The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2021 is live for Icon and Ambassador Card Members! I hauled quite a few things and can’t wait to put everything to the test. I haven’t had a chance to thoroughly test anything yet – my priority was to get swatches up for you in case you’re shopping online or don’t want to swatch in stores (I didn’t swatch anything in store).
There are lots of good sets and palettes this year! My NUMBER 1 tip to shop the sale is to take a few minutes to look online at the GIFT WITH PURCHASE page. This is my recommendation every year and in the chaos and wonder of seeing everything in store, I did not follow my own advice. Once I got home I checked online and realized I missed out on TONS of gifts I qualified for. Many are available both online and in store, but some are online only. The associate who helped me was really helpful but when they pull things from the sale section the gifts aren’t really that visible unless you go outside the sectioned off sale area and go to each brand counter.
My store in Tampa had most of the beauty items on my wishlist this year. They did not however have a lot of the clothes or shoes I had favorited so I placed an order online when I got home for the things I did not see. The associates in the clothing area told me there were a number of things they didn’t receive in store because of shipping delays.
I took a few snapshots of the displays in stores in case you don’t have a Nordstrom near you and want to see how they’re setup! For the Early Access everything is sectioned off for sale items.
Quick note though best things on sale this year were the Barefoot Dreams selections. I bought so many blankets (many are priced under $100) but the best thing I bought was the CozyChic Leopard Pet Bed ($98.90 on sale, $168 full price). The only one they had in store was the Large which I thought might be too big but it’s perfect. The cat already loves it. He’s been doing a face plant into the bed for the past couple of days with some major self snuggling!
My BEAUTY HAUL PART 1 below. I will have two more beauty roundup posts with my MAC Purchases and then Hair + Fragrance Selects. If you want any makeup looks or more detailed reviews on any of these let me know in the comments!
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Bobbi Brown Full Size Dual-Ended Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick ($34 sale, $68 value) shades include Golden Pink, Shell, Bronze and Peach Mimosa. Love these for the long lasting power once they set! If you don’t own the set colors from Laura Mercier their Full Size Caviar Stick Eye Color Trio with Cocoa, Au Naturel and Nude Rose is a good one too!
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Charlotte Tilbury Full Size Collagen Lip Bath Set ($68 sale, $105 value) shades include Pillow Talk, Walk of No Shame and Refresh Rose. I’m obsessed with this lip formula – it’s one of the best plumping lip glosses that doesn’t have a tingle. There’s a slight fresh scent to them but it’s not overpowering. I already own all the shades but bought this anyways because I use them a lot. The Pillow Talk Collagen Lip Bath is the one shade that always gets me compliments.
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Charlotte Tilbury Sunset Dreamscape Face & Eye Palette Set ($75 sale, $90 value) is in the Instant Look Palette format with 3 eyeshadows (champagne, shimmery copper, matte plum brown), 1 bronzer (light matte tan), 2 cheek colors (darker brown rose and medium matte dusty coral pink) and 1 face highlight (soft shimmery champagne). I haven’t had a chance to compare it to any of her other face palettes but I like the look of this one – all the shades seem very wearable and show up on my medium tan skin. Also comes with a miniature Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes mascara.
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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Essentials Palette ($64) includes Dim Light, Surreal Effect and Eternal Bronzing Light. Dim Light is available in full size. Surreal Effect was in their Surreal Light 2016 Palette and Eternal Bronzing Light was in Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019. Texture is soft and just like all the other Hourglass powders.
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Tom Ford Cognac Rose Eye Color Quad Set ($88) includes Eye Color Quad in Cognac Rose, two mini lip shades in Casablanca and Fascinator. Cognac Rose is in the finely milled pressed metallic formula similar to Honeymoon. I will try to do swatch comparisons on my Instagram Stories and save them to an NSALE Highlight this week.
Cognac Rose has four shimmery shades including a metallic champagne peach, shimmery wine color, shimmery warm gold and a cool-toned bronze shimmer. First impressions are that they are softer in pigment compared to Honeymoon with a brush, but it is buildable with a dense brush or when applied with a sponge applicator. I think this palette is lovely and I can’t wait to try it out. The two miniature lip colors are creams in Casablanca (classic rose) and Fascinator (pale pink).
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Tom Ford Coquette Eye Color Quad Set ($169 sale, $213 value) with Eye Color Quad in Coquette, Full Size Extreme Mascara I Raven, Full Size Eye Defining Liquid Pen in Deeper, mini Lip Color in Impassioned. Coquette Eyeshadow Palette looks very different from the online stock image and I was kinda hoping it would be more like what you see online.
In real life it has a dusty pale pink satin soft shimmer, a metallic glitter topper with a soft rose base + silver sparkles, soft grey mauve satin and a diffused soft plum shimmer. I did try this one already and texture is soft and medium in pigment level. Colors themselves are on the softer side – if you’re looking for a neutral cool toned palette you will love this.
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There are three sets from NARS I hauled and I think these are among my favorites!
The NARS Pleasure Trip Cheek Palette ($45 sale, $87 value) has three shades in Wanderlust, Lucky Star, Wild at Heart. I also played around with this one and love the colors. The bronzer can swatch a little streaky on the hand, but it applies better with a loose fluffy brush on the cheeks. The highlighter and shimmer blush are both really pretty.
NARS Afterglow Lip Shine Set ($45 sale, $78 value) comes with three shades including Laguna, Orgasm, Broken Glass. I played with the color Orgasm and it has a smooth non-sticky texture with a sheer tint of color. I really love these and think if you are looking for a non-tacky smooth gloss, GET THIS!
NARS Afterglow Mini Lip Balm Duo ($22) in Deep Throat and Fast Lane – love these for the soft wash of color + shine! I already own these in the full size and plan on gifting this so I didn’t swatch them. You can see my review of these two in my NARS AfterGlow Collection Review post.
Mini Duo Set vs Full Size for size reference:
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Based on my quick swatching session at home, I would say that my favorites are the:
- NARS Afterglow Lip Shine Set
- NARS Pleasure Trip Palette
- Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath Set, although I wish they had new colors
- Hourglass Palette is pretty good too, although I wish they had new exclusive colors for the sale
That wraps up my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Haul Part 1! I will have two more beauty roundups with my MAC Picks and my Haircare/Fragrance Picks. If you want to see any looks or tutorials with any of these let me know in the comments.
SHOP THE POST
Did you haul anything yet? Any good finds?
