It's almost the most wonderful (or painful) time of the year. The fine line between painful or wonderful is just depending on who you're speaking with. Of course I'm speaking about Black Friday/Cyber Monday!

What used to be a sad weekend for Canadian shoppers has now turned into one of the best weekends for deals all year (second only to Boxing Day.) On top of THAT, the holiday 'free sample' bonanza is beginning! Take advantage of these offers below and read about some of my favourite stores and their Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals!

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals

Bath and Body Works
This sneaky company is one of the few that started a PRE-BLACK FRIDAY EVENT to lead up to Black Friday! Part of me loves it and part of me hates it because who doesn't want more 3 wick candles? Spend $40 in store (which is REALLY EASY if you still have holiday shopping to do) and for $25 you get a tote full of over $100 worth of products. Treat yo'self (and others!) Here's the coupon code and their Facebook page has more info.

The Body Shop
More of a Body Shop fan? They have a similar offer. With every $30 purchase, you can grab a $30 tote stocked with some of the most popular products from The Body Shop! Check out their other deals online.

Sephora
They keep a tight lid on their deals but Sephora is THE SPOT for beauty lovers to grab Black Friday deals. With an array of products available at the low-low-totally-justifiable price of $12, you can count on seeing your favourite beauty bloggers with some wild hauls next week.

AND AS ALWAYS, don't forget to use Ebates to get cash back for your orders. They're having a double cash-back extravaganza for many of their retailers for Black Friday. Make money for your money!

Other non-beauty sites to keep an eye on

Chapters-Indigo always have a great variety of items on sale for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, they're a good destination for holiday gift-buying.

Steam is ALLEGEDLY launching their Autumn sale so you can pick up some games for yourself or other gamers on your list (HATOFUL BOYFRIEND! HATOFUL BOYFRIEND!)

David's Tea is sneaky. They didn't release a 'Black Friday/Cyber Monday' deal last year but they did have some great offers all come out around that time, INCLUDING a free shipping for any order offer. I'm keeping my eye on them for Black Friday deals.

Free samples, act now!

Ladies with untameable locks are going to love a sample of Morrocan Oil. While I've recently began a love affair with Argan Oil, I still have a jar of this stuff for days when I really need it! Get your free sample here. (Canada Only)

Philosophy is one of my favourite skincare and handcare and, oh, bodycare companies and you can score a free sample of their hand cream by sending a cute little custom e-card to your friend! Do so and you'll get a code to redeem at your closest Hudson's Bay Store. Hurry and do it now!

Get a whiff of Lacoste LIVE by entering your info to receive a free sample of this new smell for men. Either give it away to a special someone you want to smell yummy, or keep it for yourself! No judgey! Request a sample here.

Become a beauty insider with Elle Canada's Beauty Box. I've received two of them so far and they usually come with valuable products that fit seamlessly into my beauty regimen. Register here.

While this isn't beauty related, with the holiday season fast approaching, you may want to protect your teeth from all the seasonal Starbucks beverages, candy canes and general excessive sugar. Get a free sample of Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief today!

Found any good deals or sales lately? Enable us, enable us!