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It's Okay Thursday Link Up!

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TGI almost F!

Its Ok Thursdays

It's okay...

...that my typical "hairstyle" is rewetting my hair in the morning, scrunching it a little, and nothing else.

...that today was a really crappy day.

...that I had a whole list of these in my head earlier today, and I can't think of them now.

...that I did go ahead and upgrade to an iPhone 4. It's working so much better than my old phone.

...that I'm addicted to the game Tiny Tower.

...that I will probably order more than I should when theBalm finally gets their new website up and running correctly (they will be having a 24-hour 50% off everything sale).

...that I bought a ton of junk food at WalMart today (Cadbury cream eggs, Starburst jellybeans, and ice cream).

...that I'm stockpiling Special K products that have codes for free OPI polishes (8 codes gets you three exclusive colors).

How has your week been? What's okay with you?

Bourjois Blush in Ashes of Rosese - Review and Swatch

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Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post was given to me as a present. I am not affiliated with Bourjois or Asos.com. All opinions are my own.

Back in December I posted about a Secret Santa package I received. I was really excited about it because it was from Europe, so I received items that I don't have easy access to here in the US.

I actually think that the item I was most excited about was the Bourjois blush that I received in Ashes of Roses. It is available on Asos.com for $13.28 USD and free shipping. If I decide to try other Bourjois products, that's probably where I'll pick them up.

Packaging


The blush comes packaged in a compact that is small in size and has a magnetic closure. The compact itself is the shade of the blush. I always enjoy when companies do that because it makes it convenient to locate  a specific color in a large collection.

The inside of the lid has a mirror on it. Because the compact itself is relatively small, it would be challenging to use the mirror for much, but it would work in a pinch. The blush also comes with a brush (not pictures). It's similar to the brushes included with Physicians Formula blushes, but it's smaller and has a curve to it that helps it nestle in the compact on top of the domed blush. I threw it out not long after I got the blush.  I knew I would never use it.

Product



When I first swatched this blush and for the first few times I used it, it kicked up a lot of powder. Thankfully, it has stopped being so powdery. As you can probably see, it has good pigmenation. The color itself is a slightly warm leaning pink that would probably work for most skin tones. It has a matte base and fine, sparse shimmer that doesn't really show up unless you look really  closely for it.

When wearing it with a face primer and foundation, it lasts really well. I wore it yesterday, and it made it through an entire work day. I applied it at around 7 in the morning, and I could still see it at 6:30 p.m. when I was getting ready to go back out. I did reapply, but that's because I touched up my concealer and powder, which dulled down the color.

Final Thoughts

I'm really glad that I got to try out this blush. The color is exactly the sort of thing that I love wearing on a daily basis. If you are in the US and looking for a European brand to try, this might be a good one. Again, if you order through Asos.com, shipping is free. 

What foreign brands have you tried and enjoyed? Have you tried any Bourjois products?

Disclaimer: The product mentioned in this post was given to me as a present. I am not affiliated with Bourjois or Asos.com. All opinions are my own.

Silk Naturals Spring Collection - Cream Shadow Swatches and First Impressions

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Disclaimer: I purchased all items mentioned in this post with my own money. All opinions are my own.

Well...this week was a blogging fail. I didn't get up my Tuesday post, and I didn't even do That's Okay Thursday. I wasn't feeling well at the beginning of the week, and it turned into an awful week after that. Hopefully, this next week will be better for me.

The highlight of my week was the fact that Silk Naturals released their spring collection on Tuesday night. It's an amazing collection. They released 19 cream eye shadows, 2 cream cheek products (a cream blush and a cream bronzer), 5 lip glosses in a new formula, and a super shimmery clear gloss.

The other really exciting thing about their spring collection is the return of their Mystery Adventure Club. I'm going to go ahead and leave the explanation to Karen, Silk Naturals founder (taken from the listing for the MAC):

Every week I make a new gift with purchase.  When I make the GWP it's sort of my time to play.  I take a few minutes to just be grateful that we have customers, and try to think of something that would bring a smile to your face when you open your package.  GWP's can be pretty much anything- I'm not charging you for them, so I feel a lot more liberated to try new things.  In the past we've done sneak previews of new collections, glows, eye shadows, little bath/spa type things, skin care samples etc- pretty much whatever I'm feeling at the moment.  

We had a request for a GWP club...so people can get automatic shipments of the gift with purchase items without having to order.

Here's how the club works. 

Packages will be sent the third week of the month- on or about the 21st for a total of 3 months.  Your first shipment will go in the mail on May 21 ish, and will cover the GWP's from April 21 to May 21.  So for $37.95 plus the cart will charge you for shipping  you'll get a total of 12 GWP's in a total of three shipments (plus some other goodies- we make it fun).  We don't charge your card, or send you paypal invoices for anything else.  One price, three shipments.

They've done this program a few times before, and I've always signed up. I've done so this time too. Karens' shadows are gorgeous, and they always throw in really fun extras. It's a nice little pick-me-up every month. If this sounds like something you'd like to try, don't hesitate too long. Sign-ups end on April 21st, and they reserve the right to limit sign-ups. I don't think they've ever stopped accepting sign-ups prior to the cut-off date, but it's always possible.


Now that I've got that out of the way, I placed an order for a few of the new items. Today I'm going to show off the 4 cream shadows that I picked up. Each shadow retails for $4.99.

Packaging


 Each of the shadows comes in a skinny lip gloss looking tube. The label covered the entire circumference of the tube and does include the name of the color on the label (sorry they aren't pictured - I didn't think about that). The bad part about the large label is that you can't see the color from the side of the tube, but you can see it from the bottom.


The tube has a doe foot applicator. This actually works pretty well for applying these. When I've used them (I have two of their gumball - or trial - cream shadows), I just did a dab on the center of my lid and blended it out with my fingers. It gives a soft wash of color. Silk Naturals suggests doing two thin layers of these shadows to get the best result. 

Product

 I was thrilled with the range of colors that were released - there's everything from neutrals to pastels to brights. I would have loved to play with some of the brighter colors, but I knew I wouldn't use them much, so I showed restraint. I only picked up a few shades, and picked up ones that I could wear easily. I am already imagining myself wearing these all the time this summer as a one-color wash.

Left to right: Tribeca, Gramercy, Sunnyville, Penthouse

I'm going to go ahead and take the shade descriptions from Silk Naturals site because I find them to be accurate: Tribeca is a "pale gold highlight," Gramercy is a "coppery tan," Sunnyville is a "peach shimmer," and Penthouse is a "nude pearl."

One of the interesting things about these shadows is that they quickly dry down to a powder finish. These will not work as a base for a powder shadow for that reason. The gumball shadows that I have lasted well on my eyes when worn with a primer. I haven't tried out these new ones on my eyes yet. I did the rub test on the swatches (which had no primer underneath), and they stayed put pretty well with light rubbing. Some of the shimmer migrated, but the swatches stayed pretty well intact.

Did you pick up any of Silk Naturals's spring collection? Are you indulging in the Mystery Adventure Club too?

Disclaimer: I purchased all items mentioned in this post with my own money. All opinions are my own.

Real Techniques Limited Edition Duo-Fiber Collection

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Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

I need more brushes like I need a hole in the head, but I couldn't resist when Real Techniques released a limited edition set of duo-fiber brushes. They are currently being sold on both Realtechniques.com and Ulta.com for around $20.




I like the contrast of the white handles and the unique colors for the lettering on each brush. I also really like that each brush is labeled with its intended purpose.

Duo-Fiber Face Brush and Contour Brush

Face Brush on top and Contour Brush on bottom
Face Brush, Stippling Brush, and Contour Brush
Face Brush on left and Stippling Brush on right
Stippling Brush on left and Contour Brush on right
 As you can see, both the face and contour brushes included in this set are very flat in shape. This really works well for the contour brush because it helps create a very defined contour that can then be blended out (I use the EcoTools Bronzer Brush for blending). However, I wish the face brush had a rounder, fuller shape. Since I use it to apply loose setting powder, having such a flat brush head feels slightly awkward and inefficient.

Duo-Fiber Eye Brush


I took pictures of the duo-fiber eye brush with the base shadow brush from the Eye Starter Set for size comparison. The duo-fiber eye brush is pretty small in circumference, which is nice for people with smaller eyes. I personally prefer smaller crease brushes, so I was really happy about the size. Even so, for me, there's been a little bit of a learning-curve getting this brush to place color where I want it. It also feels a little bit prickly when I'm using it, even though the bristles feel soft to the touch on my hand. For that reason, it won't become my favorite crease brush, but I'll still use it.

Final Thoughts

These are good quality brushes on par with other brushes in the Real Techniques line. They have soft bristles, and I haven't had any issues with shedding. I think my favorite of the three is the contour brush. I like the other two, but they aren't going to become my favorites for their intended purposes. Should you pick them up? I don't think these are must-have brushes, but if you are a big fan of duo-fiber brushes and like the shapes of these, you'll probably want to consider picking them up.

Are you a duo-fiber brush fan? Will you be picking up this set?

 Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.

I'm alive! I swear! + a Haul

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Disclaimer: The items from PHAMExpo and Luxury Lane Soap were sent to me. Everything else was purchased by me. I have also included my referral link for HauteLook. I would receive a $10 credit if you use that link and make your first HauteLook purchase. All opinions are my own.

Things went a bit crazy here over the past few weeks, and, clearly, blogging fell to the wayside. Sorry about that.

Over the past few weeks, I've been super busy working and preparing for teaching summer school. On top of that, I've been dealing with an ingrown hair that got so infected that it has required several trips to the doctor (enough that the receptionist today didn't even ask for my name because she already knew) and antibiotics. Oh yeah...one of those antibiotics also gave me a rash all over my body this week. *sigh*

Thankfully, the infection is clearing up, the regular school year has finished, and summer school doesn't start for a couple of weeks. Now is the time to play catch-up around the house and with blogging.

Today, I thought I would keep things really simple and just show you a few items that I've gotten somewhat recently.

I'll start with a package that was sent to me by PHAMExpo (Professional Hair and Makeup Exposition), which is an event being held June 29-30 at the Pasadena Convention Center.


I had entered a contest PHAMExpo was hosting on Facebook where they asked for people to send in pictures of how they use their Z Palettes. Although I don't think they officially reached the number of ZPalette fans on Facebook needed to conclude the contest, Cheryl emailed me and said she would like to send me a couple of Z Palettes for my collection. Needless to say, I was really excited. I love the Z Palettes that I already have. Things have been so busy though that I haven't put anything in my new ones yet. I think I want to play with my current ones first and come up with a better organization system for them before I depot more items. I'm looking forward to being able to depot some more things soon though.

The other items that were sent to me were from the company Luxury Lane Soap. I while back, I found out that the company was looking for product testers, and I filled out the application. I was really excited when I received my first tester box from them.


When I received the email stating that I was part of the testing team, I was asked to choose two products I would be interested in trying out of a list of six. I chose the Nourishing Body Lotion and the Whipped Up Sugar Scrub. Both came in the scent Blackberry Tea. Kylee also included two mini bars of soap, and yes, the bar on the left is R2-D2. :-)

I'll probably do a full review of the lotion and scrub later, but I'll tell you now that I love both of them. There was a 15% off coupon in my box as well, and I used it today. I ordered another mini lotion, a full size of the scrub, a hemp body wash, and a candle.

Aside from getting items sent to me, I made some purchases recently too because there were deals that were just too good to pass up.

theBalm Cosmetics launched their new website a few weeks ago, and they had a 24-hour sale where everything on the site was 50% off. I couldn't help myself!


I picked up the Balm Jovi Palette, two of their new InStain blushes (Argyle and Toile), Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter, and Cabana Boy blush.

Then, HauteLook (referral link) had a Spring Beauty Bag deal. They advertised it as $200 worth of product for $25 (with tax and shipping, my bag cost $35).


Here's a list of the contents (taken from the original posting for the bag):

  • Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil Travel Size in Demolition-- deep brown with matte finish (0.03 oz., Imported)
  • LORAC Full-Size Eyeshadow in Celebutante-- aquamarine with shimmer (0.06 oz., Made in USA)
  • Crown Brush Pro Blending Fluff: This professional style Blending Fluff is perfect for blending and shading both powder and cream shadows.
  • LORAC Full-Size Multiplex 3D Lashes Mascara in Black (0.143 oz., Made in USA)
  • NYX Cosmetics Full-Size Lipstick in Shiva-- blue-toned fuchsia (pearl) (0.14 oz., Made in USA)
  • Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer Packettes in Pink, Rose Gold, and Bronze Shimmers (0.03 fl. oz. each, Made in USA)
  • Laura Geller Mini Blush-n-Brighten in Berry (0.06 oz., Made in USA
  • suki skincare full-size exfoliate foaming cleanser (4.0 fl. oz., Scent: Lemongrass and Natural Sugar)
  • La Fresh Beauty Wipes -- 5-Pack of Bestsellers - 2 Oil-Free Face Cleansers (6" x 7.75" each, Scents: Refreshing [Natural Yuzu Aromatherapy] and Fragrance-Free), Waterproof Makeup Remover for Eyes and Lips (5" x 4", Unscented), Anti-Aging Face Cleanser (6" x 7.75", Scent: Maqui Berry), and Instant Body Soother (6" x 7.75", Scent: Natural Peppermint) (Made in USA): This 5-pack set includes 1 wipe from each of La Fresh's bestsellers.
  • Jessica Simpson Vintage Bloom Fragrance Sampler Vial (0.19 fl. oz.)
  • Smile Sciences $50 Gift Certificate: This gift certificate gives you $50 towards Smile Sciences' Rx Strength Teeth Whitening Pen. It is not redeemable for cash value, does not expire, and is to be exclusively used towards the Rx Strength Whitening Pen in any quantity. (Not pictured) 
  • Cosmetics Bag (10.5" W x 7.75" H x 3" D): Transport your makeup must-haves in this charming striped beauty bag. (Not pictured) 
The last purchase I'm going to feature in this post is from Stila Cosmetics. They had a 50% off flash sale (I think it lasted less than 24 hours. Again, the bargain was just too good to resist.


I picked up an eyeshadow palette in In the Moment, a Smudge Pot in Kitten, a Color Balm Lipstick in Amelia, the Positively Pink Set for Breast Cancer Awareness, and the Mini Smudge Crayon Try-Me-Set. 

So...I've had quite a few new things to play with lately, but I haven't tried everything yet. I haven't even had time to take individual pictures of everything. That's on my goal for the next few days.

What have you been hauling lately? Have you gotten any really good deals? Is there anything in particular you would like to see a review on?

Disclaimer: The items from PHAMExpo and Luxury Lane Soap were sent to me. Everything else was purchased by me. I have also included my referral link for HauteLook. I would receive a $10 credit if you use that link and make your first HauteLook purchase. All opinions are my own.

Finished It!!! Volume 9

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Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Well...my brief blog hiatus allowed me to really build up a pile of used up products. Even I was surprised with everything I'd used up when I was taking pictures yesterday. For reference, I haven't done one of these posts since March 5, so it really has been a while. Products with a * are ones that were on my list of products that wanted to use up.

I'm going to start with a product that isn't pictured.

Heritage Store Rose Petals Rosewater (8 fl oz size) - This didn't get pictured because I already reused the bottle to make a homemade brush cleanser, so it wasn't in my pile o' stuff. I enjoy using this rosewater as a face spritz to get rid of the powdery look after I've finished my makeup. I have a setting spray, but I know those aren't good to use every day, so this is a nice substitute. I've already repurchased it.


HerStyler Nourishing & Moisturizing Conditioner - You know those obnoxious kiosks in the mall where you get sucked in and they won't let you leave. Well...I got trapped by one of those last summer. She was trying to sell me a hair straightener. I caved when she dropped the offer down to the straightening serum, shampoo, and conditioner. I finally used up the conditioner. I'm sure they normally charge an arm and a leg for it. I'll never buy it again.

Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo - I love my Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo, but it just wasn't cutting it for keeping flakes at bay, so I went back to my old stand-by for a while.

got2b Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm - This is a regular item for me. I've gone through a bunch of bottles of this. I've got a travel bottle left, and I'll probably stock up again when it's on sale at CVS.


got2b Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm - No, I didn't screw up and take two pictures of the same bottle. I emptied this one out into the small travel bottle I mentioned. I didn't even realize that I had another one in my finished products pile.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Conditioner - I picked this up because a box of hair dye that I bought had a coupon for a free bottle of conditioner. I liked it well enough. I'm happy with my Nature's Gate conditioners, so I won't buy this again unless there is a fantastic sale or another coupon.

Organix Smooth Hydration Argan Oil & Shea Butter Moisture Restore Mask - I'm trying to take better care of my hair, so I picked up a couple of Organix deep conditioners. I haven't tried the other one yet, but I really liked this one. The texture was like a really thick pudding. I felt like it did do some serious conditioning. I'm not running out to repurchase this now because I have the other one to use first, but I can see myself repurchasing this in the future.


The Body Shop Chocomania Shower Cream - This smelled exactly like devil's food cake. Yum! Sadly, I'm not impressed with the slip that these Body Shop shower gels have. I don't use a shave cream, so I really need a shower gel that helps my razor glide. This one didn't do that.

The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Shower Gel - Again, this smell on this one was fantastic. The slip on this shower gel seemed to be a bit better than the Chocomania one. I still don't think I'll repurchase it.

Bath & Body Works Coconut Vanilla Body Wash - Bath & Body Works body washes are some of my favorites. Fantastic lather and enough slip to make shaving easy. I really liked this scent too, but it is sadly discontinued.


Softsoap Scentsations Lemonade Berry Splash Body Wash - I really didn't like this body wash. The scent was great, but I think it was missing the slip that I need. I stopped using it in the shower a long time ago. I tried using it to wash brushes, and I didn't like it for that either. My last ditch effort was putting it in a hand soap container and using it that way. It's still hanging around, but it will be used up as a hand soap. I just want rid of the bottle.

Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Almond Pure-Castile Soap - I heard so many raves about this soap that I had to pick some up to try it. I use it as a hand soap in my main bathroom. The fantastic thing is that it is so concentrated that it can be watered down. I bought a bottle of foaming soap and continue to use the foaming bottle for this soap (even not watered down, this soap has a thin consistency). I've already repurchased this and will continue to repurchase it and use it.

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Scented Bath Gel - This came on a Christmas gift set that I purchased on clearance after Christmas. I got a small bottle of Wonderstruck, the bath gel, and a lotion for $10. I like the Wonderstruck scent, but I didn't like it in a shower gel. It was just overpowering. I prefer food scents for shower gels.


EcoTools Body Lotion* - This wasn't anything special, and I didn't particularly care for the scent. I won't repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Cashmere Glow Body Lotion - I LOVE this scent. According the Bath & Body Works website, the notes of this scent are shimmering vanilla, golden peach, and cashmere musk. It's just a gorgeous warm, sweet scent. I will likely purchase more items in this scent at some point.

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector - This was part of this massive bag 'o stuff that I got with their Black Friday sale. It was really moisturizing, but I still didn't like it. The metal tube kept squirting out more lotion than I wanted. If I tried to squeeze the product towards the cap when the tube was closed, it squirted out when I took the cap off. I also didn't care for the scent.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - Yum! This was a super creamy body butter that I kept in my purse throughout the winter months to keep my hands from getting dry and cracked. I've got a full size of another scent in my stash that I'll probably start using when it gets cold again.


Kate Somerville ExfoliKate - I love this stuff. It is both a physical and chemical exfoliator. It leaves my skin feeling really soft and smooth when I use it. I think some people might be bothered by the scent. To me, it smells like cloves. I don't love the scent, but I don't mind it either. I used to have friends in college who smoked clove cigarettes, so it reminds me of them (yes, I realize that sounds a little weird). I already have another mini bottle in my stash.

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask - I got this is a Sephora Favorites skincare set a couple of summers ago. I know there are people who love it, but I just didn't. I've decided that I just need to stay away from peel-off masks. I don't like them because they hurt to pull off.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster - This is the second mini bottle of this serum that I've used. I got this bottle through a swap. I like it, and I know vitamin C is good for evening out skintone. I don't know that I liked it enough to pay full price for it, but I would be happy to use it again if it was in a great value set.

Sephora Daily Makeup Brush Cleanser - I bought this a long time ago to do quick brush cleaning, but it didn't dry as quickly as I was expecting. If I'm going to be an emergency brush cleaning, I'm just going to use rubbing alcohol. I don't plan to buy a brush cleaner again.


Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Root Beer Float* - I've already finished a couple of these lip balms. I like them, but I don't love them, and they are hard to find. I might grab one again if I come across them, but I'm not going to hunt them down.

Simply Lip Balms in Vanilla Mint and Pomegranate - Clearly, I like these balms. I bought a ton of them last summer, and I've still got a few left. I'll be on the hunt for more this summer when I travel to visit family because I found them at Walgreens, and I don't have a Walgreens near me. The only real negative with these is that they melt somewhat easily. Definitely don't leave them in a hot car and be careful if you keep them in your pocket and are out in the heat - they'll be really soft.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Midnight Cowboy* - This was a really easy color to slick on without a mirror. Sometimes the formula felt a little too sticky for me, but most of the time I didn't mind it. I wouldn't repurchase it, but if I happened to get another mini, I would use it.

Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12-Hour Brightening Primer* - This was in the $9 primer trio that Tarte released (I don't know if it is still available). This particular formula is meant for dry skin, and it did make me feel oily part way through the day. I used it up by using it on days when I was just running a couple of errands and not on busy work days. I won't repurchase this formula.


Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive - This is a fantastic exfoliating mask. Even though this mask says "peel," it isn't a peel off mask. I'd be curious to try the full strength version of this, but a full size is somewhere around $45, and I haven't been willing to spend that much.

Physicians Formula Black Liner from the Nude Eyes Set* - I'm so excited to finish this liner off. I have so many black liners in my stash, so I'm glad to see one leave my collection. I did like this liner. It isn't as soft as an Urban Decay liner, but there are times when I don't mind that because it gives me a little more control about how intense it applies.

ELF Zit Zapper* - I didn't care for this. It's a salicylic acid treatment in a roller ball form. It didn't always dispense well out of the roller ball because it was a thicker gel-like formula. I won't repurchase it.

Meow Equilibrium Finishing Powder - I had this for a long time. It was a white finishing powder that was supposed to balance out your skin, similar to Tarte's claims about Amazonian clay. I ended up mixing this in with my Meow foundation powder because I've been preferring to use mineral foundation as my setting powder. This is a good powder, but I don't plan on repurchasing it.

Urban Decay Primer Potion* - This is my favorite eye primer. I have a jumbo and a full size of the old style bottle to work through. I will continue to repurchase it.

Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush sample* - This was a pretty light peach blush sample. I love their blushes, but this isn't a color I use often, so I won't be repurchasing it.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach - I use this product every day I do my makeup. It is a fantastic corrector.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme* - I've had this for way too long. It's an okay product. It's really thick, so I would only really use it at night when I was sitting in front of the TV. I don't plan on repurchasing it. If you have any good cuticle cream recommendations, please let me know!


L'Oreal Revitalift Deep-Acting Moisturizer - Nothing special.

Fekkai Shea Butter Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner - Nothing special.

Meow Ballerina blush sample - This was a really soft pink blush shade. It probably wouldn't show up on anything deeper than fair to light skintones. I have another sample of this, and I have too many other blushes to think about repurchasing it.

Silk Naturals Nekkid eye shadow sample - This is Silk Naturals version of MAC's Naked Lunch eye shadow. It was too peachy/orange for my taste. The formula was good, but I won't repurchase this color.

Sephora Creamy Body Wash pods in Strawberry, Coconut, and Vanilla - I bought these as fillers to get free shipping. They were handy to have and the scents were decent, but I don't plan on purchasing more (unless I need another filler product in the future).

That's it! You've made it to the end of my marathon empties post. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Book Geek Speaks Giveaway - 15 Winners!!!

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My friend Amber over at Book Geek Speaks is having another giveaway.

She reviews the book The Enlightened Ones by Lacey Reah and is giving away 10 digital copies of the book and 5 paperback copies. She also has a post where she interviews the author.

Here's the book description for The Enlightened Ones pulled from Amazon.com:

Taken aback by the generous and caring “Enlightened Ones,” Maggi is convinced to leave her dysfunctional home for what will now be her true family. Led by their enigmatic leader, John Cronus, the Enlightened Ones believe they are building towards a beautiful utopia; one they feel will be the dawning of a new way of life.
The past lives of all involved begin to unravel as they give up all their worldly possessions to build paradise on a remote island. Have the Enlightened Ones taken the road less traveled, or have they sealed their fate with a madman?
Enlightened Ones are required to feel a great sense of trust, love, and freedom, but what happens when the rules change? What will they do when they realize paradise isn’t ready? How will they handle it when their sense of trust is questioned? In a society where betrayal is not an option, what will they stoop to in order to escape, and who will take the blame when their plans mistakenly lead to one of the greatest tragedies of their time?

Please check out Amber's giveaway here! You could potentially win what Amber says is a fantastic book to read this summer. I've certainly got my fingers crossed that I get a copy. :-)

Giveaway! Real Techniques, Urban Decay, and More!!!

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Disclaimer: All of the items in this giveaway were purchased by me. This giveaway is not sponsored in any way. Please read the terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter widget for more details.

I've been plotting a giveaway for a while now, and I'm finally getting around to doing it. Hooray!

I've picked up lots of random goodies that I hope you'll all be excited about.

Ready to see the prizes? Of course you are!


Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Collection (Limited Edition) - This is a picture of my set. The prize set is brand new and unopened. You can see my review and more pictures here.


Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss in David - This was one of my favorite kinds of lip glosses (and not because of the men in underwear on the caps), so I was really sad when they were discontinued. I picked up a couple when they were on clearance, and I'm sharing one with one of you.

Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Pencil in Clash - This was from the mini shadow pencil set that UD had a while back. The color is really pretty, but it isn't one that I would wear, so I figured I would pass it on to someone else.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in X - Another clearance item I snagged up for one of you. UD describes it as a peach with gold shift. I personally think it is an underrated UD shadow. I never hear anyone talk about it, and it's absolutely gorgeous!


You can tell this giveaway has been in the works for a LONG time since these were items I picked up last spring at Big Lots.

Philosophy The Supernatural Coloring Book - You can see my review and swatches of this palette here. This is a nice little palette with two eye shadows, a blush, a bronzer, a cream blush, and two lip colors all in really wearable shades.

Philosophy Windows to the Soul Eye Shadow Palette in Plum Delicious - You can see my review and swatches of this palette here. It's a purple-toned eye shadow quad that has three matte shades.

Philosophy Angel Kiss Lip Gloss in Pretty Please - You can see my review and swatch of this product here.



Meow Eye Shadow in Beach - Meow describes this as a "sophisticated soft fawn with satiny metallic gold finish." It's a gorgeous neutral. 

Silk Naturals Eye Shadow in Flourish - Silk Naturals describes this as a pale golden shimmer. It's got tons of fine, multi-colored shimmer that makes it absolutely gorgeous. 

I'll probably also throw in some other smaller, random goodies as well. :-)

Rules: 

Use the Rafflecopter Widget below to enter the giveaway. This giveaway is open internationally. If you are under the age of 18, please get your parents' permission before you enter since the winner will have to supply me with her mailing address. This giveaway will run for two weeks. After it is over, I will contact the winner via email. You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. (Please let me know if there are any details I forgot! This is only my second giveaway, so it's entirely possible.)

Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Disclaimer: All of the items in this giveaway were purchased by me. This giveaway is not sponsored in any way. Please read the terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter widget for more details. 

Pressing Mineral Eye Shadows - Part I

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Disclaimer: This post is not being sponsored by anyone. I purchased all of the materials used myself. I will be including links where you can purchase items, but they are not affiliate links. 

Hi ladies!

If you haven't noticed, I'm having a giveaway right now that you can check out here! I have to say that I'm thrilled with the turnout I've had so far. I hope all of my new followers stick around even after the giveaway is over.

I went on a pressing spree over the weekend and took some pictures to share with you. I love mineral eye shadows. The colors can be so unique, and if you shop indie, the prices are phenomenal. However, having tons of little individual jars takes up a lot of room. That's where pressing has been a great space saver for me.

If you want to try pressing your eye shadows, here's what you'll need:

  1. Paper towels (and lots of them)
  2. Toothpicks (or some other small stirring tool)
  3. Pressing medium
  4. Rubbing alcohol (the higher percentage of alcohol the better)
  5. Loose mineral shadows
  6. Pans to press the shadow into
  7. Tamping tool and pressing tiles (not necessary, but they make things a lot easier)
  8. Labels for the bottom of pans (also optional)
  9. Someplace to put your pressed shadows (you can see a few different options here)


I ordered the special pressing items that I needed (like the pressing medium and pans) from TKBTrading because their prices seem to be the best. I got the 2 oz bottle of the MyMix Press-It Binder, which is huge. Unless you have a ton of shadows to press, stick with the 1/2 oz bottle. I think I was able to press around 100 shadows with the 1/2 oz size. Another benefit of the smaller size is that it comes in a dropper bottle. I had to decant my MyMix into a smaller bottle that I had on hand (the second bottle from the left - it looks yellow because there is a old label on the back). The third picture is another dropper bottle that I decanted my rubbing alcohol into. I like the dropper bottles because they make it a lot easier to control the amount of liquid coming out.

Left to right: 15mm pans, 36mm pans, 52mm square pans

This is a look at the pan sizes that I have. For reference, I purchased the 15 mm size for my stash of Silk Naturals gift with purchase shades that come in 3g jars. Darling Girl petite sizes also fit in this pan size. The 36mm size is what I would consider the standard size. They are the size of Mac shadows. I use these for pressing 5g jars of shadow, which is the standard size for full size mineral eye shadows. The 52mm square pans were purchased to press some Everyday Minerals blushes that come in 20g jars. They are huge and aren't necessary for most projects.

Note: Nearly all of the pans that TKB sells are tin (there's one set that has aluminum pans), which means that they will stick to a palette with a magnetic base (like a Z Palette); aluminum pans will not. Tin pans are also sturdier than aluminum. If you order from someplace else, you might want to pay attention to the material of the pans. The benefit of aluminum pans is that they don't rust, and tin pans can if you aren't careful.

Pictured directly above the pans are the pressing tiles. The pressing tiles are pieces of acrylic that are cut to fit perfectly inside the pans. The ones in the picture above still have the brown paper covering they come with. TKB recommends removing the paper before you begin pressing, but I find it hard to get off, and I don't think it affects the process, so it stays on until it decides to peel off on its own. For the larger pan sizes, I didn't feel the need to use the pressing tiles. The tamping tool works well on its own. For the 15mm pans, using the pressing tile and just my finger for pressure felt the most stable for the initial pressing.

The tamping tools are at the top of the picture. They are essentially a pressing tile glued to a handle. As I just mentioned above, for the larger pans, I just used the tamping tools to do my pressing. Basically, use whichever method you feel more comfortable with.

TKB sells "press packs" that include a tamping tool, two pressing tiles, and 9 tin pans in a variety of sizes all for around $3-$4 dollars. I'm going to link you to their page that includes all of their pressing supplies here. If you scroll down, the press packs are some of the last items listed.

I'm also going to draw your attention to their Press Your Own Makeup: Beginner Kit. This is what I originally purchased when I wanted to see if I liked pressing my mineral shadows. It costs $14.95 (shipping for just this kit is $3.50) and comes with:
  • Two 4-well magnetic palette made of eco-friendly cardboard yet with good, durable finish (pick from nine colors!)
  • Eight 26mm round tins which fit inside the palettes
  • One Tamper Tool and one press tile for pressing your powders
  • 1/2 fl oz TKB PressIt Binder with preservative added
  • Pressing Ribbon
  • 8 zip lock baggies
  • TKB MyMix Press Base (this is intended for if you are making your own shadows, not just pressing them)
  • 2 scoops and 1 spatula
  • Pair of latex gloves
It gives you everything you need to try out pressing without being a huge commitment.Once you decide whether pressing will work for you, you can buy in larger amounts.

Stay tuned for Part II where I'll walk you through the steps for pressing.

Have you pressed any of your mineral eye shadows or blushes?

Disclaimer: This post is not being sponsored by anyone. I purchased all of the materials used myself. I have included links where you can purchase items, but they are not affiliate links. 

Deal Alert at Pacifica!

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Disclaimer: I will be using a referral link in this post that will earn me a $10 credit if you create an account and place an order through my link. You will also earn a $10 credit when your first order ships. Beyond that, I am not sponsored by the company in any way.

I don't know about all of you, but I get tons of emails from beauty companies advertising sales, new products, etc...it's one of the hazards of being a beauty product junkie.

Yesterday, I got an email from Ipsy (formerly MyGlam). I haven't been subscribed to this service in over a year (and was only subscribed for three bags). I still get emails though and sometimes debate signing back up. Well...yesterday's email included their beauty deals for this month's bag. Inside were several coupon codes for different brands, including a 20% off code for Pacifica (referral link). The code is Beauty20. 

If you aren't familiar with the brand, Pacifica, it's a brand that primarily sells perfumes in spray, rollerball, and solid forms. They also sell some bath and body products and have recently branched out into cosmetics and skincare.

I haven't tried much from the brand myself, but I was always tempted by them when they were carried by Sephora. I picked up their Island Vanilla Take Me There set once, which included a rollerball perfume, a body butter, and a Color Quench Natural Moisture Lip Tint. I like the perfume and the body butter. I like the scent/taste and feel of the lip tint, but the color made me look dead because it was too milky for my pale skin.

With the 20% off code, I figured I would go play with a cart. I wasn't planning on actually buying anything because I've been on a shopping binge recently. When I got to the site, I saw that you can get a free gift if you sign up for their emails, so I signed up for their emails. The free gift is a Sugared Color Quench Lip Tint with a $25 purchase ($7 value).

I played with my cart, and I think I even got to the point of entering credit card information (it's a bad sign when I know my credit card number by heart and don't need to get the card), but I closed out the window and wandered off to make dinner.

When I returned to my computer and checked my email, I had another email from Pacifica offering me 10% off if I place my order (with a one-time use code). This no longer seems to be the case. I played with a new cart, and got a reminder email about checking out, but I didn't get a discount code.

At this point you are probably thinking, "What's the big deal? You can only use one code, right?" That's where you would be wrong. Pacifica accepts multiple codes! I was able to use all three to place an order!

Here was my order:

QuantityProductUnit PriceTotal Price
10057122 - Mediterranean Fig Solid Perfume - .1 oz Sample $2.00$2.00
10030114 - Wanderlust Beauty Set $22.00$22.00
10057127 - Tuscan Blood Orange Solid Perfume - .1 oz Sample $2.00$2.00
10062622 - Color Quench Lip Tint - Sugared Fig $7.00$7.00
10057104 - Mexican Cocoa Solid Perfume - .1 oz Sample $0.00$0.00
Products Subtotal:  $33.00
IPSY you got 20% off your order!: -$4.54
Free Lip Quench with Purchase: -$7.00
10% Off for Completing Order: -$3.30
5-7 Day Ground Shipping: $5.95
Total:$24.11

Not bad, right?

I mentioned it in my disclaimer, but I'm going to explain it again. If you use my referral link, create an account, and place an order, I get a $10 credit to my account.  When you're first order ships, you also get a $10 credit (so it benefits you as well!). For reference, think of them as ExtraBucks from CVS, you have to pay out up front, but you get "money" to spend later.

So...I don't know if you could get the 10% code and still get the $10 credit for using a referral link, but they are both nice options.

I'm also going to point out that they have sample sizes of their solid perfumes. Their samples are .1 oz and sell for $2, and their full sizes are .33 oz and sell for $9. If you just order 5 samples, you can get them shipped to you for $2.95, bringing your total (before discounts) to $12.95. Not bad!

AND...this morning I got an email that they have 25% off Brook's favorites (I'm assuming Brook is the founder of the company). The discount codes should work on those items as well. I'm actually tempted to place another order.

Last piece of information - you can get free shipping with orders over $50, but that only counts after all of your discounts are applied. If you put $50 of product in your cart and apply discounts, you still have to pay shipping.

Okay...I think that's all the information I have. If you place an order, let me know what you got and how the discounts worked for you. Also please let me know if you used my referral link so I can thank you personally.

I hope this all makes sense, I typed this really quickly because I have to run out the door soon. I'll fix things later if it's needed.

Have you tried Pacifica products? What are your favorites? Will you be taking advantage of these deals?

 Disclaimer: I used a referral link in this post that will earn me a $10 credit if you create an account and place an order through my link. You will also earn a $10 credit when your first order ships.
Beyond that, I am not sponsored by the company in any way.

Pressing Mineral Eye Shadows - Part II

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Disclaimer: There is nothing to report.

I'm finally back with Part II to actually show you how to press your mineral eye shadows. If you missed Part I, you can find it here. Also please don't forget to enter my giveaway!

My information is a combination of information I've picked up on the internet. One of my favorite videos on how to press was made my a friend of mine from Mineral Makeup Forum (it's a private board, so you have to register to view the whole thing). Her name is Oxana, and you can find her video about pressing shadows here (she also has a blog that you can find here). I also made sure to read TKBTrading's information about pressing shadows that came with their starter kit.

Let's get started pressing!

The first thing to do is gather all of your materials and get your pressing station set up. This can be a messy and time-consuming process, so plan accordingly. I like to cover my work area with paper towels because it makes cleanup that much easier when I'm done.

The first thing I do is lay out several pans and spray them down with alcohol to sanitize them before I start, and I let them dry (it doesn't take long).

Side note: Please excuse the picture quality. Since I wasn't using my normal setup, the colors are really off. I didn't feel the need to try and retake them since I'm not trying to show the colors, just the process.


 After the pans I dry, I take one and place a drop of MyMix on the bottom of the pan and spread it around with a cotton swab. I believe this step is done to help the shadow stick to the bottom of the pan.

MyMix in shadow - about 4 drops





The next step is to open up your mineral shadow and add the MyMix (or your choice of mixing medium). I typically use about 4 drops for a 5g jar of shadow. That being said, this is the trickiest part of the process. If you use too much MyMix, your eye shadow will be too hard and won't have any color payoff, and there is also no way to remove MyMix once it is in the shadow. When in doubt, use less. If your shadow ends up too powdery, you can always remix it with more MyMix and repress it. It is also important to note that matte shadows require a lot less MyMix.

Shadow with MyMix and rubbing alcohol




I usually give the shadow and MyMix a quick stir with a toothpick before I add the rubbing alcohol. I aim to add enough alcohol to the shadow to make it clump together and make it easier to pour into the shadow pan. I just add a little at a time and stir until I get the consistency I want. Thankfully, since the alcohol evaporates, even if you over-do it, it isn't going to actually hurt the shadow. You'll just have a harder time getting it out of the jar (you'll have to scrape more) and will have to press out more liquid.

Shadow in the pan before pressing

Pour the wet shadow into your pan and spread it out to fill the bottom. TKBTrading suggests pressing in 3 layers, but I don't normally bother with that. I haven't had any issues with not doing layers, but experiment and do what works for you.

Tamping tool over plastic wrap, paper towel, and shadow pan


Now it's actually time to press. Here I have a layer of paper towel and a layer of plastic wrap between the pan and the tamping tool. I don't think you actually need the saran wrap. I used it because TKBTrading's instructions said to wrap the tamping tool with saran wrap, but I realized that they also don't use the paper towel, so the tamping tool would come in direct contact with the shadow.

The paper towel is there to absorb some of the alcohol as you press. I usually move the paper towel and use the paper towel 2-3 times for each pan to get out as much alcohol as possible and get the shadow pressed down as much as I can.

Labeled shadow
 At this point, your shadow is pretty much done. It might need to dry a little bit longer, but since most of the alcohol is pressed out, it doesn't take long. I make sure to label all of my shadows because I want to know what they are later.

Finished shadow in a palette
That's it! Your newly pressed shadow is done and in its new home. Since I use tin pans, they automatically stick into magnetized palettes like this one.

Palette full of self-pressed shadows

Just for a quick recap/reminder, aside from accidentally dumping your shadow, the only way I know of to really screw up this process beyond repair is to add too much MyMix (or whatever mixing medium you choose). Use less to start. You can always break the shadow apart, add more, and repress it if you need to.

Let me know if you try pressing your own shadows! It's a relatively easy and fun process. I love how much space it saves me and how it's a lot easier to see what shadows I have.

 Disclaimer: There is nothing to report.

Luxury Lane Soap Triple Care Hemp Body Wash and Whipped Up Sugar Scrub - Review

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Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. I am not being sponsored for this post and all opinions are my own.

I've been slacking. I still haven't gotten to replying to comments. I have a ton of pictures to edit and a lot of posts that I want to write. Sadly, I've been really busy teaching summer school and too tired when I've been home to do much of anything. Summer school is done soon though, so that should help.

I figured I'd go ahead and do a quick review post today about two of my new favorite shower/bath products.

A while ago, I did a haul post and showed the products I received for being part of the Luxury Lane Soap Test Team. I used the 15% off coupon included in the box to purchase a few items.

Triple Care Hemp Body Wash in Vanilla Oak- $9.95 for 8 fl oz


I love this body wash! It lathers really well, and the lather sticks around long enough for me to wash and shave with it. I also love the Vanilla Oak scent (there are currently 18 scents available on the website). It's vanilla, but it isn't super sweet. I would also suggest the Blackberry Tea scent, which I have in a couple other products. According to the website, it is thinner in consistency than most body washes because there are no "chemical thickeners, filler, or silicones," so I was expecting it to be watery like the Dr. Bronner's soap, but it isn't. It's thick enough that it sticks to the top of my loofah until I lather it in.

Whipped Up Sugar Scrub in Dark Kiss - $7.99 for 6 oz


Again, I absolutely love this product! It combines the Luxury Lane Soap whipped soap with raw organic sugar to make an excellent scrub. I love that it's so thick because the sugar stays evenly distributed, and I'm not let with a few grains of sugar and a bunch of oil at the end of the jar. I also don't lose half the the scrub just trying to get it from the jar to my body. It's not super scrubby, so if you are looking for an intensive scrub, this isn't it. However, it is nicely moisturizing, so it would probably be really good for dry skin.

Additional Information and Final Thoughts

Kylee Lane, the owner of the company, clearly takes pride in all aspects of it, from the jars and labels to the way things are shipped. Everything looks professional (and in some cases nicer than professional). The prices are reasonable and compare with prices at places like Bath & Body Works, and shipping isn't terrible ($5.95 flat rate shipping with free shipping on orders over $75). So far, I have really enjoyed the things I have tried, and I will happily continue to purchase from this company.

Have you tried Luxury Lane Soap products? What are your favorite indie bath and body companies?

theBalm Balm Jovi Palette - Review and Swatches

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Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. I used my Hautelook invite link in this post.

Everyone else seems to be doing it, so here's my reminder that Google Reader is going away after this weekend. If you want to make sure you still see my new posts, which should start going up more regularly again, I highly suggest following me on Bloglovin'. It's a simple site to use. I'm also loving a new feature on Bloglovin' that allows you to mark posts as favorites. I know I'm going to use that feature a lot to check back on posts because I want to see if my comment was responded to or if I'm interested in the conversation going on in the comments.

Now that I got that out of the way, on to the review!

I'm a child of the 80's, so I grew up with Bon Jovi. Then I had one of my first experiences feeling old when I was in college. Bon Jovi had released their album Crush with the hit single "It's My Life." One of my friends was in WalMart and overheard some younger kids talking about Bon Jovi saying, "That Bon Jovi band is pretty good. They're going to make it big." D'oh!

With my affection for 80's hair bands, and Bon Jovi in particular, I was immediately drawn to the cute concept of the Balm Jovi palette. I resisted for a while but caved when theBalm had their 50% off sale. The full price for the palette is $39.50, so I got it for $19.75. The nice thing is that theBalm shows up on the website Hautelook (affiliate link) frequently, and their permanent products are marked down around 50% on there as well, so it's not too difficult to get a really good deal on this palette (or any of their other palettes).

Packaging

 
theBalm always has fantastic packaging. They are creative with it, but they don't make their packaging bulky.

One of the best packaging features for this palette is the divide that you can see about 3/4 of the way down the palette. Why is that a good feature? The top flap covers the powder products, and the bottom flap covers the cream products in the palette. This means that you don't have to worry about powder getting into the cream products. Love it! I hate when palettes combine powder and cream products because it creates a huge mess.


Another nice packaging feature is the mirror on the inside. It isn't a great mirror, but it would work in a pinch. Besides, they integrated it into the design so well that it's super cute.


The flap that covers the cream products has four suggested looks formatted to look like a Top 20 hits list, which is cute and helpful if you aren't sure how to combine the colors in the palette on your own.

Product

 
This palette includes 12 eye shadows, a highlighter, and a blush (and the two cream lip/cheek products that aren't pictured here but will be pictured later). The eye shadows are divided into three color groups: Heavy Metal, Classical, and Alternative.

Heavy Metal Shades:
From left to right: Metal-ica, Iron Maid-in, Lead Zeppelin, and Alice Copper
Metal-ica is a classic silver shade, and Iron Maid-in is a soft gold shade. I think I've used Iron Maid-in the most out of the all the shades in this palette. It's a great, easy lid shade.

Lead Zeppelin
My camera has a bad habit of dulling down shimmer and complexity in shadows. If anyone has any tips to help with that, I'd love to know. Here's a better shot of Lead Zeppelin to show that it does has shimmer in it. There's muti-colored shimmer, but most if the shimmers are gold like the ones you can see in this picture. The base shade is a dark forest green.

Alice Copper
Alice Copper is a burgundy purple shade with silver shimmers, that didn't even show up well in this picture. There is less shimmer in this shade than there is in Lead Zeppelin.

Classical Shades:
From left to right: Adagio, Allegro, Moderato, Presto
The classical shades are all matte shades, which is great. Adagio is a classic matte cream shade. It's a little too dark for my vampire-fair skin, but for most people, it will be a perfect highlight shades. Allegro is a great mid-tone brown that leans slightly warm. These types of shades are my favorite for the crease. Moderato is a deep purple, and Presto is a dark chocolate brown.

Alternative Shades:
From left to right: Blink 1982, The Stroke, rem, and Third Eye Blinded
Blink 1982 is a dusty light purple shade with subtle shimmer. The Stroke is a deep navy blue with blue shimmer. rem is a light lilac shade with a gold sheen, and Third Eye Blinded is a dusty soft pink shade.



Here's a picture that shows the shimmer in The Stroke a little bit better.


Another picture to show the gold sheen of rem. Sadly, even though this shade swatches really nicely, when I tried using it on my lids, it applied really patchy, and it was hard to work with.

Highlighter and Blush

Left to right: Solid Gold and Don't You Want Me?
Solid Gold
Solid Gold is a standard gold highlight shade that is almost identical to theBalm's Mary Lou-manizer highlighter. Don't you want me a a standard peachy-pink shade that is matte.

Lip and Cheek Colors:


Left to right: Milly and Vanilly
Milly is a dusty rose shade, and Vanilly is a sheer red. 

I've never been a huge fan of cream lip products in palettes. There's the mess issue when they are in the same palette as powder products (thanks for solving that one theBalm!). There's also the convenience factor. I don't want to take a big palette with me to touch up a lip color. Because of that, I like that these cream products can be used on the lips or the cheeks. I haven't used them much yet. I think I've tried both once on the lips, and I used Milly on my cheeks one day (I applied it with a stippling brush). It was actually a nice cheek color that seemed to last pretty well. I wouldn't consider these a selling point for the palette, but they aren't a detractor from it either.

Final Thoughts 

Overall, this is a really nice palette. It's got a great mix of shades and finishes. theBalm's powder products are good quality, and the cream products in this palette are decent and are stashed in their own section, so they don't make the entire palette look like a mess. Since it is somewhat regularly available on Hautelook for around $20, it's a great steal.

Will you be picking this up the next time it goes on sale? What are your favorite products from theBalm?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. I used my Hautelook invite link in this post.

My Minimal Makeup Look

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Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

Well...the summer school I was teaching ended on July 3, and I had big plans for getting a lot of things done at home and getting caught up on blog posts. Sadly, plans changed.

My mom let me know that Friday that my brother was back in the hospital for an issue that he's been having regularly for months. On Saturday morning she asked me to come home to help out because she's not getting around very well because of a broken ankle. I was happy that she was willing to ask for help (it's hard for her to do), and was glad to help out.

However, my trip home ended up up lasting over a week, and most of it was spent sitting in two different hospitals. I didn't really care about looking good, but I also didn't want to look awful either. It gave me the idea to share with all of you my bare minimum when it comes to makeup. These were the only products I used for most of my trip home:





Clearly, concealer is important to me.

bareMinerals Correcting Concealer SPF 20 in Light 1 ($20) - I've got several correcting concealers in my collection, but this is the one I chose to bring with me. I really like the light, almost gel-like texture. I have used a brush for it, but lately, I've just been using my fingers to slick it on. As you can see, I just hit pan, and I will probably end up repurchasing it when I finish it off.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach ($6.50) - I consider this a holy grail item. I've gone through several jars. I applied this after all of the other products except my blush. It acts as my last defense against my dark circles.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA ($19) - If you are familiar with Urban Decay products, you might notice that this is the old formula. I bought it when it was on clearance. I have really been loving the ease of this concealer lately. It is creamy and has pretty good coverage. The pencil style makes it easy to dab it on where I want it. This is another product that I'll probably repurchase after I finish the one I have.

Meow Pampered Puss Foundation in Inquisitive Siamese ($25.95) - The price of this mineral foundation might seem a little bit high, but I want to point out that the size of this jar is HUGE. It's an 85g jar with approximately 22-30g of product, so it will last a really long time. If you aren't familiar with Meow Cosmetics, they have an impressive selection of mineral foundations. They have three different formulas with 86 shades. I used this for a long time as my everyday foundation. Since my particular formulation has lighter coverage, I also regularly use it as setting powder with a liquid foundation.


Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed ($26) - These blushes are another favorite of mine. I chose to take this particular shade with me because it is such an easy, natural-looking shade to use. I didn't have to think about it too much when I was getting ready to run out the door.

That was my look. I know a lot of you are probably gasping that I didn't use mascara. I know that's an everyday thing for most women. I personally think mascara looks strange on me if I don't do any other eye makeup. I should also point out that there was always a lip balm in my pocket. I never go anywhere without a lip balm.

In case you were wondering, my brother is doing better and is back at home. They did a different procedure that should help him manage his issue better. 

When you are in a huge rush, what products are must-have items for you?

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

theBalm InStain Blushes - Review and Swatches

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 Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me, and all opinions are my own.

I have been back home for over a week now, and I still don't want to do much of anything. I have spent a lot of time reading and a lot of time sleeping. Oh yeah...I also watched the Syfy movie Sharknado last night with a friend. It was so horrifically awful that it was amazing. I hadn't laughed so hard in a long time.

In the meantime, my blog has been mocking me with my lack of motivation. I have a bunch of pictures downloaded onto my computer - some have been edited, some haven't - and a pile of products in my new product bin. Getting caught up isn't really an option at this point, but making progress is.

This is one of those reviews that has been waiting around for a while. It's another purchase I made during theBalm's 50% off everything sale. I wanted to pick up the entire collection of InStain blushes, but I restrained myself and only picked up two of them.Their regular retail price is $22, so I ended up paying $11 each for mine.

Packaging 

theBalm InStain blush in Argyle
theBalm InStain blush in Argyle
theBalm InStain blush in Toile
theBalm InStain blush in Toile

theBalm always seems to do a fantastic job with their packaging. It's cute and quirky. The exterior of the packaging looks like a magazine from the 1920s. The interior design around the blush pan matches the name of the blush color. The Argyle blush has an argyle pattern surrounding it; the Toile blush has a toile pattern surrounding it. The packaging itself is a sturdy cardboard with a magnetic closure.

Product

theBalm InStain blush in Argyle
theBalm InStain blush in Argyle
Argyle is a much brighter pink than my pictures (and the pictures on theBalm's website) show. It's a slightly warm, hot pink shade that is completely matte.

theBalm InStain blush in Toile
theBalm InStain blush in Toile
 Toile is also brighter than my pictures show. It is a matte, coral pink shade.

Both blushes are highly pigmented. Do they stain? Sort of. With the swatches on my arm, I could get a little bit to come off with a dry towel. I could get even more off with just water. However, in order to completely get rid of the swatches, I had to use soap and water. On my cheeks, they last on my and look fresh ALL day. The one downside that I've noticed with these is their "staining" aspect makes then a little challenging to blend. It's practically impossible for me to NOT over-apply blush, and I rely on a kabuki brush to blend them out after I apply them. These blushes don't want to blend out as easily as other blushes in my collection.

Final Thoughts 

These are really good quality blushes. If you have trouble with getting blushes to stay, they are definitely worth checking out. There are 6 shades in the collection, and the shades have a broad enough range that there should be a shade that appeals to everyone. I'm happy to have Argyle and Toile in my collection. I may or may not pick up any more in the future. If you are thinking about picking these up, I would suggest waiting until theBalm goes on sale on Hautelook. I haven't seen the InStain blushes show up on there, but since most of theBalm's regular line goes on sale there regularly, I can see them listing these blushes there as well.

Have you tried theBalm's InStain blushes? Do you have the tendency to over-apply blushes like me?

Disclaimer: All products were purchased by me, and all opinions are my own.

Finished It!!! Volume 10

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Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

I've had a little bit of motivation over the past couple of days. I've been trying to organize a little better in my office and declutter. Since I also had to take a few blog pictures of new products, I figured I would do an empties post too.


John Frieda Luxurious Volume and Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Conditioners - If you have a good memory, you might remember that I had a tube of the Luxurious Volume conditioner in my last post of finished products, and I said that it was good but I wouldn't buy it again unless there was a good deal. Well...there was a good deal. I believe the deal was to buy one John Frieda hair dye and get a hair care or styling product for free. On top of that, I had a coupon for the John Frieda hair dye AND got a CVS coupon for hair dye. Score! I still feel the same. I would repurchase either of these if there was a fantastic deal.


Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner - I didn't buy these. A friend of mine gave me a bag of stuff that she didn't like, and these were in there. They were maybe half full when she gave them to me. They were okay, but I mostly just mixed them in with shampoo and conditioner that I have and like better to finish them. I won't purchase them for myself.


Renpure Solutions Cleansing Conditioner in Rosemary Mint - I finished this a while ago. I liked it well enough. It wasn't life-changing. It did the job. I've said before with cleansing conditioners that I keep them around for those nights when I'm feeling really lazy and don't want to deal with two products. I would buy this again if it was a good deal.

Organix Moroccan Argan Creme Conditioner - I bought this in a pinch. I mentioned in a previous post that I had to make a trip to visit my mom that ended up lasting longer than I expected. I ran out of conditioner, so I went to the drugstore and grabbed this. I liked it a lot. Again, this is another product I would repurchase if there was a good deal on it.


HerStyler Shampoo - These were sold at a kiosk in the mall. I got them last summer with a serum and a bottle of conditioner. I didn't really want them. These did spark my brainstorm that I could add tea tree oil to shampoos like this that don't already have it to help keep my flakes at bay. These wouldn't worth the price they "retail" for. I try and avoid those kiosks like the plague because I hate the hard sell that they do.

Kronos Liquid Theory Conditioning Detangler - This is another product that I got last summer. It was in a swap box a group of friends and I passed around. I remember that it was an expensive product because I researched it to make sure I exchanged it with something of similar value. It was nice but not amazing, and I have a couple of other less expensive leave-in conditioners in my stash. I won't go out and purchase this on my own.


Dr. Bronner's Hemp Lavender Pure-Castile Soap - I love the almond version of this soap. It has become my standard hand soap in my bathrooms. The lavender scent was okay, but it wasn't my favorite. I'll continue purchasing Dr. Bronner's soaps, but I don't know that I will buy the lavender scent again.

Bath & Body Works Signature Vanillas Shower Gel in Berry - I really like Bath & Body Works shower gels. They foam up really well and I enjoy the scents. I really liked the Signature Vanillas line, but it is sadly discontinued. I think I have one or two more bottles from the line left in my stash.


Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - This has been a standard in my skincare routine for a while now. I have a couple more of these in my stash as backups because I can't find this in my area, so when I get it, I stock up.

Clean & Clear Advantage Mark Treatment - I bought this because it was on clearance. I didn't like it as much as the Neutrogena one. I don't know if this product still exists, but I wouldn't repurchase it anyway.

Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Retinoid Eye Repair - This was a deluxe sample from Sephora. It didn't work miracles for me. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish - This was okay. I have face scrubs that I love a lot more than this. I also have to give a short complaint about the packaging. The plastic of the tube was so stiff that it made it practically impossible to get the last of this scrub out.

Simply Lip Balm in Acai Berry - This is the last of these lip balms from my stash. I bought a bunch of them last summer. I would repurchase more if I could only find them!

Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips On the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee - I loved this product!!! It's a lip scrub in a tube, which makes it really convenient. Not only that: you get to pick the flavor. I haven't repurchased it yet because I've got another lip scrub I'm trying to use up, but I will repurchase it in the future.


Mystery Face Powder - I know the jar says Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss Mineral Foundation. I finished that off a long time ago (and have another one that I'm using now). However, I refilled this jar with other powders. I think the base was Meow's fuller coverage foundation in a shade darker than I normally use. I then mixed in other random face powders that I had around. It was wonderful to finish it off, even if I can't remember what exactly was in it.

The Body Shop Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub - When my friend gave me the Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner, she gave me this. I already used up one of these. It's not very exfoliating and doesn't do much for my feet. I won't purchase a full size.


Mario Badescu Whitening Mask - The was a sample. I only got one use out of it. I have no idea if it did anything for my skin, and I've had other MB mask samples dry out on me. I don't use masks all that often, so I don't think I'll purchase a full size of any of them.

Luxury Lane Soap Whipped Up Sugar Scrub in Blackberry Tea - I got this small jar as part of a tester program. I loved this stuff! I purchased a full size already in a different scent. I really enjoyed the Blackberry Tea scent; I just wanted to try other scents. I can see this becoming a staple in my shower.


Samples - I don't think I have much of anything to say about these. The jar was Meow's Cat in Tree eye shadow, which was a shimmery deep green.

There we go...more stuff to go in the trash. I need to get back into working on the products that I want to finish. With the summer, I haven't been wearing makeup very often, so I've hit a bit of a wall on finishing those things. School (aka: work for me) is starting back up in a couple of weeks, so maybe that will help...

Have you cut back on wearing makeup this summer too? Have you finished anything lately?

Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

Recent Deal I've Scored!

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Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased. All opinions are my own.

About a week and a half ago, I went to a (relatively) nearby town to run some errands. When I do that, I always end up cruising through several places that have better stock or that aren't available in my town.

When I wandered through the cosmetics area at WalMart, I came across a fantastic deal!


The Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Bronzer had a BOGO FREE coupon on it for another face product. Then I saw the Happy Booster bronzer that came with a bonus blush. So, in total I spent around $15 for all three products. I was thrilled.

Then, this week I got a coupon in the mail from Physicians Formula for $10 off a product of $10 or more. How did I get this coupon? They occasionally do promotions where they release a secret code on their Facebook page. If you are within the first however many who enter the code, you get the product they are giving away. After those are out, you can still enter for the chance to get a $10 coupon. That's what I did.

Anyway, I took my coupon with me when I went to go get groceries yesterday. I hadn't checked to see what the sales were this week at CVS, so I was thrilled when I saw the Physicians Formula deal this week was spend $10 and get $7 in ExtraCare Bucks.

Here's a look at the haul I made over the past two days from CVS:



Yesterday, I picked up the Physicians Formula eye liners. The original price was $12.29. I used my $10 coupon, and ended up paying $3.15 out of pocket. I got $7 in ExtraCare Bucks, and my receipt also printed out a $5 off of $15 coupon. I also had $5 in ExtraCare Bucks and a 30% off coupon that I had sent to my card. The 30% off coupon expired today, which is why I went back. I would have gotten more cosmetics items, but there wasn't anything catching my interest, which is why I grabbed a book.

Here's the breakdown of today's trip:

Cotton swabs - $1.00
Book - $8.00
CeraVe Renewing SA Cream - $21.99
2 bottles of Mountain Dew (not pictured) - $1.60 each (discounted from $1.74 since I bought 2)

Total before discounts and tax: $34.47
Total after discounts ($5 ECB, $7 ECB, $5 off of $15, and 30% off): $11.11

In total, between my two trips, I spent $14.26 for around $46.76 worth of stuff.

That works for me! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love that CVS lets you stack coupons.

Have you found any good deals lately?

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were purchased. All opinions are my own.

Blog Sale and Thirty-One Gifts!

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Disclaimer: I include links to my direct selling site for Thirty-One Gifts, for which I am an Independent Consultant. I do not get any compensation unless someone actually makes a purchase through my direct site.

I've got multiple post ideas floating around in my head, but I haven't actually gotten any written up yet. I promise I'll get some up soon.

In the meantime, I finally got around to updating my blog sale. I added a bunch of new items and dropped some prices. I've got several brand new Tarte items listed. I added some L'Oreal Infallible eye shadows (several were LE). I've also got a bunch of mineral eye shadows and blushes up for sale. It's a broad range of products to choose from. I think there's around 40 pictures total.

Teaser pictures:



I also wanted to mention a couple of other things. The first one is that I recently became a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts, which is a direct selling company that sells bags, totes, and other organizing items (most of which can be personalized with embroidery). I personally signed up because I wanted the bags myself! I plan to do posts on some of their products. That being said, I promise to you that I will not do any posts talking up products that I don't like, and I will not let it take over my blog. This is still primarily a makeup blog. It's just something that I am genuinely excited about. For example, I LOVE my new purse:

Retro Metro Bag in Spirit Black with Small Rosette Clip in Pink

It's a great size. I carry way too many things around with me on a regular basis, and this bag holds it easily. If you look at the left side pocket, that's a water bottle sticking out of the top. I have the rosette (a separate item) pinned on because it's cute AND it lets me know which outside pocket has my keys, phone, and sunglasses.
  • If you haven't heard of Thirty-One Gifts before, you can check out their products here.
  • If you decide that there's something that you HAVE to have (Note: the monthly special for August is if you spend $35, you can get any purse for half price), I would appreciate you shopping through my Online Kick-Off Party (ends on August 30) using this link.
  • Otherwise, you can buy it through me using this link.
  • If you want a lot of stuff, I can set up an online and/or catalog party and make you the hostess, which means you could earn some Hostess Rewards
If you have any questions or would like more information, you are welcome to email me at beautybabbling@yahoo.com.

Enough of that...

The other thing that I wanted to mention what that I'm on a kick again of wanting to get organized with my life, and I think I'm going to start a series of posts about it. They won't be on a schedule yet because the ideas are still forming, and I actually have to make some organizing progress to show all of you (I do want to show all of you my shower solution, but you'll have to excuse the fact that my bathroom/shower are not magazine ready. It needs to be remodeled, but my fiance and I don't have the money for that yet).

To wrap up this post, I'm going to state the obvious. Summer is coming to an end. School has started back up here, which means work will be starting back up for me. It's a good and bad thing. Life will get busier again, but I'll also have more reason to play with my makeup stash since I'll be doing more than going to the grocery store.

Since this was a bit of a rambling update post, what's new with all of you ladies? Anything fun or exciting going on?

Disclaimer: I included links to my direct selling site for Thirty-One Gifts, for which I am an Independent Consultant. I do not get any compensation unless someone actually makes a purchase through my direct site.

NYX Love in Florence Palette in Meet My Romeo - Review and Swatches

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Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Sorry it has been so quiet on my blog lately. I've been feeling really lazy and somewhat uninspired. I have a few blog post ideas in my head, but I haven't been motivated enough to do them. I also have a lot of reviews I should be doing, but since we're still getting back into the swing of the school year here, I'm still not doing a lot of full days of makeup in order to test longevity.

In an attempt to get back into the swing of things, I'm going to go ahead an review a NYX Love in Florence Palette that I picked up back in June. The Love in Florence range has 5-pan palettes that retail for $7.99. I picked mine up along with a NYX Wonder Pencil when Ulta was having a BOGO 50% sale on NYX products.

Packaging


The packaging of this palette is similar to other NYX products: black and relatively basic. The bow on the front is a cute addition though, and it is designed well enough that it doesn't add bulk to the palette as a whole. I like that the top is clear, which makes it easy to see the colors. The palette itself also feels really sturdy. The plastic is nice and thick, so I wouldn't be scared to travel with it. NYX does include a dual-ended sponge-tipped applicator with the palette as well. While I don't generally use them, I know they can be handy to have.

Product


 
When I was picking out which eye shadow palette I wanted, I really struggled. NYX put out a lot of new palettes this year, and I wanted them all. However, when I got to the store, none of them were really jumping out at me. I don't really think that it s negative of the line though. I think I just have so many eye shadows that it is hard for me to find something really unique and exciting. I settled on the Meet My Romeo palette because it looked like a safe and easy palette to work with.

The colors included are light shimmery taupe, a satin-finish peach, a medium shimmery taupe, a medium matte brown, and a deep brown that has a matte base and fine multi-colored shimmer. They have a smooth texture that isn't overly soft or powdery. The pigmentation isn't very intense, but I'm okay with that. It makes the colors really easy for me to work with without overdoing it. I wish the peach color was completely matte because the color itself is soft enough to use as a blending and highlight color, but the satin finish has more sheen than I like for that type of color.

Final Thoughts

I'm not completely wowed by this palette, but, as I mentioned above, I think that's more because of my large collection rather than a fault of the product. This particular collection of colors would be a great palette for somebody just starting out with makeup because the colors aren't overly intense and are easy to work with. If the colors appeal to you, I think the quality of the shadows makes this palette worth checking out.

Have you ever gotten to the point where products don't appeal just because you have so much at home already? Have you tried any of NYX's new palettes? Are there any that I'm over-looking that I should swatch the next time I'm in Ulta?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Going Cruelty-Free

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I have struggled with whether or not to post about this for a long time. It's probably been over a year now. Mentioning that you are trying to go cruelty-free can create a lot of drama online, and I just didn't have the heart to deal with it. I'm still not sure if I have the heart to deal with it, but I'm going to take the leap and say it:
I'm trying to go cruelty-free.
If you aren't well informed on this issue, you may be wondering why this would cause drama. It sounds like a good thing, so what's the problem?
The first problem is the one that, in a sense, creates all of the other problems. Here in the U.S., there is no regulation regarding companies labeling themselves as cruelty-free. Anyone can create their own bunny logo and stick it on their products and claim that they don't test their products on animals. Quite a few brands claim to be cruelty-free because they themselves do not test their products on animals; however, their suppliers may test the ingredients on animals or they might have outside testing done on their products.
The next problem is that there are varying degrees and opinions on what makes a brand cruelty-free. Some people just use the PETA cruelty-free list to determine what is cruelty-free and what isn't. A lot of people though believe that list is really inaccurate and prefer to use other lists - none of which match each other exactly. Some people refuse to buy from brands that are cruelty-free but are owned by a parent company that is not, like Urban Decay or Burt's Bees.They believe that by buying from that brand, the profits indirectly support testing since they go back to the parent company. Other people believe that by supporting the brands that are cruelty-free, even if their parent company is not, shows support for those brands and sends a message to the parent company that cruelty-free brands are in-demand.
Then there's the issue of China. China REQUIRES testing on products imported into their country, essentially taking any brand that sells in China off of cruelty-free lists. Even in that instance there is some gray area. For example, Sephora's own brand has multiple lines. Some of those lines are sold in China and other's are not. Is it okay to buy from the lines that aren't sold in China or should the whole brand be off-limits?
Now you've tried to become a detective to figure out what standards a given brand is working with AND you've had to make some tough decisions about where you stand on those gray areas. Then you add the complication of the internet. I don't know how many times I've seen well-intentioned people get attacked through comments because they accidentally did a cruelty-free post or video about a brand that isn't actually cruelty-free (or at least isn't under the commenter's standards). Other people get defensive and start attacking you if you claim to be cruelty-free but you aren't vegan or you wear leather products. I've also been annoyed by people who get an attitude over those who try to go cruelty-free but slip-up and buy a non-cruelty free item because they didn't know the brand wasn't cruelty-free or because an item was just too tempting to pass up (I'll admit, I caved recently and picked up a couple of Chapstick balms because they were cupcake and red velvet cake flavored). I figure an imperfect attempt at doing something good is better than no attempt at all.
It's a lot to take in, digest, and decide whether you want to put that information on the table and open yourself up for attack. Now that I've let the barricades down, here's where I'm at in my journey and my current stance on trying to go cruelty-free:
I am still using products that were already in my stash that are not cruelty-free.
I am avoiding brands that by general consensus are not cruelty-free (L'Oreal, Cover Girl, etc...).
I am still buying from brands that are cruelty-free but are owned by parent companies that are not (Urban Decay, Burt's Bees).
I am not buying from brands that sell in China.
I will still buy value sets at places like Sephora that have products from a variety of brands as long as the majority of the brands are cruelty-free .
I am not vegan, so I don't plan on restricting myself to vegan products.

One issue that I'm currently struggling with is that I have a few brand new products (both full size and deluxe samples) made by companies that are not cruelty-free. I currently have them in my giveaway basket because they are not products I would use. Is it still okay for me to put them in a giveaway, or should I just add them to my blog sale? 
Are there any major points that I forgot to address?
What is your stance on the cruelty-free issue? I love reading and hearing about other's opinions on this issue as long as they are given respectfully. Any comments that are not respectful will be deleted. 
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