Magnifying Mirror Musings

I've always had a love-hate relationship with those magnifying mirrors in hotel bathrooms. Do I really want to get that closely acquainted with my pores and under-eye area just when I'm off the plane? Not to mention the lighting in those bathrooms was not designed to flatter, and who knows what I'll see when looking that closely.

On the other hand, they do make some tasks remarkably easier, not to mention precise, and I'm weird enough to enjoy looking at mascara wands up close and see exactly what they do for my lashes.

My solution has always been trying to focus on the less scary areas of the face and ignore the rest. Or just skip that evil mirror altogether...

On my most recent trip I got brave and really looked. It was somewhat of an ego boost to realize that even up close I have a better skin than certain (younger than me) celebrities. I also found out that such a mirror is very helpful in assessing your success in makeup removal. I liked it so much that now I'm considering getting a magnifying mirror for my bathroom at home.

Do you have one? How do you feel about these mirrors and what you see in them?

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Image: Birthday Wish by Brandi Milne

Sephora by OPI I'm With Brad Nail Polish

Here's something you can add to your shortlist of life certainties: The one nail polish Jennifer Aniston would never wear: I'm With Brad from the Sephora by OPI collection.

Not all of the colors in the line were created equal. Looking at the in-store display, I couldn't help but think that too many of the bottles had a seventies drugstore reject thing going on (read: cheap looking). But there are more than enough pretty and interesting shades. I got my mother a bottle of Let's Do Lunch, an elegant coral-beige, her seasonless signature color.

I was looking for something super dark, but yet different than all the other dark burgundy versions I already own. I'm With Brad was a perfect choice and is currently working hard in my fall-winter rotation. Sephora's web site describes it as "shimmering wine over dark coffee", which is another way of saying "reddish Coca-Cola". In any case, it's pretty, sexy and dark without going into Elvira's territory.

Application, as with most OPI polishes, is easy and smooth. Even I didn't manage to get it to streak. A single coat can be enough, but I like to use two to get the exact color of the bottle. Without a top coat, the first chips appeared after a couple of days, but when using one the polish lasts 6-7 days and looks great.

I'm not really a Brad fan, but when it comes to this polish, it really is Jen's loss.

Sephora by OPI nail polish ($9) is available from every Sephora store and online. I bought mine at my local mall.

photos: mine