For me, 2025 has been all about meeting the goals I’ve set for myself. While most of the intentions I’ve set are tied to finding new hobbies, brushing up on skills, and finally reading the growing stack of books beside my bed, one of my biggest goals as the year reaches its conclusion is to exercise more intentionality around shopping (which, as someone whose career is based on testing and reviewing new beauty products, is easier said than done). With two months left on the calendar, I decided to challenge myself to hold off on making any major purchases from one of my favorite sources for beauty finds, Nordstrom, until I was 100% sure each product was worth the investment.
Now that we’re creeping up on Black Friday, I’m finally taking a second look at my online shopping bag and checking out with 20 of the beauty finds I couldn’t forget about from brands like Oak Essentials, Chantecaille, Alterna, and Aesop. Read on to see what will make it off of my wish list and into my hands just in time for the New Year. Trust me—these are too good to miss!
Skincare
The Ordinary
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
This hydrating oil has landed in my skincare collection more than once, and I’m ready for my next bottle. It uses cold-pressed 100% organic rose-hip seed oil to brighten and balance uneven skin tone while also promoting supple and more radiant-looking skin.
Allies of Skin
Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser
This cleanser completely revamped my skincare routine during my first dry winter on the East Coast, so I’ve been counting down the days until I scored another one. It leaves my skin hydrating, plump, and glowing using a blend of organic safflower oil and moringa oil, in addition to green and white tea extracts.
Osea
Advanced Repair Eye Cream
Unfortunately, my genetics are working against me: dark, puffy under-eyes plague me unless I take the time to give them the TLC they need every day. This formula combines seaweed-derived squalane, green microalgae, and fermented plant extract to brighten skin and reduce the look of bags.
Oak Essentials
Restorative Mask
With everything I put my skin through in a day, a revitalizing face mask like this one isn’t a want but a need. It fuses the deeply hydrating properties of organic honey with that of avocado oil and sea buckthorn fruit oil to combat free radical damage and promote collagen.
Superegg
Pure Transparency Treatment Essence
In 2025, I started using Korean skincare, and this product is what fueled the love affair. Superegg’s refreshing daily treatment leaves my skin hydrated and clear by combining eight molecular weights of hyaluronic acid with the brand’s patented proprietary White Duplex.
Makeup
Pat McGrath Labs
Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Blurring Undereye Powder in Deep
I’ve been seeing this under-eye powder go viral on TikTok over the past few weeks and have been itching to get my hands on it ahead of the holidays. Offered in five stunning shades, Pat McGrath’s new powder leaves the skin looking flawless with a delicate, silky texture and light-reflecting properties.
Bobbi Brown
Pot Rouge Cream Blush for Lips & Cheeks in Calypso Coral
Is blush blindness really a thing? If it is, sign me up because I’m going all in with this multitasking cream color. Designed to be used on the cheeks and lips, this cream blush delivers a sheer-yet-buildable wash of color in an on-the-go compact. The shade Calypso Coral is all I’ll be wearing until further notice.
Hourglass
Volumizing Glossy Balm in Secret
The Hourglass Volumizing Glossy Balm has made it on all my shopping lists for the past two years, and it’s landing itself right back on the one for this year. I trust it to nourish and hydrate my lips with a conditioning complex while coating them with full-bodied color and endless shine.
Ogee
Sculpted Face Stick in Opal
Before I moved back to the PNW from NYC, I had the opportunity to test this one on a stunning rooftop in Downtown Manhattan. The Sculpted Face Stick is offered in 11 eye-catching shades, delivering sheer color with subtle shimmer with a blend of essential fatty acids and oils.
Chantecaille
Faux Cils Mascara
Although I wouldn’t say that my lashes are my best feature, I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on them since I began wearing the Faux Cils Mascara. It coats each lash from root to tip for added length and thickness using a formula enhanced with rose water, natural waxes, vegetal polymers, and red seaweed.
Haircare
Olaplex
No. 6 Bond Smoother Frizz Control Styling Hair Cream
I’ve had my hair in knotless goddess braids for a couple weeks now, but the second my tresses are out to play, I’ll be using this Olaplex styling cream for shiny, smooth strands. The leave-in treatment is designed to work with hair of all types, offering up to 72 hours of frizz control.
Briogeo
Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment
If I could speak to my younger self right now, the helpful piece of advice I’d share (beyond not getting back-to-back gel nails) would be to begin using a scalp serum like this one by Briogeo. It uses binchotan charcoal, tea tree oils, hyaluronic acid, and more to nourish and protect your hair and scalp.
Living Proof
Flex Shaping Hairspray
I spent 12 years of my life as a ballet dancer and wore buns constantly, and if I had this hair spray back then, I think my hair would have been treated so much better. It’s a medium-hold hair spray designed to be used throughout the styling process, leaving hair touchable and brushable.
Alterna
Caviar Anti-Aging Universal Heat Styling Spray
Since going natural a few years ago, I’ve avoided putting heat on my hair. In 2026, however, I’m planning on wearing more straight styles with the help of this heat-styling spray by Alterna. It detangles hair while providing heat protection up to 450ºF for easy, safe styling.
Davine’s multifunctional oil adds shine and softness to the hair while offering gentle detangling. Using an antioxidant-packed formula with roucou oil, it also prevents frizz and damage from environmental aggressors. Plus, it reduces drying time and has a weightless finish.
Bath and Body
Homecourt
Hand Wash in Cece
One of my favorite ways to infuse a touch of luxury into my busy workdays is by investing in a handwash that pairs beautifully with my go-to scents. Homecourt’s Hand Wash in Cece is a woody aromatic scent that smells like cedarwood smoke blended with sweet cardamom, cinnamon, and leather.
Chilly winter weather makes me crave luxurious bubble baths, and Fresh’s Milk Body Cleanser is one of the best ways to elevate them. This one is non-stripping, soothing, and features soothing plant-based milks hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin E to promote soft, glowy skin.
Salt & Stone
Santal & Vetiver Body Wash
Another bodywash that has been on my to-buy list since I ran out over the summer is Salt & Stone’s Body Wash in Vetiver. Its formula softens, soothes, and cleanses using a blend of vitamin E, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and prebiotics. Its scent, set alight with amber, sandalwood, and cardamom, is perfect.
L’Occitane
Almond Milk Concentrate Body Cream
Once I’m out of my hour-long baths (winter always sends me into a bubble-bath spiral), I’ll be using this decadent L’Occitane body cream. It melts into the skin, delivering a boost of moisture with a new formula containing up to 95% natural origin ingredients, leaving the skin visibly smoother and firmer.
Aesop
Geranium Leaf Body Balm
Using any Aesop product makes me feel like as if I’ve leveled up my body, skin, and scent game, but the brand’s Geranium Leaf Body Balm is one of my favorites. Its infused with skin-nourishing nut oil extracts to hydrate the skin and alleviate skin dryness. It also leaves your skin lightly scented with a refreshing blend of geranium, mandarin, and bergamot.
Explore More:
