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Before We Start
This post is written from a straight guy’s perspective, so ladies, please go easy on me if it’s not perfect. There’s only so much you can save here, and this is what I could think of for now—feel free to add more ideas. Estée Lauder’s official site and various department stores run this promotion every year, but Nordstrom’s version is the best because the bundled freebies have the highest value.
Promotion Details
Nordstrom runs a fairly popular promotion every year: buy the Advanced Night Repair serum and get a full-size Advanced Night Repair eye serum plus deluxe samples. Specifically, spend $100 on the 1.7oz Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II Serum and receive a full-size Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix Serum valued at $69, plus a deluxe sample gift bag advertised as being worth $155 (two options, choose one; honestly neither is that useful and neither contains especially popular items), as well as three foil samples (even less useful).
If you already planned to buy the “Advanced Night Repair serum” and “Advanced Night Repair eye serum,” this deal is excellent. Next, let’s look at how to buy it most efficiently from a credit-card-maximizing straight guy’s perspective. I’m also totally volunteering to buy this for LD… definitely not being forced to.
How to Buy
- Promotion link: https://shop.nordstrom.com/c/beauty-gifts-with-purchase
- Add the 1.7oz Advanced Night Repair serum (select the 1.7oz size) to your cart. The full-size eye serum should be automatically bundled in. If it does not appear automatically, it is out of stock.
- Click into the cart, choose three foil samples in the pop-up window, then click “Check Out.”
- On the checkout page, click “Promotions” under the “Payment” section and add either “LIFT” (this gift had sold out as of publication) or “HYDRATE” to get the gift bag.
- At this point your cart setup is complete. You can also start from the promotion page and choose the deluxe sample gift bag there, but we won’t go into that here. Next, let’s talk about how to save the most money.
How to Optimize the Purchase
Shopping Portals
Unfortunately, Nordstrom does not partner with any cash-back portals, so don’t expect rebate sites to give you anything back here.
Quarterly 5% Credit Cards
Nordstrom codes as a Department Store, so the simplest strategy is to pay directly with one of the following credit cards:
- Chase Freedom — Department Store 5% this quarter
- US Bank Cash+ — can choose Department Store 5%
- Citi Dividend — also Department Store 5% this quarter
Buying with Gift Cards
Before using gift cards, keep in mind that purchase protections tied to gift cards—such as price protection and dispute handling—are generally weaker than when you pay directly with a credit card. That said, for a store like Nordstrom, if something like an order issue happens, they may still help make it right. Also, this deal is already very strong, so it probably will not get much cheaper. Still, think it through before using this method. This section assumes you do not normally keep a stash of Nordstrom gift cards on hand. Deals like this often sell out quickly, so speed plus discount is the key.
Third-Party Gift Card Sites
- For example, buy through Raise. See also: Introduction to Raise, a Gift Card Marketplace
- Don’t forget to stack with a rebate site such as TopCashback
Buy Nordstrom eGC on Amazon
- Click here to buy
- Use a card that earns well on Amazon, such as Amazon 5X co-branded cards like Chase Amazon (Prime required) and AMEX Amazon Business
- You can also stack with the older version of the Drop app for Amazon 2X, and use an authorized user card on an account that has Drop linked to double dip for an extra 4X (note: AE business cards may not be linkable to Drop)
- Pros: good stacking potential and solid overall rewards. You can also enter your post-tax purchase amount. At the high end, you could earn the base credit card rewards plus an extra 9X (or possibly only 7X if AE biz cards cannot be linked to Drop).
Buy eGC via PayPal
- Click here to buy
- Use this quarter’s Chase Freedom to earn 5 X UR, though that is not really better than just swiping Freedom directly. It’s simpler to pay directly.
- Cons: you can only buy in whole-dollar amounts
Buying Physical Gift Cards
- For example, if buying at a supermarket, use AMEX Gold for 4 X MR
- Cons: inconvenient, and again only available in whole-dollar amounts
Other Notes
If you are in China, you may not be able to access the website without a workaround. As long as your IP is routed outside China, you should generally be able to shop. USA is recommended. One tool option is: Express VPN (free cancellation within 30 days)
You’ll also need a US credit card and a US billing/shipping address to reduce the chance of your order being canceled.
The deal is ending soon, so hurry up and buy it for LD. Good luck getting your order through!