With the SimpleHuman Sensor Mirror Hi-Fi, I Can Spot a Blemish Before It Fully Appears

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality/Ease of Use: 17/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Impact on My Makeup-Applying Skills: 20/20

TOTAL: 91/100

True story: My bathroom lighting is bad. But when you’re a renter in New York City, there’s not a lot you can do about it, besides going to great expense to change out a fixture or two that you’ll inevitably have to leave behind when you move out. And naturally, the most problematic part of sub-par bathroom lighting primarily relates to vanity. It’s hard to pull off even an amateur-level makeup application when the lighting is dim. (Friends, this is why my eyeliner has been uneven for years.) Enter: the SimpleHuman sensor mirror.

This top-of-the-line mirror features a 5x magnified view, but more importantly, it comes with what SimpleHuman dubs its “tru-lux light system,” which simulates natural sunlight (so you never get too heavy-handed or imprecise with your eyeshadow or foundation).

Here’s how it changed my morning routine.

The typical morning is…rushed. Whether I’m going into an office or working-from-home, both my husband and I have to get ready by a certain time, which leaves me with about 17 minutes to shower, dry my hair, do my makeup and get dressed before I have to make breakfast and devote all my attention to my toddler. (If I don’t, his beloved toys end up in the toilet—one of his favorite pastimes right now.) The SimpleHuman sensor mirror, which features a custom-designed smart speaker that syncs with Alexa using Bluetooth has motivated me to actually close the bathroom door (and close out the chaos in the process) as I go about my routine, allowing me to get my daily dose of news and podcasts (at least, whatever fits into the span of 17 minutes) at the same time.

That 5x magnification is no joke. You can see every imperfection, from a dry fleck of mascara lodged just below your lash line to the earliest signs of a blemish threatening to burst through. The tru-lux lighting is also a beast—illuminating the exact coordinates I missed with my foundation. In fact, it was this combination of hyper magnification and natural light that helped me truly see the chronic impact of an ineffective moisturizer against my overly dry winter skin. (In case anyone else is struggling with red, patchy skin too: I later booked a facial with Cecilia Wong Skincare for further intel, and she recommended swapping my cream-based product for a face oil in addition to trying Gua Sha to clear out toxins wreaking havoc on my face. My skin has dramatically improved.)

Yep, the free smartphone app that pairs with the device gives you more detailed control on your mirror’s settings, including a special “night shift” mode that allows you to schedule an automatic switch to candlelight that activates every time you get up to pee. Kind of great.

Is it worth the $200 price tag? That all depends on your lighting situation at home. But, in my case, it’s improved my morning routine infinitely, not to mention my confidence when—face full of precisely applied makeup—I step out the door.

The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what's worth the spend—and what's total hype. Learn more about our process here.