I'm trying a new video angle for bigger unboxings, not sure about this one because I feel like not having my face in it + the voice of God voiceover feels super impersonal to me. Going to try another angle for my Japan haul and just experiment on how to shoot bigger unboxings!

Anyway, as my mom super coolly gifted me a great camera for Christmas, this freed up my camera funds for the next step: lights. In a previous post, I gave due thanks to the people who gave great advice, as they helped me realize that I had a great option for filming AND portable makeup lights: The Makeup Light.

My first lighting solution was a ring light. I'm transparent about how it's not the be-all and end-all of the lighting game as I once thought it was, but that doesn't mean it's shit. Ring lights are so useful and I've always needed them and I probably cannot sell mine even as I upgrade lights.

That said, it needs additional support and I am at that MUA addiction stage of finding the truest white light. Many LEDs in the market are at 5500K and this is the light temperature, on a spectrum of orange to blue, that is commonly advertised as "true daylight." At first glance, I had no problem with my ring light's color temperature. I felt like it was indeed a pure white light. But after some time I did begin to notice that it's white-blue, and that's just something you cannot un-see.

TML has their lights set at 5000K. In the video, I mention 4800K because I was working off of a really useful Glossible comparison between TML and Glamcor. I put a lot of stock in this review because I have seen a lot of Glamcors in action, and even when I was not yet sensitive to light quality, I've always felt that something was off with Glamcor. For my first lighting solution, I knew I didn't want to pay ~PHP 15 000 for a light that didn't have remarkable difference over the then-PHP 6000 ring lights. Ring lights are even cheaper at ~PHP 5000 nowadays, FYI.

In the Philippines, MUPStore, Suesh and Pro Makeup Central are official distributors of The Makeup Light. I purchased from MUPStore because they were the only ones to carry the most complete iteration - the 2.0 Master Package. Suesh has the smaller 2.0 Packages while PMC only had the first generation TMLs as of early January 2018. Suesh sells their TMLs cheaper than MUPStore, so it's a shame that they don't carry the Master :(

Unboxing:

The Master Package contains two 2.0 Key Lights and a complete set of the accessories. You get 2 main carrying bags: the light stand bag and the master carry bag. The material feels nice, it feels very sturdy and poke-proof.

The Light Stand Bag:

I have 2 light stands in the kit. They're not that lightweight, but volume-wise, the space they take up is pretty small. I like how the stands easily open outwards. It's much faster and easier to set up than the typical ring light stand which i can never figure out whether to pull outwards or downwards.

The Carry Bag:

The carry bag is also made of the same pleather material as the light stand bag. It has a pocket at the bag with a zip bottom. At the time of filming I couldn't figure out what it was for, until I realized that it's to slip the carry case on top of wheeled makeup cases! The zippers are behind this shimmery grey detail that makes them feel sturdier but I honestly have no idea. Each half of the bag has mesh guards which keeps everything from scattering when you open the bag.

Inside is the two Key Light 2.0 panels. They are cased in this sturdy felt pouch that I feel can sufficiently protect from pokes, scratches and soft shocks. I chose gold instead of graphite. Gold looks a tad rosey, but isn't full-on rose gold.

I've been able to use them since filming. TBH at first I was completely crest-fallen, dragging myself wall to floor because I thought they looked yellow-white. 

Here are the cold, hard numbers regarding the Key Light 2.0:

• Daylight Balanced at 5000 Kelvin
• Projects up to 5 feet
• Improved LEDs with “CRI” of 96+ (includes R9 – R15 values)
• Color Quality Scale “CQS” value of 93
• International “dual” Voltage (100 – 240 VAC)
• LED life expectancy, 50,000+ hours
• LED Panel Size (7.25 x 9″ / 17.6 x 22 cm)
• LED Panel Weight 1.3 lb (590 g)
• Sleek metal housing in two colors: “Graphite” or “Gold”
• Slim profile with protective corner bumpers
• Glossy light panel surface
• Smaller universal power assembly featuring in-line, touch-style, flicker-free dimmer switch
• Compatible with all existing TML Key Light accessories and mounting options

The other accessories are:

• Two power cord assemblies (14') with in-line, touch-style “flicker-free” dimmer switch - I hate the touch-style switch as it takes eons (3 seconds long press) to switch it off. There are four brightness levels, and it is automatically at 100% as soon as the power cords are plugged in.
• Two Quick Release sets - Contains a latch piece (with red lock tab,) the companion piece (connects to the mounting accessory,) Allen Wrench, extra washer and extra conical screw. This is a really nice add-on because I feel so icky directly screwing the light on to the mounting accessories. The companion piece slides through the bottom of the latch piece, and locks in place when the red tab is clicked downwards. I can't imagine not having them, they make the Lights' connection to the mounting accessory pretty secure.
• Two Goosenecks - These are 10 inches long and bend up to 180 degrees in every direction. The bending scales are hidden under a foam sleeve to preserve that sleek feel.
• Two Light Stands - Each has a collapsed and minimum height of 21 inches, weighs about 5 pounds and fully extends up to 7 feet.
• Two EZ-Clamps - These are like typical study clip-lamps, but definitely stiffer and sturdier. They are great to clip on the sides of a folding table, but don't fit mine because my tabletop tray is pretty thick. They clip perfectly on Lifetimes and my 6-bulb portable mirror.
• Two Suction Mounts - I imagine these are so useful. But every time I attach my Panels via the Quick Release, my heart!!

I'll save the comparative photos for next time, when I am able to tinker with manual camera settings. I tried to do comparative shots with this review but everything ended up looking the same - I realized it's because my camera is on automatic, haha!