Jeans: Levi’s 24 in “shut up” hems cut (also at Shopbop)
Trench: Similar drape trench
Tank: Ann Taylor xxs c/o (similar with more control)
Seamless Bra: Very comfy NEIWAI bra c/o 10% off with code Jean
Sandals: Express sz 6 (my review)
Necklace: Vedern toggle 15”
Bag: Polène numero huit (#8) bag c/o
So many good sales going on this week, including the highly anticipated Beauty Insider event at Sephora and Shopbop‘s bi-annual promo! I know shopping these can be a little overwhelming since both sites have such a big selection, so if you’re unsure of where to start, I narrowed down my top 3 picks from each store!
1. Beauty: Sephora & Farmacy
Use code OMGSPRING to save up to 20% off site wide depending on your Beauty Insider status. It’s free to create a Sephora account and get the 10% level discount starting 4/15! You’ll automatically be a Beauty Insider and earn status based on your annual spend.
I don’t do a full face of makeup very often these days, but when I do it’s still pretty consistent with this everyday makeup routine! In this older video you can also see how I apply each step.
3 Favorite Picks that Rarely Go on Sale
- ILIA The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Warm Nude. Really lovely neutral palette from a clean-focused beauty brand with a mix of matte, satin, and metallic hues. See it on me in the photo below. This palette sold out during the last Sephora event and has been hard to find since!
- Shu Uemura Deep Hydration Hair Mask – A splurge but probably the best hair mask I’ve tried. The Sephora event is a good time to buy since it doesn’t go on sale and is only available at salons otherwise! As soon as I rinse this off I can feel how silky soft the mask makes my hair, and it continues feeling that way once my hair is dry.
- Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Powder – in shade 2 / Medium. Another product that doesn’t go on sale outside of the Sephora event. Huge fan of this for setting my concealer and eyelid area – it feels very smooth on the skin and helps powder bronzers, blushes and eyeshadows apply seamlessly on top.
25% off Farmacy
I reached out to see if they could match Sephora’s sale, and they gave us code EXTRAPETITE for 25% off at Farmacy.com!
- Honeymoon Glow (also at Sephora) – A fairly gentle AHA resurfacing serum for brightening and smoothing.
- Filling Good (also at Sephora) – A new product I’ve been trying out. It features hyaluronic acid and vegan collagen to plump and hydrate skin. I’m not sure I’ve noticed an obvious change in fine lines but my skin does feel well hydrated when using it, and it has a very light honey scent to it!
- Green Clean Cleansing Balm (also at Sephora) – A lightweight and smooth cleansing balm. My favorite is still Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm used with these reusable cotton rounds, but Green Clean is a very good, more affordable option (roughly half the price of Elemis per ml).
Other Beauty Sale Picks
- Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint with SPF 40 – A hydrating and lightweight skin tint that leaves a dewy finish. Ilia recently expanded their shade range, so this comes in 30 shades.
- Tatcha the Liquid Silk Canvas – A great makeup primer that feels so super smooth going on.
- Clean Me Up ($30 before discounts; $83 value) This sampler set seems like a nice option if you’re just starting to explore clean beauty and are interested in trying some of the popular brands. Note: there are many different standards on clean or less toxic beauty. The guidelines for an item to be deemed Clean at Sephora can be found here.
- Slip silk pillowcase – I use these daily! If you’re interested in trying a silk pillowcase at a lower price point I previously shared a review of affordable options.
2. Shoes: Shopbop
Free speedy international shipping to many countries, and free returns in the US! Buy more, save more up to 25% off your order with code STYLE, now through Friday.
3 Versatile Picks
- Castaner espadrilles – Beautifully made, comfortable shoes from Spain that seem to complement almost every warm weather outfit. I’ve been wearing my two pairs for years!
- Veja Sneakers– Usually excluded from all sales, so sizes are selling quickly but check daily for restocks!
- I have the Esplar which I wear very often running errands, taking the kids to the park, etc.
- my friend has been raving about the Campo style, which have a platform sole and are pebbled leather. Her review was that the Campos felt comfortable and supportive right out of the box. I also have an IG highlight saved with some tips about how to lace and break in Vejas plus notes on their sizing!
- Sam Edelman Mules – Stocked in sizes 4 – 12. These are such a great work to weekend shoe. You can see the various ways I’ve styled them over the years in these posts.
3. Denim: Levi’s
Through next Monday 4/19, get 30% off orders of $100+. No code needed – discount is automatically applied to eligible items at checkout. One reason I like shopping from Levi’s directly is because they offer various inseam lengths (from 25 – 34″) on several styles of their jeans.
- Levi’s Wedgie Icon Jeans (also at Shopbop) – in “shut up” wash are my absolute favorite pair of Levi’s. I love the slim (but not skinny) fit and vintage denim wash. If you’re not familiar with their popular Wedgie jeans, the denim is vintage-style with minimal stretch, is fitted at the waist, slim through the thighs and has a button fly. I cut the hem on mine with scissors to fit about 2 inches shorter.
- Neutral baseball cap
I’m struggling with the current hem lengths. Would you say they should be about 2″ above the ankle?
Love those Levi jeans on you. Seriously thinking about getting a pair.
May
Jean, can you find the spring trend boho dress that would look good on petite women? I see that Amazon, the Today Show and others are showing this trend for spring. I can’t find one that would look good on my petite frame.
Thanks!
Hi Jill, I’d recommend checking out Abercrombie as they have petite sizing in some of their dresses! Amazon can be hit or miss but some are Asian sizing so a small might potentially work for a petite frame.
In general, I recommend looking for elastic ruching as that usually helps with fit on a smaller frame.
Hey Jean! When you say you cut the hem, do you literally just use scissors to cut it? Thanks!
Yes! Try them on, fold them to where you want them, then cut one leg first. Next, align both pant legs and cut the second leg to match where you cut the first.
Can you share where you got the mirror?
It’s from Homegoods!
How do you keep mules on your feet? I feel like I scrinch my toes to try to hold them on!
I think the key is to buy ones that are narrow enough! But you can also try this tip – take a back of heel cushion and stick it on the inside of the mule upper to help provide some “filler” of any gaps. I’ve done this in the past and it’s worked well!
Great post. Would you consider doing a post on higher-end blazers for petites (especially navy ones)? We have been in cyclical Covid-lockdowns here so I am dependent upon ordering online and the shapes and cut can be hit or miss. I want to purchase a very good quality blazer with longevity that does not swamp my small frame. Thanks for considering this.
Thank you, Carol! I really love Theory for their quality blazers, and some of their cuts are great for a smaller frame but may require sleeve shortening as the only alteration. This one is an example of a great blazer from them that wont require alterations due to the sleeve style.
Thanks so much for your response. That is great advice. I know Theory’s clothing are ‘keepers,’ which is increasingly my strategy for my wardrobe.
The farmacy promo is only for 20% off. Thought I’d let you know
Thanks for pointing that out, Joanne! I’m checking in with the brand on that now and will share an update once I hear back.
Hi Jean! The Farmacy code doesn’t work for me at all! I get an error message “Unable to find a valid discount matching the code entered”
Hi Steph, sorry about that! They updated our code this afternoon and it should be working now, you may just need to refresh the page,
Hi Joanna – the code has been fixed to be 25% off!
Thanks for the recommendations Jean! Can I ask if you have any thoughts on how this hair mask compares to the other Shu Uemura hair masks like silk bloom or very damaged hair?
Hi Katie! I unfortunately haven’t tried other Shu Uemura masks like Silk Bloom so I can’t speak to those specifically. However, I do use a lot of hair masks from other brands and this one has a really immediate smoothing-feeling effect where your hair just feels like silk.
I’ve been looking for a drapey trench and a vintage-y wash cigarette jean like these Levi’s! I was hesitant about Levi’s because they don’t have petite sizes but these look amazing on you. My main concern was how the knee area would fit if I hemmed down from the longer length, and the product page linked doesn’t share the inseam, weirdly enough. Do you mind sharing the inseam, flat waist, widest hip, and thigh opening from crotch to outseam when you have the time?!
If you ever consider doing an updated jeans comparison review across Levi’s, Everlane, Madewell and your most loved Express/Topshop pairs in the future, I would selfishly love that since we’re the same size
Also, love the toggle necklace you’re wearing so just ordered from Vedern myself thanks for sharing these recs! Hope you’re enjoying spring weather in Boston!
Sorry I don’t have the initial inseam anymore because I cut mine! I estimate I cut off about 2” though and I’m 5 feet tall for reference. Just to answer your Q quickly all the brands differ by cut and even wash, so it’s hard to do a direct comparison.
For skinny jeans, Everlane makes my favorite high waisted authentic stretch skinny jeans which are a thicker denim with hold and a fair amount of stretch – you can read my full review in this post. I also like their cheeky straight jean after cutting the hems or cuffing them (see them on me here). Express is a great affordable option with a wide selection of inseam lengths, but they do a lot of “super high rise” which some petite ladies find to be too high.
Topshop I used to buy mostly for their super skinny Jamie jean but I’ve since moved on to their classic straight.Their petite inseams are usually amongst the shortest compared to other brands. And Levi’s are unique in that they have a true vintagey wash like what I’m guessing denim used to be back in the day, with minimal stretch, and FYI their Wedgie cuts are always done with button fly and I know some ppl prefer zipper.
Thank you so much for your kind and detailed response! I was looking at the Everlane cheeky straight too. The wash situation really is the hardest to get right and a major draw of the Levi’s to me as well, but alas, I found their cheeky ankle a touch too skinny (23) or weirdly baggy (24). Don’t know if the 501 or cheeky straight would be better on me. Still searching for a pair that fit me like these do you!
Sephora: also, use FREESHIP for free shipping if it’s under $50
Thanks for mentioning that, Diana!
Hi Jean! I am always interested in a good wireless bra and am wondering if you would recommend the NEIWAI bra you linked even outside of pregnancy/postpartum?
And with regards to the Levi’s, I usually avoid anything with a raw hem out of fear of continued fraying. I don’t usually wash jeans often anyway but how do you handle washing items with raw hems? Thanks!
Hi Christina!
Actually NEIWAI was recommended by my cousin in China who has never been pregnant / gone through postpartum – it’s apparently a very popular bra in Asia across a wide range of age and body types! They just started selling in the US , and I loved the sample they sent so much I’ll be doing a full post on it soon. I’ve recommended it to a few friends already who are definitely not pregnant / postpartum either and they really liked it so far, so if you give it a try you’ll have to let me know what you think!
Regarding raw hem jeans, I love the slightly frayed look that results from putting them through the machine washer and dryer, so I guess if you like a clean non-raw hem then these type of jeans wouldn’t be ideal for you. I used to be afraid that the side seams would unravel too much so I used to stitch them down after cutting the hems, but I’ve since noticed they have never unraveled in the wash even when I don’t stitch them down.
I do like the slightly frayed look as well; I guess I am worried that it will keep progressing. Maybe I’ll find the courage to give them a go sometime since they look cute on you Looking forward to seeing your post about NEIWAI!