Vanity Lighting
Of all areas in your bathroom, your vanity requires the most light. Appropriate vanity lighting gets rid of shadows so you can see yourself better. Overhead lighting is needed as well as lighting from all sides of the mirror to the best illumination.
Overhead Lighting
Overhead lighting is necessary to provide resemble natural light as it shines down on your face. You can have a strip of track lighting or have three or four fixtures mounted to the wall overhead. Be sure to use 150-watt bulbs the best amount of lighting for each fixture.
Other overhead lighting can be placed above the mirror and around the room. Depending on the height of your bathroom ceiling, choose a hanging fixture that is not so short that it doesn't provide enough light or so long that it interferes with your movement in the room. Lighting hanging from the ceiling is less likely to cast shadows on the wall and they help to illuminate the rest of the bathroom.
Lighting Around the Vanity
Mounting lights around the vanity mirror will provide the right amount of light. Don't use the brightest bulbs or white fluorescent light, which could cause you to use too much makeup; it could reveal everything you would try to cover up. The right amount of lighting would be 100 watt bulbs around the vanity mirror if you choose to side-mount your lighting.
Wall sconces are another great fixture to have around your vanity since they evenly light both sides of your face. If you choose ones that can be turned to different directions, you have more options for where the light will hit your face. Other sconces that do not move can be used for mood lighting or simply match your decor.
Think of Your Decor
After choosing lighting, think about what would look best with your bathroom decor. The styles and colors should flow evenly throughout the bathroom, providing enough lighting for all of your needs. If you choose colored fixtures, the lights will give off color as well. It is best to put those on the sides of your vanity and angle them away from the mirror so the colors have no effect on the appearance of your face.
Tags: your face, your vanity, your bathroom, amount lighting, around vanity, around vanity mirror