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When your skin-care routine expands beyond four of five steps, your medicine cabinet starts to spill over. But that’s no reason to give up your serums, essences, ampoules, and masks. We live in a day and age in which personal grooming is considered a form of self-care—even a way to find a little bit of luxury in your hectic day-to-day schedule. Which is why it’s not so surprising that vanity tables are enjoying a resurgence.
A vanity table is, admittedly, by no means a necessity—but the same can be said of an elaborate skin treatment plan. You don’t need a special place to stash your multiple moisturizers (a shelf in the bathroom or a drawer would work fine), just as you don’t need a sprawling collection of sheet masks. But when you indulge in the two, suddenly you turn a menial task into a special ritual.
Vanity tables have fallen out of favor in the 21st century for understandable reasons; cramped apartments make it hard to justify a piece of furniture that even has the word vanity in its name. As a result, new designs are scarce, but vintage pieces are rising in demand—Abby Campbell of Abigail Bell Vintage has received frequent requests lately. “Ever since I posted a 1970s Lucite and gold vanity earlier this year, requests for similarly special ones have been flowing in,” she says. “People want a beautiful space to enjoy and indulge in self-care, and that starts with a stunning vanity.”
Luckily, stunning vanities aren’t hard to come by—Campbell notes that many of the colorful, elaborate ones she’s discovered were custom-ordered by their owners in the ’80s and ’90s, making them totally unique. Of course, that also means that many of them are steeply priced—but it’s all in the name of a little everyday indulgence. Until design brands catch up with our skin-care obsession, the best route to find the vanity of your dreams is to go thrifting.
The Glitz and Glam
Lucite, lights, and a gilded drawer combine in this 1970s vanity to create one extravagant piece. That’s one way to encourage yourself out of bed in the morning.
The Dillydally
Is this ’60s vanity by Luigi Massoni a serious investment piece? Yes. Is it one of the most delightful pieces of furniture you’ll ever buy? Absolutely (it’s storage and seating in one cylindrical package!).
The Simple Seat
This chair from the ’40s may not come with storage, but its sleek swivel mirror makes up for that. Consider this the perfect piece for that corner that doesn’t quite have enough room for a full-on table.
The Curvy One
With a cool, laminate finish and gold trim, this ’80s option straddles the line between minimalist and maximalist. Pair it with a Lucite chair to keep things nice and tidy.
The Old Hollywood Setup
This mid-century buy seems like something straight out of Tom Ford’s A Single Man–just think of how elegant it will look when you arrange your perfume bottles neatly on top.
The Mid-Century Marvel
With so much built-in storage space, this simple, goes-with-everything ’70s vanity can keep even the biggest stash of face oils neatly tucked away.
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