2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

One of the biggest sales of the year kicks off in a little over two weeks from today and you guessed it, it’s the 2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! I figured I’d tell you first before every other blogger on the planet told you and bombarded you with it, right? Ha, like you already didn’t know.

Anyway, I’m not going to tell you what to buy from the sale. However, I will give you this year’s dates, reshare some tips to shop the Nordstrom anniversary sale I wrote about last year, a review of what I purchased and tested from the 2017 sale and what I’m eyeing from the 2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for myself/gift giving.

Let’s get started!

WHEN IS THE SALE?

Early access for Level 4 cardmembers to pre-shop the sale (in-stores only) – Wednesday, July 11, 2018

All cardmembers to shop Early Access in-stores and online – Thursday, July 12 to Thursday July 19, 2018

2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale opens to the public – Friday, July 20 to Sunday August 5, 2018

Sale ends and items go back to their original retail price – Monday, August 6, 2018

Other Tips: The online catalog can already be accessed online and you should be getting your hard copy in the mail soon too. Note that what’s in these catalogs are usually just sneak peeks of what’s being offered during the sale. You’ll get all the details once the sale begins so don’t worry about missing out. Remember, being a Nordstrom debit card holder option is no longer available. You would have to apply for the credit card, but of course, take your financial situation into account.

2017 PURCHASE REVIEW:

Last year, I made a small purchase as I didn’t need too many things. After trying out a few things, here’s my review on two very popular items:

Zella Live-In High Waist Leggings 

I missed these leggings two years ago so I purchased them last year. These leggings were my first purchase of the sale as sizes usually sell out quickly. The material felt kind of weird to me right out of the package, but I figured it was worth keeping to try out. 

The inseam is long on me (for reference, I’m 5′ 4″ with a usual 30″ inch pant inseam) so I thought I could look past it. I put them on and didn’t like them the first time! Maybe it’s the length, but they felt so weird. The weather didn’t get cold enough for me to wear them often this past fall/winter so I can’t tell you how I really feel about them.

I don’t know whether these are made specifically for the sale because these leggings are at 5-stars with nearly 4,000 reviews on the website. If you know, let me know please! 

Diptyque Candle Set

If you’re like me and can’t justify 60 something dollars for a boujee candle, it’s okay. That was me too…until I purchased this mini candle set. Every scent is as beautiful as the next. Since the anniversary sale, I’ve only burned 2 out of the 5 candles to make them last longer until the next sale. 

Note, the candles are smaller than you’d expect, but according to Diptyque’s website, these votive candles can burn up to 30 hours! I tested it and it’s true so it’s definitely worth the bang for your buck! And yes, they’ll be in my shopping cart again this year!

WHAT I’M EYEING:

BEAUTY

MAC Nude Lip Trio – $36.50

Who doesn’t love MAC lipsticks? I love that this set is dedicated to all nude-lovers out there! This set comes in shades:lipglass in BodyCon, lipstick in Love Drought and lipstick in Pretty Natural. 

CHARLOTTE TILBURY The Pretty Pink Lipstick Set – $60

Charlotte Tilbury makes the prettiest lipsticks/makeup. Their packaging is to die for so why not add a few more to my CT lipstick collection, right? This year’s set has three new colors in Re-Size and Re-Shape Lipliner, Rose Kiss Matte Revolution and Blushing Dream K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick

CHARLOTTE TILBURY Glowing, Pretty Skin Palette – $75

Anything with ‘glowing’, I need. Heck, anything with Charlotte Tilbury I need, ha! I’m going to take a look at to see if I have any highlighter palettes I need to replace before I add this to my cart.

TOM FORD Iris Bronze Eye & Lip Set – $87

I have a few TF lipsticks and love them. This set is definitely valuable because a single full-sized TF lipstick is in the $50-range. 

YVES SAINT LAURENT Nude Edition Lip Set – $74

If you’re a long-time reader, you’d know that my first luxe beauty purchase was YSL. This powerhouse luxe brand does beauty so well and still remains as one of my favorites. Give me all the nudes please!

FOREO Pink LUNA mini 2 + LUNA play Set – $119

Sometimes I find my Clarisonic a little too harsh on my skin, even with the soft bristle heads. I personally think this is a great deal. One face tool for home-use and one for travel!

LA MER The Mini Miracles Collection – $85

If you haven’t tried La Mer yet, you’re missing out. There’s a reason why their products are pricey, but you don’t know the investment until you try them. I love this brand very much and have seen results not only for myself, but for those I know who have suffered burns.

ANTICA FARMACISTA Prosecco Home Ambiance Perfume – $44

I haven’t had a diffuser in my apartment for a long time. I think it’s time to add extra classy touch to my apartment with this home perfume! 

A few brands that aren’t (fully) in the catalog yet are GLAMGLOW, Moroccanoil, Chanel and Dior. I wonder what the Chanel sets will consist of (which is usually around the $90 range). Crossing my fingers in hopes of seeing Neulash Brow Serum included in the sale. I tried their lash serum a few years ago and seriously it works. This time, I want to grow some thick brows!

I also hope to see a SPACE.NK.APOTHECARY set. I heard a lot about this collection so I may give it a shot if it’s included in the sale. This beauty addict certainly loves anything skincare or makeup-related! I’ll be keeping an eye out for sets from these brands myself.

CLOTHES

In terms of clothes, I’m interested in cardigans and jeans this year. You can bet Barefoot Dreams will be on my list along with AG jeans.

SHOES

I didn’t nab black booties last year, so they may be back on my radar this year. Popular brands I’ve seen in the past like Tory Burch no longer interest me. Stuart Weitzman for boots on the other hand…

ACCESSORIES

With accessories, I really don’t think there’s anything I’m eyeing as I’m working on saving for a few investments: a Burberry scarf and a Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis crossbody bag. If they’re on your list, go for items that are going to sell out fast like Kendra Scott. 

OTHER TIPS:

In the past, items that have sold quickly were jewelry, handbags, boots (especially Tory Burch and Stuart Weitzman), outerwear and certain beauty brands. The Nars, MAC and Charlotte Tilbury sets will sell out. 

For clothes, make sure you read the product description to see what materials are used and how to care for your item(s). If you know you’re not a dry cleaning kind of person, save yourself time and money and don’t buy it. Here are my fool-proof online shopping tips!

Peruse the entire sale because I can guarantee that there will be items that will be a part of the sale that aren’t in the catalog. If it’s sold out, call Nordstrom or use their chat box and have your product name, style number, color name and your size. You never know if they can locate what you’re looking for in another store! 

I know this sounds funny, but for some reason, I’m starting to look forward to this event every year. Maybe it’s because my closet is a cleaner and almost completely purged. However, I’m totally eyeing the beauty department more so this year. 

Is there anything you’re eyeing from the sale already?

If you’ve never shopped the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I hope my tips and mini reviews will help! Happy Friday! 

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. I was not gifted any products nor was I compensated by Nordstrom or asked to write about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. All opinions are my own.