Disclosure: I'm acquaintances with the folks at The Makeup Light and with Juno. Opinions in this blog are my own and maybe viewed as bias. No affiliate or referral links are in this post.

Have you ever done your makeup in poor lighting conditions then walk outside in the day to find your makeup not looking like how it did inside? Or been to a store to get your foundation matched and it looked great in the store but you get home and you look either like an Oompa Loompa or jaundiced. Well, lights matter and in this day and age where the selfie reigns supreme having the right light is even more critical.

Two new lighted mirrors are hitting the market - Juno and Riki Loves Riki by Glamcor. Coming in 2017, The Makeup Light is rumored to be releasing their own lighted mirror but I'll have more info on that later.

RIKI LOVES RIKI BY GLAMCOR

Image from Glamcor

There are two versions to the Riki Loves Riki by Glamcor lighted mirror. The first was a pre-release sold at trade shows in 2016. That version is slightly larger and the Kelvins on it was cooler than the final release. If you purchased a Riki Loves Riki in 2016 at a trade show or via a vendor other than Limelight by Alcone then you most likely have a pre-release version. For the sake of this blog post I'll be talking about the finalized version released in December on Limelight.

The hottest mirror in the professional world is now a Limelight Exclusive. Because of its incredible lighting (yes, it will make you look younger), attachments for a magnified mirror and phone, along with Bluetooth capabilities, this mirror sold out in the US in a flash and customers have been waiting months to get their hands on it.

This mini, lighted mirror comes with an adjustable stand, as well as a phone clip and 3x magnifying mirror attachment that magnetically adheres to the mirror. The phone attachment will allow you to record or snap pictures at varying angles. The lights around the mirror have 5 different settings and the mirror itself has a rechargeable battery. It also has Bluetooth capability, with buttons on the bottom right, so your arm is not in the picture.

The mirror is 10" high and 9.25" wide.

Image from LimeLight by Alcone

What's amazing about the new Riki Loves Riki is that it has a Bluetooth selfie function. You can set your phone into the cradle attachment and put it on the mirror and take a selfie with it. For those of you who post on YouTube, Instagram, SnapChat and Periscope this would be beneficial to you.

It has a 5x magnetic magnifying mirror that can attach to the main mirror and you can add your phone to that too. It also includes a rechargeable battery with a voltage of 110-240V so it can be used in different countries. The stand in the final version is adjustable.

Kelvins: 3600–5500 K. Adjustable.

Retail price: $225 - On backorder until December 27, 2016

Upside: It's a large mirror and it includes a magnifying mirror. It has a built-in rechargeable battery. It's more portable than other lighted mirrors on the market.

Downside: Fixed Kelvins - one color temp which is a white-yellow. (Correction: The Kelvins are adjustable.) Stand is awkward and while it's adjustable it may be too low for some people. I like my mirrors level with my face. With a client, it may also be too low. No way to use with other stands - could use a Command Adhesive hooks to put on a wall if light enough. No remote. At this time I don't believe a sleeve was mentioned to be included, I would have to re-watch the LimeLight video on Facebook to see if one was included or not.

JUNO

Image from Juno Beauty Co

Juno is described as "The first intelligent make up mirror with auto sensing technology. 4 products in 1." They advertise the 4-in-1 as being a mirror, ring light, reading light and a storage tray. This Bluetooth mirror is currently available on Kickstarter and will be shipped in April for those getting in on it now. For those who were able to get in when it first launched they will be getting their mirrors in February 2017. This mirror has an app that allows you to control the light which is pretty cool.

Image from Juno Beauty Co

Kelvins: 3500K - 6000K. Adjustable.
Retail: $79
Specs: Mirror: 6 inches (15 cm) Base: 7.9 inches (20 cm) Height: 9.7 inches (24.6 cm) Ring size: Fits rings size 4 and bigger (D = 0.6” H = 1.6” / D=1.5 cm H=4 cm)

Upside: Cost. At $79 retail this is one of the least expensive Bluetooth lighted mirrors that will hit the market in 2017. IF the Kelvins are adjustable then it will be one of the most must-have lighted mirrors a consumer can get their hands on.

Downside: Size. For those who are professional makeup artists this mirror is too small to use with a client. Plus it's bulky to carry around and you would have to figure out a way to get it to your client. I've seen makeup artists clamoring for it but this prototype version would be too bulky to carry. If you own your own studio or salon then it may be doable but this is more for consumer use and those wanting to take selfies. Like the Riki Loves Riki, this mirror also currently does not have a remote. When it comes to selfies having a remote would be beneficial.

Juno vs Riki Loves Riki. Images from respective companies.

I have to admit, when I first saw this I thought that the 6000K range is too high. Too white-blue for my preferences however this light is adjustable so it may be possible that you can drop it down not just from 6000K to 3500K but in between. I even told Mira, one of the co-creators of this, that 6000K is too blue but if this is adjustable... this lighted mirror will be a game changer among lighted mirrors for consumers.

Both the Juno and the Riki Loves Riki are not perfect for professional use and I wouldn't suggest either at this time for professional use but for consumer use, both are good. Between the two I like the RLR's size but think it's too warm and for those using it for social media, your makeup will not be true to life as the light is too warm but most people like their photos on the warm side. I like the app on the Juno since it'll allow you to change the settings of the mirror via your smartphone. Factor in the cost and this will be a great consumer product. IF the Kelvins are adjustable on the Juno and you can set it to the 4500K to 5000K range then you'll be getting a lighted mirror that is near being clean white light. As you can see from the side-by-side above (images from Juno and Glamcor's pages) the Juno's mirror is roughly the size of the RLR magnifying mirror which to me is too small unless you're super nearsighted like me and need the mirror two inches from your face. Right now, the RLR will be available by the end of December while the Juno will be shipped in February for those who got in early or in April for those getting in now.

Personally, if I had to choose between the two mirrors right now I'd go with the Juno based on the Kickstarter cost. The prototype listed on their website may not end up being the finalized version much like Glamcor's prototype ended up not being their final version. Hopefully, the finalized version of the Juno will be larger but with size changes and material changes the final retail cost will probably go up. Size wise, Glamcor all the way.

That said.... Rumored to be coming in 2017: A lighted mirror from The Makeup Light! Currently, TML has available a Portable Vanity for $799 (retail) but this light was still intended for professionals not the consumer or the social media influencer. From my understanding, TML is working on a new lighted mirror that will be released in 2017. Is it Bluetooth compatible? Is it being aimed for the pros or the consumers? I don't know but TML's lights are close to being perfect, clean, white daylight as possible for my preference. The Makeup Light is 4800K that can attach to a mirror but the Kelvins are not adjustable like the Glamcor or even the Juno. You can use their Gels (retail $79) to change TML's panel from 4800K but again, this light was intended for pros not for the everyday person. If they are launching a new lighted mirror in 2017 and if it's aimed for the consumers and if it's on par with their TML then it will be the absolute must have lighted mirror on the market by 2018. We'll just have to wait and see.

• Riki Loves Riki by Glamcor now available via LimeLight by Alcone. $225 retail.
• Juno by Juno Beauty Co available via Kickstarter. $79 retail. Available at pledges starting at $39. Shipping February 2017 or April 2017.