The Sale Guide

On now and coming up

Ended offers drop off automatically. Checked Oct 28, 2026.

Where the strongest discounts have come from

Each store's best beauty offer in 2024 and 2025, and how it worked.

1. Sephora
   EARLY. The Savings Event is the deepest sitewide beauty discount (up to 20% for Rouge). Black Friday has deeper item ceilings but only on select products.
   Sitewide tiered Savings Event runs late Oct into early Nov (2024: Nov 1 to 11; 2025: Oct 31 to Nov 10); Black Friday and Cyber Week are item-level category deals.
   Watch for: Per-transaction limits on Dyson, Shark, The Ordinary, Nutrafol; gift cards and discounted items excluded; Black Friday hot items sell out quickly per dealnews.
   Historical pattern
2. Ulta Beauty
   BLACK FRIDAY. Deepest single-item cuts (up to 50%, $12 prestige mascaras) come in Black Friday week; Ulta has no sitewide tier event in fall.
   September Fall Haul (now 'Let's Haul'), then a weekly Early Black Friday from late Oct, a doorbuster Black Friday starting the weekend before Thanksgiving, online-only Cyber Monday, then a Big Holiday Beauty Sale to Dec 24.
   Watch for: Coupons exclude doorbusters; no price matching; viral sets and $12 mascaras can sell out within hours (dealnews); deals rotate by week, so an item may not return.
   Historical pattern
3. Nordstrom
   BLACK FRIDAY / CYBER. Beauty is item-level, typically 20% to 30% with select 40% to 50%.
   Early Black Friday deals from mid-November, Black Friday sale through Black Friday, then a separate Cyber Monday sale that runs to the following Wednesday (2024: Nov 30 to Dec 3; 2025: Nov 28 to Dec 3).
   Watch for: Discounts concentrate on select items and sets; popular sizes sell quickly (9to5toys).
   Historical pattern
4. Macy's
   BLACK FRIDAY. 30% to 50% off select beauty and fragrance.
   Month-long Black Friday ladder in Nov 2025 with early access, weekly deals, Black Friday Week, Cyber Monday.
   Watch for: Select items only.
   Historical pattern
5. Bloomingdale's
   UNVERIFIED for fall; spring 2025 data only.
   Friends and Family events offer about $20 off every $150 on select beauty; Loyallist $25 per $100 on eligible items.
   Watch for: Fall 2024 and 2025 beauty dates not verified.
   Historical pattern
6. Saks Fifth Avenue
   BLACK FRIDAY. About 50% back at $150, but as a short-window promo card.
   Annual Black Friday gift card event over Thanksgiving week: $75 at $150 in 2022, 2023, 2024; tiered up to $750 at $3,000 in 2025.
   Watch for: Gift card redeemable only about Dec 10 to Dec 24, forcing a second purchase; beauty and fragrance were excluded on saks.com in 2022; Saks card discount purchases excluded.
   Historical pattern
7. Neiman Marcus
   BLACK FRIDAY / CYBER. Ladder is 25% back on regular-price items; 2025 event ended Nov 23, 2024 event ran to Dec 3.
   Tiered gift card events recur several times a year (e.g., August, holiday); holiday ladder $50 at $200 up to $1,250 at $5,000.
   Watch for: Regular-price only; card emailed within 8 weeks and expires 90 days; cancellations reduce card; back-ordered items delay card.
   Historical pattern
8. Bergdorf Goodman
   BLACK FRIDAY. Effective 20% at $250 rising to 27% at $2,500, on regular-price beauty.
   BGBEAUTY dollars-off ladder in late Nov to early Dec, stable since at least 2021.
   Watch for: 2025 BGBEAUTY dates were not found within budget; exclusions unspecified.
   Historical pattern

Patterns from two years of sale records

1. Repeated discount (priority case). Victoria Beckham Beauty offered 25% twice in each season. In 2024 it ran EARLY25 from Nov 25 and a one-day 25% sitewide on Cyber Monday, Dec 2. In 2025 loyalty members got 25% on Nov 24, the public got 20% from Nov 25 (20% plus a gift by Nov 29), and 25% sitewide returned on Cyber Monday, Dec 1, billed as the deepest savings of the year. The brief's example is confirmed, with one nuance: the first 2025 25% was members only. The later 25% matched, but did not beat, the early 25%. Members who bought on the Monday before Thanksgiving paid the same rate with full selection. Non-members who waited for Black Friday got a worse rate (20%) than either 25% window.
2. Repeated discount. Many brands used one depth for the whole season and simply repeated it. BioEffect ran 20% sitewide for Singles Day, Black Friday and Green Monday in 2024. Kate Somerville's 30% (CYBER30) came back for two days in mid-December 2025. Rose Inc. ran 30% sitewide at Cyber Week 2024 and again as a 12.12 flash sale. Clé de Peau used the identical 15/20/25% spend ladder in both years. Bluemercury and Neiman Marcus repeated their spend ladders. When the same depth repeats, waiting for a later round adds risk without adding savings. The first round is usually the one with full selection.
3. Same depth every year. A large group held one Black Friday depth across 2024 and 2025, and often 2023: Kosas 25% sitewide, MOB Beauty 25%, Stratia 25%, U Beauty 20%, DRMTLGY 30%, Finding Ferdinand 20%, Tatcha 25% (CYBER code every year), Medik8 US 30%, Armani 30% (2020 to 2025 per the sheet), Shiseido 25% sitewide base. For these brands the historical depth is predictable, so the open question in 2026 is timing and selection, not size of discount.
4. Consistently early. Several brands discounted in October or early November at the same depth they later used for Black Friday. Bloomeffects ran 30% sitewide every October (2024, 2025). Sisley ran 20% sitewide at Friends and Family on Oct 1, 2025, the same 20% it offered at Black Friday. Armani ran 25% sitewide Oct 7 to 9, 2024 and again for VIP Singles Day Nov 5 to 9. Kosas ran 20% Friends and Family into Oct 1, 2024. Gen See ran 25% Friends and Family Oct 15 to 19, 2025. Rose Inc. ran a 25% October flash sale in 2024. Paula's Choice had its US Black Friday sale running by Oct 22, 2024 (30% off select, up to 25% off everything else). At retailers, Soko Glam ran 35% sitewide from about Oct 28 to Nov 25, 2024, and Olive Young Global opened October 2025 with a Members Week (up to 70% off plus an extra 30% sitewide). These are the brands where an October purchase historically captured most or all of the Black Friday discount with the widest choice.
5. Early November (Singles Day). Nov 10 to 11 (Singles Day) is a consistent early-November window for luxury and clinical brands. Clé de Peau gave 15% off $225 both years. Shiseido gave 30% off select makeup in 2024. RéVive gave $75 off $150 in 2024, which was deeper than its own Black Friday offer ($25 off $100). BioEffect gave 20% both years. Sisley gave 20% off exclusive sets in 2025. Sephora's Savings Event (Nov 1 to 11, 2024; Oct 31 to Nov 10, 2025) covered most prestige brands at 10 to 20% by tier. Early November is a real buying window, not a placeholder. For RéVive in 2024 it was the best offer of the season.
6. Improved closer to Black Friday. Some brands did get deeper as Black Friday approached. Charlotte Tilbury 2024 moved from up to 20% off sets (Nov 8) to up to 40% off select (Nov 20) to up to 30% off everything (Nov 28). Victoria Beckham 2024 moved from 20% (Nov 8) to 25% (Nov 25). RéVive 2025 moved from 25% off $100 (Nov 1) to 30% sitewide (Black Friday weekend). Bloomeffects 2024 went from 30% in October to 35% sitewide at Black Friday. Medicube's Age-R Booster Pro was cheaper on Amazon at Black Friday 2025 than at October Prime. Dyson Supersonic Origin dropped from $399.99 to $299.99 on Amazon between mid-November and Black Friday week 2025. A few brands went deeper on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday: Sulwhasoo 2024 (20% to 25% sitewide) and MAC 2025 (30% to 40% sitewide). Waiting paid off for these brands, usually by 5 to 10 percentage points, but the deeper later offer often applied to select items only.
7. Later was not better. For many items the October price equaled the Black Friday price. Dyson's Airwrap was $499.99 on Amazon at October Prime 2024 and $499 at Black Friday; the Airwrap Origin was $399 in October 2025 and $399.99 at Black Friday. COSRX Snail 96 Essence was 48% off on Amazon at both October Prime and Black Friday 2025. Biodance's mask 4-pack sat at about 30% off at October Prime, Black Friday and non-holiday events. Shark FlexStyle was $199.99 at October Prime 2025 and $199 at Black Friday. Anua's cleansing oil was $14 at October Prime 2025 and $14.15 at Black Friday. Biodance's 4-pack was $12.90 at both October Prime and Black Friday 2024. Stylevana's extra-code discount stayed at 16 to 18% from mid-October to mid-December in both years. For hero items sold on Amazon, October Prime Big Deal Days historically matched Black Friday. Waiting carried stock risk with no price gain.
8. Deeper later, but on what is left. December offers were sometimes deeper, but on narrower selections. Kosas added an extra 20% off holiday sets in December 2025 (39 to 45% off value), limited to sets still in stock. Tom Ford ran 50% off select products from Dec 6, 2024. Shiseido ran 50% off select makeup Dec 17, 2024. Rose Inc. ran up to 40% off a holiday edit Dec 17 to 24, 2024. Pat McGrath held Mothership palettes out of its 2024 sale until the last two days. Soko Glam's deepest 2025 offer (up to 40% sitewide, exclusions apply) came on Dec 6, after Cyber Monday. This is the GAMBLE pattern: a better percentage existed later, but on remaining or selected inventory, not on a shopper's first choice.
9. Retailer beat brand-direct. Retailer routes beat the brand's own offer in several documented cases. Bloomingdale's gave 30% off any Charlotte Tilbury order in Nov 2024, better than the brand's 20% tier for orders under $110. Nordstrom took 30% off select Westman Atelier holiday sets on Nov 20, 2025, five days before the brand's 20% sitewide. Sephora's extra 20% on sale items (Dec 2024) beat Pat McGrath's own 40% tier. Amazon's 48% on COSRX hero items beat the brand site's 30%. Credo's 20% Friends and Family (late Oct 2024) gave the earliest Westman and ILIA discount. For brands that rarely discount directly (SkinCeuticals, Augustinus Bader, 111SKIN, Tata Harper), Bluemercury's spend ladder was the main route. For these brands the best historical price was often at a retailer and often earlier than the brand's own sale.
10. Advertised versus actual. Advertised discounts did not always match the price at checkout. Marie Claire found some Bluemercury SkinCeuticals prices reflected about 15% off rather than the advertised 20% in 2025. Augustinus Bader Rich Cream showed about 7% off at Dermstore despite 'up to 30%' framing. Lola Blankets advertised 55% off in 2025 while listed prices worked out to about 50% off. 'Up to' and retailer-wide headlines need a cart check. The workbook records advertised discounts only.
11. Member and early-access advantage. Sign-in, loyalty or email access regularly bought a better rate or an earlier start. YSL 2025 gave members 30% and non-members 25%. Victoria Beckham 2025 gave members 25% a day before the public got 20%. Hourglass used VIP20NOW early access (Nov 22, 2024). Natasha Denona opened with rewards early access around Nov 19 both years. Tatcha added an early access window (Nov 17 to 20, 2025). Armani's 2024 Singles Day 25% required joining its VIP program. Marie Veronique gave VIPs its 20% four days before the public in 2025. Kérastase gave email and SMS subscribers early access in 2025. Pat McGrath VIPs got the same 2025 tiers about ten days early. For these brands, the best historical buying window was the member window, which also came with the fullest selection.
12. Brands that do not discount. Some brands used gifts instead of percentage discounts. Lisa Eldridge's site showed only gift-with-purchase offers (velvet bag over £85) in both years. Augustinus Bader's 2025 brand-direct offer was a gift at $350. Dior did no percentage off at Cyber Monday 2024, only a gift at $200. Tom Ford 2025 led with gifts from $195. Jones Road limited 2024 savings to select kits (up to 25%) and ran its first sitewide sale in 2025, at only 10 to 20% by spend. Chanel's US site showed no sale in 14 captures across both seasons; its documented Black Friday move was a value set. La Prairie offered only gifts with purchase in both seasons. Givenchy led with gift codes (BLACK24, CYBER24) and discounted only an archive selection (40%) in 2025. For these brands there is little historical 'wait for a percentage' case; the decision is mostly about the gift, set pricing and the retailer route.
13. Documented sellouts are rare. Very few holiday sellouts are documented with a source. Found: Marie Claire calling VB's Satin Kajal Liner in Jeans 'the sold-out shade' (Nov 25, 2025); Jones Road mini balm kits selling out in 2021 and 2022 (Glossy); a Pat McGrath palette out of stock at Sephora in Dec 2024; Clé de Peau capping its $750 gift at 500 pieces (2025); One Love Organics clearing discontinued items 'while supplies last' (2025); Phytosurgence noting its store was 'a little bare after Black Friday' (Dec 2025). Popularity alone was not treated as a sellout. Inventory risk is real but mostly undocumented in public sources. The strongest stock signals are limited-quantity gifts, discontinued-item clearances and small-batch brands.
14. Depth went down in 2025. Several brands offered less in 2025 than in 2024: Rose Inc. 30% to 25%, Le Prunier 30% to 25%, BeautyBio 40% sitewide to 25 to 30% on select items, Soko Glam 35% to 25%, Stratia's 25% window shrank from two weeks to four days. A 2024 discount is not a floor. These brands are weaker candidates for a WAIT call.
15. Retailer gift-card routes. For luxury brands that rarely discount, department-store gift-card and dollars-off ladders were the main route, but they come with strings. Saks offered a $75 promotional gift card on $150 in 2023, 2024 and 2025, usable only from about Dec 10 to Dec 24. Bergdorf Goodman's BGBEAUTY ladder ran Nov 22 to Dec 7, 2024 (up to $675 off $2,500) and also runs in spring. Neiman Marcus ran its gift-card ladder in November and again outside the holidays. Bluemercury repeated its 20/25/30% spend ladder in 2024 and 2025. Gift cards are deferred value, not a price cut, and the same ladders recur outside the holidays. These are weak reasons to rush.
16. Holiday price is not the year's low. Several holiday prices were matched or beaten outside the holiday season. Round Lab's Birch Juice SPF was cheaper in an August 2026 Amazon sale than at October Prime 2025. Anua's toner and Biodance masks hit similar prices in the March 2026 Amazon Big Spring Sale. Tata Harper's July birthday sale matched its Black Friday depth. SK-II's 15% holiday structure also appears at Labor Day. Jordan Samuel Skin runs 25% sales in March and June. For these brands, missing the holiday window is low risk; the discount comes back during the year.