This post is sponsored by Nordstrom. All opinions are my own.

With the holidays in full swing, I wanted to share my gift guide a bit earlier this year.  Normally I shop last minute because I?m always swamped starting Thanksgiving week with cooking cleaning and hanging on to my sanity in general, but I decided no procrastinating this year!  "Adulting" is so much more fun when I can browse and compare prices online and get all my shopping done in my pjs -- no long lines or throwing elbows or circling for parking.  I?m actually looking forward to wrapping up the gifts this season, but before I share what I bought and what I recommend, here are some shopping tips!

Since I?m four months away from turning 30 and my life has changed so much in the last two years, I have started thinking differently about gifting as well.  I still choose with the person in mind, of course, but I almost always go the more conservative route with skin care and personal care items that actually need to be repurchased regularly.  If I want to make it an extra special treat, I will choose a luxury brand for the element of surprise. I think the way I shop for gifts now shows how much more I pay attention and listen to my loved ones? immediate and regular needs/wants.  
Nordstrom has some of the best skin care sets between $50 and $200 this year, but my top pick is the Sunday Riley Face to Face Kit.  This 4-piece set is priced at $49! It features useful ...