Nordstrom Ridgedale Opens with New Beauty Concept

The new Nordstrom beauty concept at its Ridgedale location

erica loeks

On Wednesday night, Nordstrom celebrated the grand opening of its new Ridgedale location—its second in the state after its Mall of America store—with a swanky gala that featured gourmet bites, drinks, live music, and fashion presentations. While the 140,000 square-foot, two-level store is about half the size of its Mall of America counterpart, it gives west suburban shoppers the opportunity to get their fashion fix without having to trek out to the megamall.

[Read more: The Scoop on Nordstrom’s Ridgedale Store Opening]

One of the highlights of the new store is its new beauty department, which features Nordstrom’s new beauty concept—the setup removes barriers to make it easier for customers to explore and test out products on their own. It includes a “Mini Must Haves” section, in which customers can try out a rotating roster of the department’s most popular products without having to buy a full-size version, and “Now Trending,” which highlights of-the-moment trends and products to help create the look. And if shoppers are in need of service, a beauty concierge service is on the ready to answer questions and help connect clients with brand advisers. Another component of the new beauty services includes a beauty stylist, which allows shoppers to work with a personal advisor who’s an expert in beauty, skincare, and fragrance, free of charge.

Nordstrom is so confident about its new beauty concept that it gave me the opportunity to try the beauty expert service out myself, courtesy of Nordstrom Beauty and Fragrance Director, Loredana Grama. Grama hand-picked some fall beauty must-haves especially for me, spanning skincare, cosmetics, and fragrances.

Of the lot, I’ve spotlighted my favorites below:

jahna peloquin

I am a sucker for anything rose-scented. After years of being relegated to grandma’s bathroom, this scent has had a comeback—and for good reason: Not only does it smell pretty, rosewater has soothing and toning properties. This Fresh Rose Face Mask hydrates and tones with rosewater and real rose petals, cucumber extract, aloe vera, and a smart algae called porphyridium cruentum. This 15th anniversary version has limited-edition packaging designed by London artist Jo Ratcliffe. $62 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com

jahna peloquin

Now that fall weather is upon us, I am excited to bring out this chic peony, tuberose, citrus, and vetiver Tory Burch Bougie Candle. $70  Nordstrom Ridgedale (in-store only)

jahna peloquin

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, the famed fashion house’s newest fragrance, is destined to become my go-to fragrance this winter, thanks to its winning combination of fresh white florals and vanilla with warm notes of black coffee. $67 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com

jahna peloquin

I’m a sucker for the fragrances of Acqua di Parma; its newest, Blu Mediterraneo, is inspired by Sardinia and its crystal blue sea. Its shower gel includes red juniper, spicy peppery notes, and balsamic wood—perfect for a refreshing shower. $51 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & shop.nordstrom.com

jahna peloquin

Winter is coming—and that means it’s time to stock up on nourishing, moisturizing skincare. Of of the intriguing new offerings, natural ingredients and minerals are a big deal right now. They include Ahava‘s Dead Sea Mineral Hand Cream, which contains an exclusive complex of active Dead Sea minerals that protects hands, soothes dryness, and restores moisture. $23 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com. Minerals also come into play with Lancer Skincare‘s The Method: Polish Exfoliator, which also includes plant enzymes and brown sea algae to moisturize, encourage exfoliation, and stimulate collagen protection. $75 @ nordstrom.com

Lips are one of the most dryness-prone areas of the body. Skip the Chapstick in favor of a lip scrub such as Sara Happ‘s limited-edition Lip Exfoliator in Midnight Blueberry, which is packed with essential oils and sugar crystals to exfoliate and hydrate. $24 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com

jahna peloquin

The dermatologist behind L.A.’s famed Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts has created the next best thing to seeing her in the clinic. Somerville’s ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment uses fruit enzymes to clarify skin by removing dead cells and eliminating bacteria. $85 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com

For those who are on-the-go as much as I am and don’t always pay the best attention to your skin, Arcona has created a product that is perfect for throwing in your handbag. Their Triad Toner Pads cleanse, refresh, and hydrates the skin with antioxidants, including antimicrobial cranberry, plusrice milk, fatty acids, vitamins, and phyto-nutrients. $35 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com

jahna peloquin

If you’re serious about maintaining healthy skin, it doesn’t get much better than Clarisonic‘s Smart Profile skin cleansing system. It is said to remove long-wearing makeup 11 times better than hands alone. $265 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com

jahna peloquin

Fall beauty is all about brows—bold, beautiful, and perfectly shaped. After growing out my painfully thin, overplucked brows, I’ve finally gotten my brow situation figured out, thanks for the experts at Brow Chic. But a big part of brow maintenance is brow powder. Fortunately, I’ve got that under control with this Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express kit for brows and eyes. It includes brow stencil options, a palette of brow and eye shadow options, brow wax cream (to keep those brows under control), and an angled brush. $39.50 @ nordstrom.com

jahna peloquin

The eyes aren’t complete without the finishing touches—namely, a volumizing mascara and gel eyeliner. The best of the bunch are Guerlain’s Cils d’Enfer—So Volume Maxi Lash Mascara, $30 @ nordstrom.com, and Bobbi Brown‘s award-winning Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, $25 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & shop.nordstrom.com

And it doesn’t stop there—Nordstrom has also introduced me to eyebrow and eyelash conditioners, RevitaBrow and RevitaLash. The eyelash conditioner promises fuller-looking lashes and reduce breakage, while the eyebrow conditioner incorporates peptides and botanicals for stronger, fuller brows. $98–$110 @ Nordstrom Ridgedale & nordstrom.com

If you missed the gala and want to check out its new beauty concept, you’re in luck: The public’s first chance to experience the store is its Beauty Bash held on Friday morning before the store officially opens, from 8 to 10 a.m. Get the scoop on new trends and enjoy free consultations, sips and snacks, and a special gift for the first 1,000 customers. For more information, visit nordstrom.com/ridgedale.

More photos from Wednesday night’s grand opening gala at Nordstrom Ridgedale:

jahna peloquin

jahna peloquin

jahna peloquin

erica loeks

erica loeks

erica loeks

jahna peloquin

erica loeks