Mirror, mirror.

• Position: Holiday Gifts Galore - Brief Article

* Not to belabor the obvious, but the main purpose of a mirror is to provide a reflected image. The trick is to do so in a clear, distortion-free manner. This is especially important when it comes to makeup mirrors. Nevertheless, most are made so poorly that what you see is not necessarily what you should. In the case of individuals with less-than-perfect vision, this is even more apparent, since most people can't put on mascara or eye shadow while wearing glasses or contact lenses, adding a distinct aura of guesswork to the operation, especially in dim light.

Clearly (no pun intended), what is needed is a mirror that is well-lit, has a distortion-free surface, and corrects the vision of the person peering into it. Impossible, you say? Tell that to Kimball & Young, Inc., Pleasanton, Calif., makers of First Impressions mirrors. Take, for instance, the Perfect Vision model from its Optic Collection. The mirror stands 13" tall on its pedestal base; gives eight-times magnification; when plugged in, lights up the surface with 25 watts of illumination; and, most important, has an optical lens that corrects the...