The Details
It's that time of year again. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts today for Icon card holders. I spent all last week giving it a really good once over during the preview. Scroll down to see my picks.The dates for the sale are (I think this is the earliest it has ever been):
Today, July 6th: Icon (card holder)
Thursday, July 7th: Ambassador (card holder)
Saturday, July 9th: Influencer (card holder)
Friday, July 15th: Open to everyone
Sunday, July 31st: Last day to shop the sale
You don't need a promo code. The prices are all as marked and will go back up to full price on July 31st.
My First Impression
I have sooooooo many thoughts on this sale and I'll try to make this as brief as possible. This is the most disappointed in the sale I have been. It really seems like the same old thing year after year at this point. I guess in a sense, knowing you can count on snagging your favorite Bra on sale or replenish your favorite shower oil is nice. But I do wish there was more variety year over year.
I saw very few things that excited me. Lots of my favorite brands are not even part of the sale anymore (like Patagonia, JCrew, etc.). I see a lot of Nordstrom in-house brands (not necessarily a negative depending on how you look at it) and a lot of beauty (which I'm assuming because it has a high markup).
I also think the sale being even a week earlier than last year is pushing it! I loved when, in 2020, they had it much later. Such good timing being in early August. Early July is just too early. This also makes me think that some of these things in the anniversary sale will be on an even deeper discount by September/October if they don't sell out (which some things really do fully sell out and never come back in stock so if it's something you really want, I truly suggest snagging it the second you have access to shop).
I remember many years ago getting SO excited for this sale. There were so many great things year after year from my favorite brands. Now I feel like I'm just reiterating things I've said in years past.
With that said, I still went through every. single. thing. for womens, skincare/beauty, and home. There are nearly 4000 items and that is just womens alone. It's a lot to dig through to find the few gems. And there really are a few gems worth chatting about.
I am extremely discerning when going through all of this stuff. I only include things I've either tried and loved or products that I will may purchase on my own or think are a really good deal.
See one more of my shopping tips at the bottom of this post...
Shop The Sale Items:
A few notes on some of these items...
Bra// One of my go-to everyday bras. It's so comfortable and fits so well. I go up one cup size as I find the cup runs smaller than most other bras I own.
Dior Lip Glow Set// Such a good price for all three of these. I have a full pink Dior lip glow right now so I don't really 'need' this set. It's such a good everyday lip balm and the 'pink' gives you the tiniest bit of flush to your lips. I've never tried the other two products but am interested in them.
Almond Shower Duo// A must-have for me. I have been using this shower oil for so many years... probably like 7 or 8 years at this point. It lathers and when it does, it almost feels warm on your skin. I really only use it when I am shaving my legs but will use it as a bodywash is my skin is really dry. I love this so much more for shaving than traditional shaving cream. It's $$ than shaving cream but the wonderful scent, and a close, smooth, hydrated shave is worth it to me.
Long Sleeve Tee// Listen, if you get one thing in the sale, I think maybe this is it. I discovered these long sleeve tees last fall. I ordered it in black from Nordstrom and paid full price. If you wear athleisure outfits or workout a lot, this is my favorite long sleeve tee to throw on over my tanks in the fall/winter/spring before or after a workout. I also just wear them with bike shorts or leggings when lounging around. It's 100% cotton and so I size up to a medium. Before drying, the medium is really big on me, but once dried in the dryer, it shrinks up quite a bit so that is why I suggest sizing up one size! I have ordered the white one before but have returned it because I felt like the white was a little too sheer for my liking. I love the black color and I want to get the blue and pink in the sale. The quality is well worth the $30 sale price tag.
Skinny Jeans// I've talked about these jeans a million and one times! It surprised me that they are in the sale again this year as I feel like Gen Z has claimed that skinny jeans are out. Regardless, I love these jeans and wear them regardless of what the younger generation thinks of me. I have a full blog post review of them, here. They are so stretchy and soft and flattering and just easy to wear.
Westman Atelier Set// I use so many Westman Atelier products including all three of these products. The Illuminated highlighter in peau de soleil is one of my holy grail makeup products. I use it mostly as a bronzer rather than a highlighter. It's such a pretty, warm, glowy color and blends beautifully. I have the blush in Bichette (not chouchette which is what comes in this set) but it also blends so nicely. I mainly use that color in the fall/winter. I have the highlighter stick but I don't love it. Regardless, even just the blush and illuminating highlighter for this price would be amazing since WA is pricey.
Curling Iron + Hair Dryer// If you are a Costco member, you can find the t3 brand on their website or sometimes in-store. I've also seen it priced at $99.99 in my Costco (not always). I guess the price just fluctuates. A Costco membership is ~$60 so it's almost worth it to buy the membership and then get the curling iron. There is an ever-so-slight difference in design. The hairdryer is also at Costco for $99 (not always). I have both and love both and use them weekly. Right now, I am not seeing the curling iron on Costco's website so the Nordstrom sale is the best price I can find for you all right now!
Hydroflask Waterbottle// This is the water bottle I take to every single Orange Theory class with me. It keeps my water cold and holds enough water to get me through class and I just refill it right at the end of class on my way out. I like that it has that little loop on the top of it as I attach a carabiner to it that holds my car key so I don't have to bring anything else into the studio with me. It doesn't leak at all if you throw it into a bag. The only downside is that it is heavy when full- the bottle itself isn't really light but it's so well made and sturdy. I just don't know that I would want to carry it around with me all day. The rubber boot keeps it from slipping off of surfaces. I love the straw cap. Overall, totally recommend this. These water bottles are pricey- I mean for a water bottle, so getting anything off is really great. I wish mine looked as pretty as these do!!
Camel Coat// I think the #1 thing on my wish list is the MaxMara coat. It is still over $1000 on sale and I think the reason I will likely not purchase it is not even because of the price but because I wish the length was longer- just a personal preference. This is the one I am holding out for. Otherwise, it's a stunning and classic piece you'd have in your closet forever. This is a good look for less also in the sale.
Vest// I have a vest that looks somewhat similar to this and I wear it ALL the time. I have looked for something similar in the past when I am linking to my outfit when I wear it. I bought it at Club Monaco many years ago and it's just the best thing in the winter. I always get compliments! I would definitely recommend trying this out. It's hard to find anything like this out there!
Sports Bra// I love these sports bras. They have a racerback and a nice compression fit but are still comfortable. They don't have any padding in them which I like!
Some more thoughts...
I always look at Vince in the anniversary sale. It's a splurge for me but they have the nicest quality sweaters. I have so many from Anniversary sales past that has held up so well and are things I wear all the time. I put my top 3 favorites in the widget above! Be sure to check out Nordstrom Rack and The Outnet- I get a lot of my Vince pieces there as they are highly discounted- spotty with sizes being available but worth the browse! More brands I keep an eye out for during the Anniversary Sale...
Jo Malone (wood sage and sea salt is my favorite, a close second is blackberry and bay)
A Few More Things I Liked:
Last Tips
Things in this sale sell out quickly so if you missed out on something you can always keep an eye on it as things will often come back in stock as people return things. My biggest tip, though, is that if you love an item and it is out of stock, check Nordstrom rack. There are so many similar items for an even bigger markdown on the Rack site. One of my favorite sweater brands, La Ligne, for example, is a brand included in the Nordstrom sale, but you can find some pieces on the Rack site as well as on sale at places like Net-A-Porter (this cardigan for $158 is gorgeous). Even Nordstrom still has La Ligne on sale outside of their anniversary sale.
Another example is Mother Denim. I love this denim brand and it can be pretty pricey and there are a few styles included in the Nordstrom sale. The discount is actually pretty darn good! Anyway, Bloomingdales has a selection of Mother Denim on sale so do Saks and Shopbop.
Also, I feel like this probably goes without saying but just because something is on sale, doesn't mean it is the best. I have and love these cz stud earrings. But, I have since found these cz stud earrings and like them better than the Nordstrom ones. I prefer the way that these sit flatter in my ears and are such nice quality. I like the 2ct tw. So I won't be including the Nordstrom version in my roundup this year (I have in years past) only because I think I have found something better.
Also, remember this is just a sale like any other sale. People get so heated and worked up over this sale and while it can be disappointing to miss out on something you love, remember these are just things and there will always be sales and other things you love in the future!
I'm curious to know your thoughts on the sale if you have shopped it in the past and have had a chance to look over everything, are you feeling the same way I am, or are you really excited and have a big wish list?!
4 comments:
I share your disappointment with this year's sale. It's far too early and on preview I was underwhelmed by the deja vu. It's the same stuff every year. I'm not putting nearly as much effort into promoting it this year.
I’ve shopped it in the past and also remember being excited about it…maybe a decade ago? Now it is just the same old tired things, raved about by people because they’re paid to do so. It just doesn’t lure me whatsoever anymore.
I also completely stopped buying from Nordstrom a few years back after several orders in a row came to me tossed in a box with no wrapping or protection, dirty, obviously tried on, or even worn and returned. I was turned off to the point that I cut up my card and quit even looking at their site.
And don’t even get me started on the stupidity of the name “Nordy Club”. What kind of one star marketing major came up with that gem?
Okay, sorry that was such a negative comment. :/
I have a question and a comment. First as soon as the sale was posted and I looked at a few things...many items had reviews so are those not new items but things they have already sold but just reduced the price for the sale? Second, I have learned the hard way that SOME items are specifically made for the sale so my guess is of lesser quality to compensate for the lower price.
Anonymous, I think the reviews for the items are because the item itself is not new but the item is released in an ‘anniversary sale color’ so that you get the discount, if that makes sense. I always think this is a silly move, because sometimes other colors are on deeper discount because they are considered older or last season! I’ve noticed this in 2020 and 2021 and now this year! I actually also, yes so many items are made specifically for the sale so that they are ready ‘Nordstrom exclusives’. This has been going on since the sale began and I have always warned people to be discerning about quality because you just never know when quality was skimped on! I think it’s gotten worse in more recent years!
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