The NUMBER ONE key to your makeup looking good is pretty simple – proper lighting.

The number one place to find it?  In front of a window. For approximately zero dollars. Or – perhaps in your (parked) car after you get to work 15 mins early (me).

Furthermore, and this makes me CRAZY, it seems like every hotel I stay at has a mirror attached to a wall in a poorly lit bathroom.  I always end up doing my makeup by the window out of a tiny compact mirror.

This is why I was PSYCHED that while staying at The Westin Monache Resort in Mammoth over the weekend, there was a large mirror I could take out to the living room and apply my makeup in the natural light. I searched for a similar mirror online, and found one from Home Depot.  It’s sleek, simple and two sided, with one side @ 5x magnification – which is great if you like to get up close for a good scare.  It also adjusts in height, which is kind of amazing. You can find it here.

So, thank you Westin. You get me.