Day five

A harder day today as I was out and about. I attempted to put on a bit of make-up but gave up feeling around my face with a tube of concealer trying to cover up blemishes I couldn’t see. I figured I’d just look the way I look. Surely if Pamela Anderson can go to Paris Fashion Week without a lick of make-up, I can leave the house bare-faced. It also feels as though I’ve stopped thinking about my body image as much as before. And because I’m less focused on the way I look, I’ve also noticed that I’m spending less time on Instagram. I still check it a few times a day, sure, but I’m not going as deep into the scroll hole as I usually do.

Day six

We’re on the home straight. Today was the last day of my mirror-free experiment and, as much as I’ve enjoyed taking a break from my face and body, I am looking forward to being able to look in a mirror again – even if it’s just to be able to put on some make-up. I had to get the train back to London this evening, and because of the reflective qualities of the dark windows, I had to hunt down an aisle seat towards the end of one of the carriages so I wasn’t accidentally looking at my reflection for two hours. The first thing my housemates said to me when I walked through the door? “Oh, you look fresh!” Maybe the bare-faced life is for me. Sometimes…

Day seven

Well, today’s the day: I can finally look in the mirror again. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. I couldn’t see the small creases around my eyes as much. Or the shadowy bags under my eyes. This might be down to the extra 20 minutes I’ve had each day in place of my usual getting ready routine, but it’s as if not looking at myself for nearly a week allowed me to appreciate my body more, noticing the things I liked about myself rather than being laser-focused on perceived flaws. This was something I didn’t anticipate before taking on this experiment.

If you’re planning a mirror detox of your own, Konstantopoulou recommends starting slower than I did by “gradually reducing mirror time, starting with short intervals each day”. She also advises talking to a counsellor or therapist who can help address the underlying causes and provide coping strategies – practising self-acceptance and shifting your “self-worth from focusing on your external appearance to valuing your internal qualities and achievements more”.

The main thing I want to take from this experience is giving myself make-up-free days without feeling anxious, self-conscious or ‘perceived’. I can’t imagine opting out of mirrors long-term, but I don’t feel the need to look at myself in the in-between moments anymore, like brushing my teeth while inspecting my reflection. And I feel I could more easily go a couple of days without mirrors now (handy for any potential camping holidays), which I’d never have dreamed of doing before this experiment. It might not stop me from catching one last glance in the mirror before I go to work, but the next time I sit on a train, I have a feeling I’ll be more focused on reading my book than scrutinising my reflection in the windows.

“I went a week without mirrors – when I finally saw my reflection, it taught me a lesson in self-esteem”