It’s the best and worst thing ever. On the one hand…my magnifying mirror is the best thing in the world.
Even better than See’s Candies — because there’s nothing better when it comes to seeking and obliterating every last errant bit of fuzz on my lids and upper lip.
Oh, and those tiny chin hairs? The extra stiff ones you can feel just under the surface but can’t see without help? Without my magnifying mirror, I’d never find them!
Plus, how would I ever be able to find those gaps in my lashes and brows, or find that perfect angle to tweak that wonky wing? A magnifying mirror is like the Hubble Space Telescope of beauty products.
On the other hand…do I really need to be so up close and personal with my pores and pigment patches, or with the lines underneath my eyes? (I find a new one every day!) Sometimes, I feel like my magnifying mirror makes mountains out of molehills, and I’d rather not be so hyper-aware of the happenings on my face.
I remind myself that it’s all just surface stuff, but sometimes when I’m looking at my lids at 10x magnification and see just how much more hooded they’re becoming over time, I think, “Well, damn. Here we go.”
Do I really need these things to be pinpointed in such closeup clarity? Probably not… Sometimes I think about ditching my magnifying mirror for good, but then I feel one of those twirly mustache hairs juuuuust beneath the surface of my face, and I run back to it faster than an Olympic sprinter going for the gold.
It’s a love/hate relationship, and not one I’m ready to quit yet.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
My mom had a magnifying mirror with a tweezer in the laundry room by a window that got awesome natural light. That was our plucking station when I was growing up lol!
It’s interesting because only the person in the mirror cares the most. It is good because it shows self care, maybe there is a skin condition to be aware of, etc. On the other hand, it just “magnifies” the judge in us. As you say, do we really need to know the arrival of every line, pore, blemish?
No one else can see these things on our faces. If someone is THAT close to you, they better be either El Hub, Connor Claire, Tabs’ successor, or your dermatologist only! Who can actually see that close, why is it their business, why would they care, why should we care if they care?
I find that the march of time + mirrors require some hard-core acceptance and self-esteem.
I don’t have a magnifying mirror, I just swing my medicine cabinet door out, get right up in it, and look at my stuff that way. 😉
Well said, FeyFrau! I must admit, though, that since I’m in my mid-seventies, I do need a magnifying mirror to make sure my makeup is well blended. My poor old eyes just aren’t as sharp as they used to be 😉
I believe that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” is a cliché for a reason—it’s true. And by “beholder” the person who came up with this saying was undoubtedly thinking about the person looking at us and not about us as we gaze intently at ourselves in a magnifying mirror! So much of our true beauty is the result of our movement, expression, élan, heart, and spirit. We’re the sum of our parts and our true beauty is not the reflection of a disembodied eye, or lip, or cheek, etc. as seen in a magnifying mirror. Bottom line: My magnifying mirror is a tool used to apply my makeup and is nothing more; nothing less.
I have to have a magnifier to see well enough to do my eyes. The older I get, the more near-sighted I get. Mine lighted magnifying mirror broke right before our trip. So, I bought the Simple Human mirror from the Nordy’s sale. Great deal, but the package arrived yesterday, and I still haven’t opened it. I’m a little scared of it…is that silly? I’m sure I’ll love it once I use it.
I also have a love/hate relationship with my mirror. In the end, I think my mirror is worth having just so that you can see absolutely everything. Your Hello Kitty mirror is super cute! I have the regular simple human version.
I have one that flips between normal and magnification. I generally use the regular side more because I like to see my entire face when doing my makeup. I only flip it over when I feel a wiry, gray chin hair that needs extracting or when applying mascara.
I got one of the Simple Human mirrors during the Nordstrom sale, but when I realized it didn’t have a non magnified side and it needed an app to adjust the lighting I just returned it. Too much fuss for my taste. Also found at least half a dozen lighted, magnifying mirrors on Amazon for a third of the sale price.
My biggest use of the magnifying mirror is applying makeup when I’m not wearing corrective lenses ? I’m very nearsighted so applying makeup for me can be very difficult.
My dermatologist sez she wishes we’d toss the mag mirrors, worst thing ever in her book: makes us hyper- aware of “flaws” others cant even see. She also points out that others see us as a “whole package” – personality, character, “look”, not a new nearly invisible line or enlarged pore. Pretty wise. On the other hand, I cant see to do my eye makeup without one! ?
You make me smile Karen…Thank you! You describe exactly how I feel about my mirror. Have you ever done a post on fake lashes? My first attempt resulted in one end glued to the outer lid and the other end getting stuck/glued up near my brow. Not the glamorous look I was going for. Do you have any tips? Have a beautiful day!
Hi Valerie,
I went through a phase a few years back when I was regularly wearing falsies, so here are a few posts to get you started.
5 Everyday Items That Make Applying False Lashes So Much Easier
How to Apply False Eyelashes and Fake a Fabulous Fringe
And these are my favorite drugstore lashes. Affordable, comfortable and easy to apply.
Unsung Makeup Heroes: The $5 Ardell Baby Demi Wispies False Lashes
Don’t be discouraged if it takes you a while to get the hang of them. Like any other skill, you can totally learn how to do it! Just takes practice and patience.
Karen, you crack me up! I relate all too well to this complicated relationship. I’ve always had a magnifying mirror at home for plucking. But when middle-aged presbyopia set in a few years ago, I needed something at the office to spot errant lashes/lint that might be bothering my contact lenses. So I got a magnifying compact mirror, only it was SUPER EXTRA magnifying like I’ve never experienced before. The first time I peered into that was like having myself depicted as one of the awful people in “Shallow Hal.” I’ve since accepted the reflection and, as others have stated, hardly anyone is actually going to get THATCLOSE to us. And those that do (loved ones, dentists, etc) don’t care! Now when I search for what’s bothering my contacts, I’ve learned not to fall into the self-inspection TOO-too much. PS where did you get the adorable mirror in the pic?!
Hi Sharon,
It’s by Simple Human and unfortunately it was limited edition. They still sell similar mirrors though, just without the cute logo. Look for one with 10X magnification!