Posts From September 2008
If you’re not already in the know MAC has it’s own youTube channel. They currently uploaded MAC’s Halloween How To which I found pretty interesting to watch!
Granted, it doesn’t go step by step but I liked watching the transformation!
Do subscribe to MAC’s channel by clicking here! Well worth your time as lately they have been doing rather cute vids to go along with collections and some of those vids appear pretty early preparing you for the releases that will be out and available soon!
Happy “early” Halloween from MAC!
P.S. When you’re done viewing the video do check out MAC’s site for the latest Halloween Face Charts!
Last year I fell head over heels in lust and love with Lush Ghost Shower Gel. The shower gel was released during a Halloween Party last year and I fell hard for the beautifully scented shower gel that I stocked up on it in a major way before it disappeared for good!
This year Lush doesn’t disappoint by having another Halloween Party…a bit early..but on October 2nd, Lush will host an “online” Halloween Party for those who’d like to indulge in some early Christmas goodies, fun games, prizes, and of course some Halloween themed bath and body treats!
The party schedule is below and is Pacific Standard Time Zone:
| Schedule: |
| Chat rooms open. |
2pm |
| LUSH staff arrive and start giving out prizes, running contests, announcing offers etc. |
3pm |
| LUSH staff leave but the chat rooms stay open. |
7pm |
| Chat rooms close. |
9pm |
So are you attending?
Perhaps the Muse will see you there!
Excited about Halloween and Christmas Lush goodies?
Tell me all about it!
I went to Atlantic City this weekend so of course I had to hit up the Lancome Outlet to see what they had in stock.
They had a ton of items however I was actually quite relieved that it wasn’t anything I absolutely needed (I’ve been known to get crazy at the Lancome Outlet) however one item did catch my eye which was Lancome Absolue Makeup and for the ridiculous price of $10 USD (this normally retails for $57 USD) I firgured I might as well try it.
Honestly, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I purchased it because aside from being great for dry skin it’s really not what I’d typical look for in a foundation. It’s meant for dry/mature skin…ummm dry yes but I’m not quite that mature yet..at least I don’t think I am. It’s pretty heavy and super pigmented for covering up everything and anything….again not what I’d normally reach for as I like a lighter foundation for my face.
Turns out that it works amazingly well and is actually well worth it’s originally $57 USD price tag. I can see myself purchasing another if I ever actually use all of this one as the jar is freaking huge and should last me till the apocalypse (Dontcha just love Misha?).
I do not recommend this for oily skin this is strictly for dry skin in my humble opinion. It’s extremely heavy foundation and a little tiny bit goes a very, very, very long wear. At the moment I can’t make proper use of it but as soon as the colder weather settles in my skin will be falling to it’s knees and thanking the Lancome gods for such a perfectly, moisturizing foundation that offers beautiful, airbrushed coverage and helps keep my dry skin dewy and moist!
I originally purchased this since I became slightly obsessed with foundations in a jar after falling in love with Clarins Instant Smooth Foundation and CoverGirl TRUblend Whipped Foundation plus the price couldn’t be beat at $10 bucks! I know, I know, pot foundations breed bacteria and germs but this does come with a handy little scoop so my fingers are never actually touching the foundation! And get this….the scoop comes with this handy little plastic pocket to store it in….sue me, I get excited about the little things! I was reading My Makeup Reviews (best site evers) a few days ago and Jojoba was saying how she hated the fact she had no where to store the little scoop from Clarins Instant Smooth Foundation so here in lays a little bit of a solution! A little plastic sleeve for my scoop! Yay!
A little bit more information about the formula…..
As I mentioned the formula is extra moisturizing and extremely pigmented. You can do light coverage but it does take a bit of work to figure out exactly how much you’ll need for a thinner layer of coverage as it always seems I’m just using too much! But after working with the product for a bit I finally got it down to the perfect amount for a nice, sheer layer of coverage that lightens my complextion, erases dullness, and leaves my skin looking airbrushed and perfect.
I was particularly thrilled with how great it worked under my eyes. It’s thick yes but it works well at concealing dark circles and just general under eye woes without drying the area out so it takes on the task of foundation and concealer in one product.
There are 12 color selections available and from looking at the site it appears they have pretty much all tones covered but I do find that when I am selecting color ranges from Lancome for foundation and concealers it’s best to head to your local counter to purchase so you can swatch it out and see what is best suited to your skin tone.
The wear is particularly good and you can easily get eight hours of wear out of this with proper prepping. I started out my day with it as of 5 am and it lasted till around 3 pm before it started fading and needing touch up. Not bad in my opinion plus it didn’t turn ashy on me as foundations sometimes have been known to do after long wear on my face.
I recommend this for the following skin:
- Those who seek an extra moisturizing foundation especially if your skin is dry in the Winter.
- Fantastic foundation for those who have the beginings or full effect of lines on their face as this will erase fine lines and create a smoother, fresher appearance.
- Those who seek extra coverage
- Those who want a foundation that can multitask as a concealer.
This one I’m approving for purchase. I’d indulge in $57 USD for it considering how much coverage and moisture if offers plus it’s a very large that will last over a year. Taking all the positives into consideration with absolutely zero negatives I’d say it’s well worth checking out for yourself. Pricey yes, but does exactly what it promises and more!
Likey!
Check out more of the color selections and further information at Lancome.
Tried this?
Love it?
What are your favorite foundations?
Tell the Muse!
Too Faced Magic Wand Illuminating Foundation Review
Jelly Pong Pong Nichola Roberts Dainty Doll Foundation Review
Guerlain Parure Aqua Review
Laura Mercier Flawless Face Kit Review
Stila Illuminating Liquid Foundation Review
Hey guys!
Sorry for being so invisible today but it’s been a rather busy Monday for your Muse! Tis 7pm and I’m quite happy to be home finally. I’m looking forward to a hot Lush bath, my weekly fix of Gossip Girl (the Muse has a soft spot for Lonely Boy!), and getting this review of Urban Decay’s hot new Holiday 24/7 Eye Pencils out to you!
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-Eye Pencils are now available in a 5 piece set in two color variations! Sweet right?
Each set contains five mini Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencils for $29 USD which works out to about $5.80 USD per a pencil. The pencils are a tad bit skinnier and shorter than the regular size version but at $5.80 USD each compared to $16 USD for one shade, the Muse says, it’s a steal and a deal! Granted I love the large version and own several colors but I really like the idea of shelling out $13 USD more and getting five shades instead of one! Variety is the spice of life after all!
Travel Size versus Regular Size
The two sets available are Velvet Rope and VIP together they makeup nearly 75% of the colors offered in the Urban Decay 24/7 line. The line consists of a total of 15 shades so if you purchase the two sets you’ll end up with 10 of the 15 shades available! A nice little stash of color…great right? The Muse takes all these things into consideration for you!
Now these are postively my favorite liners out of all the liners I own. They have a gorgeous formula that’s super soft, super creamy, and beautifully blendable. Oh did I mention waterproof? No raccoon eyes here!
Out of the two sets VIP is my favorite considering it has the more vibrant shades of the two sets. VIP contains all of the following shades:
- Lucky-Metallic Cooper
- Electric-Aqua
- Zero-Black
- Covet-Peacock Green
- Lust-Royal Purple
Velvet Rope contains more neutral shades that aren’t as bold as VIP but that doesn’t take away from the colors in this set being just as nice. Velvet Rope contains all of the following shades:
- Zero-Black
- Yeyo-Pure White (Oh my god awesome Twiggy shade! So Mod!)
- 1999-Plum with specks of Gold
- Bourbon-Brown with specks of Gold
- Stash-Olive Green
The sets are ideal as gifts but spoiling yourself with ‘em can’t hurt either! Even though it’s 76 degrees today in New York my head is all about awesome Holiday offerings from Urban Decay!
Do check out the rest of the Urban Decay Holiday Collection by visiting their website!
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-Eye Pencil Sets in VIP and Velvet Rope are definately Muse Approved for purchase!
Love ‘em!
Are these on your Holiday wish list?
Got some already?
Love ‘em?
Tell the Muse!
Urban Decay’s Hot New Lipsticks: Reviewed!
Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil Review
Urban Decay Summer Collection 2008 Review
Urban Decay Holiday Collection 2007
Urban Decay Deslick Mattifying Powder Review
Urban Decay Limited Edition Lipstick Cap
If you’re wanting a little bit of divine intervention to be added into your moisturizer you may not have to look too far!
Philosophy Divine Illumination Moisturizer is the newest moisturizer from Philosophy that promises to improve skin tone, texture, smoothness, firmness, and adding anti-aging ingredients while adding a healthy glow to skin!
You can pre-order Philosophy Divine Illumination Moisturizer from QVC by using item number A84989.
Count the Muse curious…I foresee some illumination in my life soon…review to follow? Possibly!
Want it?
Need it?
Tell the Muse!
I’m such a geek, put together batteries and mascara and I get quite hyper and excited! I was testing out my Estee Lauder TurboLash All Effect Motion Mascara this weekend and it’s interesting to say the least.
The wand on this mascara is vibrating, it is NOT rotating. You may have read some details or descriptions of it and got as confused as I did, I had assumed that the wand rotated. The mascara wand handle actually vibrates as you apply which is supposed to mimic the movement moving your wand back and fourth, which we all know adds extra volume to lashes.
The final look, after using the product, is one of fuller, volumized lashes however I was somewhat torn if the vibration of the mascara actually helped to achieve that look or not and I’m unable to turn the vibrations off to try it out. Aside from this minor rant I’m very pleased with the product on a whole. The formula is smudge proof and long wearing with a nice inky black finish that makes me lashes look full and fat. I did notice that I got incredible lenght with this compared to some other mascaras I used and was able to build up some serious volume to my lashes which gave me that false lash look that I crave. The brush applicator is a nice full brush that grabs every lash with one stroke coating them in mascara.
Before Use
After Use
After Use
In order to turn this on you just twist the cap out and pull the wand out. It begins vibrating almost as soon as you twist the upper cap off and vibrates straight through application. Slide the wand back into the tube, twist shut, and the vibrations stop. Simple!
Although the battery is not replaceable it should last until you’re ready for a new mascara which should be about six months or so (the battery will probably out last 6 months in my opinion however I don’t keep mascaras over six months due to bacteria, germs, etc…). At $30 USD it’s not entirely cheap but I do think it’s worth the price as it does what it promises, fuller, longer lashes.
I recommend it for the following:
- Those with short, stubby lashes as the applicator does a good job of grabbing lashes and pulling them up and out while curling them upwards.
- Those who want fuller, fatter lashes with a false lash-like finish.
- Anyone who loves the novelty of a geeky product…!
All in all I really liked this one and I do recommend checking it out for yourself!
Tried it?
Love it?
Tell the Muse!
Givenchy Phenonmen’Eyes Mascara Review
Smashbox 24K Golden Effect Top Coat Mascara
Blinc Lash Primer Review
Sephora Atomic Mascara Review
L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara Review
Urban Decay Big Fatty “Colored Mascara” Review
Spinlash Review
Majolica Majorca Mascara Review
Sephora The Lash Stash
Majolica Majorca Lash Gorgeous Wing Mascara Review
I’ve been using Lush Vanishing Cream Moisturizer for about a month now, maybe a little longer. I originally ordered all three of Lush’s moisturizers from Lush UK over a month or so ago and the one that I was the least interested in and wasn’t going to purchase at all was Vanishing Cream. I’m actually quite relieved I indulged in Vanishing Cream because it turns out it’s rather wonderful and I’m in love with it.
Honestly, I was worried about purchasing Vanishing Cream considering it’s absolutely all wrong for my skin type, the moisturizer is meant for acne prone/oily skin. I wasn’t going to purchase this at all but the description did peek my interest.
Here’s the description taken from the Lush UK website:
The Low Fat Moisturiser If you have acne, oily skin, spots on your T-zone (forehead, nose and chin) you could use a pot of our new Vanishing Cream. It makes your skin troubles vanish. It`s not magic though, it`s beautifully traditional natural science. We make it with a new low-fat base so it`s light as a feather and sinks in, in a trice. There`s no cocoa butter; although we love it, we know it`s not for everyone. Instead, we use shea butter and deeply softening linseed gel, with low-fat camellia, grapeseed and jojoba oils. Of course, you don`t have to have problem skins use it; if you`d like a comforting, balancing moisturiser that keeps your skin clear with lavender, neroli and uranium essential oils then walk this way. But if your skin torments you every day, making you over-oily, spotty, red or sore then you definitely need this. Use it with Herbalism, Angels on Bare Skin, Fresh Farmacy, Tea Tree Water for a new Tea Tree Tone Tabs to take really good care of your face, naturally and safely.
As per Lush’s recommendation of “of course, you don’t have to have problem skins use it; if you like a comforting, balancing moisturizer that keeps skin clear…” this was one thing that caught my interest and of course the other item that sold me on this was the fact that it was marketed as being such a light moisturizer. I liked the idea of a moisturizer that was light, that would help battle oily skin, and balanced my skin so I decided what the heck might as well try it.
Considering this arrived sometime in July or August (I can’t recall which) I was happy to have it for part of the Summer to try out since my combination skin is sometimes oily in the Summer here it may have laid a solution.
As promised by Lush, Vanishing Cream is beautifully, wonderfully, heavenly light. I love how smooth and effortlessly this glides onto my skin and absorbs simply and easily. This is absolute perfect wear for Summer considering how light and airy the formula is. The texture is watery and runny and has a fresh, herbal smell of lavender and rose.
The moisturizer leaves my skin matte yet dewy and fresh and keeps my forehead nice and oil free all day long. I absolutely loved using this during the hot, humid weather as it offered just the right moisture for my skin while balancing it out and preventing it from becoming shiny. One of the ingredients in this is Witch Hazel which could account for how it mattifies skin and keeps oil at bay.
I recommend this for those with the following skin types:
- Oily Skin
- Acne or Blemish ridden skin
- Redness or Sensitive Skin
- Those who want a light moisturizer for everyday use or during warmer weather
The only sole rant I have about the moisturizer is it’s lack of SPF aside from that it’s positively perfect and I love it. Although I was using this as a light, Summer time moisturizer I feel like it may carry it’s way into my Fall skincare regime as well as I’m enjoying it’s lightness and how I do not have to prep with a base or primer after use.
I highly recommending purchasing this for yourself or at the least trying it out. Currently Lush has small pots available for $5 USD which you can use to test this out. If you love it you can bring back the empty sample pot you purchased for $5 USD and have it deducted from the total cost of a large container of the moisturizer!
Nifty right?
The price is $35.95 USD or £15 for a 1.7oz pot (45g).
The Muse Approves it for purchase!
Love it!
Tried it?
Like it?
Tried any of the new Lush Moisturizers?
Tell the Muse!
Retro Lush
Lush Skin Nanny Review
Lush Godmother Soap Review
Fabulous New Items from Lush!
Lush Emotibombs Review
Lush Solid Perfume Review
I’ve been working seriously hard at bringing you all the latest and the greatest for Fall Collections! I hope you’ve enjoyed all my reviews so far and I hope you’re looking forward to hearing about more Fall goodies! I definately have a few more up my sleeves that I’ll be bringing to you very soon and of course before you know it the Muse will take you down the Holiday road to bring you all the best selections for Winter and the Holiday from the US, Japan, Korea, and anywhere else that strikes my fancy!
For now I’m leaving you with a little weekend link love round up of links to Fall Collections I’ve reviewed! If you’re a loyal reader I’m sure you’ve already been through these but maybe you’ll enjoy looking through them again or maybe catch something you missed the first time around! If you’re a new reader I’m sure it’ll be great to browse through some past reviews and maybe find something you fancy purchasing to add to your current cosmetic wardrobe!
Smashbox Wicked Lovely Collection Review
NARS Super Orgasm Review
Dior Face Pro-Styler Palette Review
Sugar Cosmetics Sweet Cheeks Baked Blush Review
Guerlain Parure Aqua Review
MAC Overrich Review
Too Faced Smoke and Mirrors Collection Review
Lorac Double Feature Highlighter Concealer Review
MAC Cult of Cherry Review
Urban Decay Lipstick Review
Majolica Marjorca Fall Collection 2008
Bare Minerals Rocker Chick Kit Review
MAC Colour Forums Review
Shu Uemura Instinct Collection Review
New or old, thank you for being apart of Musings! I greatly appreciate your reading my little blog!
Happy Weekend!
Don’t forget you can easily find all my Fall reviews by visiting the drop down menu on the left hand side of my blog!
I’ve been reviewing a few items from Etude House’s Fall Collection this week and today I’m ending the week with a review on Etude House Lash Designing Vitcara Mascara.
Although there isn’t anything too special about Etude House Lash Designing Vitcara Mascara I was delighted with it’s price and it’s performance.
The mascara comes in two versions, a fiber base and a regular volume (curl) mascara. Out of the two versions I liked the regular volume mascara best.
The regular curl version has a very good applicator on par with Beaute de Kose’s Volumizing Mascara’s applicator, it’s a tiny curved smooth handle with tiny bristles at the very tip. The curved end fits the contour of your eye lashes perfectly to comb lashes upwards and out. You can use the bristles to comb the mascara further through the lashes or concentrate on certain lashes (such as the outer ones) to create a fuller look or a doll-like effect to lashes. The formula is nice and thick and does a fine job of fattening lashes up, separating them, and creating a nice full look. I experienced no problems with smudges or fading. It’s not the best mascara around but it does do what it promises and it’s quite inexpensive as well.
The second mascara was a bit of a shock to me as it’s actually not half bad considering how much I hate fiber based mascaras. My first use with it was a complete mess and I ended up absolutely hating it but after reading the instructions and recommendation for use I successfully created quite a good full lash look with it. The applicator on this one is a tiny comb style with a smooth surface on one side and a bristle side on the other. For application you’re supposed to use the smoother side to pull the lashes upward and out after you proceed to brush through lashes with the comb. The smooth side of the applicator reminds me of Bare Escentuals Brushless Mascara and the entire design actually sorta reminds me of another Bare Escentuals mascara which is Big Tease. I was delighted that the fibers didn’t get stuck in my eye or cause general irritation as fiber mascaras have been known to do for me! I highly recommend trying this particular mascara if you have shorter, stubbier lashes. It pulls lashes up and out nicely and creates a very full, long look to eyes. My first use, as I mentioned, was a mess and my lashes had the spider web effect going on but after using the applicator correctly I was quite pleased with the results.
All in all for the price you sincerely can’t go wrong and I definately enjoyed these two mascaras.
You can see further information with before and after photos on Etude House’s blog. If you have a Korean language pack installed it’s easy enough to translate the site as well!
Enjoy further reviews on Etude House’s Fall Collection by clicking through some past posts!
Etude House Lip Plumping Tint Review
Etude House Face Designing Brightener Review
Etude House Brightening Eyes Duo Review
As my blog grows, my taste in cosmetics grows as well and I realized something very important this Fall. I realized trying something new works out for the best in the long run.
Nudes, neutrals, and natural shades are outside my norm but I’ve been testing out so many lately that I’ve grown to love a few. Although I was slightly scared of the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette I knew I needed to try it out for myself.
Guess what?
I ended up loving i!
Go figure right?
The palette retails for $50 USD and includes a total of seven shades that range from soft shimmers to metallics and even mattes. The palette includes a dual ended applicator as well, one side of which is a shadow brush and the other side a flat liner brush.
Since I’m self employed if I want to head in to my office wearing blue eye shadow I do just that and my clients aren’t too surprised by my wacky choice in colors however if you’re in a working environment where color matters the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes palette offers the ability to create various soft, sophisticated looks that are actually very, very flattering! I know it’s strange to be surprised at how well nudes work but I can’t help but be slightly shocked at how beautiful they look on my eye.
I think the reason I loved the palette so much is due to the array of softer, shimmering shades. I’m big on shimmer so give me a palette full of shimmery shades I’ll end up loving it by default. Although the shadows contain shimmer it’s nothing to be too scared of since the colors are very soft and the finish is a very sheer layer of shimmer that lightens up a nude, natural eye look.
You get a total of 7 shadows with the palette and at $50 USD for the entire palette you’re paying around $7 USD per a shadow. When you break the cost down I think it’s a considerably good deal considering each regular size Bobbi Brown Metallic Shadows are $20 USD each and you’re getting 7 smaller sizes for a nice deal! Considering the palette has such an array of shades you can easily create a number of looks with one palette which makes this a very nice deal.
The shades included in the palette are:
Nude Beach (Metallic Shadow)
Nude Mist (Shimmering Shadow)
Naked Eye (Matte Shadow)
Nude Glow (Metallic Shadow)
Mica Shimmer (Matte Shadow)
Nude Spice (Metallic Shadow)
Espresso (Matte Shadow)
I’m somewhat scared of mattes so I was happy many of the finishes in the palette were of a shimmer base however I was delighted to discover that when I did venture into using the Mattes they blended extremely well and worked wonderful as a base for adding a bit of the shimmery shadows on top. The only shade I had a bit of a problem working with was Espresso which is a chocolate like brown shade with a matte finish. However, as per the instructions on the box I ended up using this as a liner and it worked a treat!
I created three looks for you using the palette but could have gotten many more but ado the Muse only has one face so she had to stop at three as she has other collections to get to!
The look below I’m using Espresso as a liner. I thought this came out interesting as using it as a liner was far easier than using it as a shadow.
With the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Collection a few other items were released which included a few new shades of Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color. I’ve been pairing up the shade Pink Sequin with all my nude looks this week and I must say it’s an absolutely awesome shade and a great formula. This is my first experience with Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color and I’m quite impressed. Pink Sequin has a range of shades in it including gold, pink, and a bit of peach! The shade on lips is nude however it gives lips just a sparkle of color that’s very flattering. I thought the best way to use it was over a little bit of peach lip stain. My first set of photos I have peach stain on under it and my second set of photos I have it on over bare lips. The texture of the product is a creamy balm that’s very soothing on the lips. It has a slight lemony taste which is quite pleasant.
All in all I really liked both trying out both the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes Palette and Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color. I’ll be indulging in further colors of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color and without a doubt I’ll definately take advantage of further palettes that come out as I’ve really had a soft spot for Bobbi’s line lately!
If you’re looking for a softer, elegant looking palette that’s extremely work friendly I highly recommend nabbing this new palette! It can easily create a slew of looks plus work well into the evening due to the shimmer finish on a majority of the colors.
The Muse recommends this for purchase! Beautiful palette and a gorgeous collection overall!
Check out more of the Shimmering Nudes Collection including other releases I didn’t review at Bobbi Brown.
Want it?
Tell the Muse!
Bobbi Brown Pink Raspberry Collection Review
Bobbi Brown Mauve Collection Review
Bobbi Brown Metallics Collection Review
The Muse likes a little sparkle, and a little glitter…oh and I love some shimmer so of course I’m all about Jelly Pong Pong Crystallize!
Jelly Pong Pong Crystallize is a new product from Jelly Pong Pong that contains four shades of dazzling jewel like shimmers that you can use on your face, body, or hair!
The product comes in sphere compact so it’s not only beautiful on the inside but also gorgeous on the outside. Once you’ve unscrewed the cap you’ll come across a powder puff applicator and under that is a sifter that’s divided into four parts a la Givenchy’s Prsme Libre Loose Powder Quartet. The sifter does not contain a divider between each shade so it’s difficult to actually apply each shade individually however this does not take away from the effects of the powder simply because combining all four shades creates an intense shimmery finish that’s simply gorgeous.
The four shades housed in the sphere are a Light Amethyst, Tanzanite, Firestone Ruby, and White Crystal or in Muse English they are green, pink, purple, and peach! Combining the shades simply gives you a highly intense shimmery effect that’s not so much a rainbow of color but more of a simple crystal-like finish. Of course, if you prefer you can, with a little work, apply each shade separately.
I’ve been happily using this on my cheeks, face, arms, etc…and as per Jelly Pong Pong’s recommendation I mixed some with my moisturizer and applied on my skin which produced a rather fun effect on my skin! Likey!
All in all this is a rather cute little shimmer to add to your collection if you’re high on doses of sparkle like the Muse is! I’m sealing it with a Muse Approval for purchase!
You can visit Jelly Pong Pong by clicking here!
If you like sparkle, you’ll love this!
As obsessed with shimmer as the Muse is?
Want this?
Love Jelly Pong Pong?
Tell the Muse!
Other Jelly Pong Pong posts to get excited about!
Jelly Pong Pong Lip Cushion Review
Jelly Pong Pong Summer Collection 2008
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