BOURJOIS Healthy Mix Serum Roll-on Concealer
49 Ivory
I’m a long-time fan of Healthy Mix foundation and a couple of other (discontinued) Bourjois conceales were my favourite, so I thought this will surely be my new favourite. But it’s not what I imagined it would be. I think the formula is the same as the old Healthy Mix concealer that was in a tube and has been discontinued for years (it was replaced by the one in a tube with a doe foot applicator). I think I used up a couple of tubes when my skin wasn’t as dry, but this formula doesn’t suit me as much did their discontinued Radiance Reveal one. It’s a strange one. When I squeeze it out it feels like it going to be a hydrating formula, but when I start to blend it in on bare skin, it doesn’t go smoothly and the finish ends up being flat, more matte than not. For it to work on my skin, I need a hydrating foundation or base, then it looks much fresher. 49 Ivory is a good very light shade. The applicator is a unique one – The centre where the concealer is squeezed out of is plastic and that is surrounded by metal. That makes it pleasantly cooling to apply, but it doesn’t aid blending. It’s scented with the typical fruity Healthy Mix scent.
I was ordering online and I stumbled on an old stock of these. This formula has been recently discontinued and that the new Ink one are not as reliable.
*REVLON ColorStay Xtensionnaire Mascara
A new mascara that isn’t yet on the stands here. The description says it has light flexible polymer fibres, it promises 2x longer lashes and it has panthenol. It’s one of the nicest regular formulas I’ve tried. I’ve been trying some others since I got this one and it’s become even more obvious how good it is. It adds a lot of length with one coat, it’s also nicely volumising, it very decent at definition because it has good hold. It can even hold my stubborn lashes up a bit, which I appreciate given that it’s a regular, washable formula. But it is one of those mascaras that leaves the lashes quite hard – that’s why they don’t drop, but if you dislike that, their Big Bad Lash is softer and has a very similar effect (that one is another of my big favourites along with Max Factor’s 2000 Calorie).
*REVLON ColorStay Flex Wear Full Cover Concealer
Light/Medium and Medium
This is also very new and not on the stands yet. I don’t know if this formula is replacing the old Colorstay Full Coverage one or it’s an extra addition. We only got two shades here and both are much too dark for me, so not ideal for testing. But I can say that the coverage is very high, this is a similar formula to Shape Tape and the likes. It’s described as a comfortable, airy and resistant formula with hyaluronic acid and promises notto be drying. This formula is matte, so on my dry skin it doesn’t look as fresh as their Skin Awaken concealer, but if you’re looking for high coverage, this is it. It’s a fast drying formula, so it needs to be blended quickly (experience on my dry skin, of course), but it looked ok, I got no peeling nor did it emphasize texture.
ESSENCE Bright Eyes! Under Eye Stick
I already have a full review with before/after pictures. It’s a good shade for my skin tone and it brightens the area. However, I wish the formula wasn’t in this stick format, as it’s not the most natural looking on the skin.
TREND !T UP 2 in 1 Color & Boost Serum Eyeliner
An eyeliner with the added lash growth serum. It’s not the Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1 that’s in many serums, but instead it’s arganine and caffeine, both supposedly promote blood circulation. Applicator is very similar to the Catrice’s liquid eyeliner, a good shape for general application, but it’s not extra precise. Formula could be more intense as on some parts it can look watery/see thorough, so it has to be re-applied. It doesn’t last as amazingly as the old Catrice Liquid Eyeliner Matt formula and at the end of day, it’s partly wiped off and partly faded.
ESSENCE Blush Crush!
10 Caramel Latte, 20 Deep Rose and 40 Strawberry Flush
I got the cool pink 60 Lovely Lilac one from before (the last shade in the row of four) and I reviewed the formula already. Shade 10 Caramel Latte has such a lovely glow on the skin. It’s not my shade because it’s too warm and ends up yellow/orange on me, but if you have a deeper warm skin tone, this should look great on you. Shade 20 Deep Rose is much less pink one me that’s I’ve seen it look on others – not surprising to be honest. It’s a deep, muted peach. Compared to the discontinued Befitting, which was the most popular shade, it’s less pink and I don’t think it’s as universally flattering as that one was. My favourite shade so far is Strawberry Flush. I could call it a typical peachy-pink with golden shimmer a.k.a. the Nars Orgasm dupe (in a loose sense. We all know how many alleged “dupes” exist), but this one has the perfect balance between pink and peachy tones that really make someone with my skin tone look so fresh. Great shade. Pigmentation is medium and needs to be build up, but it has the same lovely glow as shade 10.
CATRICE Blush Affair Liquid Blush
050 – Plum-tastic
I got shade 010, a pink, when these first came out and I already reviewed the formula. This time I grabbed the most unique shade on the stand. I thought this may be inspired by the famous Black Honey shade (Clinique), but given that Nivea’s Blackberry Shine is the alleged dupe, Catrice’s shade is quite different. It’s a cool deep plum colour that blends out into a shade that’s somewhere between a cool purple and a pink – someone on my IG said the shade reminds her of a bruise, which I agree due to the coolness, but blended out it looks better. I only need the tinniest amount because this is a deep shade that also has a lot of pigmentation. The result on my cheeks kind of makes me look like I either came from an extreme cold or am already suffering from hypothermia, as that cool undertone make you look like you’re very cold. Nivea’s Blackberry Shine lip balm that I use as a blush on occasions ends up warmer.
SHEGLAM Care Bears Cuddle Time Blush
Fab-u-lous
Sheglam is a brand sold on Shein and they have this Care Bear limited edition. A while ago I was looking for precisely such a pink blush, something similar to that famous Dior powder blush in Rosy Glow, but much cheaper (also swatching Dior one in the shop did not impress me.). Surprisingly, I had no luck, though in the last months Essence did come with a new blush shade in bright pink. Sheglam either has a very powerful PR campaign or it’s genuinely good, since I see a lot of positive reviews about it (especially liquid blushes). This one’s formula is good. It’s got a medium pigmentation, so the colour is built up gradually. It’s looks smooth on the cheeks and the formula is not chalky at all. The shade is a matte bubble gum pink.
*MAX FACTOR Masterpiece 2 in 1 Lash Wow Mascara
Midnight Black
One of those mascaras that has a changing 2-step mascara brush. It’s actually very similar to the Deborah Double Effect Volume & Length Mascara, as the brush design switches from a classic long design with parallel rows of bristles to a short with a swirly positioning of bristles. They don’t mention which step they recommend first, but I find the long first, then short is best. The long brush is meant for separating and lengthening the lashes and shortening it concentrates the formula, so it starts building more volume. It’s ok, I don’t know what else to say. It creates big lashes, but it doesn’t stand out considering I’ve tried dozens of regular formulas. The long brush creates a natural look and creates length by darkening the lashes, while the shorter wand quickly builds up the volume, but can start sticking the lashes together. It’s a regular formula with not much hold, so it doesn’t keep my lashes curled. Removal is easy enough with a cleansing oil. I still prefer their 2000 Calorie.
*MAX FACTOR Miracle Pure Infused Cream Blush
01 Radiant Rose
I already bought this myself last year, I have a full review and I featured it recently in a monthly favourites post, but another tube was sent to me. I spoke about how I wasn’t very impressed by it when I first got it because it’s not an easy formula to work with. Applying it with fingers doesn’t create the best result, as the formula is shifting while blending and produces and uneven result. But recently I finally found a way to make it work – I apply it on the back of the hand first, blend it on there well with a brush, saturating the brush with colour as evenly as I can and the stippling it on the skin. This sadly doesn’t make the result as glowy as this blush should be given the amount of metallic shimmer it has, but the application looks even. The shade is a peachy pink that leans more to peach.
*MAX FACTOR Crème Puff Pressed Powder
05 Translucent
I was also sent this years ago and I gave it away to my cousin who needed a new powder at the time. If I recall correctly, she liked it a lot because it was the only powder that didn’t make her look too pale (she has a darker skin tone than me), it didn’t cause flashback and it make her skin tone look ok on pictures. But now she’s using Bourjois Healthy Mix, which she might like more (I also gave her that one because the shade I got sent was way too dark). This powder is noticeably too dark for my skin tone, especially when I apply it with a sponge. Shade is not really translucent as it has coverage. Applied with a brush it takes away some of the shine, but not all. For a proper matte finish a sponge does a better job. It doesn’t look to obvious, but it’s not natural looking like applied with a brush. This has the lovely “vintage makeup scent” – not the violets-iris-powdery one, but the Nivea-creamy one. A sponge is included, but not a mirror.
ESSENCE Hydra Matte Lipstick
404 Virtu-rose and 411 Rock ‘n’ Rose
A couple of years ago I had this in the shade 401 Mauve-ment and I reviewed the formula then. It’s not as good as Catrice’s matte lipsticks (and nowhere near Revlon’s), but for the price good enough. Pigmentation is rich and I don’t find it drying, but I don’t find many formulas drying anyway. Shade 404 Virtu-Rose is the darker of the two, a medium pink shade that leans to red. 411 Rock ‘n’ Rose is cooler on my lips that I imagined when I saw it in the tube. It’s a about the natural depth of my lips, so quite light, pink and leans to cool.
ESSENCE Juicy Glow Juicy Bomb Lip Oil
02 – Strawberry Star
I expected too much from these, mainly because I love Catrice’s Glossin’ Glows and Essence’s Cranberry Lip Oil, but I think I’m more bothered by the applicator than the formula. The annoyingly small applicator applies so little at a time on the lips, so this feels nothing like my favourite, rich lip gloss formulas. But even so, this doesn’t feel like a lip oil, it’s still a classic gloss. It’s not that much different from the tubes. The scent of Strawberry Star is like those soft strawberry candy, very sweet.
CATRICE Plump it Up Lip Booster
040 Prove me Wrong
A repurchase. I still have mine, but I love this colour so much that I decided to have one for my bag. It looks so bland in the tube, I would walk past it a million times if I didn’t get it in a PR parcel. It’s the perfect my lip but better shade. It’s semi-opaque, has a nice level of gloss, it lasts well on the lips for a gloss (better than a lot of them) and it tingles slightly on the lips.
ESSENCE Soft & Precise Lip Pencil
202 My Mind, 203 My Advice, 204 My Way and 303 Delicate
I reviewed shade 301 Romantic recently, which is a concealer nude shade and that one is quite dry. There are the classic Soft & Precise formulas, so creamy, yet not overly soft like Essence’s first lipliners were. Staying power is not the best. 202 My Mind is very close to my natural lip colour and a nice shade for a kind of no-makeup makeup look and shaping the lips. 203 My Advice is about the same depth as 202, except it leans to peach. 204 My Way is the deepest of the four, sort of a flesh colour. 303 Delicate is a peach shade with some fine shimmer or frost, unusual for a lipliner.
TREND !t Up The Matte Vegan Lipstick
450
This might be discontinued, since I found it on that outlet stand in DM. First application was terrible – a very dry, unpigmented formula that just didn’t glide well on the lips. Once I got through the top layer it got better, but this is not like most matte formulas today. Strange because usually reds are nice almost by default in any lipstick line.
ESSENCE So Mesmerizing Liquid Lip Balm
I’d be so disappointed if I were buying this for myself. The compartment with the formula and the applicator are so small. Formula is thin, not very balmy for a lip gloss and it’s got no colour.
LIP SMACKER Lippy Pals Lip Balm
Unicorn Frosting
I’ve had one unicorn from Lip Smacker, which was promptly “stolen” from me. That one was a classic balm and this one is a gloss. It has glitter in it, so it feels gritty on the lips – I don’t remember the last time I tried a gloss like that. It has an intense smell of baked goods, something with vanilla and maybe almond. It’s not super glossy and the applicator is small, so you don’t get much on the lips at once. For dry lips, the balm version of unicorn is better.
LIP SMACKER Disney Princess Ariel Lip Balm
Calypso Berry
All these Lip Smackers have a good nourishing formula. This one smells like berries, the same as the Rapunzel version. It also has a sweet taste. Just like the Rapunzel one it leaves the lips tinted gently blue.
CATRICE Brow Stylist Waterproof
020 Date With Ash-ton
I don’t do anything to my eyebrows and I only got this so I have something in my stash to use on others. I got this shade because Adjusting Beauty says it’s good. Formula is hard, there is light-medium colour pay-off, so good for a gradual application. Shade is cool, though not as cool as my eyebrows. It’s also too light, but I’ll only use it as eye pencil anyway.
ESSENCE Micro Precise Eyebrow Pencil
04 – dark blonde
This formula is much creamier than Catrice’s and the colour pay-off is medium. It glides easily on the skin and the micro tip is meant for drawing tiny strokes, so eyebrow hair. Shade is warmer than Catrice’s. Compared to Revlon’s Colorstay Micro brow pencil, Essence is creamier and because of that you have less control over the intensity of application than at Revlon.
ESSENCE Hello, Good Stuff! Glow Serum Primer
I got this based on some recommendation and because I think it was heavily inspired by the Glow Recipe Niacinamide Drops. I’ve had this for a while and it’s nothing special. It’s no different than any other hydrating gel moisturiser. It leaves the same glow as a cream or SPF and just like with those the shine eventually disappears from my dry skin. There’s no shimmer than I can see in this and as far as being a good base for foundation goes, I find it’s the same as most moisturisers. As a plus I can say it has niacinamide high on the list and it has a stable version of vitamin C. The scent is a chemical watermelon one. I think products like Neutrogena’s Bright Boost Serum and Body Boom Superstar Hydrating and Illuminating Face and Eye Cream are more impressive, since they have tiny shimmer.
TREACKLEMOON Brazilian Love Hand Cream
I already spoke about the shower gel, which is an excellent dupe for the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Play. I was hoping this would be a good dupe for Bum Bum Cream and in a way it is. Straight from the tube it’s very close to the real thing and the scent is nicely intense. However, compared to the original, a few minutes later the scent loses intensity and changes. Formula is thin and takes a while to absorb – it’s not my favourite, in fact I generally dislike such formulas, but the scent makeups up for it, even though it’s not as impressively long lasting as Bum Bum cream. Considering how much cheaper it is than the original, it’s ok.
L’ORÉAL PARIS Elseve Glycolic Gloss 5-Minute Shine Treatment
I got this hoping it will bring some much needed shine to my hair. I’m not sure it made a massive difference in shine, but together with Elizavecca Cer-100 Treatment they have made my hair feel amazing. Alone it’s less impressive, though this isn’t meant to be used as a stand-alone treatment, you are supposed to use it after conditioner. Formula is thin, yet creamy. A small amount can be applied on a large area and it has the silicone feel to it. It leaves my hair hydrated ok, but it does nothing for frizz control. The glass shine I should be expecting from this (but I didn’t) wasn’t there even when I straightened my hair.
ELIZAVECCA Cer-100 Collagen Ceramide Coating Protein Treatment
This is hailed as a dupe for Olaplex – it’s not, it’s more of a dupe Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator as both are packed with hydrolised proteins and aminoacids. I also like it has Amodimethicone high on the list as that always works well for my hair. It also has ceramides (a.k.a. “hair cement”) and a bunch of extracts. This is one of the best products I’ve tried. It makes my hair feels so nice – airy, nourished and silky. Along with some leave-ins even the bleached part of my hair dries smoother. It’s a protein treatment that doesn’t leave the hair stiff, so there’s no need for an extra conditioner after it. Texture is easy to spread in a small amount, which is nice to see, since this is only 100 ml and if it were thicker, I’d probably use it up in 3 uses. Many people mention scent in reviews of this, but it’s nothing special, just a classic hair salon cosmetics scent.
*CERAVE Advanced Repair Ointment
A vaseline like product, something like a solid oil. It’s suitable for any very dry, rough areas and creates a protective layer over it. It’s used it for lips as well because it feels like similar to a lip balm. I’ll likely mostly use it for cuticles and elbows, basically anywhere the skin is very dry. This Ointment is often mentioned as suitable for skin care technique called slugging, which is putting an occlusive (like vaseline) as the last step in your skin care routine to lock the moisture. I’m not overly excited about trying it that way because mineral oil/petroleum can break me out (I’ve been using Filorga’s Neocica cream for years instead and recently La Roche Posay’s Cicaplast)
BALEA Beauty Expert UV-Protection Fluid SPF 50
This is far from a favourite, but somewhat decent nonetheless. It’s a step up from their Anti-Age version I got last year, but it’s still not light like my favourites. Texture of the cream is liquid, but it’s not as thin as Garnier’s Fluid or LRP UVmune. It spreads easily, leaving no white marks. But it’s a strange one. It can feel on the face, like tight mask. It’s not terrible and it’s not in a drying way, it’s more like it doesn’t absorb and it forms a film on the skin. I apply less of it because of that and its comfortable/feels normal. It’s shiny, but not as much as Sun Dance Anti-Age one. It doesn’t irritate my eyes, it’s not scented and I haven’t experienced it moving to my mouth or at least it has no bad taste. Packaging is a ripoff of Garnier.
BALEA Urea Handshuhmaske
Hand Mask
I didn’t try this yet, but I’ll update when I do. I got this as a gift, but it was on my wishlist a while back and I believe someone warned me not to get it, so it never landed in my shopping basket. Reviews are mixed on DM website, but overall feedback high. It has 5% panthenol, urea and hyaluronic acid.
CIEN Hand Cream Repair
Another thing I got as a gift. My cousin says this helped a lot in the winter when her hands were very dry. Texture is the same as Cerave Advanced Repair Ointment, a very thick, balmy, vaseline-like cream that stays on the skin for ages and doesn’t absorb, instead forms a protective layer. It’s a cream for overnight use, as the hands are too greasy/slippery to do any work with them. My hands are currently not very dry, besides I’ve found my dry hands remedy in the winter – Cerave’s Hand Cream/Moisturising Cream in a pot.
*SUBRINA Calm Down Shower Gel
Like every year here’s a new scent of Subrina shower gels. This time it’s a calming scent with lavender, but the latter is subtle, so this is more of a combination of gentle notes. It contains bisabolol which is soothing and anti-inflammatory.
*SHISEIDO Ginza Night
Eau de Parfum Intense
This came in the prettiest PR parcel. It’s Shiseido’s latest Ginza flanker and it’s described as a floral fruity gourmand fragrance for mysterious, magnetic woman. It starts with a sweet fruity burst, to me it smells like forest berries, the note is blackcurrant, there’s also a whiff of mandarin. Later it’s a lovely woody white floral. It’s soft, comforting and very elegant. It’s more of a fragrance for colder weather or night, mostly because of strength, as I was told they can smell me from meters away (2 sprays). I’d wear it during the day too. I have the original Ginza and they are completely different fragrances. The latter is a deep mossy-spicy (patchouli) powdery scent. Ginza Night is much softer, has no sharpness to it and it’s a nicely rounded scent – to me it smells more expensive because patchouli makes it too familiar given that’s in every major popular fragrance now. The bottle is a looker with the interesting black pump and ombre glass. Staying power is great, I can smell it all day and it lasts even longer on clothes.
Top notes: mandarin orange, blackcurrant
Heart notes: gardenia, lily, jasmine
Base notes: vanilla, cedar wood
BALEA Tropical Delight Haarparfum
I was using Aussie’s Scent-sational hair fragrance for years, as it was truly great and without alcohol, but when I went to repurchase it, all three versions just disappeared from the shelves. I picked this to try if it’s as good, but it’s a limited edition, while Balea has another hair fragrance in their regular line (for now at least). I felt that other version, Golden Liberty, which also boasts to have the ability to neutralise bad smells, was too weak and a bit bland, though it’s hard to say from one spray. Tropical Delight initially smells like a mix of pineapple and mango, but then it turns into a much more complex and rich warm scent. It starts off strong and if I wear my hair tied up overnight, I can smell it in the morning, but it dissipates much faster than Aussie that could last all day. It also contains alcohol, which I’m not too pleased about, but so do most hair fragrances. It’s nice and I like the scent, I just wish the scent lasted as long as Aussie.
SUDDENLY FRAGRANCES Chalou eau de parfum
This is a Lidl dupe for Chloe and it’s quite good. It starts off strong and it really is very similar to the real thing, a powdery rose scent. S.Oliver has a very decent dupe too, but Lidl’s version is 4.99 € for 75 ml and it’s just as good (S.Oliver also doesn’t last as long as real Chloe). Staying power is ok, it lasts a few hours but it lasts for days on clothes. Lidl has several dupes, but we only have four for women fragrances. One is similar to J’Adore, other to La Vie est Belle and I think the fourth is Mademoiselle. There are dupes for men perfumes as well.
*ORIFLAME Nordic Waters Infinite Blue for her
Eau de parfume
Top notes: pear, green notes, blueberry
Heart: deep sea accord, rose, lotus blossom
Base: mineral accord, cedarwood
A fresh, aquatic fragrance similar to the likes of Davidoff Cool Water. It starts off with a sweet pear, but that quickly disappears and transforms into a refreshing floral marine fragrance, reminiscent of scent of the ocean. It’s close to being unisex, but it has some more softer, feminine character than the for him version. Later it becomes even more salty. It’s an excellent choice for a hot summer. Strength is medium.
*ORIFLAME Nordic Waters Infinite Blue for him
Eau de parfume
Top notes: rosemary, lavandin, nutmeg
Heart: deep sea accord, eucalyptus, cistus
Base: patchouli, cedarwood, amber
The male version again reminds me of the ocean, but in a very different way and only at the start. The freshness is sharper here, it’s almost like walking past a cypress tree, though there’s no such note in it. It must be the combination of rosemary, eucalyptus and cedarwood. The patchouli adds depth and nutmeg some spiciness. Later it becomes a softer, more creamy scent and is much less aquatic than the women’s version.
BALEA Fresh Up & Style Trocken Shampoo Schaum
Dry Shampoo Mousse
I got this out of curiosity, since my hair never gets oily and I don’t really need it, but I wash my hair once a week and in the last days it’s not feeling very fresh, so I’m just looking for something that will make it smell nice and give some life to it. I didn’t expect much, but this is very likeable. It’s like a regular styling mousse with no hold. You apply it directly on the roots (with the nozzle if you wish) and give the hair/scalp a bit of a massage. Hair feels a bit wet for a while, but it doesn’t look wet. Once it dries, which at my hair takes a couple of hours, there is a slight powdery feeling, but much less than at for example Batiste dry shampoos. Hair actually feels like it’s been freshly washed and it has a very pleasant, gentle and fresh fragrance. I let it air dry, but you can use a hair dryer and it promises to add volume to the hair – my hair has natural volume, so even if I tried it like that I know I’d get such a result, but I can’t tell you if it works on thin hair as well. Given how fresh the hair feels, it might just do the job. I don’t like many dry shampoos because I don’t like the gritty, powdery feeling they leave on their hair, so I have to wash my hair the next day (the only one I really like is Moroccanoil because it has such fine powder), but I think might just become a favourite of mine.
SUN DANCE Haar-Parfűm mit LSF 30
Hair perfume SPF 30
I half expected this to the have the amazing Sun Dance classic sunscreen scent. Sadly it doesn’t (luckily I have La Rive Solare for that), but it does have a sweet summery floral scent that I think they used in one of their SPFs before. The scent is medium strong and doesn’t have the best staying power, which is a problem I encountered at their limited edition I mention above. I got it mostly because of the SPF – it’s a nice idea combining a hair fragrance with SPF, which should prevent colour fading.
BALEA Glamorous Moment Parfum Spray
This is one of the many Baccarat Rouge dupes that have been popping up. I have Arianna Grande’s Cloud and Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor that are the same too. I still think it’s a super bland scent, I only got it because it’s the current LE and I needed something super cheap in a larger amount. It’s got a generous 200 ml and it’s moderately strong. It lasts the same as Arianna’s Cloud, so no particularly long. I can’t really describe this scent well, it’s clean in a non-washing power/fabric softener way. It’s a floral scent that’s chemical on me. Too bad Balea hasn’t duped the Sol de Jainero Bum Bum scent instead.
EBELIN PROFESSIONAL Express Nagelllack Entferner
A classic nail polish remover in a pot. It has the large sponge inside saturated with remover and it’s so easy to get the nail polish off. These can get “tinted” fast, so it’s best to stick with removal of light nail polishes as least from the start, to avoid having red/blue/whatever stains on the fingers.
JEANNE ARTHES Arthes Miss Cassandra
eau de parfum
I thought I was buying Cassandra, the alleged dupe for Chanel n.5. I guess I missed that Miss in the name. It’s a basic fruity floral vanilla. First burst is berries, then it’s a musky vanilla. I sadly I don’t get the powdery-iris combination. I bought it for mom, but like I said I meant to get Cassandra. It’s under 10 €.
Top notes: Peony, Bergamot, Red Berries
Middle Notes: Iris, Rose, Powdery Accord
Base Notes: Musk, Vanilla, White Sandalwood
*PR products.
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