Makeup FOMO Is a Real Thing and Caused By Social Media

Makeup FOMO is totally a real thing and I blame social media for its existence. FOMO is the fear of missing out or more accurately it’s anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website. In reality, makeup FOMO is totally a real thing and it is indeed, caused by social media. Makeup brands aggressively use social media to cause an absolute frenzy when releasing a new product or a limited edition palette which in turn causes fans to become incredibly anxious that they might miss out on something major if they don’t buy the latest product immediately upon it launching. This results in regret later on when said item goes on sale.

Want an example?

Picture it, me waiting for the Yankee Candle Halloween launch early in the AM on Saturday because I felt for sure it would disappear and all sell out before I could purchase any of it. Turns out, it was available all weekend long. And even today very few people sold completely out! This is utterly excellent example of FOMO. Yankee Candle promoted the 10th Anniversary of their Boney Collection with a $129.99 Boney Bunch piece which was apparently limited to 900 pieces. Of course, this made fans of the Boney Bunch lose sleep waiting up to purchase it. I didn’t bother and I’m glad I didn’t because it was expensive and it’ll likely go on sale considering it is still in stock. One would think 900 pieces of a limited edition piece would go fast so, you have to really question whether not there are actually more than 900 pieces considering it didn’t sell out as quickly as they had you believing!

The same holds true for makeup launches lately. You can easily fall into the FOMO vortex if you aren’t careful. Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eyeshadow Palette is another prime example of Makeup FOMO. Prior to the Internet exploding with details about the loosely packed formula being a major issue the palette was highly anticipated and fans felt sure they’d be missing out on something great and that it would sell out quickly if they didn’t pick it up right away.

This is just one of many examples of the frenzy that the Internet creates with newly released makeup. The worst part of FOMO is the regret you’ll experience once the item goes on sale and you’re suddenly faced with the reality isn’t as limited as the brand promoting it would have you believing.

So, yeah, makeup FOMO is a real thing and it is caused by social media. The best way to avoid makeup FOMO is don’t hit that submit button right away. Ask yourself, “Do I really NEED this?” and typically the answer will probably be no.

Do you experience makeup FOMO?

When was the last time you experienced it?

Was it for makeup or something else?

Do share!