Budget best picks

Hello everyone happy Friday ( wow that came around quick) so as some of you know I have spent the last 5 Fridays posting a budget face look that all came in for €20 if you haven't yet get reading now! So today's post is dedicated to my favourite products from these series ones that I will continue to use, repurchase and recommend to all of you guys!

First up foundation my absolute favourite of the series and I'm wearing It today too was the Rimmel Wake me up foundation. This retails at €10.99 and is well worth its budget price tag you can find out more in my post budget fip number 5.

 Anyone who reads my posts regularly will no I'm super fussy when mascara is concerned. My pick of the bunch has to be Essence Maximum Volume Mascara* I wasn't expecting to like this as I said in my review but I really have fallen for it and it has now happily become my everyday mascara!!!

This little gem retails at €3.49. This features in posts 2&3.

Next up Ive picked Make up revolutions brow kit. This has been by far the best budget brow kit I've ever tried and at a tiny €3.00 where could you go wrong this features in posts 1&2.

My favourite blush of the series is W7 cream blush* I have been using this more steadily as time has passed and the quality really is great for only €4.98. this features in post number .

Last but definitely not least is Make up revolution Lipstick. This features in post number 3 and I love it!
this lipstick comes in at the cheap as chips price of €1.20!!!

For those of you who may have missed them here are the links to the posts in the series I hope you have enjoyed reading as much as I have loved writing and testing. Leave a comment and let me know what your series favourites were.

Post 1.

Post 2.

Post 3.

Post 4.

Post 5.

Barry M Loud Mouth

Hi Everyone welcome to today's post a quick review of *Barry M Loud Mouth Extreme Lip Colour.

I have got these to test in shade Diva a dark berry colour and Chatterbox a bubblegum pink colour. First off they smell like they look Diva smells like sweet dark berries and chatterbox smells like strawberry bubblegum. They come in a clear plastic tube with black cap.
These are very glossy and very sticky but the colour payoff is very good both colours give a bold lip. I found them messy to apply from the tube so I have used a lip brush and recommend that.
I also had a little fun and mixed the colours together to create a pink/mauve shade that looked a really bold hot pink on my lips and I really loved this shade! Chatterbox on its own was a little too light for me but I liked Diva shade.

swatches are l to r , colors mixed together, diva and chatterbox they are in same order from top to bottom!

I had a little mishap when trying to remove the swatched from my arm and It took micellar water, cream cleanser, face wash and a lot of scrubbing to get it off. It shows that the product definitely has staying power!

I will use the ones I have again but I wouldn't purchase them the sickly sweet smell combined with the stickiness just overrule the bold colour for me. Have you tried these what did you think?

*PR SAMPLE

Beautiful Irish Brands : Holos

Welcome to today's installment of Beautiful Irish Brands a series spotlighting Irish brands in the beauty industry as always I will begin by telling you about who is behind the brand followed by a product review. 

Holos is an Irish natural beauty brand from Wexford to be exact creating hand made natural products made with essential oils. Their belief is that the beauty products that we use are absorbed by our bodies in the same way as our food. so they have created these natural, healthy and environmentally friendly products that also have the bonus of luxury.
Holos have got seven different product ranges Love your skin: A range suitable for all skin types but aimed towards dry and mature skin. Good Morning: A quick fix, minimal fuss skincare routine Good Night: Aimed toward balancing and relaxing you at the end of the day Blossoms: A feminine range made with Neroli, ylang ylang and my favorite smell in the world jasmine (I have my eye on this range to be my next treat) Woodlands: range for men, Happy Baby: An oil for use in the bath or massage onto babies skin and Happy Momma: products are safe to use during pregnancy and nursing.
Niamh Hogan is the creative force of the brand whilst her partner Paul is the man behind the scenes. Niamh is a practicing aromatherapist and natural lifestyle practitioner, her vocation led to a passion for a natural lifestyle and essential oils which led to her creating the Holos brand initially for her own use followed by the decision to share with all of us!

For my review section I was sent and have been testing Anti-Ageing facial oil from the Love your skin range. The oil combines Rose, Palmerosa, Benzoin & Frankincense with Argan oil which aims to reduce appearance of wrinkles by restoring the lipid layer of skin! -very scientific after writing that I feel like Im after travelling back to Leaving Cert Home Ec. The Rose and Benzoin are there to reduce inflammation and the Frankincense and Palmerosa keep the skin looking young by reducing fine lines.
I have been using this oil every night for the last two weeks and I am really loving It. First off I adore the packaging It is in a glass bottle with a dropper for the oil so no mess yay! I really like the smell of the oil It has a beautiful rose scent that's in just the right place between subtle and overpowering. I have found that It has been aiding in me relaxing at night and Its even quite therapeutic to just apply it every night.
I noticed a difference in my skin from just the first use and the effects have been magnified over the course of the two weeks. What It has done is make my skin plumper especially on my cheeks I feel like my face isn't dragging down anymore It has really lifted It. My forehead wrinkles have visibly eased and my forehead is no longer dehydrated. My whole face has been glowing, just really radiant! This was my first time to trial a facial oil and I will never be without this again. I cant believe how much better all of my skin looks and feels after just a short time. The oil retails at €22.20 and in two weeks I have used just about a quarter of the bottle this works out around €0.40 per day for spectacular skin a complete steal!
Its a credit to Niamh and Holos that a product that does so much can be all natural too I'm looking forward to seeing this brand explode across the market as It deserves.

You can purchase the full range on www.holos.ie and a number of health stores nationwide.
I hope you have all loved today's post please leave a comment to let me know.
You can also find me on twitter @clareken86
Instagram: sparkleblossombeauty

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Ipanema Flip Flops

Hi everyone
welcome to my very first fashion post I decided recently that I would like to expand to fashion and lifestyle posts and this one has come at a time when i've just been accepted as an etailpr  blogger woo!
I have decided that my first post will be about Ipanema flip flops.

I love these flip flops these particular ones have been on my feet for two whole summers and have not only traveled most of Ireland but also Portugal and Lanzarote. They are incredible value for money as you can see they still look almost brand new after two full summers!

I'm drawn to the designs that the sole of the flip flop has and the delicate straps.
the sole is really sturdy but also really flexible. They are so comfy and you dont get the cuts between your toes with these that you normally get from wearing flip flops as the rubber is softer.
On top of all of this they are so pretty!

Im currently lusting after these Gisele Bundchen Sunshine Beige Flip Flops.
I think they would be perfect for evenings out in the sun!

I hope you have enjoyed my first fashion post I will be hopefully doing many more!
Let me know in the comments x

Budget Face in Products 5 - the final one!!!

Hi Everyone not only is it Friday again whoop! Its also the last in my series Budget Face In Products-Boo!! But I will be doing a roundup later this week of my favourite products from the series so keep a watch for it.
I have really enjoyed doing this series and am already planning another Face in Products series with a little twist!
Usually everything comes in under €20 but today I have cheated and the final price is €20.76 but I hope you enjoy reading and Id love for you to leave a comment post at the end.

Starting with base today I have gone for a brand I havent used since I was a teenager Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. I have used this in the shade soft beige, I would say its a light-medium coverage a little more on the medium side. It claims to be anti-fatigue with a radiant glow. when you pump it out (just over 2 pumps for my face) it has a really strong gold shimmer running through and looks more like a highlighter but once on my face I didnt notice the shimmer. I definitely knew I was wearing makeup but the look stayed really dewy which I love, the only slight issue I had was it settle into my forehead wrinkles a little but I think a primer under would stop that. All in all I like it and It will definitely remain in my makeup bag. This retails for €10.99.

For my cheeks I have used MakeUp Revolution Cream Blush in shade Peach Cream. I am a huge fan of this blush Im completely in love with the colour and think that it is what angels cheeks would look like. Im also a fan of a cream blush and this one has really nice colour that is very easy to blend too. This blush is an absolute steal at just €1.80!! A budget must have.

Next up is my eyes I have used Wet nWild Mega Protein Mascara partly because I wanted to give it a second try and partly because I needed to use my cheapest mascara to make sure I didnt blow my budget! Its OK for €2.99 It is what It is It blackens lashes and thats about It. On the plus side I had no nasty reaction like I have gotten from some mascaras even high end ones.

For my eyebrows I have used Eyes Lips Face Eyebrow Kit. This is also a favorite of mine that I have been using now for at least a year. It consists of a wax and a powder. For this look I have applied the wax first followed by the powder. This retails for €4.98.

Hope you have all enjoyed todays post and dont forget to watch out for my favorites from the series coming soon.
As always here are my selfies.

Beautiful Irish Brands : Dreamdots

Hello Everyone, Welcome to the second post in my new series! As always in my Beautiful Irish Brands series this post is about more than a simple review this series is about spotlighting the Brand so first we will meet the lady responsible for bringing us dream dots. DreamDots are the brainchild of entrepreneur Donna Ledwidge who has already has huge success in the business world from owning her own salon at aged just 21 in 2004 to creating other brands Stickcons- rhinestone shoe kit and as co-developer of wow-brown tan.

How do you go about creating a product like this?

“I suffered with acne when I was a teenager and although I got it under control in my early twenties I would continue to get severe breakouts every few weeks. I decided my next brand would target this problem”. Quote from DreamDots creator Donna Ledwidge. 
DreamDots are an emergency overnight patch designed to calm, clear and heal breakouts.They are CE, BSI and FDA approved and are also Vegan and cruelty free. 
It is said that dreamdots can be used by everyone and as part of any skincare routine.

So down to the review part. I received my pack of dream dots a few weeks ago and like many other bloggers I have spotted chatting on twitter I was actually hoping to have a breakout so that I could get the chance to test them! So after about a week of waiting I got myself a whopper of a spot, the only problem was it wanted to stay underneath my skin as one of them spots that just stays huge,angry, red and hurts like hell at all times. So I was thinking Its not a proper spot yet so It wont work but It was really sore so I said I'd go with it and hope for the best. The dream dots are like small round clear stickers, there is no fussing with them you just peel them off the backing and press them on the spot. The only thing you need to do is cleanse the area before and after and wash your hands after contact. I never felt anything having the patch on was completely unnoticed. I was delighted the next morning as the dream dot had completely taken away the sore, tight feeling that I had. It had reduced pretty much all of the inflammation and made It so this once angry whopper of a spot was completely unnoticed with a little concealer. I used the dream dots on this again the next night and by the following morning It had completely dissappeared. 
I am just recently married (March) and for a few months before I was constantly reading articles about your must haves for Bridal emergencies. Dream Dots should be on top of all of these lists! It is honestly the most useful thing that Brides, Grooms or anyone could have in an emergency Kit a serious problem solver that actually works. 
Well done to Donna and her Dream Dots team on such a fantastic and innovative product. 

Dream Dots retail for €14.95 for a box of 24 dots. 
You can buy direct from www.dreamdotsforspots.com

Or from pharmacies across Ireland. 

Have you tried dream dots? Please leave a comment I read and reply to all. 
I recieved the dream dots as a pr sample this has in no way influenced my review.

Budget face in Products 4

Hi everyone I cant believe its Friday again already! That means its time for the fourth installment of Budget Face in Products todays offering features products from W7, Essence, Barry M, Wet n Wild and Catrice.
I have tried something a little different today, I am going slightly au naturel and I am not wearing any foundation. I did a post earlier this week on a Physician Formula lip stain (find it here) and in my pics I wore only the lip no other make up so It inspired me to do this with no base, see how you like it and let me know with a comment at the end. As always the entire look comes in at under €20

First up as I wasnt using any base was the *W7 tea tree concealer in shade light/medium. This is a stick concealer and did give fairly good coverage. It was a little thick feeling on my skin but I do put that completely down to the fact that I had no base over It. The shade matched perfect. This actually held up really well considering It was all that I had used and hadn't even been set with powder. For this look I just drew it on with the stick and blended a little with a real techniques sponge. This concealer comes in at €4.98.

Next up was my brows for them I have used Catrice Eyebrow Filler this is an eyebrow gel with fibres to fill in gaps. I bought this as I had wanted to try this type of product since I heard of Benefit gimme brow. I just didnt like this Its not for me I need to at least try to sculpt my brows but this is for a more au-naturel look. for anyone who is looking for that look this would probably be a good product. It retails for €3.99 but I only paid €2 for it as part of a promo.

For my eyeshadow I have used *Essence Matte Glam eyeshadow in Frosted Apple this isnt normally a colour I would wear but I gave It a go and It actually started to grow on me as the day went on. Its a pink colour with lots of sparkle, there is a good bit of fall out from the shadow but still a nice pigment and good staying power. The shadow retails at €3.09 and at that price I would definitely purchase in a different colour.

Next on my eyes I used Wet n Wild Mega Protein Mascara. This retails at €2.99 and what can I say its a bit meh, I wasnt impressed with It and wouldnt wear again. Somebody who has naturally long curly lashes might like this but its just not for me.

Lastly I went with a bold lip in the form of *BarryM Loud Mouth. This is a lip gloss/stain and has a very bold colour. the shade I used was Diva. It looked a really dark maroon colour in the tube but was actually a lot more wearable while on the lip. Its not sticky which is nice but is a bit messy so I used a lip brush to apply and would reccommend to do the same. This retails at €5.99.

Todays look came in at the budget friendly price of €19.05! 

As always here is my before and after shots. I love when readers leave me comments and always read and reply to all.
*PR samples.

Clinomyn Challenge

I replied to a twitter ad from Clinomyn a few weeks ago asking for people to join their 14 day challenge.

I have just finished mine and here are my thoughts and results from the last 14 days.

I also roped my husband into doing the challenge with me so I have his and hers pictures!

First off for a little about our teeth we were both smokers for many years and gave up together two years ago and though are teeth had hugely improved we both still had staining from it. I am also a serial coffee drinker and occasional red wine drinker which is only adding to the stains ( I dont give myself much of a chance do I ?)It seems a pity to me that this toothpaste is so strongly marketed towards smokers because the rest of the market is really missing out.

So before I get into the review I give you our before selfies! For reference I am the one without the facial hair :) 

The rules of the challenge are to Brush your teeth twice a day (morning and evening) for at least 2 minutes each time for 14 days! the other rule is that you should enjoy yourself and keep eating and drinking as normal.

 After using the toothpaste for the first time I couldnt believe the difference in my teeth. The toothpaste was like an exfoliating polish for your teeth I dont ever remember them feeling so smooth even after a professional clean! I was also so surprised to have such  a difference be made after just one use this made me instantly excited for the trial. Over the course of the trial my teeth retained the initial smoothness and definitely feel cleaner after every brush. I also noticed a difference in how fresh my mouth stayed it was a kind of freshness that i had previously needed to combine toothpaste with mouthwash to achieve. 

I have definitely noticed a difference in the staining on my teeth too my teeth were fairly white to start with but there is a clear difference in the before and after. I will post the after selfie and I will post another with the two in same frame for easy comparison the before will be on the top.

Have you tried the clinomyn challenge? Leave me a comment below. 

My before and after before is top! 

My mr's before and after before on top! 

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster

Today I am reviewing a Lip Gloss/Stain from Physicians formula Sexy booster range*  and the shade I have is rouge (red).

Physicians formula is a well established good quality brand but is sparkling new to Ireland so a lot of people may not have heard of them. With the quality being so high and none of their products exceeding €20 I cant imagine the people of Ireland will be in the dark for much longer. 

 I will start off with the packaging which makes the product distinctive. It is sleek clear bottom with a red lid there is a ribbon wrapped around the tube and a stiletto heel charm attached at the front. 

The gloss itself smells pleasantly like vanilla, the texture is kind of like a mousse mixed with a stain, I'm not sure if you will understand that I probably wouldn't! It goes on very sleekly and looks very glossy at first but is definitely more matte once it dries which takes about an hour which would have me class it as a stain rather than a gloss. The wand for application is a good shape and stiff enough to allow precise application.

I love bold strong lip colours and this slots straight into that category. I have never seen such a high colour pay off from a gloss/stain and the lasting power of this is amazing I am very impressed.

Please excuse the lack of other make up in my selfies but just shows how much of an impact one good product can make! 

This product however does not stop at just making you look good, the range is formulated to 'inspire sexy self confidence'. One of the most notable ingredients of the range is Horny Goatweed which is an aphrodisiac from ancient Chinese Medicine which among other things is said to restore sexual fire! 

All of this considered It makes this much more interesting than your average lip gloss/stain. The R.R.P. of this product is €15.90 which in my opinion is a bargain for such a multitasking product :) 

As the brand is new to Ireland it isn't available everywhere yet but you can find a list of stockists on their twitter page @pformulairl 

To sum up I really like this product and the brand is really fun! I am really looking forward to getting my hands on some more of the physician formula range and as always I have made myself a little wish list LOL maybe for Christmas!!

Have you tried any Physician Formula Products yet? Which are your favourites? Please leave a comment below.

*PR sample

Beautiful Irish Brands : NIA Skincare

Hi everyone

Welcome to my new post series Beautiful Irish Brands. There is an amazing array of Irish beauty brands in the market right now and I want to put a spotlight on some of the best. I am so excited about starting this series and I hope you will love it too. Every week I will post and review a different brand starting today with nia.

Nia was founded by a lady named Celia O'Grady.The goal of nia is to create 'natural, easy and cost effective solutions that will integrate mind and spirit'.
All nia products are hand made in Limerick  and the brand believes that it is important to eliminate peoples contact with as many chemicals as possible. Following this all of the ingredients used in nia products are Natural and where possible organic. Nia balms are the first 100% Natural formula of their kind and here comes the science bit!!  they are formulated like a cream but without using water so they dont need emulsifiers, preservatives or chemicals which also gives them a longer shelf life in turn making them better value for customers :)
For my testing section of this post I have tried out some small pots of Just Balm and Intensive Restoring Facial Moisturising Balm. I have been sent these as samples and as always put a * next to them, opinions are honest and my own.

Just Balm* were told is a fragrance & steroid free moisturising balm aimed towards treating ecczema, dermatitis and psoriasis to name a few. I myself suffer from a horrible skin condition called pompholyx eczema on my hands where at any time for unknown reasons my fingers swell up and all of the skin turns scaly dry cracks and becomes very painful. When I read the info card that I got with this I knew exactly where to test this out. Im very aware of what I use on my hands because Im not sure what sparks off the eczema. I was happy enough to trial this as I am a bit of a believer in Natural things not causing as much harm as chemical filled counterparts. This balm felt more like a souffle to me It was really light and fluffy and melted into my skin. Once it is on it sits on the skin like an oil for a while before it dries. Its the type of product that you need to use when you have a little time for it to sink in  rather than applying it on the go. After a few days of trialing this It definitely gets the thumbs up from me It was very gentle and really improved the dry skin on my hands especially underneath my rings. I can imagine that this would be the perfect product to use for babies with eczema or other dry skin conditions because it is unfragranced and so gentle. I would most definitely not only purchase this for myself but also reccommend others with dry skin conditions to try this out too. 150ml retails at €12.95.

Intensive Restoring Facial Moisturising Balm* we are told this is a blend of natural butters, oils and herbs for the care of dry,sensitive and irritated skin. This balm like the Just balm is in texture more like a souffle light and fluffy.It has a very earthy smell  which is not unpleasant. The facial balm is less oily on the skin and the first time that I put it on my skin sucked it up very quickly as It was a little dehydrated oops! It says to use the balm morning and evening however after the initial day I did find It was slightly too moisturising for me during the day and so I used it as a night time treat instead. I also loved how gentle this balm was on my skin while it gave great hydration. The facial balm retails at €24.95

Nia has also got a great range of other products one especially that caught my eye was the Hot Oil Massage Candle R.R.P. €19.95. I love relaxing and de-stressing and this looks like such a fun way to do this the fact that you can relax with the aromas of the candle before your massage has me sold and this item has made its way onto my wishlist.
All of the products are available on www.nia.ie and there are a list of stockists on their website.
Well done to all at Nia for creating such a Beautiful Irish Brand.
I hope you have loved reading as always please leave a comment.
Clare x

Budget Face in Products 3

Hi Everyone happy Friday hope your enjoying yours!
 welcome to the third installment of my budget face in products I cant believe how quickly it is passing. Todays look is very simplistic with a pop of colour to take it to the next level. as always the entire look will come in at under €20.
Some of the products that I have used were sent to me as always I will put a * beside the product name and all opinions are my own.

To begin with today I am using Eyes Lips Face Mineral Foundation in shade Beige, this foundation is slightly darker than what I would normally wear but perfect at the moment as I have a tan. This foundation was my first experience of a mineral foundation and Im really liking it, It has great coverage and really smooths out my skin. Im actually really intrigued by how it works. This comes in at the budget price of €7.50.

Next up Ive used *W7 cream blush in shade Divine. This is a strong candy pink colour and you only need a small amount to create this look, it would be better to build gradually if you want a stronger look.It can be applied with fingers but for this look I have used a small stipple brush. I really like to use a cream blush over the mineral foundation as I feel a powder can be a little drying. This blush comes in at €4.98, an amazing bargain at under €5.

For my mascara I have used *Essence Maximum Volume Mascara. This mascara surprised me the brush opens out best way to describe is like the brush expands once out of tube and gives the lashes a really nice volume and length. This retails for €3.49 and at this price I would definitely recommend.

To finish off the look I wanted to add a pop of colour and to show how much of an impact a bold lipstick can have. This one is from MakeUp Revolution in shade Dare and is a serious bargain at just €1.20!!

Todays whole look has come in at the Budget friendly price of €17.17 
I hope you have loved reading as much as I have loved writing please leave a comment if you have.

As always here is my before and after Selfie, looking forward to next weeks installment already

Clare x

No 7 Hot Cloth Cleanser

Whenever I get a no.7 voucher in boots this is always the first thing I reach for! 

It's a definite treat and an absolute bargain when a voucher is added into the fold. 

This hot cloth cleanser comes in lovely sleek packaging (which has changed since I last bought it it's now clear and white with a hint of blue) and with a muslin cloth. 

The cleanser itself is very thick and creamy feeling. It smells to me of pure cleanliness kind of like the smell of baby powder mixed with something else.... 

When applying you should massage on in upward motions. It should look like a masque once on. Then soak the muslin in hot water and put over face they say to open pores I find it really relaxing. I left it on until the muslin got cold and then used the cloth to clean off the cleanser. I notice my skin so clean looking after using this it's a great once a week deep cleanse. 

This is a product I have repurchased countless times and will repurchase again when this one has run out. 

Have you tried it? Let me know in the comments. 

ImPress Nails Review

Hi everyone

 I'm talking today about Broadway ImPRESS nails the press on manicure.
I was sent these by Caroline at Publicity Loft, all my opinions are honest.

So to start I don't wear false nails don't get gel manicures, I'm a simple keep them relatively short and polished mostly because I enjoy painting my nails but also because I don't like the look of extra long decorated nails. When I think of false nails It brought to mind really stiff nails needing to be applied with glue that I bought in the pound shop when I was about 11. The nails that I was sent are happily not in league with the ones etched in my memory.

The nails come in really clever packaging inside a replica nail polish bottle and come with 24 nails a prep pad and a teeny nail file. Prices start at €8.50 and they are available in pharmacies and penneys stores Nationwide.  There is a huge variety of designs from classic to really funky and everything in between. I received the medium length nails in shade Epic Win which is a really glossy pink/purple colour.
I really like the shade it is vibrant and eye catching and the gloss is a really fab effect.
I was in two minds when I was measuring them against my nails but went on ahead anyway.
These nails are aimed towards convenience something that you can press on last minute, I decided that to test these out I would follow the steps and use a stopwatch to see exactly how long It took me to get them on.
To start with you need to wash your hands and then use the prep pad, you then pull off the tab and stick on the nail SIMPLE!

I got the first hand on with no problems at all until it reached time to do the second and I realised that I wouldn't be able to pull away the tabs with the false nails on so I pulled off all the tabs for second hand at once. If putting them on again I would take off all the stickers at the beginning. I put on all of the nails and was finished in under 4 minutes!  

Definitely a brilliant fast option for on the go nails.

I liked the results but felt that the nails were a bit too long for me so to further my experimentation the box said that after 30 minutes I could trim and file the nails. So that's exactly what I did. The nails were easy enough to cut and only required a tiny amount of filing.

Once they were cut down a little I fell in love they're perfect and they look very real. They are really easy to wear as they are soft and flexible. I would definitely recommend for a wedding guest or any other occasion.

I was hard on these nails so can testify to them being hard wearing, I did washing up including pot scrubbing wearing them then cleaned a dogs ears and helped repairing a lawnmower! I know I lead such a glamorous life!!
I like things that are easy but look amazing so I will be purchasing these I think the short length will be the ones for me, I am especially excited about this design It looks so fun!

If you have liked the review please leave me a comment, The nails claim to last up to a week so they will remain on my fingers until they fall off and I will update on twitter @clareken86 of their progress!

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