Good lighting is needed in the bathroom to allow the room to be as effective and useful as possible. When choosing the lighting for your bathroom makeup vanity, be sure to choose a fixture that offers both optimal light and beauty, so that your bathroom will literally shine and be a pleasure to use.

Depending on the layout of your bathroom, the vanity lighting may be the only lighting in the room. Because there is very often little or no light coming in from the outside, proper bathroom lighting is a necessity. Applying makeup in semi darkness is bound to yield negative results, so it is to your advantage to be diligent about changing burnt-out light bulbs.

Each vanity lighting fixture produces a unique effect. If you like your bathroom to be well lit and cheerful, bright lighting with multiple light bulbs will be your best option. If you like a softer and calmer look, try a fixture that features accent or spot lighting. Be sure to use soft white light bulbs, not yellow ones, as you’ll want to see your reflection as true to life as possible. Try to avoid having the light shine directly on the mirror so as not to cause a glare which would obstruct your view in the mirror. Some vanities are made with light bulbs framing the mirror. This is good for a bathroom, because it offers a lot of light which is concentrated in front of the mirror, where you need it the most.

One other thing to consider is where the other light in the bathroom is coming from. If you add a striking light fixture into the room that also provides a nice amount of light, such as an electric pillar candle chandelier, then you will need less light at the actual vanity itself.