The calendar

Gift with purchase calendar

When Clinique, Lancôme and Estée Lauder free-gift offers usually start at U.S. stores, month by month. The current month is first, then the months ahead. The amount next to each store is the smallest purchase that qualifies for its gift, before tax and shipping.

All dates are approximate — estimates based on past years, not announcements from the brands. Windows shift, gifts sell out early. Check the active offers for what is running today.

January

A slow start, then the direct-from-brand offers arrive mid-month.

Clinique

  • Boscov's — a short window early in the month, from $45
  • Clinique.com — a long run from around the 11th to month end, from $65
  • Belk — often starts in the last days of January and runs into February, from $37

Lancôme

  • Bloomingdale's — a short mini-gift window mid-month, higher spend ($125)
  • Lancome-usa.com — the last ten days of the month, from about $42, promo code likely

Estée Lauder

  • Usually quiet — Estée Lauder gifts tend to restart in February

February

One of the strongest months of the year for all three brands.

Clinique

  • Belk — a long run, early February into the first days of March, from $37
  • Boscov's — mid-month, from about $40
  • Bloomingdale's — often just a two-day event, from $65
  • Clinique.com — a short window in the third week

Lancôme

  • Macy's — starts in the first week and often runs while supplies last, from $39.50
  • Bloomingdale's — from around the 18th into early March, from $42.50

Estée Lauder

  • Esteelauder.com, Boscov's and Dillard's — the spring gift usually appears across all three during February

March

Peak spring season: department-store beauty events stack up with the gifts.

Clinique

  • Dillard's — the first three weeks, from $37 with $60 and $80 tiers
  • Boscov's — around the second week, from $37
  • Ulta Beauty — a long run through most of the month, from $50
  • Macy's — starts in the last week and runs deep into April, from $37
  • Clinique.com — two or three separate windows, from $85

Lancôme

  • Nordstrom — most of the month, from $42.50
  • Lancome-usa.com — starts at the very end of March into early April, from $50

Estée Lauder

  • Macy's — from $39.50
  • Watch for the annual Advanced Night Repair event, which usually brings a discount rather than a gift

April

Mother's Day offers start to appear, often with a higher spend and a promo code.

Clinique

  • Von Maur — usually two windows, mid-month and again around month end, from $37
  • Clinique.com — the second half of the month, from $55
  • Boscov's — a short window in the last week, from $50

Lancôme

  • Dillard's — roughly the 10th to the 26th, from $39.50
  • Lancome-usa.com — the Mother's Day gift, mid to late April, higher spend ($125) with a code

Estée Lauder

  • Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's — from $39.50
  • Friends & Family sales at Macy's and Belk often overlap, so gifts can be stacked with a discount

May

The biggest month of the first half of the year — and the best for stacking.

Clinique

  • Bloomingdale's — the first half of the month, from $37
  • Nordstrom — roughly the 7th to the 18th, from $50
  • Belk — a short mid-month window, from $37
  • Macy's — the second half, higher spend ($100)
  • Clinique.com — two windows, including the largest gift of the season (up to 12 pieces at the top tier)

Lancôme

  • Macy's — a long run from early May to around the 25th, from $39.50
  • Lancome-usa.com — the Friends & Family sale usually lands this month

Estée Lauder

  • Boscov's, Dillard's and Esteelauder.com — the same gift usually appears at all three, from $39.50

June

Short, frequent windows rather than long runs — worth checking weekly.

Clinique

  • Macy's — around the middle of the month, from $37
  • Dillard's — the last ten days, from $37
  • Boscov's — one or two short windows, from $50
  • Clinique.com — several short windows through the month, from $75

Lancôme

  • Nordstrom — a short window in the first week, higher spend ($125)
  • Bloomingdale's — most of the month, from $42.50

Estée Lauder

  • Macy's — often a continuation of the May gift, from $39.50

July

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale dominates: gifts from all three brands at once.

Clinique

  • Macy's — the July 4th sale, first week, from $50
  • Nordstrom — starts with the Anniversary Sale around the 14th and runs while supplies last, from $60
  • Ulta Beauty — occasional two-day events, from $70

Lancôme

  • Macy's — the July 4th sale, first week, from $75
  • Nordstrom — Anniversary Sale, mid-July into August, higher spend ($95)
  • Dillard's — the last ten days into early August, from $39.50

Estée Lauder

  • Esteelauder.com — from $50
  • Nordstrom — as part of the Anniversary Sale

August

Fall gifts land in the second half of the month — one of the best times of the year to buy.

Clinique

  • Belk — most of the month, from $37
  • Clinique.com — a mid-month run and again at month end, from $55
  • Dillard's — the fall gift starts around the 28th, from $37
  • Ulta Beauty — starts late August and runs into September, from $50

Lancôme

  • Macy's — the first three weeks, from $39.50
  • Lancome-usa.com — the last week of the month, from $75, promo code likely

Estée Lauder

  • Boscov's and Esteelauder.com — the fall gift starts mid-month, from $45
  • Bloomingdale's — from around the 18th into early September, from $75
  • Dillard's — from $39.50

September

Fall beauty events at Bloomingdale's, Belk and Nordstrom bring gifts from all three brands.

Clinique

  • Boscov's — early in the month, from $37
  • Bloomingdale's — usually the second week, from $45
  • Von Maur — from around the 21st, from $37
  • Nordstrom — late September into early October, from $40
  • Macy's — starts at the very end of the month and runs through October, from $37

Lancôme

  • Nordstrom — from early September into October, from $42.50
  • Bloomingdale's — a short window early in the month, from $42.50

Estée Lauder

  • Macy's and Belk — from $39.50
  • Nordstrom — usually alongside its fall beauty event

October

Holiday blockbusters appear — the biggest gifts of the year, at the highest spend.

Clinique

  • Macy's — most of the month, from $37
  • Clinique.com — mid-October, plus the holiday blockbuster set, from $55
  • Von Maur — late September into mid-October, from $37
  • Bloomingdale's — the last week into early November, from $37

Lancôme

  • Dillard's — most of the month, from $39.50
  • Lancome-usa.com — mid-month, from $55
  • Bloomingdale's — a short window mid-month, from $42.50
  • The Lancôme Holiday Beauty Box usually goes on sale this month

Estée Lauder

  • Esteelauder.com — the holiday blockbuster, from $50
  • Nordstrom — from $39.50

November

Black Friday season: gifts overlap with real discounts, so stacking pays off.

Clinique

  • Nordstrom — a long run from early November into December, from $40
  • Ulta Beauty — the first half of the month, from $30
  • Von Maur — a short window mid-month, from $50
  • Clinique.com — several windows, including the largest gift of the year, from $70
  • Macy's — starts in the last days of the month, from $65
  • Boscov's — a Black Friday window, from $50

Lancôme

  • Bloomingdale's — the first half of the month, from $42.50
  • Lancome-usa.com — early Black Friday sale, late November

Estée Lauder

  • Esteelauder.com — the Countdown to Black Friday event, from $50
  • Most department stores run Black Friday beauty deals with gifts attached

December

Fewer offers, but higher spend thresholds and larger gifts — plus fragrance gifts everywhere.

Clinique

  • Macy's — a run carried over from late November, from $65
  • Nordstrom — from around the 19th to year end, from $40
  • Clinique.com — two or three short windows before New Year, from $85

Lancôme

  • Nordstrom — the first three weeks, higher spend ($125)
  • Bloomingdale's — from early December well into January, higher spend ($125)

Estée Lauder

  • Esteelauder.com — Cyber Monday event, first days of the month
  • Gift-with-fragrance-purchase offers appear at most department stores
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