Review: Tarte Carried Away Collector's Set + Friday Date Night

$54.00, Sephora

Of all of my recent purchases from Sephora (updates coming soon), this set is my absolute favorite. First of all, it's the best value. Everything added together would have been $500+! Obviously, this is a scam/gimmick for the holidays, but it really is a good value. There are 24 eye shadows included in this set, and they are full size. Also, the colors seem pretty unique, not a palette of just beige/cream/tan/boring. Also included are 8 mini lip glosses. I really only like the color of about three or four, but they are good quality and not too small. There is also a blush in a peachy-browny-mauve color, a finishing/mattefying powder, a large powder brush and a mascara. Just a warning that this is more of a meta-review, and that I will give more detailed reviews of each color/product as I try it in the next few weeks.

The Daily Gimme: Madewell Variee Leopard Flats + Target/Neiman Marcus collab wishlist

$260 Madewell

Um, yes. I am a recent convert to animal print, especially in accessories. I love these flats, which have a lovely ankle strap that prevents the shoes from slipping and a cap toe to make it a little more special. The price is a bit steep for flats, but I have found Madewell to make quality shoes. If you are looking for cute ankle-strap flats that are a little less fierce, these are also lovely. I particularly like the slight wedge, which "elevates" them to a new level. (Terrible.)

Today's Daily Gimme is going to be a two-fer, because I am very much looking forward to the Target/Neiman Marcus/CFDA collab tonight and tomorrow. Here are the pieces I have my eye on:

Rebecca to Basics Dress from Modcloth

Dress from Modcloth, Shoes from Madewell, Bag from Jason Wu for Target (similar here), Denim Jacket from Madewell (similar here), earrings from Modcloth.

This beautiful purple maxi dress was one of the only things I decided to keep from a recent Modcloth haul. As someone who is relatively short and stubby, I've always been afraid of floor-length dresses and haven't owned a single one (with the exception of prom dresses). This is surprising, considering the fact that as a little girl, I would drape a blanket around myself and prtend to be a princess. However, I decided to jump on the maxi dress bandwagon before it completely passed me by and purchased this dress, which at $49.99 (and free shipping!), was a relatively cheap gamble.

It is gorgeous. The material is a soft jersey that flows and skims over the body, hiding any unseemly lumps. The neck drape is elegant and simple, without being too revealing. The waist cinching  has a zig-zag embroidery with a lavender thread, which emphasizes a slender waist without resulting in the illusion of over-lush hips. My only quibbles about the dress are that the arm holes are ginormous (revealing bra and generous side-boob) and that it is a bit long. However, neither of these problems are unsolvable--a bit of dark purple thread will make this dress perfect. I am also concerned about the jersey fabric pilling, but that is a bridge we can cross when we come to it.

Because of the jersey fabric and the maxi length, this dress is best left for week-end outfits. I would pair it with a denim jacket and some gladiator sandals for a more relaxed look, and maybe a white cropped jacket/cardigan and some platforms for a  slightly more festive feel. As a side note, I own both the Jason Wu for Target satchel and the Modcloth bird earrings and they are both wonderful. The Madewell sandals I own are slightly different, but I am sure that any flat strappy sandal would work here.

The Daily Gimme: Gorjana Knox Necklace

$70.00 Gorjana

I've seen this horizontal bar style necklace on several fashion blogs and I really like the simplicity and elegance. It's something that can be worn with a casual tee and jeans for a cazh weekend but also with a blouse and pencil skirt for work. The site also has a really gorgeous vertical bar necklace that features a city name of your choice (mine would be London, of course).

Review: Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish Pro Kit

$79.99 $39.99 drugstore.com

This package was sitting on my counter for several days. First, because I had received a deluge of packages after some frenzied Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping. Second, because the system looked so complicated. All those tiny bottles! What purpose did they serve? Finally, after sitting down twice to attempt a manicure, I realized that I was missing some basic tools--like a nail file, or a cuticle pusher. I finally hoofed it over to Sephora to buy a nail kit (review soon) and sat down to delve the byzantine mysteries of this manicure kit.