May 9, 2019 In Beauty, Beauty Home, Reviews By Mikki Galang

REVIEW: Vivido Home Aesthetic Rf Massager

I often go to skin care clinics for RF/face-slimming/anti-ageing laser sessions which lessen fat cells in my cheeks and just improve my skin texture but there are just days when I’m really busy I couldn’t go out of office or work. There is really no permanent slimming of the face through laser as these just shrink the cells and they go back in a week or two so you really have to be committed. So when I found out about this Home RF massager, I was really excited as this would be my second option.

This is by a Korean brand called Vivido, originated in Seoul, South Korea. When it comes to equipments like these, I highly trust Korean and Japanese brands and since this is something that wouldn’t require an aesthetician. It is very handy at 80g.

 

Given as this is for self-use, the manual comes handy. there is warranty and everything can be read in English, Korean and Nihonggo. The device can be charged using USB. It came fully charged and usually takes 3-4 hours for use of 1 time which is 10 mins.

The device works to treat skin by occurring bi0-heat from friction heat (without any discomfort of muscle contraction) from high-frequency current through 3 different ways: EMS current, Radiofrequency and LED Photon wavelength (explained in the photo below). Each has its own level or intensity and purpose on skin which is just amazing as it can be for everyone.

NOTE: Dont use on children, Dont wear any metals while using and do not use while charging. It is not water-proof.

The above is my usual settings and for me, the most important thing is to reduce wrinkles and stimulate skin and production of collagen which can be in 620nm of LED wavelength, 89Khz of High-Frequency RF, and 35V of EMS current. It is great if you can ask your derma about it but Level 1 is azlready OK.

As you can also see here, you can adjust the level of EMS (from 1-5, the more you press the POWER button, the higher) and LED (color represents level of LED wavelength, the more you press the lower wavelength). Pink has a whitening effect but I prefer the Red for anti-ageing and refining.

The higher power, the more sensation you can feel especially when there is liquid or moisturizer (as conductor) underneath – which is recommended. Then you massage in a lifting stroke, for 5-10 minutes per day, not more than 10 minutes per major part of face.

After first try, you can feel skin tightened and rejuvenated. After a week of daily use, you can see a difference that the skin is glowing and more lifted. There is no intense heat, sound but I recommend closing eyes when doing this because of the light.

Overall, I like and would recommend this. The price is reasonable at 128 USD as it is reusable and of all the things Ive mentioned. You can check more at HERE.

This is a sponsored post.

 

 

 

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December 24, 2017 In Beauty, Beauty Home, Reviews By Mikki Galang

The World’s Highest Coverage Foundation? Dermacol Review

When I saw Nikkietutorials (the queen of high-coverage funda) review Dermacol (alongside other Yt and Ig videos where the pigment erased the existence of tattoos, marks etc), I got really interested in this product. It’s not that I have a lot to hide haha but I have those shaving marks, lines and scars in my legs that I sometimes have to think of.

So Dermacol arrived in PH through this site P850, and they sent me a tube in the shade 207, which is the closest to the NC25 reference (208 is cooler though). The packaging is not at all luxurious though it’s in gold, but the text says how it’s a studio makeup that covers (so I think this is not just a foundation). It also has SPF 30, it is hypoallergenic and made in Europe.

Because also, upon swatching, it felt like a concealer that instantly covered everything initially, from lines, to pores. I used my Fujifilm f2 lens to focus on its texture and SHOOKT as I was, pigment did come through.

On its wet stage, the only problem I saw was the fine line under my eyes but it did really erase the black cover and flattened the surface under light.

It’s heavy but it doesn’t feel that much and application might be a little hard because it looks and feels a concealer. A pea-sized amount is so creamy and heavy and loaded with pigment but when you use a beauty blender, it applies on smoothly and evenly (little dabbing). But since the texture is very much like a concealer, you need a hydrating base under it to do it even more easily. A silicone primer wouldn’t work in this formula as it will just make it too heavy.

It is also not adviseable to use a thick powder to set it. I use a finishing/blotting/transparent powder to make it dry and see that above, under day light, even the pores in the nose looked flawless.

Above full length images show under day light and rigng light (right, full-faced makeup), without flash and it looked really perfect. Nonetheless, when used with flash, it has a slight white cast.

The gallery above further proves the pigmentation and coverage given the small amount of product, on the temp tattoo I placed on my legs days before. So amazing!!!

Overall, I am really impressed by this product and the hype is real, especially for the price and the amount of pigment in just a small amount (which means it will last you for long). If there is just also one concern: Staying power. It lasts for around 4-5 hours but retouching it becomes so difficult because it cakes when you use a high coverage powder and when using a blotting or setting powder, you have to use a fix+ first to perfect the base. It slightly moves and becomes oily.

I will repurchase this and use these during shoots and special events but might not be advisable for everyday wear. The coverage and finish though? Just stunning.

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November 12, 2017 In Beauty, Beauty Home, Reviews By Mikki Galang

Lip Series 2: Metallic/Pearly/Lustre Liquid Lippies

2 years ago, when matte liquid lippies were really getting famous, I got amazed by a version that one lipstick that was glittery yet turns matte. I realized that this kind of finish just plumps and gives my small lips a dimension with a much comfortable wear than lip glosses that just transfers everywhere. This year, I saw a lot of brands, especially department store ones that released their metallic liquid lipsticks and everything just got more exciting!

In this post, I’ll be reviewing different metallic lippie lines from 7 brands that caught my attention. Let’s start first with the one of the pioneers, LA SPLASH. They called theirs the Lip Lustre [PHP 600 approx]  which had the same formula (yes, drying yet super pigmented!) as the Lip Couture but with glitters that dry matte. I like how dimensional the finish and luxurious the glitter look like especially when matte. I also saw a similar product from COLOURPOP [PHP 600 approx] but with a more true metal (non-glittery) finish.

Months after, KYLIE releases KyMajesty [PHP1300 approx] which the first ever metallic lippie from the brand, which shookt the market with intense pigment and glitter.

This 2017, I first saw SLEEK launch their Metallic line* [PHP 450] following their famous Matte Me lippies. By definition, metallic lippies shouldn’t be so glittery and Sleek achieved that perfectly with their formula, and with an affordable price. I especially like how lightweight it is on the lip despite the heavy metals.

BYS also launched their Metal Lips Creme Lipstick [PHP 400] with colors and pigmentation that are just beyond expectations esp for the price! The level of opacity and vibrancy is just 100%, perfect for editorial and trendy looks.

With a different formula, NYX released Cosmic Metals [PHP 450 approx]*  with a variety of nude shades. These are not matte, and for me, the feel and finish is similar to a lip gloss (or glass) that has loads of glitter. While kind of heavy on the lip, these give a more metallic finish than a glittered lip gloss.

MAKEUP FACTORY also released a different version that’s called Pearly Mat* [PHP 800 ] , as part of their tribe collection. It has a finish thats in between metallic-glittery-pearl,varying on the shades as you can see below. I like how this one dries quickly with an airy and creamy feel and lasts long too!

I sorted the swatches according to the colors as you can see below for better comparison and appreciation and let’s start with the copper and golden tones that look especially good on morena skin tones.

The above shades and swatches are actually my top favorites amongst all the featured products in this blog. They just gave intense pigment and brilliance (esp for BYS) with a  true metallic finish.

Now with rosy warm tones, the shades below are less metallic and opaque but more matte and glittery (esp for BYS and NYX) than the above colors. I am not a fan of these hues alone, as I would like to wear them as topper.

And lastly, the cool-toned and, dark shades! I am really impressed by how intense and unique the color of BYS Metal Lips are. As you can see, the Kylie lippie is so glittery than metallic, Makeup Factory’s other shades are more pearly and creamy , and that LA SPLASH just has hints of glitter on their matte formula.

Have you tried any metals lips this year? What are your faves?

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November 7, 2017 In Beauty, Reviews By Mikki Galang

Review: L’Oreal Infallible Total Cover

Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation is definitely one of my beauty favorites this 2017. (see how used and abused the liquid and powders are below haha!) When it was launched early this year, I got so excited because I only knew this line through that lip duo 6-7 years ago which I think was one of the most long-wearing lippies I’ve tried ever. Now,  the brand has a “Total Cover” variant that has a liquid foundation, concealer &  corrector palettes.

 

Total Cover promises a 24-hr wear with lightweight feel and natural finish. It covers dark spots, blemishes, scars, and hyperpigmentation for a flawless coverage. Formulated with high loads of pigment, it glides on easily and feels fresh all day. (Source: lorealparisusa.com)

In this post, I will be focusing on the liquid foundation more because this is my favorite from the line. There are 6 shades sent to me but there 10 available – which is kind of similar to the Pro-Matte. I actually never got to select the right shade for me but I loved it so much that I kept all and just mixed some shades to find my true match.

I found my shade in 305 Natural Beige which is the closest to my skin tone. I swatched the foundation without anything under and you can see below how it made my skin flawless in an instant. While application is not easier compared to Pro-Matte because this has a kind of creamy/mousse formula, this lasts even longer which is just superb for the price of PHP 700.

While there is a tendency to cake because the foundation is already high coverage in just one layer, it truly covered everything that I didn’t need a concealer anymore.

With powder, there’s is just a slight tendency to cake as well because of the creamy formula so while I used the Infallible Pro-Matte here, I use this product with a transparent loose powder only to make sure it’s really flawless.

On the nose, it doesn’t look so flawless in application so I suggest to put a minimal amount, and to use a moisturizer under to make sure that it will glide easily.

Overall though, I would repurchase and recommend this foundation. They have the same qualities as Pro-Matte except for the ones above, but I would use this during the non-summer days more. 

INFALLIBLE TOTAL COVER COLOR CORRECTING KIT is an all-in-1 color correcting palette that neutralizes any kind of discoloration across all skin tones and types. The powerful cream corrector helps in balancing, correcting, and perfecting imperfections on the skin. Don’t be intimidated with this multi-colored palette as each hue was made to effectively answer a specific skin need. Peach is meant to disguise dark circles, yellow to combat dark spots, green to neutralize redness, and purple to brighten dullness. Infallible Total Cover Color Correcting Kit will be available exclusively on Lazada at PhP 600 SRP.

INFALLIBLE TOTAL COVER CONCEALING & CONTOUR KIT is a 3-in-1 palette that corrects dark circles, conceals imperfections, and contours the face to add depth and dimension. This pro-inspired kit provides the sophistication and completeness of a pro-palette – making you feel like an expert with your everyday look. It contains 4 highly pigmented and creamy shades that can be used individually or together for a wide array of shades and uses to fit your needs. Infallible Total Cover Concealing & Contour Kit will be available exclusively on Lazada at PhP 600 SRP.

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August 31, 2017 In Beauty, Beauty Home, Reviews By Mikki Galang

Lip Series 1: Rosy Nude Matte Liquid Lippies

#Internationallipstickday or month is over but in our world, there’s no such thing right? It’s everydaaaay! So let me swatch all of my new lippies this year in different series and starting that off with NUDES 😉

…But the pink/rosy kinds of nudes (kinda desaturated/muted) which I have been liking lately for everyday use or if I have overdone my eye makeup 😉

It will also be my first time reviewing some liquid lippies from brands like Cathy Doll, H&M Beauty (yes, they’re here!! Stay tuned on my blog for that!), BYS and Sephora. However, I will be making the reviews deeper as we touch other shades from their lines.

When it comes to rosy/pink nudes, I choose the rosy ones which are typically warmer than the cool nude pinks.

In terms of color, I am usually gravitated towards the bottom part of this arm swatch. They look nicer on my tone and just brightens my complexion.

Now these rosy/pink nudes are all matte. I actually pre-selected the brands here and they are all working for me.

As you can see above, Sleek Birthday Suit which I’ve reviewed here, is always my reference point. It’s just a warm pink (sometimes orangey) that guides me on the right undertone to select. The 6 shades that follower after it are rosy warm shades that I like.

Now for the lip swatches (where I didn’t use daylight so it will tend to appear darker), see below gallery.

  • Cathy Doll Nude Me in Moss Rose [PHP 399]* – This has to be the most matte of them all and a true warm rosy shade. It dries quickly and I really love the pigment, consistency (coz of the flexi wand). It just feels a bit heavy on the lip and cracks when lasts longer but perfect for the first 1-3 hours!
  • Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 06 [PHP 799]* – One of my favorite formulas of affordable liquid lipstick. Doesn’t really dry my lips and the pigment is really high. 06 is a cool pink on my arm but turns to be a little warm on my lip.
  • Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 13 [PHP 799]*- 13 is very close to Birthday Suit color.
  • BYS Velvet Lips in Guilty Taupe [PHP 399] – Velvet Lips is a very nice and affordable choice for liquid lippy. Very pigmented and liquidy and comes in lots of colors  – you will see more of this soon. My only problem is it dries slower than the rest but the wear is fabulous. This Taupe is a muted color but has a hint of rose. Really unique.
  • BYS Velvet Lips in Wicked Plum [PHP 399]* – I don’t think this is plum as I can see more of pink but is very close to Shabby Chic and just a lovely mid-toned pink.
  • Colourette Liquid Lacquer in Vieja [PHP 599] – I will share more about this line from the brand in the next posts because I just love it. On the lip it appeared darker and muted which I love.
  • Pink Sugar Lip & Cheek Stain in Vieja [PHP 349]* – The most affordable but performing line as well as I have reviewed here. This color looks kinda peachy and more pigmented than the reference but looked lovely on my lip!
  • Sleek Matte Me in Shabby Chic [PHP 450] – I have reviewed this line many times and this pink color which was release just las year and renov-ed this year (with a better wand – same as Birthday Suit)  is just a wearable pink for any skin tone.
  • H&M Liquid Lipstick in Enchante [local price to be revealed soon] – is the coolest pink in this set. I will be attending their launch event next week and Ill get to know more about this but the pigment and feel of the product is outstanding. It’s creamy but dries velvety matte and not too drying. Formula to watch for!

What are your favorite pink nudes?

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August 30, 2017 In Beauty, Beauty Home, Reviews By Mikki Galang

2 Local Dupes to Kylie Burgundy Palette

Last year, I started buying eyeshadow palettes not available locally and one of my favorite is the Kylie Burgundy Palette (PHP 2100). It is just trendy yet wearable in the selection of colors and just truly pigmented, from mattes to metallics.

So I was receiving some new items from brands this year and noticed that there is something similar to this famous palette by Kylie Jenner. I mean, not truly similar as the famous BYS Berries palette is popularly known as a dupe for Modern Renaissance but you’ll get what I mean later, together with newly launched Peach Purrfect palette by local brand Colourette Cosmetics.

You can see how I just love this palette with how messy it is!

While not really so exactly the same shades as some vary in temperature, but I can definitely mix and match the shades to mimic the Kylie palette. The below arm swatch shows my favorites from all three palettes.

Let’s start with Berries (PHP 1200)*. This is one true favorite this year. The selection of colors, consistency and level of pigments especially from the matte ones are outstanding. There are nudes, oranges and YASSSS, a cool-toned purplish red as a surprise. It comes of a bit powdery but it’s creamy especially for the high pigments.

Using the key shades I compared above, see how pigmented and bold the color is! And blending is just easy. No wonder a lot of people love this palette.

Now using the semi-identical shades from Kylie on the other side of my eye, it really comes off kinda same except that the left is cooler, while right is warmer.

 

I’m kinda sure that if I have mixed some orange to the cool red on the left, it would have been the same. And see how the consistency and level of pigment of the two are close!

OK. Let’s move to the newly launched palette by one new brand in The Philippines that’s really doing well with its launches. This Peach Purrfect (PHP900)* palette doesn’t look peachy to me. It actually is kinda more like Kylie’s selection of colors and the winning shades from this palette are the metallic ones. See how beautiful that bronze and gold are!!! They’re creamy and color payoff is the bomb (especially for the price).

Mixing the bronze and burgundy metallic shades on my eyes, it looks sophisticated and well-blended!

Now applying the identical shades from Kylie, here I couldn’t see much difference really!!

So even if the arm swatch above (in daylight) appeared a bit different in temperature, upon blending, the below shows how great this palette is, especially versus a $42 product.

So when you’re thinking of buying the Burgundy palette, check these two affordable ones!! If you want that Burgundy red from Kylie or shades that you don’t have in your kit yet, you can consider buying Peach Purrfect or Berries for half the price. 😉

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August 1, 2017 In Beauty, Reviews By Mikki Galang

REVIEW: Palmolive Intensive Moisture

It’s been a while since I review hair care because there are only just a few brands and products that work for my oily and thinning scalp. One of them is this pink variant of the Palmolive Intensive Moisture which I alternate sometimes with my staple hair care ever since college.

Sample Room sponsored me to review this line. The product claims: “Palmolive Naturals Intensive Moisture adds essential hydration to your hair for long-lasting softness. Intensive Moisture’s specialized formula with Coco Cream and Milk Protein extracts, instantly adds essential hydration to hair for long-lasting softness throughout the day.”

At first, the creamy texture of both the shampoo and conditioner (even years before) kind of hesitated me to use them because I usually get dandruff from these due to my oily scalp. But it has never been that way for this line, especially with the newest one.

If there’s one change that I noticed, that would the scent that has slightly strengthened but didn’t bother me even as a user of this brand. There’s a warm fruity floral scent that doesn’t get smell “maasim” throughout the day.

Now let’s review its performance. I stopped using my current hair care to make way for an honest review of this. As you all know, my hair has been damaged through lots of bleaching and coloring and it has become frizzy and dry since last year.

However, I can see that even after just a few days, the level of moisture it gives is so nice. I don’t like too creamy conditioners to make my hair soft and hydrated.

Zooming in, I can see how the moisture is more visible without making it look dull versus other cream conditioners ive tried.

Even when I shot it yesterday with no straightener, I felt good about my hair.

Overall, I have always liked Palmolive Intensive Moisture. Both shampoo and conditioner have always worked for my hair type and in managing dryness. You can get your samples at SampleRoom.PH!

*sponsored post

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May 18, 2017 In Beauty, Beauty Home, Reviews By Mikki Galang

BLK!!

As in Black. True black. Weirdly, summer got me into collecting the darkest of hues. Like 50 shades darker!!

Kidding aside, I think i got some confidence in wearing the absence of color , black. They say it’s not an actual color but what I like about it? I gives contrast, definition to my face and volume to my lips!

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So last year, I got my first Kylie Lip Kit, Dead of Knight, which I only got to open this year when a lot of the department store brands started releasing black lippies too!

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A lot of these are matte and in liquid lippy format just like Kylie’s (so can be considered dupes actually) but there’s one also I found from Katy Perry’s collection which is semi-matte.

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On arm swatch under day light, these are just the darkest shades I’ve ever had! To be honest, all of them seem pigmented and very consistent despite the formulas. I haven’t had any other experience wearing black lippies but I’ve seen liquid lippies perform less as it goes darker so these are indicative of how good these brands/lines are.

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For the liquid lippies, I still like working with pointed than flat applicators on my lips. Not that flat applicators are not good but it takes more practice (slanting it).

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The thing is, while you can use eyeliner or a black pigment on lips to achieve these, it’s really the comfort and ease of use and consistency that you’re looking for in this kind of lipstick. You don’t want your black lippie to smudge easily as it’s very pigmented and can ruin lips with just one mistake. It’s also nice that the lipstick dry easily so you secure that dangeours shade easily! (see above photo for quick drying capabilies)

  • Kylie Lip Kit in Dead of Knight (matte) [$ 27] – very good consistency and intensity with a nice applicator that doesn’t require lip liner. Smells good too!
  • BYS Velvet Lips in Dark Knight (matte) [$ 7] – excellent pigmentation (quite bluish) despite its price but it takes quite a while to dry. But once it does, it seals and gives a perfect consistency.
  • Sephora Lip & Cream Stain in 28* (matte) [$ 14] – mid-consistency but buildable and dries easily. has a warm vanilla scent
  • Cover Girl Katy Kat Matte in Perry Panther * (semi-matte) [$ 8] – Semi-matte finish versus all but gives a nice sheen effect which makes the lips pop out more than deepen it.

Key Tips in wearing a Black lippy:

  1. I don’t agree that you need to put minimal eyeshadow or makeup on eyes and cheek when wearing a black lippy as it will eat all details of your face. Put rosy or warm shades on the eyes but not in full smokey effect.
  2. You can use a lip liner (like Kylie’s) for easier drawing but since these are really pigmented, you can actually do it without. Just practice.
  3. Place lots of highlighter!

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Now amongst all, the Kylie is the most difficult to remove, like real pigment prolly. I tried water, gel and oil. It just doesn’t come off easily which may be prolly good since a black lippy should really stay. It’s like you wear it or you don’t as you don’t wanna look like eating a cookies and cream donut hahah. BYS and Sephora are good dupes already for their price (though with different formula; Sephora is more creamy)

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See below photo of second attempt to remove the products.

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It’s kinda good and weird to say that most of them are not drying. I would prolly wear more black in my new posts. Have you tried any black lippie?

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May 6, 2017 In Beauty, Beauty Home, Reviews By Mikki Galang

Nano-E Straightener

After my Thailand trip, I just completely got rid of wavy hair and curls (Chalita influence! haah) and I got a new friend after 4 years of sticking to my old straightener.

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Panasonic beauty is a Japanese brand and I just trust their products especially when it comes electronic or gadgets. My friend once bought a fake hair electronic product once and I saw how it exploded. I think I now have a phobia, and of course, the anxiety of burning my already thinning hair.

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The Nano-E straightener promises a to maintain color of hair moisture because of its Photoceramic coating plate. My last hair color was before my Thailand trip. When I got home, I got this and have been using this. My hair color still looks amazing now and haven’t had a retouch for months.

 

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But also, I really like how thin and flexible the structure is. My hairstylist friend uses this brand and Ive seen how she works wonders on celebrities’ hair (whether straight or kinda wavy). The thinner, the better to create waves and volumize hair.

So below is the BEFORE photo while my hair is wet. I really like that it also can be used during this stage, because I really hate blow drying my hair.

 

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Below is the after. It looks very sleek and fine with minimal split ends and frizz.

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I also like that I can control it to 5 temp settings. I usually put more heat on the ends than part nearer the roots to avoid damage on my hair.

 

 

This EH -HS95 model is worth P6999 and while it’s more expensive than my previous brand I bought in Watsons, I think it is worth the investment for the care it gives the hair. I’ve noticed reduced falling hair and it just looks more healthier and natural-looking.

 

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Overall, I would rate this a 5/5. Im excited to explore more hairstyles with this tool, and some new ones from below: brushes from Tangle Angel and Wet Brush (I use both for different techniques and needs – the former for blow-drying and curling because of its design while the latter for quick frizz-free straight hair needs ) and the rest from 1721 hair accessories which are very helpful in the looks I have been making the past months.

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