I'm a Beauty Expert, and I'm Hyped on These Top-Rated Products at Nordstrom
I don't know what this says about me, but sometimes when I'm bored I hop onto the websites of my favorite beauty retailers to see which products are getting the most love and attention. I've been on a Nordstrom beauty kick recently, so I went ahead and spent the better part of an entire day discerning which beauty products in every category seem to be the most popular, raking in epically high reviews.
Of course, there are plenty of products that have a perfect five-star rating but only one review, so I decided that to make my list A) the product had to have at least 100 reviews and B) there couldn't be any sponsored product that is sometimes planted higher up on the page, therefore skewing the actual results. Below, 34 highly rated beauty products I'm super hyped about right now that are also resonating among Nordstrom shoppers. Keep scrolling!
Makeup
Blush
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 101 reviews
This highly rated blush is like a cream-powder hybrid, thus offering the best of both worlds. (It builds pigment like a powder but blends nice and dreamily like a cream.) Plus, it's boosted with skin-nourishing ingredients like jojoba, shea butter, pine bark extract, and pomegranate seed oil.
Bronzer
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 110 reviews
I've been singing this dark horse bronzer's praises for years, and am thrilled to see other Nordstrom shoppers seem to agree with its impressive results. The shades are designed to look über natural, and the finely milled formula is optimal for creating satisfying coverage with effortless blendability. Believe me—you'll never get any dreaded streaks or muddiness with this one.
Brushes and Tools
Rating: 4.6/5 stars, 363 reviews
PSA: You're 100% not cleaning your brushes often enough, and what's the point of having great tools if they're just spreading bacteria and grime all over your face? Nordstrom customers unanimously love this formula from MAC Cosmetics. It easily removes excess makeup and crud from your brushes while simultaneously disinfecting and conditioning the bristles.
Concealer
Rating: 4.7/5 stars, 1276 reviews
This brightening concealer pen from YSL is one of the most iconic and beloved beauty products of all time, so I'm not too surprised to see the teeming adoration on Nordstrom's website.
Contour
Rating: 4.6/5 stars, 306 reviews
If You've yet to try legendary makeup artist Gucci Westman's clean beauty line, Westman Atelier, you're in for a treat. There isn't a weak link in the entire product lineup, but this creamy contour stick sculpts, chisels, and defines like no other.
Brow
Rating: 4.7/5 stars, 975 reviews
Hailey Bieber loves this clear brow gel, and we do too. Everyone who loves grooming their brows needs this best-selling formula in their arsenal.
Eyeliner
Rating: 4/7/5 stars, 6920 reviews
I mean, the insanely high ratings (and the number of reviews, in general) speak to how exceptional this easy-to-glide waterproof liner from Urban Decay is. Not to mention that it has the absolute best shade options—from sparkling purples to the blackest of all blacks.
Eye Shadow
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 1249 reviews
I don't care what anyone says—Urban Decay's iconic eye shadows will always reign supreme, and the reviews back me up here. Heat features 12 neutral amber hues with multiple finishes spanning from silky mattes to smooth shimmers to sparkling metallics.
Foundation
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 6200 reviews
This iconic foundation ticks every damn box. First of all, it comes in a whopping 56 shades so you're sure to find an absolute match, and it's also oil-free (it won't break you out!), lightweight, transfer-resistant, waterproof, and will last a full 24 hours on your face while magically staying color-true and looking freshly applied. It's a non-negotiable if you're looking for a buildable, medium- to full-coverage foundation formula.
Highlighter
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 3644 reviews
This highlighter is super-famous and deservedly so. Unlike most pressed powder highlighters, this one strategically mixes luminous pearl pigments with liquid for an ultra-buttery texture. It has the blendability of a cream and looks beautifully glistening on the skin without looking tacky or straight-up sparkly.
Lip
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 452 reviews
Nothing screams summer more than a balmy bite of sheer color. This favorite from Fresh is ultra-hydrating and a no-regrets buy if there ever was one.
Mascara
Rating: 4.7/5 stars, 2199 reviews
Lancôme makes so many great mascaras, but this lash-defining and lengthening formula seems to be resonating with most among Nordstrom's high-standard shoppers.
Nail Polish and Care
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 453 reviews
It's pedicure season, and if you want soft, smooth, callus-free feet, this chic foot file (expertly made in Switzerland!) will be your secret weapon.
Setting
Rating: 4.7/5 stars, 18,258 reviews
Are we shocked? Not in the slightest. Everyone and their mother (from editors to makeup artists to celebrities) practically hoard this award-winning translucent powder from Laura Mercier. Don't waste your time on any other—this one's the OG for a reason!
Primer
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 2011 reviews
This iconic face primer smooths and blurs so handily, that it will convert even the biggest primer skeptics. Not to mention that it's enriched with skin-loving vitamins and is oil-free so you don't have to worry about clogged pores or breakouts.
Skincare
Cleanser
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 117 reviews
This rich anti-aging cleanser helps purge your skin of impurities while leaving your complexion bouncy with hydration. Its MVP ingredient is the brand's SkingenecellEnmei Complex, a proprietary anti-aging ingredient that helps pump the breaks on visible signs of aging.
Exfoliation
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 181 reviews
This potent leave-on liquid exfoliant is the next best thing to getting an expensive professional peel. The ultra-smart mix of AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs (plus a nice hit of antioxidants via kale, licorice root, and green tea) decongest pores, smooth bumpy texture, and even out skin tone.
Eye Treatment
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 665 reviews
According to Nordstrom customers, this is the optimal eye cream to snatch if you seek instant gratification and long terms results. It's a hydrating formula that works to instantly iron out fine lines and tackle stubborn dark circles and deeper-set wrinkles over time, too.
Face Mask
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 1080 reviews
Fresh low-key makes some of the best face masks, and this highly rated, best-selling redness-reducing formula is proof. Wear it overnight while you get your beauty sleep, and you'll wake up to a smoother, more even-toned complexion.
Essence
Rating:
We could write an entire thesis on this insanely effective facial essence but will try to keep it as short and sweet as possible. Essentially, if you want smoother, brighter, dewier, practically poreless skin (in other words, if you'd like your face to pull a Benjamin Button), this is a great product to add into your rotation.
Moisturizer
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 395 reviews
Carefully formulated to nurture and improve all skin types, this yummy cream visibly helps minimize the severity of fine lines and wrinkles, while leaving behind a dewy, velvety-soft finish to the skin.
Lip Treatment
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 198 reviews
Does it get better than two A+ lip balms for basically the price of one? I've turned everyone in my friend on to Jack Black's Intense Therapy balms—from guys to gals. The mint flavor is my personal fave, and it's even spiked with a hit of SPF to further protect your lips.
Makeup Remover
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 1435 reviews
Lesser eye makeup removers can do a serious number on the delicate area, encouraging the premature formation of lines and wrinkles. This award-winning formula, on the other hand, is ultra-gentle but still dissolves and removes every last trace of makeup in a snap. Plus, your eye area will stay nice and hydrated.
Serum
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 318 reviews
This fan-favorite retinoid serum from Sunday Riley utilizes a 5% retinoid ester blend, 1% liposomal-encapsulated retinol blend, and 0.5% blue-green algae with retinoid-alternative activity. But it doesn't stop there! It also boasts encapsulated CoQ10 to help reverse visible signs of aging or skin damage, and additional ingredients like honey, bisabolol cactus extract, and ginger, keep everything balanced and soothed so you'll experience less irritation than other retinoids on the market.
Sunscreen
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 254 reviews
As it's touted as the world's best-smelling sunscreen (think coconut, banana, pineapple, and orange blossom), definitely don't sleep on Vacation if you take the art of smelling good as seriously as I do. (Aesthetically, the brand is also on point with a classic retro styling I love.) It's supremely lightweight and will remain water-resistant for 80 minutes.
Toner
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 142 reviews
This luxe toning lotion is flecked with golden pearlescents that deliver a super flawless, silky-smooth results.
Tools and Devices
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 116 reviews
People love this ultrasonic cool-mist humidifier thanks to how crazy-quiet it is and how customizable its features are.
Fragrance
Candle
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 110 reviews
Light this delicious coconut-wax blended candle the next time you're craving a vacation. Not only will it look beautiful on display, but it will also immediately give you a much-needed mood boost.
Perfume
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 364 reviews
Created by Evelyn Lauder in 1995, Pleasures is renowned as one of the most elegant and classic fragrances of all time. It's a sheer melding of white lily, violet, green leaves, black lilac, white peony, karo-karounde, baie rose, pink rose, jasmine, sandalwood, and patchouli that's extremely wearable no matter the occasion.
Haircare
Treatment
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 554 reviews
The argan oil superstar that started it all! Award-winning and strand-transforming, this antioxidant-rich treatment easily nourishes and smoothes hair to reduce tangles, flyaways, and dullness in one fell swoop. Oh, and your hair will smell so good.
Styling Tool
Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 287 reviews
Optimal for peeps with long or thick hair types, this best-selling flat iron from GHD is designed with 2-inch plates that are 70% larger than most, so you can get your super-smooth results faster and more effortlessly.
Styling Product
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 562 reviews
Once you try this brilliant leave-in pre-styling formula, you'll never go back to whatever you were using before. It contains six super-light oils to instantly soften, silken, smooth, de-frizz, detangle and protect against breakage making the hair lanky and greasy. It even contains UV protection.
Shampoo
Rating: 5/5 stars, 154 reviews
This highly rated shampoo uses strengthening proteins to maximize hair density so that it feels fuller and thicker. (I mean, it has a perfect five-star rating!!)
Buy the matching conditioner.
Conditioner
Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 923 reviews
No lie—if you're dealing with damage and breakage, it just doesn't get better than this quinoa-enriched formula from Aveda. It saved me when I had nearly half the hair on my head bleached off back in college, and I also highly recommend the shampoo and treatment.
Buy the matching shampoo and leave-in treatment.
Next: I've Been Interviewing Makeup Artists for Years—Everyone Loves These 20 It Items
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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