Shopping Notes: May.
Thoughts on trends; everything I've been eyeing and buying this past month.
A monthly letter (part of my paid tier) with what I’m shopping for, no-miss finds, general shopping thoughts, and more. Read last month’s post below!
Trends. This month’s shopping notes is very trends focused which made me think about them a bit.
For the past couple years I have really struggled with the trends. I went from (before the pandemic) generally feeling relatively cute and fashionable to the pandemic and living in sweats… to post-pandemic, realizing all the things I loved were suddenly out of style.
There was a definite vibe shift and it felt like all the things I loved in high school were suddenly back in vogue and I just felt a little lost! It made me think of something I experienced in high school with my mom. I came home from the mall with a pair of MUDD flare jeans. I was PSYCHED. The look on my mother’s face? Pure abject horror. It’s funny to think back now as she was probably my exact same age (if I were 16, she’d be 42!) and I now realize that she was dealing with what I (and other elder millennials) are experiencing now. Watching the horrible things you wore in your youth suddenly be back in style. The whole thing just made me want to throw on a nap dress/kaftan/muumuu and give trends the middle finger.
On top of that, the body image issues some of these trends can cause. I am ultimately pretty neutral on my body. At least I try to be.
When I was younger I was SO (SO!) critical of my body and my looks and now I think back, “gosh I looked so good, what the heck was wrong with me!?” So I try to have the foresight to know that in ten years I will feel the same way about my current self, if that makes sense. It’s all relative. I don’t like talking about my body, I don’t share bad body image thoughts/anything negative as I want to be a good example but GUYS - I have to say, the trends last year really did a number on my self-confidence.
Having non-stretch, high-rise denim (aka a denim straightjacket), crop tops, and spaghetti straps all come back in style just felt… rough. And that is to say nothing of the swim trends, where the bottoms just keep getting tinier and tinier. Even on my best days, I don’t feel good in those things!
All of this to say, there have been some trends I’m really into! Jelly shoes. Tie-front pieces. Those things were both covered in detail on the blog. I’m also seeing so many fun shell pieces on the jewelry front. (And jewelry - at least the costume kind - is a great way to take a classic outfit and give it an update).
Beauty:
This was a very trendy month for beauty (lol)
Did I order the Augustinus Bader x Sofia Coppola tinted lip balms? You betcha, immediately. I ordered shades one and two. I posted a review of them to the blog. I really like them. I have been wearing them pretty much every day — I like the treatment benefits plus the wash of color. Are they necessary? No. Are they fun and pretty? Yes. The blog post has some more affordable options.
These lip stains (judge away; I was influenced by an Instagram ad) are actually AMAZING. I ordered three colors (there was a deal). My favorite colors are XOXO (a light rosy pink) and Crush (a pretty coral). At some point I will post to stories or my blog with more photos but they are fun. You apply a thin layer of the purple “mask,” leave it on for 30 seconds, and wipe it off with a wash cloth (I don’t bother with trying to peel it). And then voila: your lips just have a really pretty natural tint. I top with balm or gloss. I really them. The stain lasts a few hours of eating/drinking/hanging out without any touching up.
Intrigued by the orange blush trend, I bought the Lashify stick! This is so pretty, like a watercolor paint for your face. It is a little sticky (not in a terrible way) which I think is good as it will stay on your face.
I have always been a little bit self-conscious of my hands and cannot say enough good things about Theraplush. My hands have never looked better. Even if I miss a night, the long term results are good enough that my hands still look MUCH better than they did before using this project. I also love the packaging.
Oh and I am trying out this new serum from INNBEAUTY and very very impressed so far. I love this brand! More to come in an official capacity but letting my earlybirds know now. This brand is quickly becoming a favorite. If I were on more of a budget/not in this industry, I would just switch everything to their products. Solid formulas at very reasonable prices. A few folks were upset at me for calling the Extreme Cream “affordable,” so maybe we say “reasonable” instead? By reasonable I mean under $100 (usually under $50), but not drugstore prices. And the cream really is the next best thing to Bader’s rich cream.
Fashion:
Jelly Sandals: We have talked about these at length. I am glad I didn’t order the pair from The Row as so many people have had theirs break. Ugh. I bought this pair!
& Other Stories: I am having a real moment with this brand. I wore this dress in Harbour Island and it was my favorite thing I brought with me. The fabric is really silky and feels so luxe. I may buy a second color. It runs a little big so take your smaller size. I wore the medium and it was just a little big but I didn’t mind. And then this dress, just wow. I wore it to a party for Spoleto and the amount of compliments I got were just unreal. This sounds obnoxious (sorry) but it looks like a thousand dollar dress. For $239. If it is in your size (it runs TTS!) get it. You’ll find an occasion!
Shells: Shell jewelry is the next thing I am thinking about. This is less of a trend than a summer mainstay (see also: last year’s shell girl summer post!) I talk about a more splurgy purchase below but there are loads of more affordable options. Do not sleep on J.Crew’s latest jewelry drop. It’s very heavy on the shells. My favorite pieces are all necklaces: this charm necklace, this pearl necklace, and these oversized shells. These BaubleBar earrings are also great. I have the turquoise and wood.
And at the (much higher) end of the spectrum: I’m obsessing over Marisa Klass’s pieces after seeing them in person on two friends. Just WOW.
Shell intel! HART is about to drop a bunch of really cool shell charms and pendants. I am not sure when but I’m stalking her site! There was a pop-up here in Charleston on Friday but I was too busy between event set up and a shoot. When I saw her later that evening, she said there was a line around the store with eager customers waiting to make a shell necklace. Gah! I am desperate for it to launch online and will of course post when they do.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F076bbaf5-9123-4c56-ac1f-d680ebc565f9_1144x1500.webp)
Watching the Gap: Like everyone, I’m eyeing what’s going on at The Gap. I have been making it a point to drop in and check out their new arrivals every week. It’s getting good! I think the brand is headed for a major (Zac Posen-led) resurgence. I was only medium on the Doen collab (though I did get this dress and the quality is great!) and I missed out on the Anne Hathaway dress (gorgeous!). Will be fun to watch!
Two splurges: After admiring it for too long, I bought this shell necklace from Grainne Morton. Grainne Morton is one of my favorite jewelry designer, based in the UK. Two years ago I purchased two pairs of earrings from her (these and these) and they are still among my most complimented jewelry. The necklace was a splurge but I know I’ll have and wear it forever. For anyone who wants one, I actually found it on sale (after the fact) here; again still a splurge but just so special. The other splurgy thing I did was buy the Christopher Esber mesh flats in green. They are just… epic. And since I wear so much green, I know I will wear them a lot. Coolest shoes ever.
Both of these purchases are a little out there but like we talked in the designer post; I tend to prefer splurging on those more special (sometimes crazy looking) pieces and saving on basics.
The Jelly’s!! They really take me back. Love this
Great post Grace! Loved all the recommendations! I’m Gen X and cringing over the overalls I’m seeing all over the place again. Just don’t think I can repeat them! I do love the jellies thou, got the ancient Greeks based on your recommendation and couldn’t love them more!