MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

Why is it that I cannot trust a mirror? It seems like these days, I can only tell what I really look like by looking at a digital photo. Isn't that strange? I mean, isn't a mirror a REFLECTION?! Yet, when I look at one, I don't trust it.  First of all, as we all know, every mirror is different. Want to feel skinny? Go to the changing rooms at Anthropologie on South Beverly Drive. You will look like you just did the master cleanse and lost 20 pounds (and btw, the mirror is so magical you will actually think you have enough money to buy all the clothes you just tried on). But go over the hill to HELL (a.k.a.  Bloomingdale's at Fashion Square), try on something that should be a sure thing like a James Perse tee and trust me, you will never look fatter (or more broke).

Seriously, mirrors are like Fun Houses and can be very deceiving. I realize, looking at myself in a mirror should be enough to get a sense of what I look like, but sometimes, there is something oddly gratifying (and twisted) about looking at a PHOTO and seeing what you look like through other's eyes. I can admit that I'm totally that person who takes a photo and looks at it the minute it's taken. I zoom in, out, down and around. I check myself out. And often times, I delete it if I don't like what I see... Pathetic and vain, I know.... considering that you can't delete an image in a mirror, NO matter how you stand or pose. But thanks to the digital age, you can pose, suck in, and smile again and again, until you get it juuuuuuust right. (Certainly, until it's Facebook, Twitter, or Snapfish ready). 

Well, the other day, if you saw a brunette woman in her early 30's taking a picture of herself at every light on Fairfax, that was ME. I decided to take my new hair do for a walk on the wild side and wear it "wavy." The mirror in the morning told me it looked cute, but the mirror in my car told me otherwise. The only way to tell: Camera Phone.  After practically draining the battery on my phone, and looking like a total loser, this is the "look" I finally settled on....

As far as I know, I'm pretty sure I almost never make that face in "real life..." Of course, every mirror I know lies....