Beware The Skinny Mirror: It's Going To Trick You Into Spending More Of Your Hard Earned Cash

The Skinny Mirror uses an optical illusion to make you look 10 pounds lighter - and it could soon be coming to a shop changing room near you...

If you've ever stood in the glaring light of a changing room mirror and decided not to buy the six items you took in, but leave feeling sorry for yourself and with a slight dent in your confidence, you're not alone.

If fact, sometimes it feels like shops want to make you look as terrible as possible when you're trying on their clothes. But that could all be about to change if the creator of The Skinny Mirror gets her way. Belinda Jasmine, the founder and designer of this optical illusion mirror, has already convinced shops in Sweden to use her invention to positive results - although whether you agree with that or not will depend on whether you are the retailer or the customer.

Promising to make the viewer look up to 10 pounds lighter, the mirror uses a hidden curve to create the optical illusion and mess with our minds - who needs that when trying on bikinis for your big holiday?

A study showed that 88% of customers who used the Skinny Mirror made a purchase, compared to 73% of customers who used a normal mirror. Overall, the Skinny Mirror contributed to 54% of total sales. Originally designed for home use, Jasmine started to get requests from 'small boutiques', but is now in talks with larger retailers worldwide to introduce The Skinny Mirror into their shops.

Is this a good body image message to be sending out to girls across the world? We think not. Stick to online shopping - bedroom lighting and a normal mirror never lie.