I was “off” Black Friday shopping for years before becoming a beauty editor, and I’ve only really come back around recently. You see, I spent my high school and college years working in retail, and I honestly still have nightmares of the 24-hour mall mania post-Thanksgiving feast. (No sleep plus five Starbucks lattes plus all-the-way-out-of-the-store lines in a 48-hour time window do not a Black Friday shopping enthusiast make.)
However, now that I’m about five years removed from the experience, I’ve been able to proceed, first with caution and now with a vengeance, back into the Black Friday shopping circuit. And as someone who’s obsessed with beauty and loves gifting more than anything, it couldn’t be a more fortunate reunion. Pretty much every single beauty brand and retailer is rolling out some super-fantastic sales in honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (especially since IRL shopping shouldn’t be a thing this year), so now is the time to grab a big, warm mug of something highly caffeinated (or boozy, pick your shopping poison) and settle in. There are dozens of dollars to be saved on all of the most covetable formulas, gadgets, and perfume bottles, so I asked a few of my fellow beauty-loving editors here at Who What Wear to not only share their current Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping list but also reveal their all-time best Black Friday beauty buys.
Keep scrolling! So many editor-approved gifting staples are just ahead. Since they’re sure to sell out, I recommend striking while the iron is hot. On your mark, get set…
Of all the Amazon impulse purchases I’ve made that have worked out swimmingly, this facial roller tops the list. I love it more than anything! I really don’t make time to indulge in all the beauty bells and whistles that often (what kind of beauty editor am I?), but rolling this ice-cold massager across my face is something I can never resist. I don’t know if it snaps my pores shut the way I imagine, but it sure does feel good.
Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular range is awesome. I’m not too concerned about fighting wrinkles just yet, but I love the hydration benefits.
Everyone on the internet is sucking gunk out of their faces, so I’m considering a blackhead remover to give the gross phenomenon a go for myself. Don’t tell my fiancé, but he might be the guinea pig.
I have hand sanitizer posted up right at my front door for when I enter my house (in case I need to touch anything before I make my way to the sink for a real wash), and a touchless dispenser is an upgrade I’ve been considering for a while.
Since my at-home workspace has a giant window in it, I’m trying to be better about reapplying SPF protection to my face throughout the day. I love this velvety option from MD Solar Sciences because it completely disappears into my brown skin. That’s a big deal for physical sunscreen!
Don’t laugh, but stocking up with a year’s worth of Bioderma (yes, really) has become a yearly Black Friday ritual that’s now as synonymous with the season as Bing Crosby and cookie baking. I use this stuff three times a day (first thing when I get up, right after my morning run pre-shower, and to take my makeup off at night before I cleanse), so I go through a lot of it fast. Some financial strategy is definitely necessary, and you really can’t beat 20% off at Violet Grey right now.
Okay so, I saw the beautiful Maureen Choi (Violet Grey’s executive director of content and curation) demonstrate the before and after of this sleek little tool months ago, and I’ve been fantasizing about it ever since. I have a weird fetish when it comes to all things lip (the plumper, the better!), so the fact that this microcurrent tool gives your pout a professional injection–inspired lift in roughly three minutes? Need. (Oh, and if lips aren’t necessarily your jam, it also irons out fine lines and wrinkles anywhere on your face. It is especially talented in tricky regions like the eyes and forehead.)
Olaplex isn’t exactly the most exciting Black Friday beauty buy, but considering how fast I work my way through this stuff (and how significantly it transforms my hair for the glossier and healthier), I need to take every opportunity I can to hoard it on the cheap. I only wash my hair twice a week or so, and I’ll use this stuff every other wash day to keep my bleach-blonde hair strong and completely resilient to split ends and breakage. It’s been such a game changer for me, and no other rebonding or strengthening treatment I’ve tried can compare. I always, always come back.
Speaking of hair, I swear every editor at WWW swears by this specific line from R+Co, and somehow, it’s the only extension of the brand I have yet to try. (Our Editor in Chief Kat Collings and senior market editor Bobby Schuessler are especially obsessed.) I’m all for anything that will give me salon-level smoothness and shine sans appointment—especially this year—so I can’t wait to get my hands on this handy Television trio featuring the shampoo, conditioner, and hair masque from Dermstore this season.
It’s honestly impossible for me to imagine anything more extravagant than a warm and luxurious bubble bath spiked with one of the most iconic fragrances of all time, Portrait of a Lady à la legendary French nose Frédéric Malle. Normally, I would never be able to fork over $155 for something to soak in (even if it is as delicious as this blend of rose, black currant, raspberry, clove, patchouli, sandalwood, and frankincense), but it’s Black Friday, and it’s officially my time to fly!
A few years back, I got this during Black Friday, and it’s honestly one of my best beauty purchases to date. With consistent use, my face definitely looked more toned, lifted, and just more rested. I sadly broke it late last year and haven’t replaced it… Maybe this is the year that I do.
This is another tool that has been on my list thanks to my co-worker Erin. (IYWW, she swears by it.) It helps create more collagen and elastin, decrease onset acne, increase circulation, and so much more. If I see this drop a good amount in price, this will be the year I bite the bullet.
I shockingly don’t have any LED red-light devices, and I’ve heard nothing but good things. This one helps smooth wrinkles and kill bacteria in just three minutes.
I can’t live without Vintner’s Daughter, so even if I’m not out yet, I stock up whenever it (rarely) goes on sale. I’ve tried many face oils, but few give that Vintner’s Daughter glow.
I’ve been eager to try this sheer lip stain given all the praise routinely bestowed upon it. And there’s no better way to save your mask from stains (without going bare lipped) than with a pretty lip stain.
I just ran out of this hand cream (which is the best I’ve ever tried), so it’s time to restock.
I’ll gladly splurge on something that’s said to give a mini face-lift in five minutes. Up next, The Best Beauty Gifts You Can Buy Someone, According to a Beauty Editor
