I’m a Beauty Expert, and Here’s My Black Friday Shopping List

It’s a controversial thing to say, but in theory, Black Friday is so not my thing. I spend my working life advising people to consider their beauty purchases very carefully, and that message simply doesn’t align with the concept of Black Friday. Trust me. I totally understand the temptation of a bargain, especially when it comes to pretty beauty products. However, doing your research and working out which products are right for you is just as important on Black Friday as it is any other time.

With that being said, there’s no doubt that now is the time to stock up on age-old favourites and dream products that have always been slightly out of budget. If you’re anything like me, your inbox will be flooded with flash sales, discounts and offers from every beauty brand and retailer out there, and as overwhelming as it seems, there are certainly some treasures to be found.

This year, more so than ever, I have been thinking carefully about where and how I spend my money. In the past, I have been known to splurge in beauty halls on the prettiest-looking products. However, over the years, I have learned that the buzz I got off buying beauty in this way was always short-lived. More often than not, I was left with shelves of products that just weren’t quite right for me. 

To avoid repeats of years gone by, this Black Friday, I’m shopping smart. I have spent the last few weeks compiling a list of the products I actually want to purchase, and I’m promising to stick to it. While it’s highly unlikely I’ll be purchasing everything on the list, I certainly won’t be straying from it. Following weeks of careful consideration and a whole bunch of research, keep scrolling to discover the products I’m planning to buy this Black Friday, including a roundup of all the best deals to be had.

Today Net-a-Porter has 15% off its advent calendar today with the code BLACKFRIDAY.

If you’re shopping for Christmas presents, can I please turn your attention to Charlotte Tilbury? With 40% off selected kits, there are plenty of bargains to be had. Having said that, I’m being good and sticking to just one thing that I really want. Okay fine, it’s technically three products. Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks are, by far, my favourite lip products out there, and I use them to death. Right now, there’s 40% off when you buy a trio of shades and finishes in this kit, and Charlotte can count me in.

Today if you spend £80 and receive a full size Matte Revolution Walk of No Shame Lipstick! Use code CMTREAT21. Plus get 50% off TWO mystery boxes of 7 or 9 full sized, iconic products.

With up to 20% off selected lines across beauty and fragrance, John Lewis’s discounted fragrance offering this Black Friday is one to take full advantage of. While there are plenty of fragrances I’d love to buy right now, nabbing a bottle of the cult Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 for 15% off just seems like too good of a deal to miss. It’s one of my favourite perfumes ever, and it has proved to be one of this year’s most popular scents after it blew up on TikTok. Sweet but warming and a little bit woody, it’s unlike anything you have ever smelled.

I would say that Net-a-Porter’s Black Friday sale is potentially the single most anticipated sale of the year. It is rare that the luxe retailer offers any really impressive discounts, but right now Net-a-Porter is offering 15% off selected beauty products with code BLACKFRIDAY. And the selection is good. Yes, there are a tonne of amazing beauty products I could splurge on, but the real standout for me is the candle offering. With 15% off some of my favourite Jo Malone London candles (these are hardly ever discounted, with most retailers keeping Jo Malone London products exempt from sales,) I’m picking up Pastel Macaroons Scented Candle, which is sugary and almondy with a cosy cashmere touch.

I have been (not so) patiently waiting for Cult Beauty’s Black Friday sale to launch this year, and the retailer really left me hanging. Finally, however, Cult Beauty has launched its sale with 25% off everything on the site using code CBBF25. So yes, it was worth the wait. And while I’m totally spoilt for choice given Cult Beauty’s extensive offering, I am without a doubt stocking up on my beloved Laura Mercier Ambre Vanilla Honey Bath. It’s by far the most beautifully luxurious bubble bath around, and with 25% off, I might just sell Cult Beauty out.

It’s rare that Elemis products get discounted, so I always make my cult purchases on Black Friday. Right now, the brand is offering 30% off, plus a free gift worth £73 when you spend £100 after discount with the code CELEBRATION. I’ll be stocking up on my go-to Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm in the biggest size available. I use it every morning and every night, so it never goes to waste.

Harvey Nichols is probably my favourite place to shop for beauty. The products on offer a considered and tick all of my boxes. This Black Friday, the retailer has up to 15% off beauty, so I’m using this has an excuse to stock up on all of my cult buys. Top of my list though is Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash. I went through a stage of refilling my empty bottles with something cheaper to up my bathroom game a little, but I really have missed the invigorating, spa-like formula.

There are few things I like to spend my money on more than spa-like beauty products. Neom Organics currently has two Black Friday offers running. The first results in a free Hand & Body Wash and Lotion in a fragrance of your choice (worth £40) when you spend £45 with the code WISH. And the other lands you a free Intensive Skin Treatment Candle and Hand Balm in a fragrance of your choice (worth £60) when you spend £90 with the code NOURISH. Top of my list is an aromatherapy oil diffuser to keep my home smelling fresh all day long (and calm my busy mind while it’s at it). 

Space NK is a beauty haven, and this year it is offering up to 25% off beauty. There are heaps of favourites in the sale that I plan to stock up on, but Olapex No.3 Hair Perfector must take priority as my strands are in dire straits.

Preaching a message that I can definitely get behind, Deciem is offering 23% off its entire site throughout the whole of November. With the aim to encourage customers to shop slowly and thoughtfully, it avoids any last-minute rush and panic buying. I recently finished off a small bottle of my favourite Niacinamide 10% and Zinc 1% from The Ordinary. I have been using it for years, as it helps to keep my breakouts and pores at bay.

With savings of up to 20% on selected premium beauty products and fragrance, as well as other flash deals including up to 20% off selected fragrances, up to 60% off beauty electricals, and half-price daily deals on No7, it’s safe to say Boots is a sure-fire hit for a Black Friday beauty bargain. Adamant not to stock up on products I simply don’t need (although Boots’ offering makes it very tempting), I’m just going to stick to a safe restock of my favourite skincare product ever made, Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex. With a saving of 20%, it makes total sense to stock up now.

It’s rare that a luxury retailer like Liberty delivers early discounts, but this year, Liberty is offering up to 15% off beauty from now until 30 November. And astoundingly that includes Augustinus Bader skincare. You can thank me for alerting you to this one later, when your skin is supermodel-soft.

This year, Diptyque are doing something really special for Black Friday. Instead of discounting, the brand has launched a very limited-edition Baies candle. Available from 26th-29th November inclusive, the brand is donating 15% of all sales from the candle to the Covid-Solitary Response Fund. 

Elizabeth Arden is a classic beauty brand that I will always buy from. Across Black Friday, the brand is slashing 25% off sitewide with code BF25. I will absolutely be taking advantage of this and stocking up on multiple tubes of Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant to soothe my dry winter skin.

My go-to site for all things beauty, Lookfantastic already has a number of enticing deals online, with up to 40% off selected lines. I have been desperate to try the facial toning NuFace device for months, and it’s currently 33% off. It uses microcurrents to tone the face and add definition. 

My treasured GHDs broke a few months ago, and I’ve been holding out for Black Friday to purchase some more. With up to 20% off, I’m investing in the brand’s new cordless straightener (which is 10% off) so that I can keep my hair looking fresh all day long.

Not to be outshone, Feelunique is offering up to 33% off selected products. I’m particularly intrigued by how drastically prices of French pharmacy best seller La Roche-Posay have been slashed. With 33% off, I’m picking up a tube of Effaclar Duo Moisturiser to help keep my winter breakouts in check.

You better believe I’m picking up some pretty MAC faves with 20% off sitewide. If you’re yet to try the brand’s Powder Kiss Lipstick, let me enlighten you. It’s matte but totally weightless and leaves lips with a pretty, blurred finish. I’m totally in love with the shade I already have (Sultry Move), and I’m ready to add some more to my collection, especially burnt red Devoted to Chili.

My favourite bath-and-body brand is offering up to 30% off selected lines. I’m fully stocked with its delicious bath oils, but I have been waiting for the right time to repurchase the sleep-inducing Deep Relax Body Treatment. Parting with £42 for a body cream isn’t easy, but with 30% off, it’s a little easier.

Prepare for this one: By Terry is currently offering up to 70% off selected lines. By far one of my favourite makeup and skincare brands, it has a long list of the things I’d like to buy right now, but I’m being sensible, remember? One of my go-to products from the brand is this rose-scented face mask. You apply it to skin, and it bubbles up, leaving behind the most delicious glow.

Nars is definitely up there with my favourite makeup brands ever, and it’s currently slashing 20% off its prices across the whole site with the code CYBER (and 30% off if you spend over £80). I’ll be using this opportunity to buy a backup Soft Matte Complete Concealer—my everyday staple.

Cult Beauty currently has 30% off selected brands with the code CBCYBER. The best bit is one of my favourite hair products ever (Ouai x Byredo Leave-in Conditioner) is 25% off. It smells like Byredo’s Mojave Ghost and leaves hair super soft and hydrated.

This might seem like a bit of a curveball, but I have to mention it. Wild Nutrition is my absolute go-to for supplements, and I truly believe that these products help to bring down my hormonal acne. (I can’t prove this, but I see the results.) The downside is the supplements are expensive. However, right now, the brand is offering up to 40% off, so I am stocking up on all of my favourites, including the Premenstrual Complex and the Daily Multi Nutrient.

The Nue Co. is offering 30% off the entire site with the code BF2021, so I’ll be stocking up on my favourite magnesium spray. Spritz it on and massage into skin before bed, and expect your best night’s sleep ever. Plus, it really works on aching muscles.