Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale is Here—These Are the Beauty Steals I'd Grab First
What do crème del la crème labels like La Mer, Le Labo, Charlotte Tilbury, NuFace, and Slip have in common? Apart from being some of the most famed, cult-loved brands in the business (with notoriously Everest-level price points, might I add), they also represent a salivation-inducing sampling of the beauty brands currently up for grabs during Nordstrom’s annual Anniversary Sale. Friends, from one beauty lover to another, let me say that if you shop just one beauty sale in 2021, this should be it. I repeat, this should be it!
If you’re like us and you like to save as much money as you possibly can whilst indulging in some of the most effective and in-demand products that you possibly can, it’s time to bite. Now through August 8 you can snap up some of the most covetable products in easy-to-sample sets, hoarder-level jumbo sizes (for those products you really can’t live without), or, in some cases, full-priced favorites that are just a heck of a lot cheaper—temporarily, that is! I’ll keep this short and sweet because everything on deck is selling fast—like, could potentially-sell-out-while-you’re-reading-this fast—and I’m sure you know what to do. Below, I’m sharing 41 of the most outstanding beauty details you can find slashed in price at Nordstrom right now, hand-picked by, well, me. Keep scrolling!
Makeup
The peeps at MAC, being the brilliant people that they are, really outdid themselves when they came up with this limited-edition lip trifecta. They paired some of their best-selling products—lipstick, lipglass, and must-have priming balm (you won't remember what lipstick was like before you got your hands on it), in one handy trio.
Tom Ford's beauty products are so beautiful, it almost feels sad to use them. Keyword: almost. Luckily for us, they look just as pretty once they're applied as they do in their signature chic packaging. I can't get over this set with all of my absolute favorites for a fraction of the price.
Nars is responsible for some of the most legendary cheek products. Orgasm Blush or Laguna Bronzer, anyone? This multi-tasking palette will allow you to have your cake and eat it too—from just one pan! It contains three new rookie shades that most definitely have Hall of Fame written into their DNA.
Skincare
I'm going to call this epic set my skincare survival kit—a mist for when my face feels sucked of moisture and glow, a balm for when my lips fell, well, ditto, and a drying lotion to have my back during that time of the month when errant pimples become inevitable.
I've been hooked on this best-selling serum from Estée Lauder for a while now, but my obsession increased exponentially when actress Ana de Armas recently told me it's her secret weapon, too. The fact that it comes with its regenerating eye cream counterpart is just icing on the cupcake.
I let out an audible gasp when I saw three of my all-time French skincare products (that are also some of the most expensive in my entire beauty collection) put together and discounted in price. I feel like someone personally infiltrated my subconscious with this one, and my *currently* dull skin can't wait for its forthcoming glow-up.
Where to start? I'd buy this expert-level facial steamer for this price alone, but the fact that the gods at Dr. Dennis Gross threw in a full-size Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting & Refining Serum and five travel-friendly packets of their signature Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel? Beyond.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Every single person deserves to have at least a little bit of La Mer in their life. However, if you're curious to see what all of the fuss is about (or if you just need a subtle re-stock!) there's no better way to test the waters than dabbling in a strategically curated sample set. This one has all of the brand's heaviest hitters.
When you truly love a product, you can simply never have enough of it. Case in point: me buying about four of these bottles of Lancôme's ultra-luxe youth-activating concentrate. Your skin will have a noticeable boost in radiance immediately after you apply, and the results just get better and better with time.
Hair
Bath & Body
Shimmering skin is official in, and while the trend first lit up in the early aughts, it's come back with vengeance. Tom Ford's iconic formula is one of our top picks if you're up for something that will make your skin glisten and not spackled with sparkle.
For when you can't afford (or simply don't have the time for) an actual spa day, consider this luxurious assortment from Herbivore. Your tub will feel like a thousand bucks—as will your skin right after. You'll get the Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish, Coconut Bath Soak, and Calm Bath Salts.
I literally had to stop taking these top-rated hair gummies from Hum during quarantine due to how fast my strands were growing. They're one of the few hair growth products I've truly noticed marketable results from.
I'm a freak for self-tanner—I just love looking sunkissed and bronzed all year round sans the actual sun. So, yes. I go through a lot of self-tanner, which makes money-saving opportunities like this jumbo-size addition from holy-grail tanning brand St. Tropez, pretty non-negotiable in my mind.
Fragrance
Black Orchid might just be the most iconic perfume bearing the Tom Ford name in history. I personally have this beautiful gold bottle sitting on my vanity (it's my forever go-to for date night all year round), and I believe it should be sitting on yours too. It's not often I feel 100% comfortable recommending fragrance—it's such a personal thing after all—but this one almost always feels like a safe bet.
Grab your lighter—or if you're old school like me a match—light it up, and enjoy the woody and aromatic scent of Le Labo's iconic Santal 26 do the rest with this trio. (Although we wouldn't be opposed to certain additions like a foamy bubble bath or pour of pinot.)
Tools & Devices
I know so many people who are intrigued and want to try the NuFace device but have let it simmer on their wishlist or shopping cart for days, months, years! Now is the time! If you're into the whole tight, lifted, and sculpted thing, I think you'll love it, and this set, in particular, also comes with the FIX Line Smoothing Device which plays extra hard on smaller, more targeted areas like the mouth, eyes, forehead, and nasolabial folds.
I swear by my Riki Loves Riki mirror, and I feel any makeup lover absolutely needs one in their life. No matter the time, place, or crappy lighting situation, it gives you a halo of perfect lighting. It even comes with special magnifying and phone-clip attachments.
Sometimes I wish I never knew what it felt like to sleep on a pure silk pillowcase because, unfortunately, if you invest in a high-quality one—pleas do—the habit can become expensive. My skin and hair have never loved me more though, so I have to take advantage when offerings from Slip (the only silk pillowcase brand, IMO) go on discount.
Up next, FYI: These Nordstrom Beauty Buys Have a Near-Perfect No-Return Record
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over five years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor.
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