The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is back, and if you hold a Nordstrom Card the early access tiers are already open: Icons on July 14, Ambassadors on July 15, Influencers on July 16, with public access on July 18. I went in for the beauty exclusives — and the sunglasses — and this is the honest report from the day, including the few things I walked away from.
The beauty exclusives this year are almost all value sets and jumbo sizes. I own a lot of the colors in this year’s sets already, which is exactly the trap the sale is designed to set. But there are a few standouts genuinely worth your money — especially in fragrance. One more tip: check the gifts with purchase before you check out. The lineup changes and some are online only.
Sunglasses
I always keep an eye on the eyewear, and this year’s edit was strong. I tried on the Celine Bold Three Dots in 51 mm, but I preferred the 55 mm pair I already own — a good reminder that a bigger frame doesn’t automatically mean a better one. There were a lot of fun Tom Ford styles on sale; the larger butterfly shapes were cute, but they read like a repeat of frames I bought last year. In the end I got the oval frame style in a lighter color, just for fun.
Worth it or skip it? The sunglasses: skip it if you already own a shape you love. This year’s new shapes are a rehash, and your current pair is doing its job.
Beauty exclusives: makeup
Giorgio Armani Beauty has some of the strongest makeup sets in the store. The Cheek Tint Liquid Blush Duo ($53) packs two of their best-selling pinks, and the Effortless Eyes Set ($62) pairs a shimmer champagne, a tan brown matte, and a mini mascara. If you’ve been eyeing Armani liquid eyeshadows, this is the cheapest door in.
Bobbi Brown does classic, effortless, and their sets show it. I picked up the Eye Enhancer Eyeshadow Palette + Liner Set ($55) — the colors are genuinely pretty and they do exactly what the name promises.
Hourglass brought back the Brush Trio Set ($146 on sale, $220 value). It sold out fast last year, and I’m not surprised it’s moving again. The Veil Translucent Setting Powder + Brush Set ($80 on sale) is also a solid value if you want to top up on powder.
MAC lip sets this year lean on repeats — the Satin Soft Lip Combo Kit ($33 on sale, $50 value) pairs Crème in Your Coffee with Whirl, or Crème Cup with Cork. There’s also a Glossy Comfort Lip Combo Kit ($33 on sale, $50 value) with Casual Lipglass Air and Velvet Teddy Lip Liner, and the Night Nude Look in a Box Collection ($60 on sale, $105 value). What I actually bought was the mini Pocket Plushies Brush Kit ($60) — super cute, and brushes never go out of style.
Westman Atelier shades are all permanent, which is the right call for a set. I love the Lip Edition Set ($79 on sale, $122 value): three full sizes — Rose Lip Suede Matte Lipstick, Chou Chou Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm, and Je Re’ve Lip Shape Lip Liner. It’s a combo I’d buy at full price. The Petite Baby Cheeks Lit Up Duo ($35 on sale, $52 value) with Nectar and Petal is a good add-on.
YSL Beauty sets are all permanent shades too. The Make Me Blush + Loveshine Set ($60 on sale) pairs Nude Lavalliere blush with Loveshine — a classic combo that’s hard to get wrong. My personal pick is the Brown Look Eyeshadow Set ($81 on sale), since the 710 Over Brun palette is one of their best quads. If you like lip plumpers, the Loveshine Plumping Lip Oil ($53 on sale, $80 value) comes in Lucky Moonstone and Nude Lavalliere — that said, I’ve found the formula a bit strong for my own lips, so treat this as a swatch-worthy splurge rather than a daily driver.
Tom Ford Beauty — the Runway Lip Duo Gift Set ($85 on sale, $124 value) contains two of my favorite shades, Sable Smoke and Slip. When your two favorites show up in one box, the math is easy.
Beauty exclusives: fragrance + body
This is where the sale stops being a sale and becomes a fragrance event. The Le Labo Discovery Fragrance Set ($210) was on my wishlist and it was the first thing I picked up in the store — minis of 5 scents, each with a spritzer atomizer, and it’s cuter than it should be. I already love Another 13, but it’s been a while since I tried anything else from the house, so this is the perfect way back in. The Le Labo shower gels and hand soaps come in jumbo sizes during the sale, so I grabbed the Hinoki Shower Gel ($55) too and I’m likely to order a hand soap before it ends.
L’Occitane‘s Almond Shower Oil Set ($62 on sale, $95 value) was a must-have — we go through bottles of this fast, and this is the cheapest refill on the calendar.
Parfums de Marly — the Signature Trio ($515 on sale, $765 value) is a great set, and honestly, if I didn’t already own the scents in it, I would have bought it without thinking. People keep asking me whether I’d rather have Valaya or Valaya Exclusif: both are beautiful, but I prefer the Exclusif — it’s softer, not as sharp as the original. If Delina is your thing, the Delina + Exclusif Duo is $455 on sale, $675 value.
Byredo and Maison Francis Kurkdjian have strong sets too — they do these at the holidays as well — and I love the look of the Discovery Fragrance Trio ($475) with Baccarat Rouge 540, Kurky, and Grand Soir (the one I haven’t tried yet, though I’ve heard a lot of good things). If that’s a stretch for a discovery set, the My Wardrobe Set ($230) has smaller vials of the same lineup.
Beauty exclusives: skincare
For skincare I kept it to one purchase: the La Mer Most Loved Minis Set ($98). I love minis for weekend trips, and I have a lot to work through at home right now, so I stopped there. A lot of these value sets will return for the holidays, so you’re not locked in. Augustinus Bader is another house I’d happily stock up from — The Cream and The Rich Cream are both at sale prices, alongside some other sets.
The rest of the store
I passed on shoes and clothes this year. I had a lot on my radar, but after checking them out in-store, I decided to pass for now. Barefoot Dreams is always a great selection and I love it, but I can wait. My eye is on the CozyChic Ribbed Cardigan — it looks perfect for winter. The real surprise: Away Luggage is at Nordstrom now, with a few items on sale in limited-edition colors, including the Featherweight Weekend Bag, Mini Crossbody, and several suitcase sizes.
The Edit
One pick from the whole day: the Le Labo Discovery Fragrance Set ($210). It was the first thing I picked up, it’s the set I’d buy again, and it’s the closest thing this sale has to a no-brainer. Five minis with proper atomizers, from a house I trust, at a price that only exists for a few weeks. This is the one — done.
FAQ
When does the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2026 open to everyone? Public access starts July 18. Nordstrom Cardholders get earlier access by tier: Icons July 14, Ambassadors July 15, Influencers July 16.
Is the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale worth it for beauty? For value sets, yes — especially fragrance discovery sets and jumbo body products, where the per-use price drops the most. For skincare, I’d be selective and check what’s returning for the holidays first.
Do the sale sets use permanent shades? Most of the makeup sets I flagged do — Westman Atelier and YSL Beauty use permanent shades throughout, which means you’re not locked into a limited color.
A note from the editor: I left the store with four bags and zero regrets — which, for me, is the real measure of a good sale. You don’t need everything on the wall. You need the three things that earn their place.
Less shelf, more glow.