For pants,
Sarnak-hide Leggings is probably about the best you're going to do, but they're a little pricey for the quality. I wouldn't personally spend it and would just tough it out with Cured Silk until I landed some Crescent.
In terms of face items, Platinum Ruby Veil is really solid all the way up until you start raiding.
Pearlescent Mask is something I would try to get asap, as it is best in slot for a MR set.
Between Crescent and Azure Sleeves, I'd probably stick with Azure just because I like to solo a lot and pushing down my chance of eating max hits is going to mean much less damage taken and downtime in the long run.