Mirror

Vanity Table: Oak Leaf Two-sided Tabletop Swivel Makeup Mirror

July 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Oak Leaf Two-sided Tabletop Swivel Makeup Mirror

The perfect vanity table: the unattainable goal.

A vital component to any vanity table is the tabletop swivel mirror. But not just any mirror. It must be a true and clear reflection. It must have a regular side for makeup application and a magnifying side for eyebrow tweezing and other close-ups. And ideally, it should look aesthetically pleasing on your vanity table. Modern, sleek, stylish and classic.

The Oak Leaf Tabletop Swivel Makeup mirror is a two-sided mirror with a 5x magnification side for close-up work, and a regular side mirror. Very useful for fine detail work such as eyebrow grooming and tweezing, applying false eyelashes or detailed eyeliner work, or examining the pores of the skin, the magnification side is very helpful for grooming. I like using the magnification side for when I apply retinol or Vitamin C serums so that I can better view skin problems that may not be otherwise as visible to the naked eye. The regular mirror side is clear and even without a warped reflection, very suitable for both men and women for shaving, grooming, skincare treatments and of course, makeup application. I like that I can tilt it in just the right position (about 75-degree angle back, away from my eye) while I apply liquid eyeliner and mascara to my top lashes.

The Chrome finish gives a clean, modern yet classic look to the mirror, and serves the purpose of protecting the mirror from moisture and condensation. The chrome makes it very suitable for use a bathroom vanity or countertop mirror as it will resist corrosion from the steam of hot showers.

CONSTRUCTION
The actual assembly of the mirror is simple, and it comes with a small tool to help secure the fittings. The swivel mechanism moves effortlessly and is firmly secured. The base is solid brass with a hand-polished chrome overlay that gives a high, sleek shine. It is not rickety and feels like a more expensive piece.

The mirror comes not entirely assembled. At first, I was less than thrilled about this, but assembly is simple, and it turns out I prefer that the mirror was not preassembled once I realized that if it were already assembled, it probably would not arrive in as good a condition as it did when I received the mirror. Not fully assembled allowed for packing each piece very well with no scratches. Even if you are not terribly handy, this is very easy to assemble.

CONCLUSION: Well worth the price, this mirror has a classic, sleek look that would compliment the decor of many bathrooms and vanity tables. The easy to use swivel base is very helpful for shaving, makeup application, and skin care needs.

Find it at Amazon.com.

I received this product in exchange for testing and review purposes. If you have any questions about my experience with it, leave it in the comments section below, and Iâ€™ll do my best to answer it!

1000 Hour Compact Hands-Free Makeup Mirror

June 28, 2016 · Leave a Comment

1000 Hour Compact Hands-Free Makeup Mirror

When applying makeup that requires using both hands, such as one hand to hold the skin taut and the other to apply, such as with liquid eyeliner or applying false lashes, an angled mirror is very helpful. A hand held mirror or compact has an advantage over an upright mounted mirror such as a bathroom cabinet mirror because it can be positioned to look downwards into the mirror. The problem is getting the right angle and keeping your hands free. This 1000 Hour Compact is a hands-free makeup mirror that is particularly useful when applying makeup that requires being able to see from the underneath and at weird angles including mascara or anything else that you might tilt your head back while applying the makeup product.

HOW I USE THIS MIRROR TO APPLY LIQUID EYELINER
I don’t have a very steady hand, so when I apply liquid eyeliner, I place this mirror on the table at about a 75-degree angle. I put my elbow on the table and look down into the mirror. I hold my eyelid skin semi-taut with my left hand and hold the eyeliner brush in my right. Looking into the mirror, I tap out tiny dots of liner all along the lashline, midway between my top lashes and the skin. Then I blend it with a clean brush or q-tip.

The mirror can be used as a standard compact, and the arm can position the height and angle in a full range of angles. I find this especially useful for liquid eyeliner application, mascara application, any item you might use a stencil such as an eyebrow powder stencil and when I apply false eyelashes.

When I do quick makeup touch ups at my desk at work, this mirror is handy to lean over and quickly fix any errant mascara or eyeliner. While I don’t like to do my makeup at my desk, I prefer to fix some mistakes discretely without walking past the whole office to the ladies room.

It is also helpful to angle the mirror when tweezing my eyebrows so that I can see tiny hairs above or below on the brow tails; I tend to miss these hairs when I use a wall mounted mirror.

Sturdy, flexible, and bends into all sorts of angles and heights, this fits neatly into my bag or desk and is a useful little compact.

1000 Hour Compact Hands-Free Makeup Mirror

NOVICA Handcrafted Floral Reverse Painted Glass and Wood Framed Wall Mirror, ‘Purple Summer Garden’

May 1, 2016 · Leave a Comment

I am a huge fan of jewel tones. Rich, vibrant, saturated jewel tones. This is one of the reasons I love this small mirror from NOVICA.

â€œPurple Summer Gardenâ€ is an intricate and whimsical piece. It employs the reverse painted glass technique where the design is painted in reverse on the back of the glass and then displayed from the front. This technique makes the colors seem more vibrant, combining the visual qualities of painting and stained glass.

I find the versatility of this piece fascinating. I recently moved some art out of my office as weâ€™re in the middle of construction and I didnâ€™t want anything to get accidentally damaged. As I looked around at the bare walls I started considering a dÃ©cor reboot and wondered if Purple Summer Garden would fit in somewhere. I realized that it would work with any direction I chose to go, as the colors fit with both lighter and darker schemes. While the purples and coppers are deep and saturated like autumn colors, they also take on the beautiful colors of a summer sunset. It wasnâ€™t until I realized that did I recognize how well named this piece is: it truly is reminiscent of a Summer Garden under the August sunlight as it ebbs towards twilight. Light blue dragonflies dance around the blossoms surrounding a clear and true diamond shaped mirror.

The back has a sturdy hook to securely hang the item and comes with the artistâ€™s story and his thoughts on the piece in a lovely NOVICA booklet.

This is indeed a small piece: it is a 10â€x8â€ frame surrounding the 5.25â€x3.7â€ mirror. So while this isnâ€™t going to replace your bathroom mirror, it is an incredible and eye-catching piece that draws people in. My biggest problem with this mirror is that people are so captivated by it that they inevitably touch the glass â€“ so you may have to clean some fingerprints off of it every once in awhile! But that is a small price to pay for a piece that garners so much attention.

The artist, Gelacio Giron, is located in Peru and trained as an accountant, and started pursuing his craft during school. He enjoys sharing Peruvian artistry with the world through NOVICA, and enjoys the thought that you and I are decorating our homes with his pieces. He works with his brothers in his workshop to bring us his stunning works.

NOVICA Handcrafted Floral Reverse Painted Glass and Wood Framed Wall Mirror, ‘Purple Summer Garden’

Product Review: NOVICA Metallic Glass Mosaic Circle Wall Mirror From India Silvery Glamour

March 24, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This is a very versatile mirror for home, office or gift giving. I like a larger statement piece type mirror that has some character without completely stealing the show from adjacent pieces.

What I especially like about this piece is the five-rows deep of small mirror tiles on the perimeter border which pick up the colors and lighting within the room, so matches any dÃ©cor, color, and lighting scheme. It says “silvery glamour” in the title, but if your color scheme does not match with silver, don’t shy away from this mirror because the mirror tiles are not matte silver-tone tiles on the border, they are actual mirrors. This mirror is great for an office, a guest bath, grouped with other frames and mirrors in a display, placed in a small breezeway or hallway, an entrance way, a bedroom, etc. The reflection in the mirror itself is true and accurate.

The border mirror tiles have a handmade look to their individual cut as they are not entirely even in placement, but they are not cracked or damaged tiles, more of an artistically uneven than done with factory-assembled row precision. I like this because of how it causes the light to reflect and refract and gives the reflection a softer, glowing look, and gives it a truly handmade look. I really liked when I placed candles and other lighting sources in front of the mirror and it cast a nice glow in the room. It also caught the light nicely from a stained glass lamp. I would imagine the style would also work in a chrome and glass dÃ©cor and reflect the silver tone and blue based lighting schemes as well.

It is a heavy mirror and a well-made one. There is a generous-sized deep keyhole-like notch to hang the mirror on a nail or screw-bolt. There is hardware on the back to hold the mirror similar to the bracketing on older or well-made painting frames. It is sturdy.

This mirror is shipped and packed exceptionally well in inner and outer boxes, sort of sandwiched between cardboard dowels and layers of cardboard to form almost a puzzle of security over the package itself. I was happy about this because this mirror could make a good gift for someone if you don’t really know their taste, and this is sent packed well enough to ship it to them directly and be assured it arrives in one piece.

About Novica

Novica works with and promotes individual artisans around the world who have learned and honed their craft using local materials, such as woods, silks, stones and gemstones, precious and common metals to create handmade works of art. Novica tells a little about the artist with each piece. For example, this mirror was crafted by an artist who admires India’s Handcrafted art and enjoys working with metals and mirrors.

NOVICA Metallic Glass Mosaic Circle Wall Mirror From India ‘Silvery Glamour’

Find it at Amazon.com.

I received this product at a discount for my unbiased review.