What are the Different Types of Makeup Vanity Tables?

The best skincare and makeup products help to ensure that you look beautiful every day, but the area in which you apply your makeup is also crucial. It’s probably not a good idea to apply makeup while seated on the floor of your dark closet with makeup all over the place and a tiny mirror. Enter the makeup vanity table!

What is a Vanity Table?

A vanity table is a versatile piece of furniture that consists of a base, drawers and table legs. This shapely piece of furniture goes by various names, such as a makeup table, makeup desk, dressing table, and beauty station.

Brief History of Vanity Tables

Vanities were originally called toilet tables. They had a wash basin underneath a fold-down top and were used in the bathroom for general hygiene. Over time, these tables became smaller and more delicate with intricate drawers to keep beauty products safely stored when not in use. 

During the 19th century, there was an increase in the variety of dressing tables, with tables in the Colonial, Queen Anne, and Chippendale styles offering elaborate models.

The appeal of the vanity table faded in the 20th Century as bathrooms got more modern with built-in shelves, cabinets, mirrors, spacious drawers, and counters.

For master bathrooms and bedroom furniture collections, however, contemporary vanities remain a popular luxury.

Different Types of Makeup Vanity Tables

Makeup vanities are available in a variety of sizes and shapes to best fit your home layout and provide you with the space you so desperately need for applying makeup. Here’s a list of different types of makeup vanity tables and which situations each type is best for.

1. Lift Top Vanity

A lift top vanity is a piece hybrid furniture. It serves both as a desk or table and a makeup vanity table with just a simple folding down and folding up of a built-in mirror. Going from a table to a vanity and back again only takes a few seconds. You need to work on your laptop? Fold the mirror down and you’ve got yourself a desk. You need to apply your makeup? Fold the mirror up and you’ve got yourself a makeup vanity.

When you don’t have much room, lift top vanities are extremely helpful and an efficient way of saving space. You can lessen the amount of furniture in your house and maximize the space you have by the use of this hybrid piece of furniture.

Another fantastic feature of a lift top vanity is that it has a much more subtle look. Folding the mirror down is a more minimalist option if you don’t want your makeup vanity to be on display all the time. Lift top vanities are a highly sought-after vanity type because they offer you the control over when your vanity is on display and when it is tucked away.

2. Makeup Vanity with Drawers Only

white dressing table

The amount of storage offered by different makeup vanities varies substantially. The most common type of vanity offers at least 2 drawers. Usually, people use these drawers to keep their brushes and makeup products. Although, some people integrate their hair products into these drawers as well.

Making an inventory of your current makeup products is essential before deciding how much storage you need for a vanity. Are there any items you need to discard? Is there anything that is going to be too big to fit in a drawer? How many drawers are necessary to fit everything you have (and intend to keep)?

Following your responses to these inquiries, you ought to have a better understanding of the makeup vanity that will best suit your storage requirements.

3. Makeup Vanity with Drawers and Cabinets

feminine white dressing table, minimalist vanity table and mirror

While less frequent, there are makeup vanities available that feature cabinet storage space in addition to drawers. If you have an airbrush kit or other large makeup tools that require additional space to store, a makeup vanity with storage space beyond drawers may be preferable for you.

Again, it’s essential to evaluate what makeup products and tools you presently have in order to correctly estimate your storage needs. Additionally, examine what makeup products and tools are essential to have close by (i.e. placed in your vanity) and what products do you rarely use and therefore can store in a different space somewhere within your home.

4. Lighted Mirror Vanity

dressing room with makeup mirror and table, makeup table with mirror and bulbs

When it comes to achieving the best makeup application possible, most, if not all, will agree that lighting is the key component to achieving that flawless look. There are a lot of different ways a mirror can be lit, but we would say that there’s one perfect type of vanity lighting for makeup application.

The Hollywood vanity mirror takes the cake every time. This type of lighted vanity mirror makes it possible for you to get lighting from every direction. You can easily and quickly detect whether there are any parts of your makeup application that need to be corrected or altered.

If you’re striving for a flawless makeup application, a lighted mirror vanity is the ideal choice for you. Once you test it out, you’ll never look at overhead lights the same way ever again.

5. Travel Vanity

Whether you’re a makeup professional or you travel frequently bringing with you your own makeup, you may have had the unfortunate experience of trying to do your makeup in a poorly lighted hotel mirror (or worse, in a random restroom). Nothing is worse than going from applying your makeup in front of a gorgeous, well-lit vanity in your home, to struggling to even see while you’re traveling.

You can make sure you get the perfect application even as you travel by bringing along with you your own travel vanity case. Wherever you travel, you’ll always have a lighted mirror to guarantee the best application possible.

Why Use a Vanity Table?

For any woman who enjoys makeup, indulgent glam time, and having her life together, owning a makeup vanity (also known as a dressing table) is a game changer. In addition to serving as a special place for you to get ready, vanities can also serve as extra storage, a writing desk, additional sitting, a space for you to do your favorite self-care ritual, and more. Here are 3 reasons why you should use a vanity table:

1. They Are Useful

Vanity tables provide a dedicated area where one can get ready for the day. Pull up a vanity bench to enable you to take care of your makeup and perfumes where no one else is brushing their teeth, rather than standing at the bathroom counter.

Vanities, also referred to as “toilet tables,” typically included a folding top, a cistern, and a basin drawer for usage in the 18th century. Today, however, they are more likely to have drawers, jewelry storage, and one or more mirrors.

2. It Keeps Your Cosmetics and Fragrances Organized

Due to their distinct functional differences, dressing tables for men and women have traditionally been created differently. Men use more of a “standing cabinet” with stacks of drawers and a single mirror since they stand to shave. Whereas women have had more versatility with stools and low sitting tables that contain jewelry storage, drawers and multiple angled mirrors.

Keeping your vanity organized is a good idea if using it every morning has become a habit. To highlight the most important pieces and maintain organization, layer jewelry displays. Think about investing in clear acrylic trays, dividers, and drawer organizers that are easy to clean so you can easily see the contents and wash them out when they become dirty.

3. It Lets You Create Your Own Style

The ability to customize your vanity to fit your particular tastes is one of the most enjoyable aspects of owning one. Add finishing touches like a little decorative clock to help you keep track of time, line the drawers with patterned paper for a wipeable interior, and store cotton puffs in adorable jars.

Add a vintage jewelry box or a collection of vintage perfume bottles filled with your favorite scents on the top of a beautiful tray.

Conclusion

While these are not all the types of makeup vanities presently available, they are the most popular – and that’s for good reason. Depending on whether you’re concerned on storage, mobility, space, or lighting, there’s a makeup vanity table that is perfect for you that will revolutionize the way you apply your makeup. You just have to be patient and persistent enough to be able to find it.