This is because a magnifying mirror is slightly concave. To explain further I will need to make a couple of diagrams. First, when you look at a normal flat mirror the light sent to it bounces back in a straight line (Figure 1). However, in a curved mirror the light reflects out at a different angle depending on the curve of the mirror (Figure 2). Thus while the light that hits the middle reflects directly backwards, the light that hits top is reflected downward and the light that hits the bottom is reflected upwards. This creates a focus point (F) where all the light that bounces off the mirror crosses on its return. The focus is a different length away depending on the curve of the mirror but if you stand past the focus (further away from the mirror) the paths of light have crossed already and the bottom becomes the top and the top the bottom. Sorry for the poor diagrams. Figure 1 | |--<--->----<----->--------- | Figure 2 /---<------<-------<--- / / / / / | F / / / ---<------<-------<--- So they won't let this figure work so it should look like a half circle with light beams coming at the top and bottom then reflecting to form an X crossing at the F point.