I will always look back on 2023 as the year I was finally won over by Dior’s best-selling Lip Glow Oil, discovered a newfound adoration for the full-coverage and glowy combo offered by Armani’s Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Foundation, and was converted into a Jo Malone fragrance enthusiast. So what’s in store for me in the New Year? I like to think that it’ll be spent in pursuit of a “that girl” beauty collection filled with only the highest-performing products that I can trust to carry me through 2024 without fail.
With that energy in mind, I reached out to one of my favorite retailers for a better idea of which beauty products are worth having. As a Seattle native, Nordstrom has always been my go-to for all things beauty. It’s the place where I purchased my first eau de parfum and experienced a full-face beat at the hands of Anastasia Beverly Hills’ makeup counter. With their help, I’ve ID’d the top skincare, hair, makeup, and fragrance finds that have been absolutely flying off the shelves recently. I’ll be using this as my Nordstrom beauty shopping guide going forward, so don’t be surprised if I try to snag all of these for myself.
No makeup look of mine is complete without this ultra-glowy foundation by Armani. It delivers buildable medium coverage with a radiant, silky-smooth finish that leaves you with naturally flawless-looking skin. It’s also available in 40 gorgeous shades to match every unique skin tone. Customer review: “Of all the foundation products I have purchased, this is the only one I have repurchased. The coverage is excellent without feeling heavy and thick. My skin looks flawless and the color is a perfect match, which has been an issue with other lines. I love this product and will continue to include it in my makeup arsenal.”
Last year, I began investing in high-quality lip pencils that blended perfectly with my favorite plum, pink, and red-toned lipsticks. MAC’s Lip Pencil is just smooth and creamy enough that it’s perfect for outlining, shaping, and coloring in the lips without dragging or disrupting any layers of lip color already present. Customer review: “I am 25-years faithful to MAC lip pencils. No other pencil on the planet is as good. I use many different brands of makeup, but for lip pencils MAC is the only way to go. Creamy application that’s never hard or obvious, sharpen like a dream, never break, [and] blends right into your lipstick.”
If you’ve been anywhere on social media in the past few months, this one shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. Dior’s Lip Glow Oil enhances the lips while bringing out their natural color using a formula enriched with cherry oil and Dior’s Color Reviver Technology. It’s non-sticky and rich and gives a dazzling shine with every swipe. Customer review: “This was the first time I bought this item, and oh my goodness do I love it so much! It is the perfect thing to throw on right before I go anywhere (meeting, store, appointment), and it just makes your lips look so full and glossy.”
I’ve only recently been able to test this balm-like lipstick and have been absolutely in love with it in every sense. It offers a color-meets-care formula that glides onto the lips for long-lasting color with a lightweight feel and absolutely no stickiness. Customer review: “I am just in love with this range my favorite shade is [Dolce Vita.] [It] suits my skin tone very well. It just slides onto lips and makes them look fuller and smooth. Visible shine and non-sticky texture make it more likable. One more plus point is that it doesn’t make my lips dry rather makes them more hydrated and soft.”
Bobbi Brown’s swipe-and-go Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow Stick is a must-have for anyone who wants a quick and easy eye look with minimal effort. It can be used to prime, line, and highlight and comes in three stunning finishes to complement all eye colors, shapes, and skin tones. Its creamy, soft formula is also smudge- and crease-free. Customer review: “I am a makeup minimalist and don’t have the patience for everyday makeup routines that take more than 5 minutes. This stuff is perfect. I use the color Bark for every day. I line my upper eyelids, take my finger to smudge the line, then dab said finger into my crease, and voilà—done! The only disadvantage is that I have a bunch of other eyeliners and shadows that I no longer use!”
I’m going into the New Year with an effective skincare routine thanks to this lactic acid serum by Sunday Riley. It gently exfoliates the surface of the skin while plumping and smoothing away fine lines in three minutes using high-potency, purified-grade lactic acid. In other words, I’ll be entering my “glowing skin” era. Customer review: “I never write reviews, but this product really does wonders and is worth every penny. As I’ve gotten older my skin isn’t as fresh and smooth as it used to be, but when I use this product I really do see a difference. I even got compliments on how great my skin looked after just two days. It smooths my complexions and gives me a nice healthy glow. I don’t know how or why it works, but it does!”
Estée Lauder’s seven-in-one super serum works night and day to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dullness. Its powerful formula uses hyaluronic acid to help lock in moisture, and its eight-hour antioxidant protection defends the skin against free radical change from environmental aggressors like pollution. Customer review: “I’ve been using this product for several years. When I don’t use it I notice a distinct difference in brightness and clarity of my skin. I’ve tried other serums but always come back to Advanced Night Repair.”
I can’t say enough good things about this Jo Malone fragrance. It gives peak Nancy Meyers, coastal-grandmother vibes in a cool, fresh way with mineral and woody notes of ambrette seeds, sea salt, and sage. To say I’m obsessed with Wood Sage & Sea Salt as a year-round fragrance would be an understatement. Customer review: “Easily my new fave Jo Malone fragrance. It has a beach-inspired freshness, but it’s also very elegant and will be a year-round go-to for me. I’m not sure what component it is, but there’s something a little earthy about it that grounds it and gives it an unusual warmth for the typical ‘light’ scent.”
I’m a notorious sucker for florals, and Flowerbomb has landed itself at the very top of my list of favorite scents. It combines intoxicating notes of cattleyas, freesia, sambac jasmine, and rose to create a pure and ultra-delicate fragrance worthy of its name. Customer review: “Fantastically romantic is this fragrance. Fresh and light and the scent stays with you all day. The bottle design is great and I highly recommend spending a little extra on the refillable bottle—it’s so worth it!”
This award-winning hairstyling tool has just witnessed a major redesign of its attachments with Enhanced Coanda airflow for increased control. It can be used to smooth, shape, and curl your strands with no extreme heat for faster and better styling. If you have tightly textured hair like mine, check out the Dyson Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long Diffuse, which has attachments for curly and coily hair. Customer review: “I love my Airwrap! It was a game changer for my hair. I constantly get compliments and asked if I got my haircut, but really I have just been styling it with the Airwrap. I 10/10 recommend this styler for anyone who wants to reduce heat.”
