
