MAC Holiday Collection 2011

It's that time again! The MAC Holiday collections are here!

...Well technically, they've been out for a few weeks now I believe. I'm just super behind on my swatchin'. :)
The holiday collection as a whole is pretty large. TONS of items. Keep in mind, I don't have every item, so within this post, you'll see swatches of only the items I have.

To see my opinions on this collection, be sure to check out my video, linked at the bottom of this post.

Mineralize Eye Shadows

left-right: Shimmermint, Winterized

Paint Pot in Lets Skate!

6 Snowglobe Eye Shadows in Sultry

Dazzleshpere Ornament- 4 Crush Metal Shades - Smoky Blue

top, l-r: Winter Sky, White as Snow
bottom, l-r: Dark Moon, Silver Sleet

Iced Delights Nail and Lip Bag in Rocking
nail color: Asiatique
lipstick: Kanga Rouge
lipglass: Golden Blanket

Lipsticks, l-r: Such Flare, Eloquent Air

Dazzleglass, l-r: She-Zam, Love Alert

Technakohl Liners
top: Going for Gold
bottom: Fancy Moves

Iced Delights Bag: Pearl
eye shadow duo: Taupeless & Celestial Black
Zoom Fast Black Lash
Technakohl Liner in Purple Dash
275 Brush

Brush Kit in Mineralize
187, 130, 286, 282

Nail color: Get Noticed

Nail Lacquer Minis Ornament
l-r: Style Tip, Much Adored, Mistletoe, Dark Angel

Products provided by MAC for consideration.

Our Lil' Mountain Vacation Story. Through Pictures. ...and a Video.

A few weeks back, Brad and I planned this little last-minute weekend getaway to the Great Smoky Mountains.
Talk about a much-needed vacation... We had such a great time. We rented the cutest cabin in Pigeon Forge with the most AMAZING view ever, ate at some great restaurants there and in Gatlinburg, and just had the best couple of days spending lots of time with each other.
We had such an amazing time that I wanted to share a little vlog we filmed as well as some of our pictures. Mainly because I want to show-off the amazing pictures my new Canon S95 takes. It's seriously amazing. Since the focus is rather loud, I don't film with it, so the vlog was filmed with my same camera I've used for years (for photos and videos), my Sony Cybershot DSC W290. Which I don't recommend for photos. But I'm planning on getting a new video camera soon so wooohooooo!
Anyway, back to the Canon S95... it's awesome.
Here's a little look at our trip!

A few shots of the view from our cabin... Looks like a painting.

We went to the Apple Barn. I hadn't been there in years and Brad had never been. The Applewood Farmhouse restaurant there was delicious.

Oh what a makeshift tripod (sunken river bank and a few rocks) and a camera self-timer can do...

getting cheesy...

aaand even cheesier.


The river there was gorgeous...

We took a drive through the mountains... The next four were taken from the actual car, out the window...lol



Awesome Bear hat.



We brought a picnic up the mountain to this quiet (and very cold) spot...
...which also happened to be labeled as a "bear habitat". Seriously. A bear habitat picnic area.
Awesome.


Brad got creative with the picture-taking.
After taking this, I realized I was standing in poison ivy.
Note: Burn boots.
...next he says "Lets do one on the log."
When I tried to mount the log, things got awkward...
He meant the camera goes on the log.
Obviously... I knew that. :/

"hmmmm.... How to make this small stream slightly dangerous...."

"...stand on a rock." Not super dangerous, but seriously... What is it about guys that makes them want to jump on every rock they see near water?

Yep. More rock standin'. "Which rock to stand on next...hmmm..."

Here is a little vlog filmed during the trip for my second YT channel (my random channel), TiffanyDtv

I guess we'll just go ahead and end on this ridiculousness.
Because Gatlinburg is nothing if but a town that is never short of photo-ops...

How I Clean and Dry Makeup Brushes

Cleaning my makeup brushes used to be (well, and still is) one of my least favorite things to do.

For several reasons...

First of all, it just takes too long. Between cleaning them and waiting for them to dry, it's a process. If I leave them on the counter to dry overnight, they're usually still damp the next morning. Ever tried to use a damp makeup brush in blush or face powder? Not cute.

Another reason is that no matter how careful and gentle you are while cleaning them, or how carefully you lay them out to dry and reshape them, they'll always look a bit different. Especially natural hair brushes. Makes sense since they're, well, natural hair. Imagine letting your hair naturally dry overnight. Hey, sometimes it can be cute, but it sure doesn't look the same as it did before you washed it (that is, if you had it straightened before washing it, as makeup bristles are always straight).

Then there is just the actual task of cleaning them. Unless someone invents an automatic brush cleaner (which I don't forsee happening), this will always be a chore to me.

Ok, we get it. Cleaning brushes is no fun.

Considering I've found some ways around these little problems above, I figured it was time to update you guys with how I currently clean and dry them. Especially since I've found a way to dry them even faster. Over the past several months, I've been using a new product that actually dries them in 4-6 hours. No joke. It also keeps the brushes in their original shape which is exciting. Another exciting extra- If you click here for the Dry n' Shape and enter the coupon code TIFFANY5 at checkout, you'll save $5 on it. Which makes it even more affordable. That is pretty exciting as well.

Some of you may not find this all as exciting as I do. But I really dislike cleaning brushes. Did I mention that already? ...or that I think this is exciting? ;)

Here's a video demonstration of how I clean my brushes. Yep, I take you guys to my sink. Now that is exciting.

Deep Purple Tutorial: Dior "Mystic Smokys" Palette

I LOVE a sophisticated purple look. Whenever I want to do a more colorful look, purple is always my favorite choice. Something else I love? A good eye shadow palette that can produce a full look without reaching for much else. So glad I picked up the Dior Mystic Smokys palette during the Sephora Friends and Family sale a few weeks back! I even got away with not reaching for a separate eye liner. Which is crazy. The dark purple in the palette made the most perfect liner. To make the look a little brighter, I used a few bright pencil eye shadows underneath, which made the look a little more fun. Hope you guys enjoy :)


Products Used:
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Shadow Pencils in Morphine and Delinquent
Dior Mystic Smokys eye shadow palette
Lancome Doll Lashes Mascara
Dior Coral Riviera blush (bronzer & blush)
NARS Multiple in Orgasm
MAC Cream Color Base in Pearl
MAC Plushglass in Nice Buzz

October Favorites! Beauty Products

So this month's edition of "favorites" is kind of all about quality, not quantity. Totally didn't realize how few I had until I was almost done filming the video.
But no worries. They're especially good. I'm probably jumping the gun here, but a couple products might even make my annual "Best Products" video for 2011 which I post at the end of December in place of that month's favorites. Can you believe how fast this year has gone by? Insane.

Hope you all had a wonderful month of October!
xoxo,
Tiffany