Reader Recs: Kate’s Picks for Spring

Dear Wendy readers are some of the most intelligent, stylish, super-cool people around (it’s a proven fact), so I’m bringing back Reader Recs, which features some of their favorite products. Many of the recommended products happen to be affiliate products, which means I’ll receive a commission on any click-throughs or purchases you make through the affiliate links. As always, I appreciate your support! Today’s recommendations comes from from Kate, who lives just outside of Boston with her husband and their dog. She works in Shopper Insights, and loves products. Here are some that she’s tried this spring and recommends, in beauty, fashion, and literature.

I just finished this book, Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao, and I absolutely loved it. If you can deal with reading about poverty and human trafficking, there’s a wonderful (and suspenseful) story here about women and friendship. And if you feel like your self-worth is tied to your looks, your job, your status, having a husband, or whatever, this book will give you a new perspective. The two female protagonists have nothing, no opportunity, no education; they’re just property to be sold, used, and misused. And yet, they persevere with what they have – their intelligence and their spirit. It’s amazing.

The Naked Basics Palette is on sale for $19 at Sephora. I already have Naked and Naked 3, so why do I need this? Let me count the ways: These colors aren’t in those palettes. It’s purse-size. I am just about out of the color “Naked” in the original palette, and this “Naked 2” color is even better. And you can do anything from a barely-there daytime eye to a nighttime smokey eye with this little palette (layer on the darker brown and then add the matte black to the outer corners). The colors are super pretty. Highly recommend and would be ideal for vacation or a work trip.

I bought this top in February in the light purple color, and I wear it all the time. It runs big, so order a size down. It’s very soft and comfy, and it’s versatile. You can pull the wide bottom hem down over your butt if you’re wearing leggings, or wear it more at your natural waist. You might want to buy more than one color.

If off-the-shoulder isn’t your thing or you want something more work-appropriate but still cute, I love this top as well. I got it in the coral color, but there are nine other colors. It’s also super soft, and it’s great for transitioning to spring. It runs large so size down.

I wrote about this root cover on a weekend thread, but I’m putting it here too because it’s the answer to my prayers. I haven’t gone gray yet, but I have a gray hair here and there. My bigger issue is dark regrowth between highlight appointments, and the cover-up sprays are marketed just for gray cover, not dark roots. This is a powder in a compact, and you brush it on, so you can connect your highlights and camouflage re-growth. It covers grays as well, of course, so you can just fill in your whole part. It will make your hair look thicker too. It lasts until you shampoo, even if it rains or you sweat (though I haven’t water-tested it yet). I got it in the light blonde shade, which matches the color of my highlight.

These little no-show sock things. You can wear them with ballet flats or work heels or ankle booties or little sneakers, and they add comfort and a layer between your foot and the shoe. Your pedi won’t wear off from rubbing against the inside of your shoe. If you’re flying and have to take off your shoes, you’re not barefoot in line. They stay put because they have little strips of gel in front and back. They’re great for spring and summer.

Finally, these jeans (in petite here). I got them from Nordstrom for $69, and unfortunately they’re sold out there and are now selling elsewhere for $99. But I’d pay that much since designer jeans are $200+ and hard to find in short lengths. I’m 5’3” or 4” and these are perfect for me in the petite size. (They run large, so you may want to size down.) They are very flattering. They don’t bag out and lose their shape like cheap jeans I’ve tried.

Thanks, Kate! What are you loving this spring? If you have some products you’d like to recommend to the DW audience, shoot me an email at [email protected] with links to five recommendations (write “reader recs” in the subject line, please). Your recommendations can be from any store or website, but need to be accessible online. If your list is a good fit for the site, I’ll ask you to write a brief description of each item/ explain what you love so much about it.

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