Not Every Makeup Trend Needs To Go Viral – And That’s Perfectly Fine

By now, we all know that the internet loves a beauty hack. Give Instagram a half-baked idea and boom – it’s a full-blown "trend" in the blink of an eye, complete with viral challenges, questionable DIYs, and enough split opinions to start a civil war in the comments section. But here’s my hot take: not every makeup trend needs to go viral. And some of them should quietly stay in someone’s bathroom mirror experimentation phase. Forever.

This is coming from someone who adores makeup. Truly, give me a new eyeliner technique, a jazzy lipstick shade, or a contouring trick, and I’m there — brush in hand, face primed for chaos. I love how creative beauty has become, especially in 2025, where rules are pretty much non-existent. But somewhere between “playful innovation” and “please, for the love of my pores, stop,” we’ve crossed a line.

Take, for example, the latest craze, mascara as eyeshadow. I mean, who decided this was a good idea? Whipping out your mascara wand, smearing it on your eyelid, and pretending it's a "grungy editorial look" sounds a bit like what I did by accident in year nine after crying over a math test. Yes, the theory sounds edgy – a smoky, lived-in vibe without needing a whole palette. But the execution is patchy, sticky, and somehow manages to glue your eyelids together if you're not careful.  Another trend making the rounds this year is the "blush overload" strategically (or not-so-strategically) whacking cream blush across the temples, nose bridge, and eyelids until you resemble a cartoon sunburn victim.

The Rise of Shock-Value Beauty

And don’t even get me started on the "lip lift hack" involving a thick ring of concealer around your mouth to fake a fuller pout. Listen, no shade to the makeup artists who make it look seamless, but the rest of us end up looking like we’ve dunked our faces in flour and forgot to blend.

The thing is, makeup is supposed to be fun. It’s creative, expressive, transformative. But lately, it feels like a lot of trends exist purely for the sake of virality, not because they genuinely enhance beauty or confidence. Every five seconds, a new tutorial pops up telling you that this hack will "change your life" or that you're "doing makeup wrong" if you don't follow it. It’s exhausting, not inspiring.

I miss the time when trends brewed slowly. Remember the original beauty blender? It didn't go viral overnight. It earned its place in every beauty lover’s kit because it actually worked. Same with the good old cat-eye flick or the dewy foundation finish. These trends stuck around because they were flattering, practical, and made you feel like a better version of yourself, not because they shocked people into clicking.

Choose Trends That Actually Work for You

Experimentation is vital, beauty would be boring if we all wore the same brown eyeshadow and nude lipstick every day. And it’s perfectly fine to not jump on every bandwagon. In fact, it’s liberating. I’m giving you (and myself) full permission to sit out the next viral trend without guilt. You don't have to smear mascara on your eyelids just because someone on Instagram with suspiciously perfect lighting made it look good. You don't have to bake your entire face with six layers of powder if you don't want to.

This year, I’m all about selective trending, picking the techniques that actually serve me. Because at the end of the day, makeup isn’t about going viral, it’s about feeling confident, empowered, and entirely yourself.