National Lipstick Day on 29 July 2018 presented a significant opportunity for consumers to obtain free lipsticks and other beauty products through various promotional offers. The event was primarily driven by MAC Cosmetics, which organised a major giveaway, while several other beauty brands also participated with their own deals. This article provides a detailed summary of the available offers, eligibility requirements, and participation methods based on the source material from 2018.
The primary focus of the 2018 National Lipstick Day celebrations was the free lipstick promotion by MAC Cosmetics. According to multiple sources, MAC offered a free full-size lipstick to consumers both in-store and online. In-store, the offer required no purchase, with participating MAC stores and counters providing a free lipstick while supplies lasted. Each store had a minimum of 100 lipsticks to give away, with a limit of one per person. The giveaway was scheduled for 29 July 2018, and the offer was expected to run out quickly due to limited supplies. Locations that were closed on Sundays did not participate in the in-store offer.
The free lipsticks available in-store were from MAC’s “iconic Artist Favourites” collection, with nine specific shades listed: Aloof (Lustre), Chintz (Frost), Dare You (Cremesheen), Delish (Frost), Epic (Satin), Florabundi (Frost), Mixed Media (Retro Matte), Moxie (Matte), and Tanarama (Frost). These shades were described as cult throwback favourites and were scheduled to return for purchase later in the autumn of 2018.
For online orders, MAC offered a free lipstick with a minimum spend. In the United States, a free lipstick (valued at $18.50) was included with all online orders of $25 or more, and free shipping was included. In Canada, the minimum spend for the free lipstick was $30. This online offer was also subject to availability while supplies lasted and included the same nine shades as the in-store giveaway.
In addition to the free lipstick, MAC offered a 30% discount on lipsticks, lip glasses, and lip pencils from the MAC Aaliyah collection. This discount was available both in-store and online on 29 July 2018.
Other beauty brands also ran promotions for National Lipstick Day. Sephora offered a buy one, get one free deal on Anastasia Beverly Hills lipsticks. Anastasia Beverly Hills itself had an online sale featuring buy one, get one free on liquid lipsticks, matte lipsticks, and lip gloss, though certain shades were excluded (Venus, Estrella, Freya Sunscape, and Luna Lip Gloss). This offer required the products to be added to the cart to receive the discount.
bareMinerals offered a bundle of three full-size Statement matte liquid lipsticks for $15 with any purchase at bareMinerals Boutiques or online. This offer was available through the Monday following National Lipstick Day, and no promotion code was needed for online orders; the bundle and another product had to be added to the cart.
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics provided a free lipstick with a $25 online order on Sunday, 29 July 2018, or a free lipstick with any purchase at participating in-store cosmetic counters. Both offers were while supplies lasted.
Clinique offered a free full-size Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in the shade Love Pop with any $1 or more spend on the brand’s website on Sunday, using the code LOVEPOP at checkout. Some Clinique counters were also reported to be offering a freebie with a purchase on the same day.
NYX Professional Makeup organised an in-store giveaway where the first 50 people in line at NYX Professional Makeup stores received a free lipstick on National Lipstick Day.
Beyond the specific National Lipstick Day deals, MAC offered an ongoing programme for free lipsticks through its “Back to MAC” recycling initiative. Consumers could return six empty MAC containers and tubes to receive a free lipstick, a programme separate from the one-day event.
For consumers interested in future promotions and benefits from MAC, the brand offered a free loyalty programme called MAC Select. Signing up for this programme was suggested as a way to receive information about more MAC freebies and deals.
The source material for this summary is derived from a collection of articles and blog posts from July 2018 that reported on the National Lipstick Day promotions. The information, particularly regarding MAC’s offer, was consistent across multiple sources and appeared to be based on official brand news releases. The details of other brands’ deals were reported by various deal-focused publications and blogs. It is important to note that all offers described were time-sensitive, specific to 29 July 2018, and subject to availability and regional restrictions (primarily US and Canada based on the source data). The information reflects the promotional landscape of that specific year and may not be applicable to subsequent years.