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What is the big deal about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale? I am not sure of the official reason, but it is just like any other big sale to me — I get caught up in the excitement and the deals. It is a marketing ploy. And it works on me. I gathered our favorites to purchase during this sale and the purchases we regretted or do not think are worth it.
Maybe it is tradition — people grow up going to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale with their family members. Or maybe it is the excitement of seeing so many value sets at a pretty good price? The sale also has upcoming fall fashion at a discount –something you usually have to wait for after season to see!
Whatever the reason — I love this sale. I just started shopping it four year ago because Missy bought a few things for me to try. She used to work at Nordstrom and has been shopping the sale for years! Of course this means we know what is good to buy during the sale (our faves) or when to ignore the hype (the flops).
It is important to remember that you can easily get caught up in the excitement of the sale. However, nothing is worth buying on sale if you do not have the money for it then. Especially if you end up having to pay interest on it! There will always be other deals at another time.
The sale occurs every year — usually around July, and it opens at different times before the public sale if you are Nordstrom cardholder. This year the sale opens to the public on July 28th at 3 AM EST. It opens earlier for these statuses. There is a lot of frustration around the sale because by the time July 28th comes up, a lot of the stuff is sold out for the public. I definitely understand the frustration — but I also like that they reward their loyal customers by early access to the sale.
July 12: Early Access for cardmembers with Icon status (spend at least $15k/year)
July 14: Early Access for cardmembers with Ambassador status (spend $5k/year)
July 16: Early Access for cardmembers with Influencer status (cardholders start here)
July 28: Anniversary Sale opens to the general public
These towels made my ” Top Purchases of 2020″ favorites list – you can check out the blogpost here! Missy told me to try some last year, she told me they rarely go on sale. So I grabbed some because they had great reviews. Now — I am not a fancy towel person. I usually just buy my towels at Target or Costco. Then I got these towels and instantly regretted not buying more than two. They are so luxurious for the price. Plush. Absorbent. This price ended up being the cheapest I had seen them all year! I am going to try the bath sheets this year. My husband prefers bath sheets, but I hate them because they take forever to dry!
My first Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchase! Another recommendation from Missy. Come to think of it – all of these recommendtions are from Missy. These are so soft. So comfy. They run one size big, in my experience. They do not pill as much as the Target or Amazon lookalikes. I have three short sets, two button -up nightgowns, and two pants sets. I love them so much. Unfortunately they never have as much variety with plus size as they do other sizes — and the plus size sell out so quickly!
These made our January Sunday Six — we love these! I had not ever tried them until my dad bought these for us for Christmas before he passed. Missy had them on her list, and he just bought for every one of us. I didn’t expect for them to be anything special — you can get a pair of cozy socks at the Dollar Store. I WAS WRONG. They are missing grippies, but I usually wear them with slippers. If you find yourself slipping and sliding, you could always hot glue some grips on the bottom. I used to do that with my dad’s shoes to help with gripping. Beige striped sock set / Black and white sock set
Zella Leggings and Joggers
It is so hard to find joggers that are durable and stay put — especially in plus-sizes! I have used their Live-In Leggings for three years now and they are one of my favorite pairs of leggings! They are not the usual legging material — not “buttery-soft” because that is just not something that describes leggings. But they do feel like cotton. If I am working out, I like these since they do not fall down. These are tied with Athleta Elevate leggings for my favorite workout leggings. I like LuluLemon Aligns, but they always fall down.
I bought this cardigan during Christmas last year. This is not the only time it is on sale, but if you get the opportunity to buy one (it sells out quickly), buy it. I lived in this cardigan during our winter and spring. It is SO soft. Like wearing around my favorite Barefoot Dreams Cozy Chic Lite Blanket (also on sale!).
Riki Loves Riki Mirror – I love this mirror. I do not have anywhere to get ready because I have a small bathroom vanity. I use this mirror on top of my desk to do my makeup. It has adjustable lighting, a phone holder, and a magnifying mirror. I love it so much. I did not buy mine during the sale last year, but wish I would have as it is the cheapest it gets during this sale. The cheapest I saw it within the last year was 25% off (when I bought it during Black Friday).
Chantecaille Bio-Lifting Mask – I really like this mask because it helped plump my fine lines and just gave my face a more toned look? I use sparingly as a night cream as it is expensive. However, if you like this mask — this is a great deal. I have not seen the value sizes this cheap (they are $165 regularly).
Revitalash – This eyelash serum is something that Missy and I have been using for years. I have not used mine regularly since last April. This will sell out pre public access. At least it did last year. This is a great deal, but you can find similar deals throughout the year. We were able to find some in store last year, though. Use at your own risk and make sure to read up on the side effects. I decided to stop using while trying to conceive, but I personally never had any issues with it. But some do — so do your research!
Jo Malone Fragrance Sampler – I do not wear a lot of perfume, but Missy does. She LOVES Jo Malone. This is a great value set for trying out different scents and layering them together.
Necessaire Body Wash and Lotion – The body wash is pretty good, but I still like the Bioderma better. The body wash is moisturizing without being too stripping and I love the lotion. I love that it is unscented. It is heavy enough to moisturize, but not too heavy it makes you sweat. My husband loves the body wash, so if it is still in stock, I will probably buy for him.
LightStim Acne LED Wand – This is not something I have tried, but I want to try it. I love LED light therapy for anti-aging, and want to see how it helps with hormonal acne. I have had this on my list since February.
Bobbi Brown eyeshadow sticks – I love these cream eyeshadow sticks. I like the Bobbi Brown formula slightly better than Laura Mercier because I have found it stays moist longer. I really like that these are dual tipped vs being separate colors.
T3 Curling Wand 1 1/4” – I have a 1″ T3 Curling wand and love it. It is so smooth, it never pulls on my hair, quick heat up — and the best part? It is not easy to accidentally turn it off while doing your hair.
I did not go through all of the pages to pick out our faves. I only picked out things that I knew we liked from plus-size or our dream picks. The good things about Nordstrom is that it is so easy to return if you don’t like the items!
GloPro- This is always on sale in other places throughout the year. I have seen QVC and HSN have good deals on it. Personally, I don’t use it anymore. I am sure the effects are legitimate, but I am not risking a skin infection for the results.
Olaplex set – There are multiple reasons not to get this. The first being that it is only a good deal if you like the shampoo and conditioner. Personally, I think the Raincry Regenerating Shampoo and Conditioner are 10x better and always on sale — you can always get at least 25% off with our code:SISTER. The other thing about this set? Well just invest in K-18 already. It is so much easier to use than Olaplex. No waiting around to let it penetrate your hair to then wash it out. Plus it only temporarily repairs hair, it is not permanent. K-18 permanently repairs hair. You can use code “AMAZON20” for 20% off. You can learn more about K-18 in my K-18 Instagram post.
Oribe Gold Lust set – This is a set I received a sample size of — the shampoo, conditioner, and the mask. And it is nothing to write home about — especially for the price. It smells good, though.
Barefoot Dreams In the Wild Throw – $119 is the cheapest you will find this blanket. I bought one last year and love it. So why is it a flop? Because it has been re-created at much lower costs through other brands — like this Sam’s Club dupe I tried. I cannot tell enough of a difference to pay more than $90 for the original one. However, if you want a specific print — those have not been duplicated.
Oribe Set – I like the texturizing spray, but thought the dry shampoo was bad. It did nothing to absorb my oil, and I feel like it even made my hair greasier? I also think the scent was too strong. However, I do think scent is personal. I like a more clean scent and it is more of a perfume-y scent.
Tata Harper Set- Missy loves the resurfacing mask, but this is only a good deal if you like the other three masks. I received the three in a set last year and was not impressed by any of them. I also don’t love the resurfacing mask either, but is a holy grail for Missy.
Hourglass set- Missy and I love this primer and powder, but don’t think the setting spray is anything to write home about. Since part of the cost is a full-size of the setting spray, we do not think this is worth it.
Dr. Dennis Gross Head to Glow set- I love these pads, but I can always find them for 25% off, and sometimes 30% off. This is still a good value, but if it sells out, you will find another good deal in a month or so.
R&Co set – I received these in a sample set from Birchbox, and received a full-size of the mask. I was not impressed with any of them. Skip.
Sunday Riley Good Genes set– This set is basically like buying a 1.7oz and getting 0.5 oz for free. I love Good Genes. However, this is not the best deal you will see on the set. Starting in October, you can usually find this set for at least 25% off. If you need to re-stock, it is a good deal.
