Mirror Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all? Why Pebble Grey of course, only the most fabulous mirror specialists to hit the town yet! Home to mirrors that would make Audrey Hepburn proud, their mirrors would not be out of place in any celebrities home. But wait, what about us normals who yearn for a slice of star power? To get a chance to use mirrors to our advantage and create a fantasy world which exists only in the planes of our mind is a secret that only you can cultivate. You could be a star, escape into the world of a starlet, embedded or interwoven in the glass fragments that become your special mirror. Would you become someone else or would you stay yourself, peering into the elements that make up your soul? To me mirrors hold a rather cynical significance, for years I would avoid mirrors because all I saw were the flaws that the bullies would take great delight in pointing out; the too large nose, the less than flawless skin, the petite frame and ‘unfeminine characteristics’ but what the hell is femininity anyway? In my eyes ‘feminine’ is just a patriarchal construct designed to make us feel insecure and feel pressure to conform to an archetypal ‘Angel in the House’ cardboard cut out stereotype which doesn’t exist anyway. Over the years my attitude towards the way I looked and perception of mirrors changed and suddenly for the first time in my 23 years on earth I saw beauty. I saw a woman who had battled her way through the tumbleweeds of life and won to claim her place on earth. In each mirror I saw something different about myself, something that I liked instead of hated for once.
Learning to change the way I felt about mirrors was a difficult process to undertake but I am so glad that I came out the other side smiling. My relationship with mirrors may have started out as destructive but once started as a negative has just become a positive. Because lets face it, mirrors might show us our flaws and heighten our insecurities but if you look beyond your issues you will find a map, your own personal narrative that is not defined by how you see yourself but how others view you instead. I was always told that I was unattractive growing up and then something changed. I went to uni and suddenly I was seen as beautiful, no one was calling me ugly or laughing at me because I didn’t fit into their pigeon-holed mold of beauty.
I was beautiful and for the first time I felt it, I couldn’t stop looking at myself in mirrors and took photos to document this turning point in my mirror narrative. I was called narcissistic but truth was I was just learning how I looked in the eyes of others and it was a feeling that I liked very much. Of course over the years my self-esteem hit rock bottom again and there is still moments to this day where I don’t feel beautiful and its a hard emotion to deal with but at least I no longer avoid mirrors. If you run away from your problems and insecurities then how can you ever get better? I have one mirror in my room that I use to decide on outfit combinations but I want a mirror that can tell a story and capture memories before they are lost in the clasp of greedy time. I want a mirror that shows me that my flaws, my imperfections are not weaknesses but the traits that make me beautiful. My teeth are not straight, my hair not perfect, my figure infamously boyish but are these imperfections or quirks that make me stand out from the crowd?
Truth be told I have been dreaming about getting an illuminated mirror that will light up my room like the Hollywood lights and help me embrace myself exactly as I am. Self-confidence starts at the root of your issues and if my issue is seeing past my flaws than an illuminated mirror like Pebble Grey’s Brio LED Illuminated Bathroom Mirror will surely make me see how others view me? The lights might magnify my less than white smile but will it also show me my laughing eyes, my youthful dimples and my tanned skin? The answer is a resounding yes, when my relationship with mirrors was at its most destructive I was asked a question that I would ask myself for years to come ‘what is your favourite feature’? At the time I found it difficult to appreciate how I looked because the only version of beauty I had been fed was that of blonde, blue eyed buxom beauties whereas I was a tanned petite brunette without curves which to them was considered ‘un-beautiful’. I know now that we are all beautiful in our own ways and even if society might not agree beauty is universal and everchanging. If we asked an Indonesian what was ‘beautiful to them’ their answer might be very different to an American’s response and so on. Thing is we should all tell ourselves how beautiful we are each day, because feeling down when noone compliments you is an unhealthy emotion to have and I tell you that from experience. Whether its a mantra or a daily routine where you take time to appreciate yourself, just tell your mirror one thing… I am beautiful.
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I’m glad that you now see what we see and that you are a beautiful woman and having an illuminated mirror to highlight that is never a bad thing x
That outfit is stunning! I bet that dress will be perfect for Christmas party season and the coat is gorgeous, too x
We all should feel beautiful. Good you know feel and see beauty.
You’re stunning and I’m sure every mirror will agree. Love the Self Portrait dress.
You are beautiful! One day, I hope, someone is going to look at you with such love that you will never doubt your beauty again, quirks and all.
That outfit is gorgeous, the pop of the red is fabulous.
I’m glad you no longer avoid mirrors – you always look so lovely!
I’m so glad that your attitude to mirrors has changed. I always used to hate them but now I can tolerate them which is progress x
You are a beautiful woman. I’m happy that you’ve realised this now 🙂 You are lovely inside and out. x
I’ve never been much a mirror person other than to look in them to make sure my outfit doesn’t look like a disaster. Self confidence comes from the inside and that’s where your beauty shines through.
Sometimes mirrors are out friends, sometimes our enemies. It all depends on how we see each other. I am glad you have changed your opinion about yourself and started to love yourself, making the mirror a friend.
This sentence: ‘feminine’ is just a patriarchal construct designed to make us feel insecure and feel pressure to conform to an archetypal ‘Angel in the House’ cardboard cut out stereotype which doesn’t exist anyway. Oh how true it is and I wish I had been bold enough to realize this when I was young. (I’m 48.) My daughter (18) is going to LOVE you!
I avoid mirrors at all costs if I’m honest. You are SO beautiful though, seriously. I really like the sound and look of the illuminated mirror (I just had a quick peek, hehe), it’s a beautiful mirror! Love the lights. xx
Good for you Ana I’m glad you perceive yourself in a better light now. Love the dainty feminine look of the dress it’s gorgeous.
You’re beautiful Ana and I am glad you’ve started to see that too. One time after a bad break-up I would look at myself in the mirror and say positive things about myself out loud and it actually helped. So yeah, mirrors. What about that. I never would have seen them in this light if not for this! PS: It’s always been my dream to have one of those Hollywood mirrors too!
You’re gorgeous! I hope you can see that when you next look into a mirror!
– Elodie x
http://www.elle-yeah.com
I’m so pleased that you can now see the beauty that we all see. Be proud of who you are. Jo xox
This is a great post and a great reminder that we should all try to feel good about ourselves. You are so gorgeous and I love the look on you!
I believe it is so important to accept yourself and your imperfections; to see the beauty x
You are so beautiful, inside and out. I’m so happy you can see it. Love your outfit as always!
Mirrors can be a blessing and a curse – they can make you feel amazing or… not so much! I do like them as interior design elements though – they can really complete a room.
absolutely beautiful! i thought that was a for love and lemons dress ive got, not self portrait! mirrors can be everyones enemy as they’re all different.
I haven’t actually got a mirror up in my bedroom. Perhaps I should start embracing what I do see in the mirror.
I love everything about this outfit. From the glasses to the headband, it’s a hit in my eyes.
I love that opening line, very fitting. You are a gorgeous girl & it’s amazing that you now see this too! Also I love the sunglasses in the top photo, really suit you! xo
You ARE beautiful – I’m glad you see this now yourself. P.S love the dress!
Such a heartfelt and lovely post. Accepting yourself the way you are is such a difficult thing…
These pieces look so elegant and gorgeous on you! I’m definitely pinning for later!
This post really gut home with me, I used to feel the same about mirrors and even hated the way I looked! But now I embrace how I am, I am a beautiful woman/person and I want everyone to feel the same too. You are such an inspiration to women of all ages. And you look absolutely gorgeous in that dress!
It would be such a shame if you still avoided mirrors!
That bathroom mirror is so stylish. I love how illumiated it is with the two rows of lights.
What a gorgeous dress! Wished I had one similar to wear to my husband’s Christmas party for work next week.
I feel the same way. I just had a baby and my body is not what it used to be. I have been avoiding mirrors but just need to embrace who am I!
Absolutely beyond beautiful! The outfit looks perfect on you! Thanks for sharing your journey with me.
Mirrors only reflect what they see on the outside. I know your spirit and it is beautiful through and through.
Mirrors. Mirrors are reflections. Reflections of the judgments we hold onto either from others or from within. Louise L. Hay does Mirror Work. (see youtu.be/QTYhyfWA_ec) One of the first exercises is to look in the mirror and say “I love you” “I Love you [inser your name]” “[your name], I really, really love you.”
The first time I did this exercise I cried. It’s like the child in us is yearning to hear this from us. By looking at ourselves in the eyes as we say this, it touches a very deep part inside of us.
That is very well said. I’m glad that after all that you’ve been through, you now look at the mirror and you love what you’re seeing! It’s important to love yourself and feel beautiful regardless of what other people might say. I love your outfit too, by the way!
I am a lot more confident and comfortable looking in mirrors than I used to be!
That’s such a pretty outfit. It would be perfect for a Christmas party!
You are beautiful Ana. Your dress is stunning, I adore it. You have them most perfect dress for the party season. Enjoy wearing it 🙂
Loving this whole simplistic and very elegant outfit. The blush duster jacket is superb!
Okay, I’m absolutely loving this dress! The color makes it perfect for the holidays and I just love the detail
You are really beautiful women your so stunning, we are beautiful inside and out
Oh I can tell you I hate mirrors and they hate me. Wish I didn’t feel that way!!!! I love how romantic this outfit is!
I’m the same too, I have lots more mirrors now.
What a lovely outfit by the way, the dress is very glamorous
This outfit is flawless. You are so beautiful Ana and I really know that your past has mouldedvyiu to become an encouragement to a lot of ladies.
I also have an illuminated mirror and they are amazing and you can see so much more x
I think beauty is more than skin deep. Really. Physical imperfections should not make us lose our confidence in ourselves. Mirrors only show a shell of a wonderful person. You are beautiful and I am happy you see past the “imperfections.”
There is nothing worse than bad bathroom lighting. This LED bathroom mirror looks amazing. I could use a mirror upgrade.
It took me a long time to accept myself and let that acceptance turn into a love. I love who I am and am so happy I can teach my kids to feel the same way.
I am in love with the color combination. And that dress is just stunning.
Gorgeous outfit – as always I love you words and text more than anything else 🙂
I only use mirrors to see what my outfit looks like,. I never even really bother to look at my face or myself for long because I can never remember what I look like.
An illuminated mirror sounds like it could really be a handy thing to have. Gorgeous photos, as always!
It always makes me so sad to hear that people have difficulty with how they look and that it comes to us with age and that we don’t realise how beautiful we looked until we look back. I am the same. I just hope I can help my daughter realise that she is beautiful inside and out, always.
I’m off to check out pebble grey! I’m on the hunt for some new mirrors. x
I don’t mind mirrors but I’m really not keen on my photos. At least in the mirror you can move around and find your best qualities, but a photo is still and shows all the imperfections . I would absolutely love an illuminated mirror, then at least I won’t be putting my makeup on in the dark hahaha
We can be so harsh on ourselves, but we are all beautiful! Love your outfit so cute for this holiday season
Omg stunning outfit!!! It looks beyond fabulous on you!!!! I now want to get something that color for myself!!!
We have a illuminated mirror with bluetooth so we can listen to music in the bathroom – I love it
For most women, the mirror can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on how you are feeling about yourself on that day. When we are happy and feel good we also feel more beautiful.
It is definitely a process! I look back to when I was a teenager and felt so self-conscious and worried about how I looked all the time. It just takes the fun out of life! I am so happy that I have learned to love myself and take pleasure in what I see in the mirror 🙂
those kids at your school must’ve been blind to not see that you’re absolutely gorgeous.
So glad things changed around for you in uni.
Whistle* I love your product promotions!! you always engage me intricately with your descriptive words.
So beautiful as always! Love that outfit – it’s so elegant. x
All of us should learn to love ourselves the way we are. You are so beautiful hun!
That’s such a beautiful coat! The colour is beautiful and so flattering on you.
YOu always have such fantastic posts and outfits. I would love a lighted mirror, but it has to be old fashioned. The huge bulbs all around.
That pink coat is everything. I could never pull it off though!!
you are beautiful – and I love your outfit as always.
I understand not liking mirrors, I don’t like them either. Not fond of taking pictures of myself, always find a way to criticize myself, so I am not even going to put myself into that position. Oh well. Blessings!
We all are beautiful, each one on their own way! So happy you know see what everyone else can :), BTW, beautiful dress!
There is no accurate definition of beauty. External beauty dies and decays one day. What last longer is the internal beauty! Therefore one should try to become a better human being rather than just following the crowd!
Love your Self-Portrait dress!
I too have struggled so much with my worth and how I look!
This is powerful! It took me 30+ years.
I am glad you see yourself as beautiful and worthy. That is powerful and speaks right to this heart!
You are beautiful and your stories are amazing!
~ http://viabella-thebeautifullife.blogspot.com/
Such a lovely outfit! Glad to hear that you know realise how beautiful you are! 🙂
Such a great post .. oh my can I ever relate. For the longest time I had a love/hate relationship with the mirror .. but was able to change it slowly .. when I decided to be as kind to myself as I would be a friend. Now I look and tell her she’s beautiful
Great post and looking stunning as ever!
Love the outfit. Mirrors lie or our eyes/brain distorts so trust yourself not what you see
I have a love hate relationship with mirrors. Some days I think I look amazing, others not so much. But as I’ve learned to like me more, I’ve come to realize that the mirror shoes you everything, but you’re the one who decides what you notice.