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Rings Lights – Hype or Must Buy?

in Beauty, Blogging, Makeup on

If you’re a blogger, there’s a pretty big chance you’ve either heard of ring lights, looked at ring lights, or own a ring light. Not a blogger? You know the lighted circle you see in close up eye makeup photos? That’s the ring light. They cost anywhere from $99-$279, and every single time I talk about them on snapchat, I get asked tons of questions. So, I figured I’d lay it all out in a blog post!

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ring lights

First and foremost, I want to start off by saying you get what you pay for with rings lights. I’ve seen so many bad reviews on the cheapo lights available on Amazon. They break, the bulbs go out, they fall. Seriously, save yourself the headache, and get a good quality light.

ring lights

The two leading ring lights you often see are the Super Nova (available online at the dvestore.com), and Stellar Diva Ring Lights. They cost about the same, but the lights (and what they come with) are different. I own both, so I’ll start with the Super Nova.

DIVA RING LIGHT – SUPER NOVA

ring lights

The very first ring light I purchased, was the Super Nova. It retails for $249, and features an 18″ ring with a 5400k fluorescent light. It comes with a diffusion cloth (it velcro’s on), a z-bracket for mounting, and it features a dimmer. There’s also a Nova Ring Light, which is a little cheaper at $199, but it does not have a dimmer or a diffusion cloth.

ring lights

ring lights

One of the negatives about the Super Nova, is it doesn’t come with a stand. I didn’t realize that until I went to set mine up. I opened the box, and literally found a round light. For the cost, I expected this to at least have something to attach to! You have the option to add the stand to your cart upon ordering, but unfortunately it will set you back an additional $39.

ring lights

In terms of the actual light, it’s phenomenal. I was skeptical of the so called “diffusion cloth,” but it really does soften the skin. It blurs imperfections, fine lines, blemishes. Even if you over-do foundation, you won’t look like cakeface. Plus, the dimmer feature is fantastic! I use mine somewhere in the middle, but it goes from barely there, to surface of the sun. The bulb itself, has lasted since December 2014, and does not show any signs of going out.

STELLLAR DIVA II 

ring lights

The Stellar Diva II is a newly launched ring light, featuring a few more extras than the Super Nova. You can purchase this 18″ light online through Stellar Lighting for $279, and choose between gold and purple (pictured). Unlike the Super Nova, this one comes with a stand, plus a carrying case, and a double sided magnifying mirror (also shown).

Stellar Ring Light

Some other awesome features on the Diva II include a dimmer, and a color temperature adjuster. If you want a blue toned hue, or a sunset blush, you can achieve it with the twist of a nob. In terms of actual lighting specs, it can go from 3200k moon light, to 6400k day light.

ring lights

ring lights

Rather than a separate diffusion cloth, the Diva II has a softener built in (outer plastic casing). However, unlike the Super Nova (which softens the skin), I find everythingggg is enhanced with the Diva II. I mean, your face and every tiny speck of makeup and teeny pore are on full display. I always hear YouTubers say they have to pack on the foundation, because their lights don’t lie, and now I understand. It’s not a negative per say, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

ring lights

THE DIFFERENCE

For the past two years, you’ve seen what the ring light can do in my Face of the Day photos. But, here’s a quick side by side of my makeup in natural lighting (in front of a window with flash), and then with the ring light. Both photos are great, but the ring light really helps  brighten the complexion. You can see my highlight better, my lip color looks more true to life, and my skin looks softer. I do not edit my skin in blog photos, so the ring light really helps fake the look of a smoother appearance.

ring lights

THE BREAKDOWN

DIVA SUPER NOVA 

        STELLAR DIVA II      
$249 + $39 stand $279 (stand included)
Dimmer Dimmer + Temperature Adjust
No carrying case Carrying case included
5400k light 3200k – 6400k light
No optional colors Purple + Gold
Blurs imperfections Enhances imperfections

Overall, I’m super happy with my ring light purchases. The Diva II is quite new to me, so I am still mostly reach for my trusty Super Nova. But, once I figure out the best temperature and dimmer settings, I hope to use the Diva II more. What do you think of ring lights? Have you purchased one? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

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Comments

  1. Unfortunately, I don’t have the space to dedicate to leaving lights and equipment up all the time and I’m too lazy to put ’em up and break ’em down. But during the winter especially, they are a boon. I was unable to photograph some things I wanted to capture during the early, sunny part of the day, and the clouds rolled in and it’s been dark since 3pm. Lights would have really helped. I do find it a bit disconcerting when I can see the rings in people’s eyes in the photos, but I guess there’s no way around that.

    • I actually looked back through a lot of my FOTD photos, and you don’t see the ring much in my eyes (even my close ups) because I tend to use it on a medium/low setting. I have a few close ups on cloudy days where you can see it, and it does look a little alien like lol. Our last place was really tiny, so I had all my lights broke down (soft boxes and such) and only left out the ring light. I can definitely understand the space issue, lighting isn’t small!

  3. I’m not advanced enough to need these but if I upgrade my camera I’ll want one of these two. Thanks for the lesson.

  4. This is a really helpful post, epically since they are an investment. I opted to get table-top photography lamps since I don’t really have room for the tall stands but I did consider a ring light.

    • LOL I think the Diva II can probably do the same, I just haven’t played around much with the settings yet… but omg when you look at yourself in the mirror with it…wow, everythingggg is exposed lol

  9. Finally made it here to see the blog post 🙂 Very thorough, thanks! At this point I don’t want to invest in an expensive ring light anymore… But the Super Nova sure sounds awesome!

  10. Ugh I only have 2 softbox lights that I do everything with bc they are MUCH cheaper (got two for about $60 nearly 1.5 yrs ago), BUT one of the lamps is about to blow any day now and I really want a ring light but my GOD they’re so expensive. Ugh. Also, the space issue. The freakin softboxes are SO massive and I don’t break them down after taking pics (nearly daily), so the ring light WOULD be a good move. Maybe I’ll splurge after we move in April. I bet the softboxes won’t last the cross country move anyway at this rate LOL! Thanks for your review, Julie XO!

    • Ah, I’m so behind on replying to blog comments, but I SO understand the space issue! Before we moved, I didn’t have an office, and my blog stuff was starting to take over. I also have soft boxes, and I wound up eventually just breaking them down and packing them away. I use my ring light for pretty much everything now. It’s a lot to spend at once for a light, but I promise it’s so worth it! 🙂

      • That’s exactly what’s been happening… there’s just beauty products everywhereeee it gives me such anxiety lol. Cannot wait to move in 72 days so I can have a dedicated desk and space (hopefully even a room) for all this crap. And those softbox lights are NOT coming (IF they even make it the next 72 days LOL). I’ve been hoarding an amazon gift card. I need to just bite the bullet. My husband says it every time I go to take pics and I say, “This light isn’t gonna make it another week…” haha

  11. Do you still feel like the super nova is superior to the diva II?

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