This article was anonymously submitted.
Dear IKEA support:
Re: Broken Mirror
On January 12th, 2017 I was gifted a white 15 3/4×59 ” NISSEDAL mirror from your store for my birthday. I am writing to you in regards to the product you sold to me four years ago because unfortunately it has poorly met my expectations and has been an exasperation for me since.
This product has not worked for me because it appears to be defective. Every time I get a look into it, I see a different image of myself, and rather than serving as an indispensable article of my daily use, it has become a disturbance for my sanity. As I got ready in the mornings, sometimes it appeared that my reflection was enlarged and my body’s flaws were highlighted for the whole world to see. Other times my body appeared normal, proportionate, and almost tolerable. My attention was not fixated on my stomach or my arms, and my external appearance was bearable to look at.
Do your mirrors normally speak to your customers? I ask because I found mine constantly babbling on as I stared deeply into the contents of my reflection. The moment I turned around I would hear its whispers gossipping about every roll, lump, wrinkle, and stretch mark on my body.
“Look at how your shirt stretches around your stomach, the seams are practically bursting…is it supposed to do that?”
My mirror would magnify my midriff, making me question every cropped top and darling outfit I tried on while convincing myself I could wear them. I thought your product was supposed to make my life easier, not make me overanalyze the reflection before me. I don’t even know what I look like anymore.
Despite being placed in the corner of my room, every time I took a quick glimpse into it I felt exposed and as if I was in the middle of a freak show and “What do we see today?” was the main event and my mirror was the host. It enjoyed watching the crowd go wild while showcasing every bit of my insecurities.
You see the problem with your mirror is it is inconsistent. The very item that should be used to help me pick out my outfit for the day, determine whether or not I look presentable enough to leave the house, and tidy up my looks has been getting in the way of how I perceive myself for years. It’s difficult to be happy with my appearance and your product has been far from any help.
I’ve never questioned myself as much as I have with your product in my hands, I’ve never restricted food from myself as quickly as I did because of the hideous reflection your mirror portrays of me. Was this your intention when creating something that plays such cruel mind games with people?
This mirror has become my biggest enemy and it’s unbelievable that something as simple as a thin layer of silver or aluminum sprayed onto the back of a sheet of glass could have such an influence on me.
I understand if you’re not willing to refund my purchase, this isn’t the first mirror I’ve had that hasn’t worked for me. I’ve tried an abundance of them and they’ve all reflected an illusion of myself that’s caused me to be detached from reality and no longer have an understanding of who I am or what I look like. But now that I have covered your product up, and am preparing to send it away I have learned to see myself in the only mirror that matters – my own mind. Now my mind and my body will be at peace.
