This Is Why You Look Unflattering In Pictures But Hot In The Mirror

Every girl can relate to this: You spend time doing your makeup, styling your hair, and putting on your best dress, feeling hot as you admire yourself in the mirror. But then, when you see the photos taken of you that same night, you suddenly feel ugly.

This experience is so universal that it's become a meme on social media, and countless people have recreated the scenario. The question is, why does this happen? And which one is more accurate in showing the way we really look?

Why You Look Hotter in the Mirror

The mere exposure effect may influence our preference for our mirrored image. This is when people show an increased liking for certain stimuli because they are more exposed to them. In short, we prefer the familiar. We all look in the mirror every day when we're getting ready, so it makes sense why we're so used to the reflected version of ourselves. And because we've looked at the mirror our entire lives, our brain has believed it to be our true image.

This is why it can be quite unsettling to see the unreversed version of yourself in a photograph – you're simply not used to it!