I'm a Very Last-Minute Shopper—But Nordstrom's Half-Yearly Sale Has Me Covered
These beauty gifts will somehow arrive in time for Christmas.
There are two types of people in the world, the first being those who wait until the eleventh hour to finally begin putting a dent in their Christmas shopping to-do list and the second being, well, everyone else. If you're reading this right now, it's likely that either procrastination, indecisiveness, or shipping delays (or, perhaps, a combination of all three) has landed you in the former category and left you scrambling to find gifts just days before the big day. The good news is that there's still enough time to pick out a decent gift your loved one will be pleased with, and Nordstrom's Half-Yearly Sale is just the right place to find one.
The sale kicked off on December 20 and is running until Jan. 5, and it's the perfect opportunity to shop dozens of cult-favorite beauty products (among other things like clothing and kitchenware) at major discounts. For example, you can snag a Dyson Airwrap for nearly $200 off its regular price tag, but you can also shop gift sets from luxury brands like Augustinus Bader, Gucci, and 111SKIN.
If you're ordering something in the hopes that it'll arrive by Christmas, you can guarantee this so long as you select the expedited shipping option at checkout. (Choose two-day shipping if you're ordering today.) And if you'd rather not risk any packages being delayed or lost in transit, you can also check to see which sale items are available to pick up in person at a Nordstrom near you.
Read ahead to check out the best last-minute beauty gifts worth splurging on at Nordstrom's Half-Yearly Sale event.
The Dyson Airwrap is the hair tool of all hair tools, and if anyone in your life has been itching to get their hands on one, now's the best time to snag it. It comes with six attachments that can all dry, curl, style, and shape your hair, depending on what look you're after, and the promise of no heat damage makes it even more enticing.
At over $200 off, this 111SKIN gift set is a steal. It comes with 11 items, including a cleansing oil, four sheet masks, a set of retinol patches, a vitamin C moisturizer, and a gua sha tool.
Can't afford a professional chemical peel? These best-selling peel pads from Dr. Dennis Gross are the next best thing, and this set comes with 90 treatments (60 Alpha Beta Original Universal Daily Peel and 30 Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel). They exfoliate using a combination of AHAs and BHAs, so be sure to patch test and start off slowly if you have sensitive skin.
Gucci's Flora Gorgeous Gardenia is a light floral scent that features sweet notes of pear blossom, brown sugar, and patchouli. If that speaks to you, grab this kit that features a full-size fragrance, a travel-size lotion, and a pen spray.
If you're a fan of the Augustinus Bader Rich Cream for it's hydrating and anti-aging abilities, you can get that and more (like the Rich Eye Cream and the Hydrogel Face Mask) in this three-piece set.
Choosing a signature scent can be difficult (especially given how pricey fragrances can be), but this set makes it easier to test a variety of scents before committing to your favorite. It features five fragrances from a peppery basil scent to one with notes of red apple and peony.
LED light therapy facials—while beneficial for issues like fine lines, wrinkles, and acne—aren't always cost-effective. Invest in an at-home tool that'll give you similar results. This one from PURSONIC is on sale for $100 off.
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Danielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness. Before that, she spent three years as an assistant beauty editor at PS, and in the years since, her work has appeared in titles like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Danielle graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, and has lived in Brooklyn for almost ten years. When she's not writing, you can find her reading romance novels and talking about sunscreen. You can find her on Instagram @danielleknecole.