In this post, we’re going to talk about the three types of white lighting that you can use for makeup purposes: warm, cool, and natural. We will talk about what these lights are, how they are different from one another, and what pros and cons they have when it comes to using them for makeup.
Let’s get started.
Before We Start: Why is it Important to Pick the Right Light for Makeup
Before we get into the different types of lights, let’s talk about why it is important to get the right one for your makeup space.
With the right light, you can make sure that:
- your makeup is applied properly and evenly
- you are able to apply your makeup and do your styling comfortably
- your makeup space has the type of aesthetic that you want
As we will learn in more detail as we go along, some lighting types can be harsher on the eyes while others can be somewhat unfulfilling in terms of aesthetics. Understanding the pros and cons of all the options and keeping them in consideration when making your purchase is paramount.
And that is what you will be able to do with ease once you read this post.
Warm VS Cool VS Natural Lighting
To give you a comprehensive overview of all these different lighting types, we will first define them and then list their pros and cons.
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Warm White Lighting
Warm white lighting is characterized by its soft and yellowish hue. When measured on the Kelvin scale, warm lighting is created by bulbs with a color temperature of around 3000K.
(Kelvin is a unit of temperature, typically used for measuring hotness/coldness. However, in lighting, it describes the shade and hue of the light rather than its physical temperature.)
To understand warm white light, think of the light that you get from the sun at sunset or from a fireplace.
There are various benefits that you can enjoy with warm lighting when applying makeup. However, there are also some downsides that have to be kept in mind. Read the table below to properly understand both the pros and cons.
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Pros of Warm White Light |
Cons of Warm White Light |
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It can be very calm and soothing on the eyes, making your makeup sessions comfortable and relaxing |
The yellowish hue of warm lights, while giving you a flattering look, can prove to be insufficient for finer makeup details |
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It can give your makeup space a nice aesthetic touch |
Due to the inherent yellowish hue, sometimes warm lighting can lead you to view and apply colors incorrectly |
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Warm light hides the negligible blemishes and marks on your skin (which aren’t very visible in normal conditions), allowing you to get through your makeup sessions with an easy mind |
Should you buy warm white lights for your makeup setup?
Warm lighting can be ideal for people whose makeup routine does not involve intricate detailing and dabbling with different colors. If you are someone who does just a bit of hairstyling and makeup on a daily basis and enjoys keeping the space relaxed and ambient, buying warm white lights can be an excellent choice.
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Cool White Lighting
Cool white lighting is characterized by its sharp and blueish hue. When measured on the Kelvin scale, cool light is created by bulbs that have a color temperature of around 4000K.
To understand cool lighting, think of the type of sharp light you get on a clear day around noon. These types of lights are used commonly in places like hospitals, laboratories, and so on.
Like warm lighting, cool lighting comes with its own set of pros and cons. Let’s take a look at them in the table below:
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Pros of Cool White Light |
Cons of Cool White Light |
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The sharpness of cool lights can help you apply makeup accurately and add fine details without difficulty |
Cool light can be quite harsh on the eyes, making longer makeup sessions uncomfortable |
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Cool lights, when compared to their warmer counterparts, give a truer representation of colors. This allows you to make the right color combinations and matchings. |
They can give your makeup space a cold and unfriendly look. |
Should you buy cool white lights for your makeup setup?
Cool white lights can be a good choice for you if your makeup sessions are brief but involve the application of fine details and a diverse range of colors. On the other hand, if you favor aesthetics and if your planned makeup sessions are long and relaxed, then these lights aren’t recommended.
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Natural White Lighting
Natural white lighting created by bulbs is characterized by its simulated similarity to actual sunlight that can be seen during midday. This type of light is not as soft as warm lighting nor as harsh as cool lighting. Its hue is in the middle of both extremes.
However, when it comes to the Kelvin measurement, natural white lighting is produced by bulbs that have a color temperature of around 5000K to 5500K, which is higher than cool or warm lights.
Like the others, natural lighting has its pros and cons, which you can see in the table below:
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Pros of Natural White Light |
Cons of Natural White Light |
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Natural white light can give you an accurate and realistic representation of what your makeup looks like in normal lighting conditions |
Natural white light can only be correctly simulated by high-quality bulbs, which can be hard to find |
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Natural white light is easy on the eyes and also gives a nice aesthetic to your makeup area |
The simulation of natural light can vary across products made by different companies. If you acquire two bulbs from separate companies, it can skew the overall lighting setup |
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This type of light can be sufficient for the correct application of fine details and diverse colors without making your skin look too pale and ghostly (something that can happen with cool lights) |
Should you buy natural white lighting for your makeup setup?
Bulbs that provide a natural white lighting setting can be excellent for any makeup setup. They give the best of both worlds in terms of aesthetics and viewing clarity/accuracy. However, their only downside is that high-quality bulbs that give a truly natural setting can be hard to find and expensive to buy.
Wrapping up
All three of these types of lighting have their own pros and cons. Now that you have seen them all in detail, you will be able to make a choice for yourself easily the next time you need to.
To put it in a nutshell, is natural, warm or cool light better for makeup? here is how the above article can be summarized:
Warm lights can be calm and soothing on the eyes, and provide good aesthetics, but they aren’t good at giving you an accurate representation of what your makeup looks like in real, natural settings.
Cool lights can be somewhat harsh on the eyes, but they provide excellent clarity for finer makeup work. However, they can make your skin look pale and unattractive while you are sitting at the makeup table.
Natural lights come with the best of both. They give nice aesthetics and enough clarity for finer makeup work with a realistic representation of what it all looks like in normal settings. However, they can be tough to find and can come with a high price tag.
