Everyone thought they knew what to expect. You’ve seen the TikTok hauls from years past, the chaotic 6:00 AM vlog entries, and the stacks of orange shopping bags. But Ulta Black Friday 2024 actually shifted the goalposts in a way that caught a lot of casual shoppers off guard. It wasn't just a single day of madness. Honestly, it was a month-long marathon that peaked with some of the most aggressive prestige hair tool discounts we've seen since the pandemic began. If you went in looking for just a cheap mascara, you probably missed the forest for the trees.
The reality of the 2024 sale season was defined by a massive push toward "prestige accessibility." Ulta wasn't just competing with Sephora or Target anymore; they were fighting for "wallet share" against direct-to-consumer brands that were slashing prices by 40% on their own sites. To keep people in the app, Ulta had to lean heavily into their Ultamate Rewards ecosystem. That’s where the real story of 2024 lives—not in the 50% off signs, but in the point multipliers that turned a standard moisturizer purchase into a "free" bottle of high-end perfume three months later.
The Prestige Pivot and the Shark vs. Dyson War
For a long time, the heavy hitters like Dyson were the untouchable crown jewels of the holiday season. You might get a free gift with purchase, but a raw discount? Rare. 2024 changed that. We saw Ulta lean into the Shark Beauty craze, offering the FlexStyle at prices that made the Airwrap look like a massive financial liability. It was a strategic move. By discounting the "at-home salon" tech, Ulta ensured that shoppers would return to buy the heat protectants, the hair oils, and the styling foams required to make those tools work.
✨ Don't miss: How Many Tsp in Tbls: The Kitchen Math That Saves Your Dinner
They basically gambled on the "razor and blade" model. Give them the tool at a steal, and they'll be back for the consumables.
The prestige makeup category also saw a weirdly specific trend. Instead of 20% off everything, which is what most people expect, Ulta targeted "hero products." We’re talking about the things that never go on sale. Think Estée Lauder Double Wear or certain Urban Decay palettes. By dropping these specific items to 50% for 24-hour windows, they created a "checking the app at midnight" culture that felt more like a sneaker drop than a beauty sale. It was smart. It was also kind of exhausting if you just wanted to buy a replacement concealer without a countdown timer.
Why the Ulta Black Friday 2024 Strategy Felt Different
If you feel like your inbox was more crowded than usual, you aren't imagining things. Ulta’s digital strategy for 2024 was relentless. They moved away from the "One Big Ad" format and toward a tiered release schedule.
💡 You might also like: Why Wearing a Feather in the Hair Is Making a Massive Comeback Right Now
- Early Access for Platinum and Diamond Members: This started way before the actual Friday. If you weren't in the inner circle, the best stuff—like the half-priced jumbo-sized Redken shampoos—was often gone before you even finished your morning coffee on Friday.
- The App-Only Steals: This was a huge focus. Ulta spent millions on their mobile interface, and they wanted you to use it. Some of the 50% off deals literally didn't exist in the physical stores.
- The "Hello Holidays" Lead-up: This served as a teaser. It was basically a stress test for their servers.
It’s worth noting that the supply chain issues of previous years were mostly a memory by 2024. Inventory was high. This meant that instead of "Out of Stock" notices, we saw "Buy More, Save More" bundles. They wanted to clear the shelves for 2025 launches. If you were looking to stock up on the basics—cleansers, cotton pads, drugstore favorites like NYX or e.l.f.—you actually got a better deal by buying in bulk than by waiting for a single-item discount.
The Misconception of the "Doorbuster"
People still think they need to stand in the cold at 5:00 AM to get the best of Ulta Black Friday 2024. You don't. That’s a relic of the 2010s. In fact, most store managers will tell you that the in-store experience is now more about the "vibe" and the immediate gratification than about exclusive inventory. The "Doorbsters" were largely mirrored online, and often, the online versions had more color options for foundations and lipsticks.
The real "doorbuster" was actually the Free 24-Piece Beauty Bag. This is the secret sauce of Ulta's loyalty. They offered these massive gift sets with a $60 or $80 purchase. In 2024, the value of these bags skyrocketed. We're talking deluxe samples of Sunday Riley, Clinique, and even some niche fragrance vials. For the savvy shopper, the goal wasn't to save $20; it was to spend $80 and get $150 worth of "free" stuff to use as stocking fillers later.
🔗 Read more: Beetlejuice Halloween Outdoor Decorations: Why Your Neighbors Are Winning the Spooky Season
The Fragrance Frontier
Fragrance is usually the one area where retailers hold the line on prices. It's high margin and high demand. However, 2024 saw a surprising number of "Fragrance Sampler" sets that included a voucher for a full-size bottle. This was Ulta’s way of competing with the "Scentbird" era of subscription services. By offering a curated box of minis from brands like YSL, Valentino, and Billie Eilish, they captured the Gen Z audience that is currently obsessed with "scent layering."
It wasn't just about the smell, though. It was about the points. During the Black Friday peak, fragrance purchases often carried a 5x point multiplier. For a $130 bottle of perfume, that’s a massive chunk of change back in your pocket for future purchases. It’s basically a delayed discount. If you aren't playing the points game, you're essentially paying a "laziness tax" at Ulta.
What Nobody Talks About: The Salon Savings
Everyone focuses on the boxes of makeup. Nobody talks about the back of the store. The Ulta Salon is a massive part of their business, and during the 2024 holiday season, they pushed service gift cards and professional hair care harder than ever. We saw 40% off professional brands like Joico, Kenra, and Matrix. This is where the real "adult" money is saved. Buying a liter of professional shampoo during Black Friday can literally last you until the following June. It's the most boring way to shop Black Friday, but it's objectively the smartest.
Actionable Steps for the Next Big Sale
If you missed the boat or felt overwhelmed in 2024, there's a blueprint for doing it better next time. The patterns from this year are going to be the foundation for how they handle 2025 and beyond.
- Stop Ignoring the App: Download it now. Enable notifications for "Price Drops" on your favorites list. The app-only deals in 2024 were significantly better than the circular ads.
- The $60 Rule: Never checkout with $45 or $50 in your cart. The "Gift with Purchase" (GWP) thresholds usually sit at $60 or $80. Find a $10 hand cream to bridge the gap; the resulting gift bag is almost always worth the extra spend.
- Point Hoarding: Don't spend your points during Black Friday. Earn them. The multipliers are highest in November. Save the points to spend in February or March when there are no sales and you actually need a refill at full price.
- Check the "Jumbos": The Liter Sale often overlaps or sits near the holiday window. If you see the big bottles on sale, buy two. It’s the lowest price-per-ounce you will find all year, period.
- Ignore the Hype, Watch the Ingredients: 2024 saw a lot of "flashy" palettes that were mostly filler. The real value was in the skincare sets containing active ingredients like Vitamin C or Retinol. Look for sets from brands like The Ordinary or COSRX where the "sale" price makes the individual items nearly half-price.
The 2024 season proved that Ulta is no longer just a store; it’s a data-driven machine that rewards engagement. If you just show up on Friday and hope for the best, you’ll leave with some mediocre eyeshadow. If you play the system, you can effectively fund your entire beauty routine for the following year for about 40% of the retail cost.