The smartest way to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is to buy intentionally: replenish proven skincare staples, stock up on quality basics like bras and pajamas, and grab the seasonal-ahead pieces — coats and jackets — at their lowest price of the year. In this video, Nikol Johnson shares her best beauty picks, the products she rebuys every year, and her wishlist strategy for shopping the sale without impulse regret.
Key Takeaways
- The Anniversary Sale rewards planning — build a wishlist before the sale opens, not while browsing it.
- Skincare staples (serums, exfoliators, sunscreen) offer the best real savings because you'll use them regardless.
- Buy ahead of season: fall coats and jackets hit their lowest prices in July.
- Quality basics — bras, shapewear, pajamas — are the unglamorous purchases that pay off daily.
What Beauty Products Are Worth Buying at the Sale?
Nikol's repeat purchases lean skincare: her go-to serum, a lactic acid exfoliator, a rich hydrator for mature skin, self-tanner, and sunscreen. She also picks up a gentle eye makeup remover — the one she bought specifically because it dissolves even the most stubborn long-wear formulas, including her own Nikol Beauty waterproof eyeliners. Every individual pick, with current sale links, is in the video description on YouTube.
How Do You Shop the Sale Intentionally?
Nikol's framework is thinking ahead: what will you genuinely need in three months? That's why her cart includes fall outerwear in July and replenishment-sized skincare. The video is explicitly about intentional purchases — buying what you already know you love at a discount, rather than discovering new wants because they're marked down.
What Non-Beauty Categories Does Nikol Recommend?
Three: foundational underpinnings (her favorite bras, shapewear, and the pajamas she calls the best she owns), home fragrance (candle sets that become holiday gifts at sale prices), and investment outerwear — a camel coat and a biker jacket headline her fashion picks. Each is linked in the description.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?
It runs annually in July, with early access tiers opening first for cardmembers — which is why Nikol recommends joining the Nordy Club and wishlisting in advance.
What sells out first at the Anniversary Sale?
Beauty exclusives and popular outerwear, typically within the first days of early access. If a skincare set or coat is on your list, buy it in your access window rather than waiting for public access.
Is the sale worth it for skincare?
Yes — it's one of the few times premium skincare is genuinely discounted, and anniversary-exclusive sets often bundle full sizes below single-item retail.
