Happy Monday! Today is the first day of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I’m here to share the items I have found to be the best deal. Since this is a tiered sale, this blog post covers when you can shop. Remember that this is just a sale! Review what you really need or want before your tier goes live and then add them to your wishlist. This way, you only checkout with items that are on strategy for your household and wallet.

Personally I found the home, baby, handbag and shoe selections to be lackluster this year. The beauty and essentials seemed to be the best in my opinion, but keep reading for a break down. After today I’ll likely do one other blog post covering what I am purchasing as that blog post is always popular!

20 Best Finds of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

1. Larq self cleaning water bottle
Pre-pandemic, I would travel frequently for work. I’m a total germaphobe so I grabbed this self cleaning water bottle that uses hospital grade sanitation which is so great in airports, on airplanes and anywhere else where you’re grabbing water from on the go that likely isn’t filtered. Since then, I also grabbed one for my husband as well. Anytime we leave the house, we bring these water bottles with us.

How does it work? You charge your bottle about one a month with a typical wall charger that zips right into the lid. You can clean your empty water bottle and any water before consumption by clicking the top of the bottle lid. It’s as easy as that! Click once for a quick 30 second clean for water that is trustworthy and twice for a longer deep clean for suspicious water sources, like water fountains, airports etc. I really cannot recommend this product enough! It allows us to stay hydrated on the go while knowing our water is of high grade.

2, Riki 10X lighted mirror
I use this make up mirror every single day that I apply make up! It’s a big chunk of money on sale or not, but if you love make up and want a flawless application, this mirror is a game changer.

I had a different, clunky, heavy make up mirror for about 15 years and upgraded to this about two years ago. It’s so thin, lightweight and does the job needed.

I love it so much that I got the travel compact one too for work trips. That isn’t on sale, but wanted to note! If I am not flying and am road tripping, I usually pack the original because it is really slender and easy to fit when you don’t need to optimize space within a carry on.

3. Spanx Faux Leather Leggings
I wear these way more than jeans come winter time! While they can certainly be dressed down with white sneakers and a sweater, I normally wear mine to dress up an outfit. I like to pair them with an oversized sweater or long line blouse with black pointed toe flats. That is my go to winter date night outfit!

For quality, these really are the best faux leather leggings on the market. I have tried others that .. simply put.. are not flattering. These smooth ya out and suck ya in in the right places.

As for sizing, I own both a small and medium. I found that my normal size, medium, stretched out over time and I prefer the look of the small/size down from my normal bottom size. That is coming from someone that likes a lot of compression in their leggings so if you want more comfort and less compression, I suggest going with your normal size.

Here are some ways I have styled them in the past!

3. True Body Bralette
Absolutely my favorite product find all pregnancy! This bra isn’t maternity, this is just the stage in life when I found it, and I will certainly be wearing this ‘new to me’ brand for years to come.Well into my second trimester of pregnancy, I needed to find new bras. I hate bras and avoided wearing them as often as I could pre-pregnancy, but I really needed something that I could wear outside the house now that was comfortable. I also wanted something that would be smooth on my beck as my old bras were getting so tight they were causing an unflattering bump on my back.Here is the winner of my bra search. These bras are SO soft, silky, comfortable, breathable, flattering.. the list goes on. I LOVE them. From someone that hates wearing bras, it really is the only bra I’ve ever owned that comes near to a ‘no bra’ feeling. I cannot suggest them enough. The back smooth you out, the material is so cooling and soft and you cannot even feel the straps. They are usually around $50, but during the sale are $28!

For sizing, pre-pregnancy I’d have been a medium which means they run true to size. Right now I am wearing a large due to the changes that happen with your body!

4. PMD facial cleansing brush
If you are still using a cleansing brush that either spins (instead of vibrates) or has bristles, those are both ways to create micro tears in your skin and also spread bacteria.

The benefits of this facial cleansing brush is that there is no need for a bristle head with means it can be disinfected after every use, not harbor bacteria (only making your skin more dirty) and no recurring charge! It also vibrates which is VERY important. Many cheaper facial brushes on the market completely swirl which does more harm than good to your skin.I grabbed this facial cleansing brush two years ago and still use it every night when cleaning my face. I don’t even think I have replaced the batteries! My girlfriends have purchased this from the Nordstrom Sale in the past and also like it!

5. Slip silk hair tie set
I wear these every single day. I use the thinner ones for a simple pony and they provide enough strength for my hair. I use the scrunchies as a way to dress up a regular pony or high bun. I like that they are both very gentle on your hair, reduce breakage and neither type leave a huge dent line. With the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale price, you’re basically buying one and getting one type free.. meaning you’re buying the two scrunchies and getting six thinner hair ties for free.

6. Zella Lite Leggings
My favorite casual leggings are on sale for $35. I stock up every year! I prefer these over any other brand or cut/style by Zella because they are the “lite” version which means they aren’t as thick as other leggings. While they are still very flattering and have compression, they are not as constricting as others.

I also prefer crops because I wear them all summer long and in the winter, I just tuck them into boots.

If you want a longer legging, I’ve owned these for years that are also included in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and like them too! They are a bit thicker and longer.

7. Stuart Weitzman Over-the-Knee Boots
My all time favorite winter accessory are my Stuart Weitzman OTK boots. I bought them about four years ago during the sale and they are easily my favorite designer score because the price is slashed and they hardly ever go on sale outside of this time of year.

Although I own the Lowland and it’s the City version on sale, they are very similar. I wear them all winter long because they style perfectly under midi skirts or dresses. They allow you to get use out of items that yo’d otherwise not wear in cold weather! With midi skirts, your only alternative is tights with flats or ankle boots, but sometimes that is not warm enough or comfortable. Just slipping these OTK boots on is much easier.

On my Instagram, I have a highlight showing how to style them labeled “OTK Boots”. Here is a way I also style them for fall –

8. 3 Pack Zella Ankle Socks
Do you have 10 different variations of socks and always dig for a certain one? I do lol. I grabbed these socks last year during the sale and they are just my favorite. They are the perfect amount of thickness and stretchiness. I like how the back near the top of the heel has some extra cushion as well because that protects against any chaffing! Since they are so favored, I have worn them countless times and they are like brand new.

9. T3 Straightener
If you have been using your Chi since 2001 like myself, upgrading to this straightener is a good call. I upgraded about two years ago and was shocked I went so long with a clearly dated straightener.

This straightener is nicknamed the ‘one pass’ because it takes one quick pass at the hair to have frizz free, perfectly straight hair. That was the biggest difference I saw between this and my old school Chi, My Chi took like five passes and my hair would still be a bit “fluffy”.

They also have their curling iron included in the sale as well. I own this and use it all the time! Their curls last longer than any other brand curling iron or wand I’ve used. I don’t know how they do it.

10. Barefoot Dreams Blankets
Everyone in our house loves these. I think they are worth every penny because they are so very soft, super stretchy and the perfect weight. Muenster takes over all three we own 😛 so I’m grabbing a couple more this year for the baby’s room, our bedroom and one for my OB as a gift.

If you aren’t a leopard person, they also have plain, this lightly striped one and this new beautiful floral!

A few other notables –

• I grabbed these athletic pants for my husband last year and he wears them all the time! They are light and great for running errands or lounging. They run true to size.
• I’m grabbing this ‘nap dress’ dress to try out for coming from from the hospital and postpartum days with Baby.
• This cardigan is usually one of the first items to sell out. It runs true to size and is so very soft. I have the light grey!
• The stroller we got is also included in the sale – the Uppababy Vista. I personally wanted a different color so we didn’t opt for the sale one, but if you like navy it’d be perfect!
• These black pointed toe booties are a fall and winter staple. They’d pair really great with the faux leather leggings I mentioned earlier!
• If you are looking for a pair of yoga leggings or some that don’t have compression and are very comfortable, these are so good! I have both a regular and a maternity pair and both are perfect for lounging. They are different than the leggings I mentioned above in the fact that there is literally no compression and it feels like you’re not wearing ay pants. That said, they are very flattering! I suggest going down one size as they run large. ‘
• I’m eyeing these neutral slides!
• Here is the eyelash growth serum I’ve talked about for years. It is not pregnancy or breastfeeding safe, but I look forward to using it in the future again. It makes your lashes very thick and super long. I apply morning and night for a month, then see results, and tailor down to once a day. This deal is buy one, get one free.
• These white sneaks are so cute and under $60! This brand usually runs true to size.
• This top would work perfectly with leggings, shorts or jeans! Super cute.

Are you grabbing anything from the sale? Let me know below! Xo Mindy