I was watching Ellen’s TV show last week. Ellen gives away things in December for her holiday fun.  I have heard of this and even seen it a couple of times (on YouTube or Facebook).  Generally, the giveaways look fun and often practical – like Amazon gift cards and new electronics.  This particular day, one of the prizes was something called the HiMirror Slide.  It looked like a pretty straightforward make-up mirror – the kind that lights up around it with various settings and likely had a side to enlarge your features for easier application of products.

               But uh-oh.  I came to full alert when the description on television said, “It reads your skin tone and tells you what products to use.”  What??? The mirror is going to “read” my skin tone?  And then talk to me?

               Heavens to 1984, but that is a little creepy.  The presentation on television went on to the next prize, but I leaped over to the computer and pulled up my Amazon site to see what this thing really was about.

               Turns out, it’s somehow linked to Siri, or Alexa, or whoever you have on your gadget that does stuff for you.  I don’t have one of those gadgets (and don’t want one, either!)  Because getting up to turn on or off lights is about the only exercise I get.

               But you get this HiMirror Slide and it hooks up to your disembodied servant voice.  Then, the computer microchip (or whatever) inside it does, in fact, look at your skin and recommend products to use.  (Side note:  I thought that was the job for a mother-in-law). But there’s more! 

               It will also play music. And you’d think this mirror would be huge, but it’s not!  It’s totally portable, so you can pack it up and take it with you on vacation.  Nothing says “relax” more than a computerized voice saying, “Your skin is dry. Use moisturizer.” This little device reads your skin by looking at wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles, dark spots, red spots and even pores.  Wow.  That’s a nice way to wake up.

               The mirror also tracks your skincare by analyzing the results of your skincare regimen “over time.”  This is so you can “efficiently target problem areas and move toward your beauty goals.”  My beauty goal is to wear a mask forever! But seriously, it will track what products you use and give you an analysis of their effectiveness.

               It does light up, just like the old-fashioned make-up mirrors did.  It has settings for sunset view, outside on a sunny day, brightly lit office, shopping mall or supermarket, and restaurant or party venue.  Hmm…there doesn’t appear to be a setting for sitting around the house all day in pajamas.

               Not done yet!  The HiSlide will instantly let you try new makeup without actually putting it on your face!  It does this through something called augmented reality technology.  And finally, you can do all this while linking to Spotify, Google Duo, Facebook, Instragram and YouTube.  Because we all want to share every detail of putting on our faces in the morning.

               For me, I’m not wildly excited about my $279.00 mirror telling me every day, “You skin is…old.”  I can get this for free from my vintage hallway mirror!