7 Tubes of This Prestige Lipstick Are Sold a Minute — and It's Just $14 for Today Only
Courtesy/InStyle
Here's some inside-baseball shopping information for you, dear beauty lovers: Over my years in the industry, the single-most earthquake-inducing, eyeball-collecting piece I've ever written was on MAC giving away free lipstick for National Lipstick Day. It was a beautiful time, and while today's sale doesn't quite put a free lipstick in your pocket, it gets close: On August 5 only, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale takes 25 percent off all MAC products.
These kinds of MAC sales don't come around often, probably because the brand doesn't need them. Seven tubes of its classic blue-red Ruby Woo lipstick are sold every minute, and the brand's Spice lip liner was ubiquitous in the '90s — which means TikTok is about 13 seconds away from buying all the stock available. Other hits include the brand's Pro Longwear Paint Pot Cream Eyeshadows, whether used as primer or standalone shadow; the much-loved Pro Longwear Concealers; and Strobe Cream, which is still one of the best understated highlighters for preternaturally glowy skin.
MAC cosmetics and tools normally hover around $20 to $40, with their professional-loved brushes at the upper end. So to celebrate, I combed through all 195 products included in the sale and rounded up the can't-miss items to snatch before the clock runs out. Happy shopping!
Courtesy
Shop now: $14 (Originally $19); nordstrom.com
Best MAC Lip Makeup on Sale
If you're a matte lipstick lover, it doesn't get better than MAC's classic formula. But if you go through lip products at a snail's pace — especially as masks make a comeback — one of the brand's mini lipstick tubes is a smart choice, even for just testing the waters with a new shade. Another pro? If you have small lips or want precise definition, the $9 buy, available in the brand's most popular colors, is tailor-made.
instyle - 14 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 14 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 9 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 14 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 17 Available at Nordstrom
Best MAC Face Makeup on Sale
Where to start? If you're loving the blushed look that's currently dominating TikTok and Instagram feeds, MAC's recently launched Glow Play Blush provides a sheer, buildable path that's difficult to overdo. The Mineralize Skinfinish Powder Highlighter, meanwhile, is a classic that's hard to beat, especially in the shades Soft & Gentle, Gold Deposit, and Global Glow.
instyle - 21 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 23 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 28 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 26 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 28 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 22 Available at Nordstrom
Best MAC Eye Makeup on Sale
The brand's In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara is intimidating to look at if you glance at the dense, caterpillar-esque brush alone. Yet the lashes it gives are blissfully long and voluminous, so much so that makeup artists and regular shoppers dub it the best mascara they've ever used in the reviews. "A few strokes, and you will be amazed at how your lashes will look," says one person. "It's everything you will ever need. I don't even have to use a primer anymore."
instyle - 18 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 17 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 16 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 14 Available at Nordstrom
Best MAC Tools on Sale
As a brand that caters to professional makeup artists, MAC brushes are investments that last for years. But this sale takes some of the sting out of the equation: The versatile Full Fan Brush comes down to $33 from $44, giving face makeup a smooth, airbrushed finish with its "soft, but firm and full" head, as one shopper puts it.
The Synthetic Rounded Slant Brush quickly blends out powder, cream, and liquid formulas, condensing 10 minutes' work into seconds. In the eye department, the Synthetic Blending Brush, Synthetic Medium Angled Shading Brush, and Synthetic Angled Brush are tough to beat. As reviewers mention, one of the latter lasted them 15 years — pretty impressive for a newly $16 find.
instyle - 33 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 16 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 21 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 28 Available at Nordstrom
instyle - 21 Available at Nordstrom
More to Score Before the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Ends on August 8:
