In an era dominated by technological evolution, identity construction and mental wellbeing are increasingly shaped by new digital tools. Among the most powerful and widely accessible are augmented reality (AR) beauty filters. Grounded in Self-Discrepancy Theory (SDT) and viewed through the lens of Self-Presentation and Social Comparison Theories, this study examines how motivations to present an ideal self can influence the use of AR beauty filters and the downstream effects that use has on online-offline identity consistency (self-concept clarity), self-discrepancy gaps, mental wellbeing, and future social media and AR beauty filter engagement. A cross-sectional survey (N = 289) was conducted using validated and adapted measures. Results showed that motivation for ideal self-presentation significantly predicted greater use of AR beauty filters for ideal/false self-presentation, which in turn predicted lower identity consistency. While lower identity consistency was associated with mental wellbeing, the results suggest a more complex relationship where short-term benefits may bypass or dampen the effects. Consistent with SDT, larger gaps between the actual-ideal selves reduced mental wellbeing, and AR-related discrepancies influenced this relationship. Self-esteem emerged as a strong moderator of the effect AR filter use has on the discrepancy gaps, narrowing the gap for low self-esteem users and widening it for high self-esteem users. Finally, contrary to the hypothesized direction, individuals with higher mental wellbeing showed greater future intent to use AR beauty filters and social media. These findings reveal a nuanced and complicated relationship between AR beauty filters, identity, and mental wellbeing. Further, these findings offer important insights for designers, educators, policymakers, and future research on AR beauty filters and online self-presentation.
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