WHAT THE BEAUTY EXPERTS ARE BUYING THIS BLACK FRIDAY
There are two ways to approach Black Friday beauty shopping. You can open 47 tabs, lose all sense of what you came for and end up comparing six near-identical lip liners. Or you can go straight to the people whose job it is to know what’s worth your money.
We’re choosing option two. Ahead of Black Friday 2026, we asked 11 of the most trusted names in beauty what they’re buying: skincare authority Caroline Hirons, Guardian beauty editor Sali Hughes, makeup artist turned founder Jamie Genevieve, pro makeup artist Lisa Potter-Dixon, skin-first makeup artist Adeola Gboyega, bestselling nutritionist Emily English, original beauty YouTuber Fleur de Force, style duo We Are Twinset, luxury beauty creator Anniie Arif and self-love champion Amy Reddish. Between them, they’ve chosen nearly 300 products.
For every offer in one place, head to our Black Friday shop or read our Black Friday guide.
In this article
- Caroline Hirons
- Sali Hughes
- Jamie Genevieve
- Lisa Potter-Dixon
- Adeola Gboyega
- Emily English
- Fleur de Force
- We Are Twinset
- Anniie Arif
- Amy Reddish
- The products the experts agree on
- What should you actually buy this Black Friday?
Sali Hughes: the beauty editor
The Guardian’s beauty editor since 2011, Sali Hughes is the author of Pretty Honest and Pretty Iconic and co-founder of the charity Beauty Banks. Few products get past her without being properly interrogated.
What Sali’s buying
The longest list on the panel, and every pick is wearable and fuss-free: MAC Lip Pencil and Glow Play Blush, Westman Atelier HydroBalm Tinted Lipstick, Kosas Cloud Set and the VIEVE Modern Brow Definer, plus a Paula’s Choice exfoliant. New to MAC? Read our guide to MAC Cosmetics.
Tried, tested and genuinely loved, these are the beauty gems I recommend without hesitation.
Follow Sali: Instagram | Substack
Shop Sali Hughes’ Black Friday picks
49
24.15€
39
32.20€
138
51.75€
377
39.10€
3
26.45€
993
39.00€
Jamie Genevieve: the makeup artist turned founder
From the Estée Lauder counter in Glasgow to one of the UK’s biggest beauty communities, Jamie Genevieve launched her own brand, VIEVE, exclusively with us in 2020. Read the full story in our interview with Jamie.
What Jamie’s buying
Little luxuries, mostly: her own VIEVE Skin Dew and Sunset Blush Balm, BYREDO Gypsy Water, Aesop hand care and The INKEY List Oat Balm Cleanser, with haircare from Gisou and Hair by Sam McKnight. Find more in our haircare.
Standout skincare, great scents and little luxuries. Consider this your cue to treat yourself.
Follow Jamie: Instagram | YouTube
Shop Jamie Genevieve’s Black Friday picks
95
29.00€
39
37.95€
109
27.60€
19
155.00€
26
48.30€
3
17.25€
Lisa Potter-Dixon: the pro’s pro
Lisa Potter-Dixon worked her way up from the shop floor to become Benefit’s first Global Head of Makeup Artistry, and has written three bestselling beauty books, including The Make-Up Manual.
What Lisa’s buying
Spoken like a true makeup artist: a 20-piece Spectrum brush set, the original Beautyblender, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Westman Atelier Lip Suede, Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb and Sculpted by Aimee Cream Cushion Foundation. Building your own kit? Start with our makeup brushes.
From cult classics to new discoveries, these are the beauty buys I rate, reach for and recommend.
Follow Lisa: Instagram
Shop Lisa Potter-Dixon’s Black Friday picks
3
114.99€
117
20.13€
1051
31.50€
178
51.75€
66
21.85€
7
32.20€
Adeola Gboyega: the queen of glow
Makeup artist Adeola Gboyega has more than a decade of experience with brands including Clarins, Lancôme and Pat McGrath Labs, and shares her skin-first techniques as a SheerLuxe beauty contributor.
What Adeola’s buying
All about skin: Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush concealer and setting spray, Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder, Saie Dew Blush and Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, with cleansing balms from Kate Somerville and ELEMIS for prep. Find your match in our foundations, or read our guide to Armani Beauty.
These are the products I love, trust and would happily recommend, whether you’re refreshing your beauty routine or treating yourself to something special.
Follow Adeola: Instagram
Shop Adeola Gboyega’s Black Friday picks
237
37.95€
127
35.65€
1857
39.00€
2166
26.45€
14
56.35€
3697
25.90€
Emily English: the bestselling nutritionist
Better known as Em the Nutritionist, Emily English is a BSc nutritionist from King’s College London, an M&S Food ambassador and the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of So Good and Live to Eat.
What Emily’s buying
Skincare staples and everyday makeup: Perricone MD vitamin C formulas, a LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask, Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation, a MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Colour Pencil and Sweed The Brow Serum. For more Charlotte Tilbury favourites, read our guide to Charlotte Tilbury.
The makeup I trust, the skincare I always come back to.
Follow Emily: Instagram | TikTok
Shop Emily English’s Black Friday picks
364
52.00€
36
56.00€
173
24.15€
651
24.15€
91
21.90€
2
55.00€
Fleur de Force: the original beauty YouTuber
Long before “beauty creator” was a job title, Fleur de Force was sharing recommendations on YouTube, starting her channel in 2009. She’s also the author of The Glam Guide and has collaborated on her own MAC lipstick.
What Fleur’s buying
A well-loved makeup bag: MAC Studio Radiance Skin Tint, Kosas Revealer Concealer, BY TERRY Tea to Tan Lip and Cheek, Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balm and Armani Vertigo Drama Mascara, plus an Ole Henriksen body scrub for good measure.
My top 25 must-haves from Cult Beauty, now with savings too good to miss.
Follow Fleur: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
Shop Fleur de Force’s Black Friday picks
1
36.80€
72
48.88€
7
32.20€
832
33.35€
3
29.90€
13
34.50€
We Are Twinset: the style duo
Stylists Sarah Ellis and Philippa Bloom launched We Are Twinset in 2014 after careers at YOU magazine and ITV’s Lorraine. They’ve since added their own label, WAT The Brand, now sold at M&S.
What We Are Twinset are buying
Scent comes first: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01, BYREDO Bal d’Afrique and Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady, plus Gisou hair oil, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat and Saie SuperSuede blush. Find your next signature in our fragrance.
Our very best in beauty: the scents we wear on repeat, haircare heroes and makeup non-negotiables.
Follow We Are Twinset: Instagram
Shop We Are Twinset’s Black Friday picks
116
140.00€
28
155.00€
56
184.00€
1257
25.30€
363
29.90€
212
25.30€
Anniie Arif: the luxury beauty insider
Luxury beauty creator Anniie Arif is known for her makeup swatches, fragrance unboxings and honest first impressions across Instagram and TikTok.
What Anniie’s buying
Blush, and lots of it: the Huda Beauty Blush Filter palette, MAC Skinfinish Colourstruck Blush, Armani Luminous Silk Glow Blush and the PATRICK TA duo, plus Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady and KAYALI Freedom Musk Bouquet 27. Start your own blush wardrobe with our blushers.
The beauty favourites I always swear by: Portrait of a Lady, Huda blush, Gisou sets and so much more.
Follow Anniie: Instagram | TikTok
Shop Anniie Arif’s Black Friday picks
18
43.70€
31
32.20€
2
49.45€
2868
42.55€
56
184.00€
92.00€
Amy Reddish: the self-love champion
Manchester-born creator Amy Reddish has built a community around self-love and body positivity, and co-founded the fashion and wellness brand SWEAT SZN with her sister, Faye.
What Amy’s buying
A Charlotte Tilbury fan’s dream, from the setting spray and Pillow Talk face palette to the Feline Flick eyeliner, plus the PATRICK TA blush duo, a Huda Beauty lip contour stain and MAC Macximal lipstick. Find your own in our lipsticks.
Beauty is about celebrating you. These feel-good favourites always make me feel my best.
Follow Amy: Instagram
Shop Amy Reddish’s Black Friday picks
15
58.65€
127
35.65€
44
51.75€
2868
42.55€
309
25.30€
29
28.75€
The products the experts agree on
Eleven experts, nearly 300 picks and a few clear winners. The PATRICK TA Major Headlines Double-Take Cream and Powder Blush Duo and BY TERRY Tea to Tan made four lists each, while Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil and Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush setting spray and concealer made three. By brand, Charlotte Tilbury and Summer Fridays appear in eight of the 11 lists and Saie in seven.
2868
42.55€
5
67.85€
3697
25.90€
7
49.45€
237
37.95€
127
35.65€
832
33.35€
16
37.95€
What should you actually buy this Black Friday?
The things you were going to buy anyway. Restock the skincare you always finish, replace the foundation you’re scraping from the sides of the bottle or finally invest in the fragrance that’s been on your wish list for months. Then head to our Black Friday makeup, skincare, haircare, body care or gifts.
One tip: don’t wait for Friday. Orders on our site peak on the Thursday before Black Friday as well as on the day, so the products everyone wants can sell out early.
The expert verdict
Black Friday gets noisy. Rather than chasing the biggest percentage sign, start with the people who spend their careers testing beauty, and see every expert’s picks in one place on our expert top picks page. Forty-seven tabs officially optional.
