Share: do you often check yourself in the mirror?

Picture this: you were checking out items in a store quite mindlessly until you spotted a mirror. Or you were in a crowded elevator and you saw your own reflection. Question: did you stop to check yourself out or did you look away? My instinctive behavior is to check myself out and in fact, more often than not, I find myself gravitating towards mirrors even if they are a distance away from me.

Motives
Am I being narcissistic? Being vain? Or just being obsessed? Well, I’ll like to think that I am just concern about my appearance. You see, I don’t have a mirror in my bag and so I tend to check the mirrors whenever I’m outside to ensure that my hair is in place and I don’t have some food particles stuck in my teeth or on the corner of my mouth. Occasionally, I’ll check the mirror to see if the coverage of my makeup is good for the day.

Duration
And this brings me to the next question and that is, how long do you spend in front of a mirror? I don’t think I spend an unusually long time looking into the mirror at home; it’s usually a few minutes unless I’m checking out a zit or something. And when I’m outside, the time I spend in checking myself in a mirror is definitely under a minute. In fact, unless I am in an elevator, I won’t bother to look beyond my face. But the key reason for keeping the time short is probably because I find it embarrassing to stare at myself for too long in the presence of others. When alone like when I’m driving, I’ll admit I tend to check the mirror more often because well, there is little to amuse myself when the traffic stalls. Heh.

Mirror princess
By the way, the picture I posted in this entry is Sunye of Wonder Girls. Apparently, she is dubbed to be the mirror princess amongst the girls as she loves to stare at herself in the mirror a lot. According to this source, she spends the most time looking at herself in the mirror compared to the other members. But I have no idea if she talks to the mirror like the evil queen in Snow White though.

Your say
So how about you ladies? Do you have a habit of checking yourself in the mirror often, whether at home or outside? And do you always carry a mirror in your bag?

Comments

  1. Tine says:

    Ahem. *sheepishly raises hand*

    I’m a chronic reflection checker, whether it’s a mirror or just reflection from glass. I can’t help it; I’ve done this ever since I could remember. Vain pot in the making, man ?
    Tine last post is: Bloggie Wednesdays: Ask Me Anything

  2. Lee Ying says:

    All the time! I also must carry a pocket mirror in my bag. Feel very weird if I have no access to mirrors for more than two hours. Don’t know whether this is normal behavior.

  3. xin says:

    i don’t carry a mirror in my bag, but i have the habit of checking the mirror almost every 20 mins in the office, i can count every black head growth during the day!
    xin last post is: Xin Cooks: Garlic Chicken on a Bed of Cabbage Recipe

  4. stef says:

    I’m quite normal then because I like checking out mirrors very often. I hang a CD at my cubicle to look at my reflection too. ?

  5. EcoBeauty says:

    I HAVE to ’cause my hair has a habit of puffing up at the wrong places. Need to check randomly whether it’s behaving well or not ?
    EcoBeauty last post is: What Do Your Poop and Pee Tell About Your Body?

  6. sesame says:

    Woah…chronic reflection checker! That’s something interesting…but I know what you mean by you can’t help it. I’ll be looking at my reflection too. But I wouldn’t say it’s vain, it’s just instinctive behavior and it’s not like you’re conceited about your looks or anything. ?

  7. sesame says:

    Haha…yes, feeling weird. I do too when I can’t check my hair for awhile. ?

  8. sesame says:

    Every 20 mins? That’s pretty chronic. ?

  9. sesame says:

    Oh CD!!! I was wondering what’s that for cos I’ve seen it hung on my ex-colleagues desks and I’ve never asked them about it. Now I know.

  10. sesame says:

    Heheh…same here. My hair flies a bit with wind and so forth and if I’m not careful, too much scalp will show through. ?

  11. Showy says:

    I carry a mirrow in my bag cos i sweat a lot on my face.as i clean my face,i also check my face in d mirrow every 30mins to know if my make up is til intact.

  12. Paris B says:

    Hmm judging from the responses, I’m the least bothered to look in the mirror ? I will when I’m washing my hands in the loo ( can’t help it, its right in front of me!) but not otherwise. I don’t even carry a mirror in my bag. Fail! ?

  13. Jyoan says:

    haha, me too. Yes, I do carry a compact mirror in my bag all the time, but I seldom use it.
    Jyoan last post is: Outfit of the Day – The Scarf and Jacket

  14. Josephine says:

    I need to start carrying a mirror in my bag(s) although I have a larger than palm sized mirror on my desk. I do check myself out on reflective surfaces. Even glossy car windows but really dark tinted ones are a little tricky as sometimes there are people inside staring back at us and having a time of their life LOL-ing. ? Vainpot in the house! Mum used to say the mirror is cracking whenever I stare too long into it. ?

  15. eve says:

    hi,

    I must say i can identify with a lot that u said in this post but i think it’s a woman’s thing.

    By the way, i was looking thru your earlier posts about bb cream but realise there wasnt any on organic bb cream.

    Would u be able to share ur experiences or views on those organic ones out in the market like the organic ones from missha etc.

    Thanks so much.

  16. Audris says:

    Mirror in my bag, not all the time. Besides, I usually forget I have one in it.

    But full length or half length mirrors outside, or even window reflections, yes!!! I do catch myself looking at myself almost all the time ?
    Audris last post is: Get with it! Revlon Colorbust Lip Butter in 025 Peach Parfait

  17. sesame says:

    I see…I know what you mean. I used to carry one in my bag just to check if I get this white film on my lips after speaking for an hour. But since I stopped wearing lipstick that frequently, I threw away the mirror.

  18. sesame says:

    It’s good not being obsessed in that sense…

  19. sesame says:

    Yeah, mirrors in the bags are not whipped up as frequently…I find them too small anyway.

  20. sesame says:

    Haha…cracking mirror? Your mom can really tease! I would also often check out my reflections in the train. ?

  21. sesame says:

    I haven’t come across any organic ones…some of them just use one or two organic ingredients but they’re not really organic.

  22. sesame says:

    Ahh…that’s something most women will do I suppose…catch a glimpse when faced with a big mirror. ?

  23. Pchan says:

    I actually avoid mirrors especially placed in fluorescent lighting. It washes me out and emphasizes my every flaw. My skin is rather blemished with acne scars so I feel insecure seeing it in the mirror. Looks like I’m the odd one out!!
    Pchan last post is: Empties (Feb)- A quick review

  24. sesame says:

    Nah…don’t think you’re so odd. I don’t like seeing myself in one of the mirrors at home too cos of the lightings. Same reason. Another one makes me look better and I like to think that one is more accurate. ?

  25. eve says:

    i c. Thanks. So, do u use any foundation when u go out. I’ve been using bb cream but realise how harmful they can be for the skin but couldnt find a safe alternative.

    Is the marie veronique moisturising face screen spf 30 with tints like a bb cream and provide some coverage?

  26. sesame says:

    Yes, I use foundation on some days. The Marie Veronique one with tint is pretty light in terms of coverage. If your skin is good with little blemishes, it might work well.

  27. Jean says:

    ? Before I even read the article, I recognized the girl as Sunye and wondered if I stumbled upon a kpop related topic! I love the Wonder Girls!

    As for the mirror topic: If I’ve been outside for a while and spot an innocuous mirror reflection, I may do a quick check to be sure I have no crap on my face, or that my shirt isn’t weirdly bundled somewhere, or that my hair’s in place. Then again, I also have a compact mirror for most of that. Really though, I tend to ignore mirrors for the most part – I’m horribly self-conscious.
    Jean last post is: Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub Sea Kelp + Chlorella Growth Factor – Review

  28. Issa says:

    Always! Can’t help it because I’d like to check if my T zone is oiling up! I also check my reflection from glasses. Is this vanity? I don’t know, I guess it’s just a girl thing. I carry a mirror inside my bag and I even have a mirror on my office desk, ?

  29. shah2031 says:

    i have a small mirror which i carry around with me and whip out to ensure there are no icky stuff stuck to my teeth after a meal. apart from that, i hardly look at myself in the mirror – either at home or outside. which can sometimes be to my detriment cos i dont realise how lopsided my tudung looks when i’m out and about. groan.

  30. sesame says:

    I think we’re all self-conscious to some extent. The fact you ignore mirrors on most part…maybe you’re not that self-conscious as you’ve imagined? ?

  31. sesame says:

    I wouldn’t really say it’s vanity because there is some amount of conceitedness with vanity; it’s just being concerned about our appearance and wanting to look our best. ?

  32. sesame says:

    Yes, checking the teeth! I find that important especially after a meal!

  33. eve says:

    Thanks for your reply. Would u be able to do post on good and safe foundations u have tried or used? I’m new to organic skin care n make up so hope to learn as much as i can from ur blog. It has been so useful n wonderful that i found ur blog ?

  34. sesame says:

    May not be able to run this too soon as I haven’t tried enough. But it will be something I’ll work on for sure. ?

  35. eve says:

    thanks so much. I look forward to your post as i’m fretting over what i can replace my bb cream with. Sigh… I think sometimes, while knowledge is power, it can also be frustrating when you realise how few better alternatives exist in singapore ?

  36. sesame says:

    Actually I asked Eric of Bud Cosmetics about makeup recently and even he, who is in the business, feels that there are just limited choices in the market. I’ve tried only a handful so it’s hard to compare but I did like Zuii Organic’s when I used it…but the price is pretty steep though.

  37. eve says:

    Oh yes. I saw a few brands at buds like sante, 100% pure, organic glam, intelligent nutrients, lagona. Have u tried any of those. Zuii has limited items though. I think the greatest struggle for me to turn organic is to give up on commercial makeup due to the limited organic makeup market. How nice if there’s an organic sephora like shop. I’ll sure go gaga over it ?

  38. sesame says:

    Yeah, very limited…only tried a few brands and most of like are quite meh. Also, different pple report different results about the makeup…some readers suggested 100% pure but others have limited success so kind of hard to pick.

  39. eve says:

    I found this organic bb cream free of many harmful chemicals. Have u tried this before. So tempted to buy it ?
    http://www.myplagentra.com/index.php/for-mom/skin-care/mother-s-b-b-cream.html

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