I get so many products that they all start to blend together.  As a result, it’s rare for something to make me sit up and take notice: but that’s exactly what the MAC Give Me Liberty of London collection did!  If you’re not familiar with Liberty, it’s a posh old department store in a gorgeous Tudor building on Regent Street (in central London) that’s best known for the famous floral Liberty print.  With a line at Target, too, Liberty is suddenly everywhere.

But back to MAC.  This collection is divine, and I can’t decide what’s better: the products or the packaging – I find myself unable to throw the boxes away!

Yesterday, I received a few publicist-sent products from the MAC Cosmetics Magic, Mirth and Mischief 2009 Holiday Collection and immediately dug into them.  I’ve been slow to the MAC party these past couple of years, mainly because I liiiike makeup and all, but skincare and haircare are more appealing and enchanting to me.  (After all, if your skin is glowing and your hair is shining, do you really need layers of paint?  Methinks not.)  Still, makeup is fun and one of the pleasures of being a girl, and I enjoy playing with dramatic colors and interesting textures. 

The new MAC collection features several brush kits, including the Do the Trick Buff and Line set, and Morning, Noon and Knight Everything Eye Brushes, both a great value at $49.50 for 5 top brushes.  I recently wrote a post for AOL about the best MAC brushes, so I was excited to faff about with them this morning.  I took this video last night:

I confess.  I’ve gotten sucked into the American Idol machine.  Nobody will ever live up to my beloved Kelly Clarkson (incidentally, the only season I’ve watched all the way through, until now), but Carrie Underwood is pretty phenomenal, too…and I’ve been really digging this season.  (Judge not, fair readers.  Jolie needs her crappy TV fix like everybody else.)

Now, as a fashion statement, I seriously dislike tattoos.  I find them silly and tacky.  Most of my friends have them, and have gotten them for deeply personal reasons, and I respect that.  But, hey, you like what you like–and me no likey.  However!  I absolutely adore Megan Joy Corkrey, and I have a love/hate relationship with her tattoos; while I dislike tats in general, I must admit that Megan Joy’s truly add to her quirky uniqueness, particularly since she’d look like a Homecoming Queen without them.  (Girl is crazy beautiful!)  Her hair and makeup on Tuesday night’s Grand Ol’ Opry episode was perfection. 

Recreate that gorgeous eye makeup look with loads of heavily pigmented, shimmery golden-bronze eye shadow: try MAC eyeshadow in Amber Lights. 

Carrie Underwood, meanwhile, showed up on last night’s results show to duet on “I Told You So” with Randy Travis, sporting what appeared to be a layered soccer mom bob adorned with a big black bow.  It was totally confusing.  Carrie equals “adorable.”  Carrie also equals “needs long hair.”  No?  Just me?