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Just Reflecting — Mirror Mirror

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who’s the fairest of them all?

Reflecting Beauty
Reflecting Beauty

Beauty needn’t even be skin deep. For the right price, it can be painted on.

My friend and I had just malled our pocketbooks at Borders, and were strolling down the breezeway looking for probable cause for further malling, when we came upon this cosmetic store. Mirrored from top to bottom and back again, it made my little heart pitty-patter. I scanned the whole store, then chose to shoot this mirrored pillar.

From this angle one can see the makeup kiosks, and the mirrored cosmetic booths where one can sit while consultants make her beautiful free of charge, then offer to sell her the means to duplicate that beauty at home. Of course the necessary makeup costs a small fortune, and the salesperson consultant hands over the little $250.00 bag with the disclaimer, “You may not get exactly the same results at home.” Of course not. At home you won’t have the enhanced lighting, or the fawning, or — most likely — the expertise to duplicate the experience.

The consultants hurried toward my friend and I thinking they had two more suckers customers at hand, but my friend and I knew that it wasn’t the place for us. We only wanted to mall our pocketbooks, not murder them.

*   *   *

We have sadly come to the end of Reflect This. It has been a fun week. I am sorry I had a break down in the middle of it. The next time I offer up a challenge I will make certain to check both my and OC’s calendars to assure I have access to the time necessary to do such things well. To all who played with me. Thank you. Please put your names in Mr. Linky to advertise your last Reflect This post.

Mirror, Mirror

Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives on The Big Island in Hawaii. When she is not hanging out with Amoeba, she is likely teaching or sewing. Or she could be cooking, taking photographs, or even writing. But if she's not doing any of that, she's probably on Facebook or tinkering with her blog.

21 Comments

  1. Yep, I’m sad it’s over too!
    I enjoyed it very much too. You made me reflect on my blogging behaviour too, I don’t always have the time to visit everyone when I do big memes too, and a lot of the comments are just a couple of cliché words or even spam comments, to make you visit their own site. I was surprised to see that I still get a lot of comments. The comments I get now, are from real friends, and that makes a huge difference. Memes are great to get to know new people, after all, that’s how I met you too ( ABC) but I’m so glad that you are my friend now, not just another vague commenter! Getting comments from real friends is all the more precious, and you made me reflect on that!
    Thanks, big hugs !! xxx
    Have a great weekend Quilly!

  2. Yes! I actually still have a couple of UNshared reflections… but who knows when I may need one? Like the dragons, they are now in my pocket! But the BEST ones made it to the blog! (of course… nothing but the best for you dear Quilly!)

    I do LOVE this reflection Quill! But I fear (for FREE) I would have HAD to let them make me up! And then NOT buy a bloomin thing… or maybe a lipstick! I used to LIVE with a Mary Kay “consultant” … I got used to saying NO! lol!

  3. This has been a fun week of reflections of all kinds. I’ve never carried my camera around with me while shopping at the mall, though. Probably a lot of you guys have picture phones. We don’t. We need to upgrade, but haven’t gotten around to it. Thanks for hosting this and it gave us chances to visit a lot of other people we wouldn’t normally know about.

  4. That is a great shot for your last reflect this. I like the angles and the whole affect. My last one is almost muddy and it was very hard for me to choose. I enjoyed this challenge so much. Thank you for doing it. I ended up taking almost 100 reflection shots this week and didn’t use but a few of them since I had twice that many of old ones I wanted to use. It made me realize how much I love reflections. I hope you have a great weekend.

  5. Now that I start to see reflections everywhere even in my own toilet the game is over !! What a pity !
    There are so many mirrors in your picture, that I am a little confused !

  6. Nice post! Really clear reflection.
    All the ingredients to give one what one doesn’t naturally have – the sticker shock of the bag would have me sweating the makeover all down my face!

    Who doesn’t love a challenge – I loved this one!
    Afternoon and overnight company kept me from finding one for today but I have enjoyed the rest of the week. I’m hoping you will decide to do another challenge.
    It was fun Quilly!

  7. That wasn’t much of a breakdown as breakdowns go. As ever, terrific photography. And thanks to you and Mr. Moeba.

  9. What a great reflection!! I love the symmetry… and the cosmetic department!!
    I don’t have a reflection today, Quilly, but I enjoyed your photo challenge very much, despite the fact that my camera is in the ER for at least another week.
    Have a grand weekend 🙂

  10. they wouldn’t get me in there easily! but the reflections are great!

    and nd that little crisis… maybe it just had to happen to help you set priorities… we’re still friends, no? 😉

  11. I looked real close at everything in the mirrors and I don’t see any dog food or cookies. Nothing at all that would make a good girl like me want to go into that store even fur a minute. But I sure iz glad you did cuz you made a real purty pikture.

    Thanks so much fur all the fun. Lets all do it again soon.

  12. Thanks for hosting! It was a crazy week around here so I didn’t get to play as much as I wanted to,unfortunately didn’t get around to commenting on all of the other great posts like I would have liked to either ….but all in all it sure was a great idea on your part – hope you host another one soon and I rrreally hope I’m around to play along.
    Cool reflecto-photo…I’ve been buying my cosmetics at the grocery store for the last several years, much easier on the wallet! Gotta love that maybelline mascara and those covergirl lips..especially the price 🙂

  13. Quilly, you sure are going out of this challenge with a BANG, aren’t you. That is a fabulous Reflection photo. Made me realize I missed a perfect opportunity the other day in our mall… the eye glass store is full of mirrors, and while there I could have gotten my glasses adjusted. I walked right past it and never even thought… sheeeesh!

    I love reflections, so had enough in archives to supply both my blog and Reba’s, and I loved being inspired to take new ones to throw in to the mix. I now am seeing reflections all over the place, haha…. but didn’t think to look in my toilet as Gattina did, hahaha.

    I have been loving this Photo Challenge, and I can’t help but notice how it has really bridged the gap between blogs around the world. It has brought many of us together, getting to know one another. It also has left me wanting more, haha. Okay… so…. I AM HOSTING MY VERY FIRST PHOTO CHALLENGE starting tomorrow!! I will post it to auto post at 12:00am MY TIME, haha. That is Pacific Time (GMT – 7:00) so, 3 hours ahead of your Hawaiian time. This Photo Challenge is BRIDGING THE GAP. The idea is to post photos you’ve taken, or you are in, showing a bridge. Being fairly new to this Photo Challenge thing, I hope no one else has done bridges before. If they have, I guess it will be a bigger challenge to get new bridge photos, haha.

    I hope to see you all BRIDGING THE GAP.

  15. My dragons who are very vain enjoyed the week> They had fun finding out how many different ways they could be reflected. I enjoyed all the other reflections. Yours today is impressive. Thank you.

  16. Jientje — oh! I wasn’t trying to enlighten anybody but me!

    Melli — I found a dragon the other day at the mall and have it tucked away. Alas, I have used all of my good reflections.

    Amber — I carry my great big DSLR. I do have a camera phone, but I have no idea how to get the photo out of the phone and onto the screen. Plus, the pixel quality is bad. You can carry your camera and use it in public places. Just be sure to treat people how you would like to be treated. Also, I never take photos of strangers without their permission, and I don’t put their faces on the web unless I asked when I took the pic. Sometimes people say no. It;s no big deal.

    Carver — the reflections challenge was fun and more of a challenge for me than I meant it to be, since OC needed the car this week and I was pretty much stuck at home or given to the mercy of the bus, which isn’t one of my favorite modes of transport.

    Gattina — I think some people may be happy not to have the photo of your toilet — though I have posted mine several times and gotten no complaints.

    Carletta — this being Hawaii, you’d be sweating anyway. I have taken a shine to mineral makeup — no, I mean the mineral makeup has taken my shine from me ….

    Doug — I know not him of whom you speak, but from me, you are welcome.

    Brian — you are a dear.

    Mar — sorry to hear about your camera. I hope it recovers quickly and completely.

    Polona — YES!

    Reba — no dog food or cookies — and you are much too beautiful to ever have to worry about makeup.

    Shelly — Alice has offered a new challenge starting midnight Saturday, your time. Check her out.

    Alice — I am in, but you’ve got to know there isn’t much call for bridges on this island. I’ll see what I can do.

    Dr. John — your dragons are gorgeous, so perhaps they can’t help their vanity. I notice you made this last set of reflections, too!

  17. Just do your best, Quilly. I’m sure you’ve been off the island once or twice and have some photos in your files… or can find a small bridge across a stream… or the bridge of someone’s nose… haha. I know you are creative and will come up with awesome stuff. You only need 7… I need 14, haha.

  20. Alice — we have a couple of nice bridges, but mostly just little cement passes of small gullies and/or ravines.

    Mumma — thank you. It felt pretty traumatic to me.

    SN — I’ve done a few of those make-overs and always end up spending my money and being disappointed by my results at home.

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