Do you look particularly washed out at work? It's pretty common to stare in the work-bathroom mirror and think that despite all the makeup you put on that morning, you now resemble a junior high preteen who only put on the merest hint of color because she's trying to hide her makeup from her mom. But like, with more wrinkles.

It's not because work is draining away all the life force from your body (well, not entirely), but because of the fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lighting makes makeup look terrible. The cool white lights wash you out so you feel like you have to put even more on. But what is the best lighting for makeup? While we may not be able to fix your work situation, we can help you improve your at-home lighting setup.

Warm, natural light is best.

The best lighting for makeup is warm, natural light, and the best source of it is the sun. There's a reason they tell you to walk outside into sunlight when you're testing out a new foundation. Sunlight provides the truest version of your skin, and it lets you see if something isn't totally blending in.

No sunlight? No problem.

Buy natural-light light bulbs.

Our Pick: GE reveal LED 40W replacement light bulbs ($24.99 for 10-pack)

GE reveals are among the best light bulbs for makeup because they filter out yellow light for ultraclear colors. And they're dimmable, which means you don't have to have them on full blast all the time. That's especially helpful if you put them in the bathroom and don't want it to feel like it's daylight when you're getting ready for bed.

Note: You need at least two of these 40W bulbs on at the same time to make sure your bathroom is bright enough for makeup application.

Place your lights directly in front of you.

Overhead lighting can cast shadows on your face and deceive your eye when you're applying makeup. That's why you should always stand directly in front of your light source. The best bathroom lighting for makeup is a mirror with bright lights on either side of it, which is why you should . . .

Get a lighted makeup mirror

If you can't reconfigure your bathroom lighting setup, consider doing your makeup at a makeup vanity table with a lighted mirror.

• Best fancy-pants mirror: Glamcor Riki Skinny ($195)
• Best budget mirror: Impressions Vanity Touch Trifold Mirror ($39.99)

With customized HD Daylight lighting, five stages of dimming, and a phone clip that mounts to the mirror for epic selfies, the Riki Skinny from Glamcor is a dream makeup mirror. It's also $195. The Impressions trifold mirror does a perfectly good job lighting your face, and it's $155 less.

Stuck in a dark hotel room? Throw open the shades.

Hotel bathrooms are notoriously dim, but don't fret—you can MacGyver the situation. Just throw open the hotel blinds and position a desk chair in front of the window so you can do your makeup with the sun shining onto your face.

Option two? Just get the Impressions Vanity Touch Trifold Mirror ($39.99) mentioned above because it folds up easily for travel.

Types of Light to Avoid

Pink

Pink light has a rep for making anyone look like a gorgeous 19-year-old beauty queen, but you really don't want pink light in your bathroom. Why? Because it can make you look too good. Suddenly, you think you don't have to put as much foundation or concealer on, and then it's a rude awakening when you get outside and see your red spots and dark undereyes.

Yellow

Yellow light might be great at keeping bugs away, but it's really not a light you want to see yourself in. It can make you look slightly jaundiced, and cause you to pile on the bright colors to overcompensate.