The best vanity bathroom mirror lighting surrounds the face with light. Light coming from all sides minimizes shadows under the chin, eyes, cheeks, and forehead.

The most common placement for mirror lighting is on the wall above the mirror. Though this is not ideal because most of the light is above the face, it avoids most conflicts with mirror size, medicine cabinet doors, and room dimensions. Make sure the fixture is long enough to light the sides of the face.

If wall space is available, place a sconce on either side of the mirror. This is an excellent vanity light solution because it brings light in from the sides.

Normally you want the center of the vanity light fixture at about 66" above the finished floor. If the mirror is a whole wall mirror you can mount the fixtures right on the mirror.

The most common vanity bathroom light design flaw is to rely on ceiling surface mounted fixtures or recessed downlights for mirror lighting. The shadows cast on the face can be significant.