Gang, Amazon held another Prime Day in October, mere months after their usual one. And why, you may wonder, do we care? Well. Amazon’s second Prime Day, is, I think, an indicator of what we can expect from Black Friday. Namely?

That party has already started.

Unlike last year, where supply chain disruptions caused major stock issues, this year most retailers seem to be sitting on (thanks to those late deliveries from last year) more inventory than ever. In some cases it’s almost an oversupply, which means there’s huge potential for major discounts. But it also means that they’ve gotta move that product, hence the early sales.

Black Friday Sales 2022: Why Shopping Now Might Pay Off + What’s Worth Waiting To Buy

I think we can expect to see Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales starting, uh, now, and continuing throughout the holiday season — which I think is good news (our Weekly Sales Reports are a good place to start).

Personally, I started scaling back on the specific Black Friday weekend shopping a few years ago, because I found I could get discounts *almost* as good earlier in the season, with much better stock. In general, if I’m looking for jeans, boots, coats or sweaters…I almost never buy these during Black Friday. I try to be really thoughtful with clothing purchases, and the frenzy of Black Friday shopping often runs counter to this philosophy. As I’ve learned the hard way, purchasing something that isn’t *quite* perfect, but is on sale too often results in purchases that end up in the donation bin a year later.

However, if pieces like Naadam’s luxuriously thick cashmere turtleneck in classic colors (like oatmeal or black), or Reformation’s striped boyfriend sweater (in black/white stripe) or my fave GANNI boots or even that Sh*tThatIKnit beanie go on sale at any point this holiday season…snap ’em up. After a year (or, in some cases, two) of wear, I’ve found that these pieces have been worth the cost, even at full price. These are solid examples of the kinds of intentional purchases I look for on sale in the weeks leading up to Black Friday.

What I Buy On Black Friday (Usually)

That said, what do I buy during actual Black Friday? Well…after reviewing the last few years of my own Black Friday shopping history, there are a couple of sales I seem to hit every year. Here’s my Black Friday shopping short list:

1. Parachute Bedding

Parachute is almost always my first stop on Black Friday. They only have two sales a year, and this is one of them. I’m addicted to their their linen sheets, and we have (and love) Parachute’s towels, too. This bath mat is my particular favorite. Highly recommend.

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2. Skincare & Beauty Products

Biossance and Colleen Rothschild always have great sales on Black Friday. Biossance, in particular, often has some really useful sets that make good gifts and/or stocking stuffers. Additionally, Dermstore has pretty epic Black Friday sales (Scotti and I both freaked out last year), and they’re a good place to get some of the higher-end boutique skincare brands that can be hard to find.

In the world of beauty tools….while some do go on sale on actual Black Friday (last year I bought PMD’s warming cleansing device which I found underwhelming, but two years ago I bought this LED mask which was — and is — a total win), I think Black Friday sales pale in comparison to Sephora’s beauty event in early November. Because it’s a straight 15-20% off your purchase, Sephora’s Insiders Sale is still the best place to snap up beauty tools; it’s how I bought my Dyson Air Wrap, a product I’ve literally never found on sale otherwise.

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3. Makeup

Based on the last couple of years, Charlotte Tilbury makeup goes on major sale at charlottetilbury.com over Black Friday weekend, and the benefit of shopping at the source is the fun sets they offer. That said, if you just want a single piece (or two), Nordstrom usually price matches Charlotte Tilbury on Black Friday.

Furthermore, I have my eye on Ogee contour sets for gifts this year. I picked mine up last year on Black Friday, and love it SO MUCH.

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4. Molekule Air Filters

I have terrible (horrendous) allergies, and Molekule air filters have been game-changing. I bought one for my bedroom a few years ago, and within 48 hours there was such a huge difference in the quality of my sleep (and the lack of puffy, runny eyes when waking up), that we’ve been systematically purchasing one for every floor/room in the house. Molekule has run a few Black Friday offers in the past, so fingers crossed again for this year. You can also find most of the Molekule line on Amazon, too.

5. Headphones, Airpods & Kindles

Whether we’re talking about gifts or just replacing a lost set, I find that we almost always end up buying a pair of headphones (the kids want Beats), a set of Airpods and/or a Kindle. Mike and I swear by the Kindle Oasis, while the boys have Paperwhites. Both products are backlit, work even in bright sunlight, and can survive a dunk in water.

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6. Printfresh Pajamas

The whole team loves Printfresh, a small, local business that makes wildly beautiful 100% cotton pajamas and robes. They usually do something for Black Friday — whether it’s a discount or a gift with purchase — and are great if you want to start shopping for gifts.

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7. Designer Sales

Nordstrom’s Black Friday sale sale typically starts well before Black Friday, BUT: they’ve started doing a high-end designer sale that is bananas good on Black Friday itself (it may actually start on Thanksgiving). This is the kind of sale you have to shop early and quickly because everything sells out. It’s frustrating to shop — last year, many of the pieces in my cart sold before I could checkout OR were canceled after ordering — but the discounts are pretty steep, so it’s worth a shot.

That said, if you hate the frenzy, Saks has some pretty spectacular sale events throughout November: those early sales are usually where I pick up seriously good designer denim on sale (Saks carries the best selection, IMO). And Saks ended up doing a pretty epic surprise Black Friday sale last year that included v. exciting things like SAM jackets.

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8. Shop BURU

Shop BURU is a small business whose founder and designer, Morgan, doesn’t believe in Black Friday sales. Instead, she focuses on creating timeless pieces that last, as well as making sure her staff gets time off. I love everything about this! The reason I include ShopBURU here, on a list about Black Friday, is because Morgan often announces a few new pieces around Black Friday, made from deadstock fabrics. It’s a more sustainable business model, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Her stuff is a joy to wear — think: glamorous (but washable) — and is definitely worth checking out. If nothing else, she just restocked my favorite skirt of all time.

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9. Etsy

Last year, Etsy dropped a whole holiday shop with special deals over the Black Friday weekend. I haven’t yet heard anything from them (we had partnered with them last year), but fingers crossed they do something like it again this year. I found a ton of great gifts for Mike and the kids (even this personalized dopp kit that arrived in time for Christmas). If interested, check out our Etsy gift guide for Cyber Monday from this event last year (most of our recommendations are still in stock).

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10. Peppermint Bark At William-Sonoma

They’ve gone a little nuts in recent years, with peppermint bark-inspired cookies, and S’mores flavors, and salted, etc., etc., etc.,…but I’m still partial to the original peppermint bark. And while I’ve tried to find a better one…I haven’t yet.

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So that’s me. Is there anything that you guys find yourselves buying (or at least searching for) on actual Black Friday, or have you given it up? Frankly, I’m ready to start holiday shopping right freaking now, so I’ll probably be done by then. 🙂

xo,

S