The warning “objects in the mirror are closer than they appear”, engraved on the side mirrors of cars, is one that everyone is familiar with. I would like to suggest that another type of mirror get a warning — the evil lighted magnifying beauty mirror.
I happened to come across a particularly high-tech mirror at a store in Dubai. The stainless steel, industrial-looking mirror has a sensor, and it lights up when you position your face in front of it. When I looked into the mirror, my reflection nearly made me jump out my skin. My make-up free face looked raw, red and pockmarked. Did I look that troll-like in real life? In internet speak, I quickly nope-d out of the store, not wanting to stare at my face much longer.
Of course, the mirror doesn’t lie. Those so-called flaws of mine will still be there when I look into a normal mirror, in dimmer lighting. The light and magnification just showed me what was already on my face. But the truth is that no one will ever care about my acne scars as much as I do. No one will be as harsh on me as I am on myself. How I feel about my skin when all the flaws are put under a microscope is not the same as when I’m just going about my life.
The mirror just reflects skin in all its natural glory — bumps and pores included. However, a human face is more than just that. It’s comprised of smile lines, slightly wonky teeth, that birthmark you share with your mother, a scar from falling off your bike as a child and so much more. And it’s all unique.
So if you’re feeling particularly sad about any one feature on your face, put down the mirror and take a step back.
Objects in the mirror are really not as they appear.
