I was not going to post anything Black Friday sales related, as I’m deeply ambivalent about this concept and currently preparing myself mentally for buying as little as possible tomorrow and in the coming days. But then I had two – somewhat contradictory – thoughts that motivated me to write this little post.

I was watching Caroline Hirons yesterday and she had done a Black Friday video that I really enjoyed. She started out by saying that if you don’t need anything, just put your credit card away and don’t buy anything. However, if this is the only time you can afford something you love or desperately want to try – well, she understands, and so do I.

There are lots of things on this blog that are expensive and I really am the last person who should lecture anyone on what they should and shouldn’t buy. Some of those things I’ve recommended will be considerably cheaper tomorrow, so it might be good time to invest. It can also be a good time to buy Christmas gifts. So back to Caroline’s video: she has selected some really wonderful things (most of them very high-end) that you might want to check out.* There are a couple of slightly more affordable options and one of them is REN: I mention this because their Rose Otto shower gel is one of my favourite Christmas gifts ever. Cult Beauty is also doing some pretty good offers and I’m sure Space NK will as well.

I promised not to lecture, but there is another thing I wanted to say. If you are worried about things getting out of hand, try practicing my new Me First (yes, I know it reminds you of something) Shopping Strategy. This means that you should first decide what you need and would buy anyway, and then only shop for things that match this description. Think about what you want, not what the retailers want to sell you. You can also make a limited list of things you desire, but ordinarily find too expensive, and set red lines: if the item is below that line, it’s OK to buy. Add everything up and look at that figure long and hard.

If you are a careful shopper who considers everything methodically before making a purchase, you don’t need these tips. Not all of us are, though. I find that this little mental exercise really can help if you are like me and get excited about all the nice stuff you see. Even if you then make a spontaneous decision or two, it’s still much better than randomly trawling through everything, getting distracted and buying things you don’t have a burning need for. And feeling unhappy about your temporary insanity later.

What one really needs is a thorny issue, of course, and my definition is much looser than would be considered rational by many people. Do I really NEED** an antioxidant serum? Maybe not, but it is abundantly clear I need it much more than I need a night-time retinol product, of which I have at least four.

Whether you are going to shop or not, I hope you will be happy with your decision. Good luck and stay sane!

*There are offers you don’t find anywhere else and the edit really is great, including Zelens, DCL and Mahalo.
**All this applies to other categories as well, not just skincare. I use skincare as an example, because I liked Caroline’s approach and wanted you to be aware of the video. But there is no time like the first properly cold days to make you realise that one needs decent quality clothes that work together, not random shiny pieces (only).