11 Underrated Hidden Gems At The Nordstrom Beauty Counter That Weirdly No One Is Writing About
Our near-pathological addiction to cosmetics is your gain!
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by The Candidly Team
There’s no scarcity of “beauty lists” on the internet.
But we have noticed that as new, shiny products arrive on beauty counters, and the PR machine roars, many classics and lesser-known colors and formulas are pushed to the sidelines. And while we love to try everything new new new, we also rely on our go-to workhouse products that might not be the sexy new kid in town, but actually, there’s a reason they’ve been around for a long time:
They’re good.
So take our hand, and let’s take a little stroll around the Nordstrom cosmetic counters, where we will reveal our favorite, overlooked beauty gems. We own them all. We use them constantly. And it’s almost bizarre that no one is writing about them.
1. Clarins Body Firming Cream
Almost every “lifting” body lotion we’ve ever used is a scam. This one actually works. There’s a noticeable difference in our knees when we stick with it.
Price: $75
2. Westman atelier super loaded highlight
This is a blush and bronzer and highlighter all in one glowy product that’s made for beginners. We can tap this on our tops of cheekbones with just fingertips, and it never sinks into pores or lines. The price is diabolical, but we’ve had ours forever and frankly, it’s worth it.
Price: $75
3. Armani Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow
Typically we are not fans of eyeshadow because it makes our lids look even wrinklier, but this is the only one, in the color cashew* that’s actually smoothing. We apply it directly to our lids and take a big fluffy blush to blur it out. It takes no skill and makes our eye color pop.
Price: $39
4. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Moisturizer Cream with Hyaluronic Acid
For some reason this moisturizer is never talked about, but if you’re combination but also starting to see dehydration lines around your eyes and lips, this is such a powerhouse moisturizer. Chock full of hyaluronic acid, it keeps skin plump and hydrated but never greasy. It does that thing where it almost instantly sinks into the skin, making it just feel balanced and soft.
Price: $70
5. Solawave 4-in-1 Skin Care Wand
There is not a night where we don’t use this wand. Red light therapy has real efficacy and while we do love and use a full mask too, this one is so easy to whip out during our nightly doom scroll. Texture is noticeably improved after about a month and pores are noticeably diminished.
Price: $169
6. Estée Lauder Glossy Pout Tinted Lip Oil
Everyone looks good in a perfect cool-toned pink gloss*. Everyone. This one in the shade strawberry milk* is technically an oil but it feels like a non-sticky slip on the lips, makes us look tan, makes our teeth look white, and while it’s not a sexy brand, this gloss formula is unmatched.
Price: $30
7. Byredo Rose of No Man's Land Eau de Parfum
If you want to smell like an impossibly gorgeous but slightly tormented French woman, this is the only fragrance to even consider. You do have to like rose, but it’s not a sweet rose. It’s a peppery, slightly spicy melancholy rose. It is so unbelievably singular, it’s worth the “blind buy,” and since it’s on sale (which never happens with this fragrance) it might be a sign if you’ve always wanted a truly special signature scent.
Price: $235
8. Clinique 'Take the Day Off' Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips
So boring but if all eye makeup remover either burns your eyes or doesn’t work, we’ve been using this one for a cool 35 years. And nothing is better.
Price: $28
9. Chantcaille Future Skin Oil-Free Foundation
The gold standard in mature skin glowy foundations—makes skin look like you have a filter on. But in real life. This one is a serum-like gel formula so you’ll never look too wet or shiny, just 100% no-makeup makeup dewy and like it’s just your skin—but better. The shades are very forgiving so pick one that feels close and it’ll be right. We love to use it with fingers for the best result. Truly can’t mess it up.
Price: $95
10. Dr. Dennis Gross DermInfusions™ Plump + Repair Lip Treatment
The only lip plumping product we’ve ever used that actually works.
It does tingle a bit but for bee-sting lips, it’s worth it.
Price: $28
11. Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream
The holy grail moisturizer for dry skin that we’ve used and loved for over 5 years. It’s viral with celebs the world over for a reason—its untouchable.
Price: $315
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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