Valentine’s Day is poised to hit a soprano pitch at any moment. Before it does, however, I suggest taking this post-New Year’s moment and treating yourself. There are so many reasons to take a second to appreciate yourself and there is no time like the present.

Nordstrom is the perfect destination to find a little something to ingratiate yourself, to yourself. For example, I just picked up this PJ Salvage pajama top ($62) and pants ($62) with hearts all over. Nordstrom also has an excellent selection from Kim Kardashian’s famed line, Skims. I couldn’t help but feed my curiosity with a pair of Shims sleep ribbed boxers ($36) and a Skims Logo-Tee ($52). 

When it comes to pampering, a new scent is sometimes exactly what you need to awaken your inner beauty. Perhaps it’s the most ultimate beauty indulgence in the form of a Hermes lipstick ($67) or a fresh bottle of Jour d’Hermes ($128). It’s the fragrance perfect balance of fresh and delicate without being too sweet. 

Nordstrom always offers great customer service with free shipping, free returns, and curbside pickup. I highly suggest you sign up for the Nordy club, which allows you to earn points for every purchase. Nordy Club points are another great way to treat yourself.

My favorite little trick with online shopping is to fill out a gift card for myself. Just a few small words of encouragement from yourself, to yourself, can make a big difference. 

When I first stated Madison Avenue Spy, about 12-years ago, I spent most of my time writing the post and just a bit of time sorting through sales sections. Today, there are so many sites and so much merchandise online that I literally spend hours sorting and scrolling through products and a much smaller portion of time actually writing.

Shopping has become a full-time job.

With a little twist of technology, we are making the effort of finding the right item, for the best price, a lot easier. Haute Pursuit is a desktop browser extension that actually scans thousands of websites to find alternative sale options while you’re already shopping. You can click here to download the extension to your browser now. (Unfortunately, this feature cannot be used on mobile devices.)

You can also click the  Haute Pursuit icon in your toolbar and enter a search term.  Haute Pursuit will scan your key term against 1000s of retailer’s websites to find you all the matches that are on sale. 

How it works:

Say you’re shopping at Nordstrom and looking for a Bottega Veneta Pouch ($2790).  Haute Pursuit automatically drops down a box that offers a large variety of discounted Pouches. Haute Pursuit served up this Pouch from a much smaller retailer for just $1550. It’s doubtful that I would have found this exact item for this price without hours worth of work.

Haute Pursuit is still in Beta testing and doesn’t automatically drop-down suggestions at every retailer. Remember, you can tap the Haute Pursuit icon in the toolbar and enter a search term to find nearly any item for which you’re in “Haute Pursuit.”

Downloading the  Haute Pursuit extensions is very easy and will immediately engage. Just one note for Chrome users: After downloading, hit the puzzle piece next to your search bar and hit the thumbtack icon. Feel free to contact us at Hautepursuit.co if you have any questions, feedback, or comments.

The sale selections at our local haunts are getting pretty dismal but overseas stores are much better stocked and the discounts are starting to get competitive. Farfetch started a promotion today where sale merchandise is discounted an extra 20%. No code is needed. The discount is automatically applied when items are placed in your cart.

Giglio has stores in Milano and Palermo and is deliciously Italian. The boutique carries local contemporary brands in addition to all the luxury brands you would expect to find in an upscale multi-brand store.

Intermix started a flash sale that will save you 40% off a selection of fill priced and sale merchandise. The promotion isn’t slated to start until Tuesday but you can use this “VIP link” to access the savings now.

 The new Spring season has just started to hit stores but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to sniff out great deals. Italian boutique, D’aniello is exclusively offering MadSpy readers 15% off new season merchandise. The best part is that many items are already priced 20% under US retail, which makes the added savings significant.

You can use this link to access the new season selection. Use the code MADISON15 to save 15% off. Men can browse this selection. 

This Balenciaga Hourglass tote is a brand new style and comes to $1213 from $1640 US, a new style Prada Cleo is $1630 from $1990 US, and this Marni lips skirt is perfect for Valentine’s day at $326 from $450 US.  There are also some sale items worthy of attention. This Fendi logo bucket bag is $1500 from $2300 US, a Givenchy bag is $1074 from $2150, and this Balenciaga nylon bucket bag is $546 from $850 US. 

The code is valid through January 25. We suggest you take advantage now because you can be sure that those Chloe bags and other hot Prada items won’t be around for Spring markdowns. 

In a continuing series of 2021 contradictions, Chanel raised its bag prices again this week. The last price hike was in May and took customers by surprise as health concerns and financial struggles seemed to be at an all-time high. 

My favorite time of year has arrived. It’s final markdown season and Saks Fifth Avenue started its Designer Sale where the discounts are up to 70% off! Saks always has the best selection, which makes sale shopping even more eventful. 

There are so many great sale items that you can easily style a head-to-toe look in a snap and save a bundle too. I found this great Zimmerman dress that’s now $690 from $1150. It’s the perfect transitional item that can work seamlessly for most seasons. Pair it with these Manolo Blahnik woven heels that are $298 from  $745 and this Rejina Pyo croc-embossed bag that’s $256 from $685. I love the mix of textures as the outfit comes together with the consistency of neutral colors.

Other great sale items include these L’Agence linen pants that are $77 from $265, which happens to pair beautifully with this Zimmerman floral print silk blouse that’s $288 from $480. I also love these Theory plaid pants ($213 from $355) paired with these Aquazzura slingbacks ($340 from $850). You can choose just about any color solid sweater but I personally like this Bordeaux cashmere turtleneck from Theory that’s $155 from $345.

Click here to shop for more great sale items from Saks Fifth Avenue and make your own outfit come alive.