The History of Black Friday, PLUS Frequently Asked Questions

We get a little bit excited about Black Friday weekend every year - there’s an undeniable buzz surrounding this particular sale period as our clients are very interactive, try out completely new products and we all get caught up in the excitement... but what actually is Black Friday?

Black Friday History Myths & Facts

There are several myths surrounding the origin of ‘Black Friday’ - the most famous, and arguably most glamorous, is a conspiracy concocted by two stock market financiers who bought up as much gold in America as they could so that they could sell it later at super high profits. When their plan was unravelled the day after Thanksgiving, shops who had been operating ‘in the red’ (at a financial loss) were finally able to register their takings at a profit. 

Where Did Black Friday Originate?

In actual fact, it was to do with the rambunctious behaviour of the crowds that flocked to Philadelphia in anticipation of the Army vs Navy annual football game on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, which caused a headache for the police force year after year. The term ‘Black Friday’ didn’t quite catch on across the US until years later, and took even longer still to expand across the pond to the UK and other countries around the world. 

These days we see it everywhere, including European countries which are far removed from American culture. And with the digital age on the rise we saw the addition of Cyber Monday in 2005, which has turned the single day sale into a 4 day weekend, during which time retailers and shoppers alike can get swept up in the excitement of the pre-holiday season.

As interesting as the dark history of the term Black Friday is, we know you probably have some questions about what this sale means for you and your orders, so we’ve put together a little FAQ based on the last few years of London Lash Black Friday sales to help you!

FAQs:

"I want to stock up on lash glue but don't want them to go to waste. What's the shelf life?"

The shelf life of an unopened London Lash glue is 6 months from the date of production. We just had a new delivery for Black Friday so all Lash Glues will be perfectly fine if you stock up with a few. Just remember to store them in the Airtight Container, away from direct sunlight and protect them from high temperatures, and only buy what you will definitely use. We’d recommend only buying what you’ll use within 4 months to be on the safe side. Check out this blog for more information on shelf life here.

"I've ordered earlier but want to add more, how can I do this?"

Unfortunately due to an extremely high volume of orders, our warehouse staff will be unable to merge parcels or add any additional items to orders during this period. We know it’s exciting and you want to be FAST but this year our Black Friday sale is on for almost two weeks, so you have plenty of time to make a list and double check it before you click purchase. And let's face it, with these sales, it's always best to just add that one item to your cart you've always wanted to try.

"I haven't ordered from London Lash before but want to take advantage of your Black Friday discounts, what should I try?"

There are a few must-haves that should definitely be in your basket:

• Our absolute best-selling dream team for increased retention: Booster and Superbonder Sealant, which in a bundle we call our Retention Duo. Booster is used before the treatment to improve the bonding between natural lash and lash extensions. You can also apply it to the lash strip to prevent volume fans from closing as a pre-emptive step. Superbonder is then applied at the end of the treatment to cure the glue and make the glue bonds more elastic which improves the retention. It also amazingly reduces glue fumes and allows the client to get their lashes wet straight after the treatment. Perfect for those who swim or shower soon after treatment.
• Slay Pretreatment every time with the iconic duo Cleanser and Primer, our Super Prep Duo. Cleanser strips all excess oils and cleans the lashes from any residue makeup, which the Primer will add and return that needed hydration into your clients lashes, which is necessary for an ideal bond between the lash glue and natural lash.
• Our most popular lashes - Mayfair 0.07 - perfect for volume sets up to 5D and very easy to fan. The 0.07 Mayfair lashes now come in the innovative and brand new Extreme L Curl which is perfect for that iconic Cat Eye lash style. We have a whole blog post all about the different types of lashes that we offer, so head here to find your next favourite.
• And a personal favourite for many Lash Techs - Flexie Glue. With a 1 second drying time, and a wide range of humidity and syrup-like consistency it is the perfect lash adhesive for experienced Lash Artists. If you're unsure of which eyelash glue is for you, take our Glue Quiz now.

"How many of each product can I buy? Is there a limit?"

There are some limits, which are put in place only so that you get the very best out of your products and so that we can ensure there is enough to go around.

For those of you who are ordering from the EU, every product has a limit of 10 pieces. This means that you can buy up to 10 products of any item, that does not mean you're only allowed 10 boxes of lashes, in fact you can order 10 boxes of Flat Lashes in 0.15, 8 boxes of Flat Lashes in 0.20 and 3 boxes of Flat Lashes in 0.25, for example. You can order from any collection, Lashes, Tweezers, Pretreatment / Liquids and Glues etc. but every individual product has a limit of 10 orders.

"Will my personal discount code work too?"

Unfortunately not, all discount codes have been disabled for the duration of the London Lash Black Friday sale. Once the sale is over, you’ll be able to use your code like normal.

"How long will delivery of my order take?"

We’re doing everything we can to ensure there are no significant delays to the sending or receiving of parcels - extra staff will be working in shifts to cover longer hours are just a few things we’re putting into place to ensure speedy delivery all around the world, but of course there are still likely to be some unforeseen delays. In the event an order is delayed at all, the customer will be notified by our customer service team as soon as possible which you can contact here. For more information on EU deliveries, check out this page.

"I sent an email but haven’t heard back."

We’re trying very hard to have all messages answered as quickly as we possibly can, but as you can probably imagine, we have quite a high volume of enquiries around the Black Friday sales.

The BEST thing to do is to only message on one platform, whether that is Email, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger etc. - all of these come to one central hub which is looked after by our whole Customer Care team, so we will get back to you as soon as we can.

"Is it worth waiting until later in the Black Friday sale for bigger discounts?"

Purchase when you are most comfortable, but remember, you should also consider that stock is limited to what we have, and we will not be able to restock during the sale, so if there’s something you know you NEED, get it early or it could be gone. 

"What if I buy something and I don’t like it?"

We will always try to make any returns process as simple as possible, and will always work with you to find out how to improve your experience with that particular product, or to find an alternative.

We might need to ask some follow up questions - not because we don’t trust you, but because we want to know the details and solve the problem from the very root. 

"What is your Returns Policy?"

You are welcome to return any unwanted and unused items in their original packaging within 14 days of receiving the item/s. 

If you wish to return an item for any reason, you are invited to first contact our Customer Care team. You can read the full Returns and Refunds policy here. 

Have a lot of fun with your Black Friday shopping, we're here if you need us. Tag us in your IG stories so we can see what you got at @London_Lash_EU. 🎉