My makeup and face care routine varies depending on the day and occasion. On weekday mornings it takes me about three minutes to slap on some moisturizer, foundation, mascara and lip-gloss and then I’m on my way to work. Sometimes I don’t even need a mirror to put myself together, or resort to using the mirror in my car’s sun visor when I’m running late.
But when I have a big meeting, am going out with friends or on a date, or am tending to my eyebrows, I take a lot more time primping and grooming myself, and when I do, I rely on a good mirror, great lighting, and awesome music. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to give the iHome Vanity Mirror with Bluetooth Speaker and Lights a whirl. Even without testing it, I knew I’d like it. I mean, a mirror that pumps out great music? I’m in! And as it turns out, I wasn’t disappointed.
The iHome Vanity Mirror at a Glance
The iHome Vanity Mirror is a 9” double-sided mirror that is equipped with Bluetooth so you can stream your favourite music while you’re getting ready. One side of the distortion-free mirror offers 1x magnification, while the other side offers 7x magnification so you can see yourself in a way you may not want to, but that is ideal for plucking eyebrows and perfecting your liquid eyeliner skills. It also features high quality LED lighting with full spectrum colour, which helps show every detail so you know when you leave the house you’re looking your best.
As mentioned, it’s also Bluetooth enabled, so you can stream your favourite tunes wirelessly from your mobile device. You can also connect the iHome Vanity Mirror to an alternate audio source via USB or AUX line so you can enjoy music on whatever device you want while getting ready. The Vanity Mirror also features a built-in mic, digital voice echo cancellation and answer and end controls, so you can take calls easily while getting ready for a night out or prepping for the day ahead.
Setting up the iHome Vanity Mirror
When I received the iHome Mirror, I immediately charged it via the accompanying cable so I could test it out. Once it was charged I familiarized myself with its functions. On its control panel, there is a power button, controls for playing music and accepting calls, and a button for controlling the LED light.
Now that I was up to speed with what I was working with, it was time to connect it to my smartphone via Bluetooth. Doing so was a breeze. All I needed to do was hold down the power button until it beeped and then select “Home iCVBT5” on my phone’s Bluetooth menu to connect. I was now ready to test out the mirrors, lighting, and music streaming functionalities.
The iHome Vanity Mirror Mirrors
Before I even tested how music streamed through the iHome Vanity Mirror sounded, I chose to torture myself and check out the quality of the mirrors. The 1x magnification side of the mirror was pretty standard, as was my reflection. When I flipped the mirror over to view myself in the 7x magnification side, I was not exactly thrilled with what I saw. Having only had a standard mirror in my bathroom for eons, I did not realize just how far I had let my eyebrows go! I immediately went to my bathroom, grabbed my tweezers and set about making things right.
To be honest, I couldn’t believe how clear and detailed my face was in the 7x magnification side. In the few high magnification mirrors I’ve tried, I felt like I had to awkwardly position myself so I could see what I was looking for in the reflection. However with the iHome Vanity Mirror, I could get up close and personal with my brows and fix the damage I had clearly done over the past few months of neglect without needing to contort my body into inhuman positions.
The iHome Vanity Mirror Lights
What helped the eyebrow plucking process even more was the bright LED light that emits from the border of the mirror. As much as you may not want to see your face in such light and in such magnification, between the two I was able to perfectly groom my eyebrows in record time.
Even better, there are three different settings for the lights–Hi, Lo and Off, so you can select the best light brightness for your surroundings and needs. I found the Hi level a little too bright, but I think that’s very likely due to relatively recent eye surgery, but the Lo setting was ideal. I saw eyebrow hairs that I didn’t even know existed so hadn’t previously paid attention to. Thank you iHome Vanity Mirror for making me so much more presentable today.
Oh, and if you’re like me and forget to turn lights and appliances off, the iHome Vanity Mirror has you covered and automatically turns lights off after 25 minutes to save power.
The iHome Vanity Mirror Music Streaming
To be perfectly honest, I didn’t have high expectations for the iHome Vanity Mirror’s quality of sound. The base of the mirror, and therefore the speaker of the mirror, is quite small, so I assumed the sound would be as well. However, I was pleasantly surprised.
I chose one of my favourite songs from a playlist on my smartphone and hit play. I was instantly shocked by how loud the music was that was coming out of the iHome Mirror, and even more shocked when the sound quality stayed in tact as I further increased the volume.
That said, the sound was a little bit flat with very little bass and a slightly “tinny” vibe to it. However, the sheer convenience of being able to play music right from the mirror in which I am doing my makeup far outweighed the lack of depth to the sound.
The Verdict
The iHome Vanity Mirror is a win in my books. It combines a great mirror with fantastic lighting and music … how can you go wrong?! The 7x magnification side of the mirror is ideal for plucking eyebrows and otherwise grooming and preening, while the 1x magnification side of the mirror is high quality so doesn’t lend itself to distortion. The adjustable LED light makes it easy to do the aforementioned plucking and preening, and really helps insofar as good makeup application is concerned. Add to that the fact that you can stream your music through it, and it really is a girl’s best friend.
I had the mirror in my bathroom for a few days while I was testing it, and loved the fact that I could use it as a stereo while I was showering, bathing, and doing my hair. Like I said, the quality of sound that comes out of the iHome Vanity Mirror isn’t the equivalent of that which would come out of a stereo, but let’s be honest, that’s to be expected. The sound that does come out is still pretty darn good, and perfect for getting your groove on while you get ready for the day or a night on the town.
My verdict? I want one.
The iHome Vanity Mirror with Bluetooth is available at BestBuy.ca.
Check out the other great smart home products available at best buy on the Smart Home page.
