Editor’s note: Black Friday is over, which means we’re no longer updating this post. But don’t worry: There are plenty of Cyber Monday deals to be had. Check out our roundup of the best Cyber Monday beauty deals, and sign up for our email newsletter so you never miss a sale again.
I’ve been writing about beauty my entire career, and in those seven years I’ve learned some things: (1) Never shave or bleach your eyebrows in service of a trend, and (2) Black Friday and Cyber Monday tend to offer the best deals of the year. The yearly friends and family sales don’t compare to the 25 to 30 percent savings we often see during this time, which is why I always use it as an opportunity to stock up on my favorite beauty products, buy gifts for loved ones, and try out new products I’ve been eyeing throughout the year. This season’s offerings run the gamut, from Paula’s Choice BHA Liquid exfoliant (20 percent off at Dermstore) to cheaper-than-normal Boy Smells candles, which are 25 percent off through the weekend. You can even stock up on the viral Summer Fridays Lip Balm, which I’ve previously said is the best vegan option because it doesn’t contain beeswax but still manages to be very shiny and hydrating.
With every brand trying to get in on the shopping boom, there’s an overwhelming amount of sales, with both the big retailers (think Sephora, Dermstore, Ulta) and the brands they carry offering a discount. To navigate this, I’ve done the work for you, determining whether it’s better to get your Anastasia Brow Wiz from Ulta or directly from the ABH website. The answer: If you’re just buying the pencil, Ulta, because it’ll be 40 percent off. If you’re planning on picking up lots of stuff from the brand (over $100 worth), it’s worth it to buy it straight from the website, where you’ll also get a gift with purchase. I’ve also cross-checked it with other sales that have happened this year to make sure the deals are actually worth it.
I’ve organized the deals by retailer for easy navigation and am updating these deals frequently to make sure they’re current. And in the case you’re in the market for other things, check out our big Black Friday hub, which contains deals for every category.
Note: I’m done updating this post for the weekend, but you can keep shopping the deals below all weekend long. Keep in mind that deals might change or prices might fluctuate during that time. I’ll be back on Monday with updates and new deals.
No brand has had more impact on eyebrows than Anastasia Beverly Hills, which has gone from a Beverly Hills–based brow studio for well-heeled women to one of the biggest beauty brands in the world. Despite expanding its products to include everything from loose powder to matte lipstick, its brow products are still what I get most excited about — I’m deeply loyal to the clear brow gel, and I’m probably on my tenth Brow Wiz. This year, the brand is offering tiered discounts: 20 percent off orders over $50, 30 percent off orders over $75, and 40 percent off orders over $100. Each level also comes with gifts with purchase, which get better the more money you spend.
Think of Amazon as your one-stop-shop for ubiquitous beauty finds — it’s a great place to stock up on stuff like the Revlon blowdryer brush (a perennial besteller) and Olaplex No.3, which hairstylists love for repairing and strengthening compromised hair.
Since launching three years ago, Ami Colé has become one of the industry’s most exciting beauty brands. Their lip gloss—which I’ve previously has a similar cultural impact to the Telfar bag—is so good that I keep one in every bag. That, along with the rest of their offerings, are 20 percent off through November 27 when you use the code: LASTCHANCE20. And if your cart is more than $75, Ami Colé will throw in a free lipgloss while supplies last.
Boy Smells statusy candles can be found in lots of well-appointed spaces—from the Bread and Butter store in Long Island City (they burn a massive, three-wick Figurare) to Kith, where stylist Mecca James-Williams first sniffed the ubiquitous Kush. Both of those fragrances, along with the rest of the site, will be 30 percent off for Black Friday. Discounts are even steeper for certain limited edition collections and scents that are being phased out, with some fragrances up to half-off.
Similarly to Anastasia Beverly Hills, Charlotte Tilbury is also doing a tiered discount structure for the holiday. You’ll get 20 percent off orders over $60, 25 percent off orders over $110, and 30 percent off orders over $160. A few suggestions: a bottle of Hollywood Flawless Filter (a favorite of Sephora employees), a tube of Pillow Talk lipstick, and ‘Wonderglow’ Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash, which Rio likes to slather all over her face before applying makeup.
Credo has some of the strictest beauty standards in the industry, making the brand a go-to for anyone who wants to shop “clean” without having to read an ingredients list. From now until November 30, the site is 20 percent off, no code needed.
Dermstore is known for its well-curated, dermatologist-approved products. It is also known for being pricey, which is why I eagerly await this sale every year. Today through November 27, the e-tailer is discounting products up to 30 percent when you use the code STRAT.
Fenty Beauty kicked off Black Friday early this year, starting on November 22 and continuing through the 26th. It’s an ideal time to stock up on the brand’s face products, which have made fans of just about every makeup enthusiast including Rio, who says the concealer is great for creating “totally flawless” skin. That, along with the rest of the site, will be 25 percent off, save for a few exclusions like the fragrance body cream and e-gift cards.
Black Friday is Glossier’s biggest sale of the year, discounting everything from Alexa Chung’s favorite cleanser (the classic Milky Jelly) to the brand’s beloved perfume, which smells like “you, but better.” This year Glossier is offering two discounts: 25 percent for orders under $100, and 30 percent for carts above $100.
For anyone planning to spend upwards of $500, the Goop Black Friday sale is a very good deal. Carts over $500 qualify for 30 percent off when you use the code CYBER30 and come with a free lip balm trio. And if you don’t want to spend quite as much, you’ll still get 20 percent off with the code CYBER20.
I’m skeptical of makeup-skin-care hybrids because I’m never sure if they actually work, but Ilia’s skin tint is a rare exception. It contains squalane, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and SPF 40 and offers skin a bit of coverage. We’ve recommended it many times over the years, and now it’s 20 percent off (along with Ilia’s entire catalogue of products) through November 27.
La Roche-Posay is a brand that feels fancy but is also very affordable, making it oft-recommended by both dermatologists, beauty fanatics, and me. It has made our list of best sunscreens, French beauty products, products for people on Accutane and with redness and rosacea — and that’s just in the past year. LRP is discounting all of its products 25 percent on Black Friday until Sunday, the cheapest we’ve seen it all year.
Luxury retailer Net-a-Porter’s Black Friday sale is well underway, offering up to 50 percent off beauty favorites like Slip, Susanne Kaufman, and Sarah Chapman’s face steamer — Hailey Bieber’s go-to beauty tool. There’s also lots of giftable candles from fancy brands such as L’Objet, Tom Dixon, and La Montaña.
Nordstrom’s Black Friday sale is well underway, with the retailer discounting an assortment of luxury beauty buys. Some standouts: Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment, Ally Maki’s favorite breakout-fighting red-light wand, a deeply discounted Dermaflash, and the Christophe Robin Shade Variation hair masks that Rio has said are incredible for dry, dehydrated hair.
Natural-deodorant maker Native has topped our best-of lists for a while now, thanks to its easy-to-apply format, nice scents, and similarity to traditional antiperspirant sticks. It also makes a nice hydrating body wash. Stock up on both during the sale: The site is 30 percent off through November 27 when you spend more than $35.
You’ll have to pay close attention to Sephora this year, which is running different discounts daily. It kicked off the sale festivities at the top of the week, and in addition to markdowns of up to 50 percent on brands like Tarte, Topicals, and Kiehl’s, there are also flash deals that change daily. Today, Sephora is offering 30 percent off Fenty Beauty, an even better deal than the Fenty Beauty sitewide discount.
Our go-to for K-Beauty buys, Soko Glam is a one-stop shop for everything from Soon Jung toners to snail mucin face masks. This year, they’re discounting select products up to 50 percent off, including the CosRX Low pH cleanser, a dermatologist and esthetician favorite for oily skin.
I’m a longtime fan of Summer Fridays (I still have the original Summer Fridays Lip Balm, which came in an aluminum tube), so I’ll be stocking up on the jet-lag mask and a few flavors of the now-viral lip balm this week. Now through the 27th, everything is 20 percent when you use the code CYBER, and if you spend $75, Summer Fridays will throw in a free makeup bag.
Beloved Japanese skin-care brand Tatcha is a longtime Strategist favorite, and the its sale is always a verifiable event. This year, the Black Friday discount is even better than the Friends and Family Sale, 25 percent versus 20. That’s a big discount on the typically pricey skin care, making covetable products like the silk canvas primer and dewy skin mist a little more affordable.
If you want to take the thought out of choosing what to buy, Violet Grey is a good place to start. Curated by beauty editors and beauty insiders, everything has been tested and Violet Grey–stamped, so you know it’s good. You can get up to 25 percent off brands like Dr. Barbara Sturm, Epi.logic, and Augustinus Bader through December 2.
Ulta offers a mix of high and low, reflective of the way we actually put together our beauty routines. This year’s Black Friday sale is an example of that, with discounts on everything from NuFace to CosRX.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
