Black Friday can be a great opportunity to save money on nail products, equipment and salon essentials. But it can also be very easy to get carried away!
With brands advertising big discounts, limited-time offers and new collections, it’s tempting to fill your basket with things you hadn’t even thought about buying until you saw them on sale. The trick is to make Black Friday work for your business, rather than letting the sales dictate what you spend. Here are a few things I’d recommend doing before the discounts start.
Start with a stock check
Before you start browsing all those lovely new colours and nail art products, have a proper look at what you’ve already got. Check your base coats, top coats, builder gels and other products you use regularly. Are any running low? What are you likely to need over the next few weeks?
Don’t forget the less exciting essentials either. Gloves, lint-free wipes, files, buffers and other disposables might not be the most interesting things to shop for, but they’re the things you rely on every single day.
If you can save 20% on something you were going to buy anyway, that’s a genuine saving.
And with December approaching, it’s particularly worth making sure you’re well stocked. Christmas is already one of the busiest times of year for nail techs, and deliveries can take longer than usual with the increased demand on postal services and couriers.
Black Friday itself can also leave popular products out of stock, so the last thing you want is to discover you’re running out of something essential the week before Christmas, only to find it’s sold out or won’t arrive in time. If you’re getting organised for the festive rush, you might also find my Surviving Christmas as a Nail Tech guide useful. It’s full of practical advice for making the busy season a little more manageable.
Think about bigger purchases you’ve been putting off
Black Friday isn’t just about stocking up on products. It’s also worth thinking about any bigger investments you’ve been considering for your business. Perhaps your dust extractor is getting a bit tired, your e-file is due an upgrade, or you’ve been thinking about replacing some of your equipment. These are often the purchases where a percentage discount can make the biggest difference. For example, 20% off a £200 piece of equipment saves you £40. That’s a much more noticeable saving than 20% off a single bottle of top coat.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should rush out and replace perfectly good equipment just because it’s discounted! But if it’s something you’ve already been planning to buy, Black Friday could be a sensible time to do it. Just make sure you’re choosing equipment that’s suitable for your needs, and remember that things like gel lamps need to be compatible with the products you’re using.
Make a list before the sales begin
This is probably one of the simplest ways to avoid overspending. Rather than browsing aimlessly and adding things to your basket because they look like a bargain, write down what you’re actually looking for. I’d separate this into things you definitely need and things you’d like to buy if the price is right. Then have a look at the brands and suppliers you normally use.
Many start advertising their Black Friday offers in advance, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their websites, emails and social media. Check when the sale starts, whether you need a discount code and if there are any exclusions. Sometimes discounts apply to everything, while other times certain products or newer collections are excluded. You might find that a brand’s older colour ranges are included, for example, but their latest Christmas collection isn’t.
Some websites will even let you prepare your basket in advance, ready for the discounts to be applied when the sale begins. Just remember that having something in your basket doesn’t necessarily reserve it! If there’s something you genuinely need and you’ve found a good offer, it’s worth being organised rather than leaving it until the last minute.
Not every bargain is a good buy
It’s worth remembering that brands sometimes use sales to clear older stock, discontinued products or less popular colours. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. You might find something you genuinely love at a fantastic price. But think about whether you’re actually going to use it. That heavily discounted summer collection might look tempting, but if you’ve already got plenty of similar colours sitting in a drawer, is it really saving you money?
I’d also be careful about buying large quantities of products without checking their shelf life, particularly if you’re unlikely to use them quickly.
A discount isn’t much of a bargain if the product ends up sitting unused in your cupboard.
A quick note about TPO
If you’re buying gel products, particularly heavily discounted or discontinued ranges, it’s also worth checking their ingredients. TPO is already banned in cosmetic products in the EU and Northern Ireland, and Great Britain is currently in a transition period, with further restrictions taking effect in February 2027. With brands reformulating products and phasing out older formulations, I’d be particularly cautious about stocking up on heavily discounted gels without checking what you’re buying. Make sure the products are suitable for professional use and comply with the regulations that apply where you work. A bargain isn’t much use if you can’t legally use the product for its intended purpose.
Check the actual price, not just the discount
A big percentage discount doesn’t automatically mean you’re getting the best deal. If you’re considering a more expensive purchase, it’s worth checking what it normally costs before the sale begins. That way, you can judge whether the offer is genuinely worthwhile rather than getting distracted by a big SALE banner.
It’s also worth comparing prices between suppliers, particularly if you’re buying equipment that’s available from more than one retailer. And don’t forget delivery charges or minimum spend requirements. Sometimes adding extra products to qualify for free delivery ends up costing you more than simply paying the postage!
My favourite nail tech and studio finds
Black Friday and Cyber Weekend can also be useful for picking up those everyday bits and pieces that make working life easier. I’ve put together an Amazon storefront with some of my favourite nail tech and studio finds, including useful tools, accessories and practical essentials. These are things I’ve chosen because I genuinely like or use them, rather than because they’re part of a particular sale. Some may be discounted during Black Friday and Cyber Weekend, so it’s worth checking if there’s something you’ve already been thinking about buying. As always, I’d recommend checking the price and only purchasing what you actually need. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
A final thought
Black Friday can be a really good opportunity for nail techs to save money, especially when it comes to the products and equipment we use to run our businesses. But you don’t need to buy something just because it’s on sale. Have a look at what you’ve got, think about what you actually need, make your list and keep an eye out for the offers that genuinely make sense for you. And if you don’t need anything this year? That’s absolutely fine too. Sometimes the best way to save money is simply not to spend it!
About the author
Kirsty Brown is a Scottish nail artist and educator and founder of Paintbrush Nails in Callander, Scotland. A qualified Art & Design teacher with a BA (Hons) from Glasgow School of Art, she combines professional nail expertise with a background in creative education, specialising in nail art, nail education and helping nail professionals develop their technical and creative skills.