Beauty fans, gather around because the Boots Boxing Day sale is here. That’s right, Christmas might have been about tucking into all the turkey and trimmings, but now prices on all your favourite skincare, make-up and haircare have been slashed. That means you can take advantage of super savings on all the treats that don’t look like they’re wrapped up under the tree, in the annual end-of-year sale.
Plenty of the brands are reduced for the event and, whether you don’t think Santa will bring you that viral lip oil or the family gatherings have already wiped you of face wash (that sister needs a talking to...), you can rest assured Boots’ smörgåsbord of beauty goodies will have something to tickle your fancy.
As someone who’s worked the sales event for quite a few turns around the sun, I know where to find the best bargains and the most-lusted-after products. So scroll on for my beauty expert intel, plus the best deals live to shop now.
Read more: Follow Boxing Day deals live
Why trust IndyBest’s coverage of the Boots Boxing Day sale?
Within all our Boxing Day deals guides, we curate edits of products we’ve tested ourselves and only feature brands we know and trust. You can rest assured there’ll be no naff formulas, no beauty gift sets with filler products and sample sizes and no hiked-up, artificial deals.
As The Independent’s beauty writer, I’m always monitoring the costs of best-selling make-up, skincare and haircare – not just in the week before Boxing Day. That means that I’ve got an extra keen eye for a good (or exaggerated) deal and, having covered sales events for years, you can trust my selections.
Best deals in the Boots Boxing Day sale
Fitbit Inspire 3: Was £84.99, now £58.99, Boots.com
One of the best fitness trackers around, the Fitbit Inspire 3 has £25 off this Boxing Day. The slim, lightweight and comfortable health tracker is designed to be worn around the clock, monitoring your activity levels during the day and your sleep quality as you snooze. It’s ideal for tracking progress towards your fitness goals in the new year and connects to your phone to give you reminders, take calls and see messages on your wrist.
Marc Jacobs Daisy wild, 30ml: Was £60, now £51, Boots.com
A renowned scent in the world of perfume, Marc Jacobs’s original daisy fragrance is equal parts fresh and floral, not to mention being so adored that it prompted a review of every Daisy iteration. In Lucy’s review of the new iteration, Wild, she said: “While you might think of the term ‘wild’ as something more earthy and botanical, Marc Jacobs’s approach to ‘wild’ is all flowers and springtime meadows.” Now, you can save nearly £10.
CeraVe SA smoothing cleansing: Was £14.50, now £11.60, Boots.com
A surefire way to supercharge your skincare, CeraVe’s SA smoothing cleanser is a cult buy for good reason. Reviewing the cleanser in a guide to the best CeraVe products, Lucy Partington explained that it’s ideal for spot prone and oily skin. “It’s loaded with salicylic acid, making it great for summer months when keratosis pilaris (also known as chicken skin) is in full swing, and it also helps reduce blemishes and breakouts on the body – particularly on the back.” She praised it as “gentle but effective, and despite the fact salicylic acid can be quite drying, in this formulation, it’s not, instead it cleanses skin and leaves it feeling refreshed.” With 20 per cent off, it’s a no-brainer.
Dyson airstrait straightener in onyx and gold: Was £449.99, now £399.99, Boots.com
Right now, there’s an impressive £50 saving on Dyson’s coveted airstrait straightener. In her review of the hair tool, eCommerce editor Eva Waite-Taylor said it “somehow made [her] thick, weighty locks feel light and healthy”. She added that the finish also appeared “much more natural” than a professional blow-dry.
Oral-B pro 3 electric toothbrush: Was £100, now £35, Boots.com
Dubbed The Independent’s best electric toothbrush in gadget expert Steve’s guide, the Oral-B pro 3 features gum pressure control plus an impressive battery life that lasts for more than two weeks. After testing the device for several weeks, Steve found it has “everything you need with none of the frills”. He praised how it left his teeth feeling “fresh and thoroughly scrubbed” and enjoyed the affordable price point – made even more accessible now with a whopping 65 per cent off.
Sculpted by Aimee the gift of adoring eyes: Was £25, now £12.50, Boots.com
Sculpted by Aimee’s make-up products are first-class quality and, from the hydratint to the bronze base, many of the Irish MUA’s products are peppered throughout my beauty stash. Naturally, this half-price duo has caught my eye, especially after beauty expert Lucy Partington described the mascara (in its brown shade, with the black one included here) in her review as “a must-try product.” She went on to explain how it defined her lashes without smudging, praising how “it coats each and every lash from root to tip, and it adds both volume and length”.
Drunk Elephant littles: Was £70, now £35, Boots.com
A five-piece set that proved extremely popular in the pre-Christmas rush, Drunk Elephant’s gift set is chocka with brand best-sellers and even includes a handy toiletry bag. My favourite of this quintuplet has to be the B-hydra intensive hydration serum – when I tested it in my guide to the best hyaluronic acids, I found that “it was creamy and comforting and left [my] skin looking dewy.” With this half-price deal, I’ll be racing to the checkout.
Liz Earle natural shine haircare trio three-piece gift set: Was £48, now £32, Boots.com
Liz Earle skincare is – of course – a huge hit with IndyBest readers (myself included), but how much do you know about the brand’s haircare range? If you’re a scalp health fanatic then let me put LE’s botanical shine shampoo on your radar. With moisturising shea butter and shine-enhancing apple extract, the formula is designed to effectively cleanse the scalp without stripping, all the while imparting your strands with a heavenly essential oil aroma. Paired with the nourishing potion of blue sea kale and melon oil in the conditioner, plus the hair oil, your locks will look and feel luscious...for £10 less than usual.
Laneige lip sleeping mask berry: Was £21, now £16.80, Boots.com
The Laneige lip sleeping mask is my one and only when it comes to lip hydration in the colder months. This, the berry iteration, is the sort of flavoured balm that I crave throughout the day and – though I needn’t, thanks to its long-wearing formula – end up reapplying again and again just to get a whiff of its candy-sweet scent. Yes, it’s really that good, and with 20 per cent off it’s even better.
When does Boots’ Boxing Day sale start?
The big Boots sale – as the retailer brands its Boxing Day celebrations – is live now. Online, it kicked off early on Christmas Eve, but the Boots in-store reductions began this morning as usual. Though, with reduced hours across the high street for the Christmas period, I’d advise checking Boxing Day closing times with your local store if you are planning on heading down in person – lest you miss out on the best deals.
When will the Boots Boxing Day sale finish?
Though its name suggests it’s a one-day affair, the Boots Boxing Day sale usually combines with its January sales and finishes towards the middle to end of the first month of the year. In fact, it’s in this second half of the sale that Boots has been known to offer up to 70 per cent off. That said, these later savings do tend to be in stock that’s left over from the Christmas build-up and initial Boxing Day reductions – gift sets, star gifts from December etc.
My tips for shopping the Boots Boxing Day sales, as a beauty expert
If you’ve been eyeing up a moisturiser, shampoo or perfume (to name but a few of the goodies included in the sale), you’ll want to log into the Boots app or website as soon as possible so that you can cash in on those all-important advantage points and save time at the checkout. Plus, if you made note of the pre-sale prices of any desired products, make sure to check them against the brand’s reductions, lest you end up paying more in the sale with falsely inflated discounts.
Looking to swing into the new year with smooth skin and a touch of glam? Browse the best beauty subscriptions today.
