Love it or hate it, Black Friday is universally acknowledged as the biggest shopping day of the year.
Sure, you may score a deal on a gift you were planning on buying anyway, or save big restocking your faves, but more importantly, Black Friday is also a symptom of America’s overconsumption problem. Why do we need a day that glorifies the things we hate most about shopping (long lines, excessive crowds, sold-out inventory) in exchange for a meager 20 percent discount?
That’s capitalism, baby. If you’re not about it, it’s the back of the line for you. Good luck getting anything on your loved one’s wishlists to ship before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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Black Friday has become somewhat of a necessary evil for both brands and consumers. Brands don’t love offering a discount on their products, but if the discount encourages more orders, it’s worth it. Consumers hate waiting, so if brands offer an online Black Friday offer, they may be more likely to order online instead of standing outside in the cold.
We have no doubt you’ll be inundated with Black Friday offers from your favorite beauty brands, but we wanted to spotlight a few brands who are doing Black Friday a bit differently this year. Whether they’re rejecting the holiday altogether or donating a percentage of their sales to worthy causes, you can feel good about shopping these seven beauty brands during this year’s celebration of capitalism.
The Ordinary
The skincare brand beloved by dupe sleuths and TikTokers is already incredibly affordable, with most items priced between $7-$15. This year, the Ordinary’s parent company, Deciem, is opting out of the holiday entirely and shutting its doors (both online and brick-and-mortar stores) on November 29.
“Hyper-consumerism poses one of the biggest threats to the planet, and flash sales can often lead to rushed purchasing decisions, driven by the fear of a sell-out,” says the brand in a statement posted on Instagram.
“We no longer feel that Black Friday is an earth or consumer-friendly event, and have therefore decided to close our website and stores for a moment of nothingness on the 29th November.”
Instead, Deciem is offering a 23 percent discount across every product from every brand at DECIEM.com, and at standalone stores around the world through the month of November.
“We strongly believe that skincare decisions should be based on education rather than impulse, and hope that a month-long promotion will provide the time for research, reflection, and consideration,” says Deciem.
good light
Very Good Light’s sister brand good light has only been around for less than a year, but the brand isn’t afraid to take a stand for what they believe in. Since its launch in March 2021, good light has donated one percent of its profits to True Colors United, a non-profit that fights youth homelessness.
Instead of offering a 25 percent discount on its products, good light is donating 25 percent of all purchases on Black Friday and Cyber Monday to True Colors United. good light is giving its customers something more meaningful than a discount – the knowledge that their silly little beauty purchase helped someone in need. As a gift, the brand is also giving away a FREE reflect mirror with purchases over $50.
Love Beauty and Planet
This year, the environmentally-friendly personal care brand is trying to reduce the environmental impact associated with holiday shopping. Love Beauty and Planet is encouraging shoppers to sign a pledge called “Plan It for the Planet,” and get all their beauty shopping done before December 4, after which retail partners like Target shift to rush shipping.
According to Dr. Josué C. Velázquez Martínez, director of the sustainable logistics initiative at MIT, rush shipping produces approximately 40% more carbon emissions than ground shipping. Love Beauty and Planet worked with Dr. Martínez to determine that consumers can save 2.4 million tons of carbon emissions — the equivalent of planting over 40 million trees – if they shop before December 4.
Love Beauty and Planet is also donating $19.99 (the average cost of rush shipping) to the National Forest Foundation every time the hashtag #PlanItforthePlanet is used, up to $150,000. This money will go towards the planting of 150,000 trees in the U.S.
Alchimie Forever
This Switzerland-based indie beauty brand is rejecting the idea that Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales should only last a few days. Alchimie Forever is offering a 25 percent discount for a total of 20 days between November 10 and November 30 with the code F&F2021. Developed by Geneva-based dermatologist, Dr. Luigi L. Polla, the brand’s Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask ($60) is the perfect winter treatment for whenever your skin is feeling dry and tight.
LESSE
From November 24 through November 28, organic skincare brand LESSE will forgo a sale, and will instead be donating 20 percent of all purchases to two Earth-friendly non-profits: the Climate Justice Alliance and Natural Resource Defense Council. Additionally, for the entire month of December, they’ll donate a meal to a child in need for every order placed online through No Kid Hungry.
APTO
Minimalist skincare brand APTO is helping their customers give back this Black Friday. The brand is offering an extension of APTO’s year-round partnership with Project Beauty Share, which donates unused or lightly used personal care products through their “Pare Down + Do Good Campaign.”
Simply opt-in on APTO.com, identify the beauty, cosmetic or personal care products you’d like to donate, and APTO will send a prepaid shipping label to mail in your donation. Your product will go to someone who needs it the most, and all participants who donate 5 or more items will receive a complimentary APTO Orange Blossom Lip Balm ($5).
Rooted in APTO’s mission of meaningful minimalism, the campaign will begin on Tuesday, October 26, and end on Black Friday, on November 26.
The Body Shop
The clean beauty retailer has partnered with CARE USA to deliver care packages to families in need this holiday season. The Body Shop will donate $50,000 to the organization and is offering an exclusive Black Friday promotion on the Community Care Pouch, a special-edition holiday gift, which will include an assortment of body and skincare products.
For each pouch purchased between November 22-30, $2 will be donated to CARE USA.
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Olivia Cefalu
Olivia Cefalu
Jacob Garland
Jacob Garland
