Jul18

Glossier Cloud Paint Swatches In Eve & Spark

Posted on July 18, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! During my Sephora Birthday Haul, I wasn’t overly impressed with the free sample selection for my purchase. As per ushe, I opt for skin care as my two free samples of choice and loved the Alpyn Beauty moisturizer I received. The remaining options were makeup, hair care, and fragrance which I usually shy away from as I’m pretty unadventurous in that regard. For swatches’ sake, I went with a sample pack of four Cloud Paint blushes by Glossier. Today, we are going to take a closer look at Eve and Spark. Tune in tomorrow for a peek at Storm and Dawn! Now, let’s get to it:

Eve:

Spark:

When swatching Eve, I put what I thought was a tiny dab on my finger and blended away onto my hand like the instructions said. However, our definitions of a tiny dab were way different! I blended and blended and blended some more and it still applied quite dark. The rich plum color was gorgeous, though, and I resolved to use an even smaller amount when I swatched Spark. Even with the minuscule amount I used, it still showed up really visible in a bold, pure red.

While all of the colors from this sample pack are very pretty, Eve and Spark were too much against my complexion. I suspect the same will be true for Storm and Dawn as well. These blushes would look stunning against a darker skin tone, but it is a definite no from me in terms of ever buying a full size. I will say that the Cloud Paint applied so easily and was soft to the touch. Once it was on, I couldn’t even tell that it was there and that is a high point for these blushes for sure.

I am always curious about what other people think about products that I am sampling and the Glossier Cloud Paint got really good reviews on Sephora for the most part. The resounding comments were in terms of ease of use and the high pigmentation of each shade. Although the colors in my sample pack did nothing for me, I am very curious about Puff, which is a frosty light pink. I might have to treat myself to a full size of that next time I shop Sephora!

Keep it locked tomorrow for the swatches of Storm and Dawn as well as a date night OOTD coming soon!! ❤

What is your favorite blush? Do you prefer a powder or cream blush? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul17

Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Hydration Mask Edition

Posted on July 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Face Mask Festivities: Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Hydration Mask Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities!! It has been so long since I tried out a new face mask and I was very much looking forward to testing out one from my recent Sephora Birthday Haul. For my free birthday gift, I selected a skin care set by Farmacy which included the Honey Potion Plus Hydration Mask. I have been most impressed with the moisturizer that I have been using from this gift set so I assumed the Honey Potion Plus would be awesome too. And it was… meh. Let’s discuss further:

I had great first impressions of this mask and absolutely loved the bright yellow color! The texture felt exactly like scooping jelly into my hand and it smelled just like honey. Step one for the Honey Potion Plus was rubbing it into your skin until it formed a white cream. During that time, the mask heated up and it felt fantastic after a long day. I read some reviews about it burning during the heat up process, but I didn’t experience that and the sensation of heat went away as quickly as it had appeared.

Once the mask was applied, it had to sit for between ten and fifteen minutes and rinsed off afterwards. I was eagerly anticipating the rinse off because I thought this mask was going to leave my skin SO soft. I left it on for about twelve minutes as it had dried completely at that point. I rinsed my skin, patted it dry, and… nothing. In fact, I daresay it made my skin feel less hydrated. It didn’t feel tight, more like I didn’t use skin care at all that day.

I completed my nighttime skin care routine and went to bed thinking that I’d feel some results in the morning and… nothing. The reviews I have read for the Honey Potion Plus were hit or miss with some people loving it and others left disappointed. I definitely fell into the “miss” category and my skin felt better with my normal routine than with the mask used at all. I’m sure it works well if you have a really dry complexion, but that’s not the case for me. This mask started out strong and ended in a massive WHOMP WHOMP.

Although this mask did me no favors, it was still pretty fun to use and I liked how it brought the heat. I will finish the sample jar I got because I refuse to let it go to waste. However, it is one that I would never buy a full size of. The Honey Potion Plus was a no for me but a yes for others so if you try it, I would just say to go in with low expectations because you never know what you’re going to get!

Have you used this face mask before? What are your thoughts on it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul16

New Glitter Bright Pink & Emerald Green Nails

Posted on July 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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New Glitter Bright Pink & Emerald Green Nails

Hello! This past Friday, I enjoyed a fill at Elysian Nails and it was just what the doctor ordered. Johnny and I had Val over for a slumber party the night before and I needed some relaxation! I was able to get an appointment first thing in the morning with the wonderful Shelly and, as always, she absolutely slayed. She even pulled through with a celebrity choice for one of my nail colors and she was spot on. I love how they turned out and I am getting all of the Ariel vibes! Check it out:

Normally before a fill, I have an idea of the colors I would like to use before stepping foot in the salon. This time, however, I was feeling very uninspired and even more so once I was at the polish wall. I immediately gravitated towards a bright pink, but I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what color I wanted to go with it. I decided on a shimmer lavender shade after what felt like forever at the polish wall and sat down at Shelly’s station. I can’t say I was particularly thrilled with that choice, though.

As Shelly made quick work of making my nails perfect, I was still thinking that I didn’t like my color selection all that much. And, as I was examining the nail polish bottles, I got called out! Shelly asked if I liked the colors and I said not really and requested that she choose a new polish to replace the lavender for me. While I paid for my pampering, she hit the polish wall and came back with the glitter emerald green to go with the pink. She said it reminded her of The Little Mermaid and I was instantly there for it!

This was the first time that I had one of my nail techs select a color for me and I think I might start making a habit of it. The green was a color that I never would have chose myself and I am obsessed with it. It has been over a week since I got my nails done and I still can’t stop looking at them constantly!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? Do you pick your colors at the salon or does your nail tech? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul15

Bathing Beauty OOTD Bloopers

Posted on July 15, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Bathing Beauty OOTD! The fashion gods smiled on yours truly when I found my new swimsuit at TJMaxx. It’s crazy because even though I’ll only wear it a handful of times this summer, it is probably one of my favorite purchases of 2023. This buy was a decade late and although I plan on holding onto my Victoria’s Secret bikini for when I’m feeling saucy, I am more than okay with retiring it for now! I couldn’t wait to go to the pool to show off in my new suit and, obviously, I was looking my absolute best:

Howdy, partners

Looking terrified and for good reason – your favorite vampire doesn’t venture into the sun too often!

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please, sir, can I have my phone?

That face you make when you find out you’re out of storage on your phone 😮

The no toe monster is gonna get ya

Johnny always captures my essence beautifully

As most of you know, I have a quirk about me and that is that I refuse to get my hair wet. After about a decade or so of training my hair, I only get it washed when it is being dyed every ten to twelve weeks. The reasoning for this is simple: No washing keeps my hair looking freshly dyed longer and that is a sacrifice that I am more than willing to make. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I actually swam or washed my own hair in the shower.

You guys have no idea how much I would like to take a dip in the pool, but chlorine is something that I am not willing to put my hair through. So, I’m taking a stand. Oh yes, because I plan on buying a shower or swim cap lol. Will it look dorky? Of course. Do I care? Absolutely NOT! If sporting a shower cap is something that will make me feel comfortable taking a real swim, then it is one thousand percent worth it.

Johnny and I have formulated a plan and he is so much like me. We will both be taking a swim – me in my swim cap and him getting his hair wet. His hair needs redyed by his beloved in house stylist and if that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t get his hair wet either. Before I freshen up his box dye black, we will be hitting the pool and I’m excited!! We have never gone swimming together and we have each found a solution to our high maintenance hair attitudes that works for us. Johnny really does get me like no one else! ❤

You can catch me and Johnny at the pool looking fresh to death and I’m sure there will be some pictures so keep it locked. The world isn’t ready for shower cap Bathing Beauty Lil Red!

What is a quirk about you? Do you mind getting your hair wet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul14

Bathing Beauty OOTD

Posted on July 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! After years (and I mean a literal decade) of having the same swimsuit, I finally found a new one during my last TJMaxx shopping trip. This find was a happy accident because the only reason that I looked at the picked over bathing suits was to say I tried. I never expected to find a swimsuit that was absolutely perfect for me, but here we are having an OOTD about it. I couldn’t wait to hit the pool to show off and, of course, take some pictures! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

One Piece Swimsuit: Gottex, TJMaxx

Wedge Heels: Charles By Charles David, TJMaxx

Sun Hat: Nicole Marciano, TJMaxx

Sunglasses: Circus By Sam Edelman, TJMaxx

I have a very expansive clothes, shoes, and accessories collection and bathing suits have never been included in that for a few reasons. 1) I don’t go to the pool too often so my old Victoria’s Secret suit always worked for me. 2) The suits I liked online were expensive. 3) I didn’t want the same swimsuit as anyone else if I were to purchase one in store. So, I just didn’t really bother and I was fine with that.

The swimsuits that I loved online all tended to have a vintage vibe with adorable skirts, ruffles, and patterns. However, I wasn’t about to spend over one hundred dollars for it and I resigned myself with the knowledge that finding something similar in store wouldn’t happen. I was beyond surprised to eat my words when I found my Gottex suit at TJMaxx because it had everything that I required. 1) It had a bra style top and thick supportive straps. 2) It was my favorite color. 3) It had that vintage feel that I wanted.

Trying it on in the fitting room was a nerve wracking experience because I was SO worried that it wouldn’t fit and it was the only one on the rack. After slipping it on and having GREAT SUCCESS, a million ideas to accessorize it began to form. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve for future pool shoots, but the look you see above is the first thing that came to mind. It turned out exactly how I pictured and Johnny told me I looked like Betty Boop so it doesn’t get better than that! 😀

For my Bathing Beauty OOTD, I started with my sun hat selection. Although I could have paired it with a black floppy hat for more cohesion, I decided against it. All of my black hats are felt and while that is great for fall looks, it just doesn’t say summer. I was already thinking of my “Bonjour” sun hat by Nicole Marciano and I stuck with it. Although it didn’t fully match the suit, I thought it still worked really well as the straw hue played beautifully against the white, purple, and turquoise detailing at the top of the suit.

My shoe selection was an easy choice to make and I went with my wedge sandals by Charles By Charles David. These wedges are fantastic for a trip to the pool and they are so comfortable. I could walk for forever in them! They also brought further cohesion from the top down with the sun hat I chose and the straw and cork wedge of the heel. Finally, one is never complete for going to the pool without a gigantic pair of sunnies. I put on my octagonal pair by Sam Edelman and I was ready to WERK!

I felt like a movie star lounging by the pool in my Bathing Beauty OOTD and I can’t wait to go again ASAP. Keep it posted for bloopers from this shoot as well as more pool looks coming soon!

How often do you buy a new swimsuit? Which era of style inspires you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul13

Sephora Birthday Haul

Posted on July 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Before my birthday month wrapped up, I had to make sure that I did a little online shopping with Sephora to cash in my free birthday gift. If you are a Beauty Insider, you are treated to your pick from three or so travel size beauty bundles and I look forward to it every year! It was the perfect time for me to place an order because I was running dangerously low on one of my favorite hair care products – the Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm by IGK. Two bottles of the hair balm were the only things that I paid for and the rest of this haul was completely free! Check it out:

^^^ All of these products are from cruelty free brands!

The Haul:

2 bottles of IGK Mistress Hydrating Hair Balm: $29/bottle

Farmacy Birthday Gift: FREE

Goop Glow Vita-C Eye Cream: FREE with $25 purchase

Alpyn Beauty Melt Moisturizer Sample: FREE with purchase

Glossier Cloud Paint Sample: FREE with purchase

Every time I have an amazing Sephora Haul, I always have to mention the merits of making the purchase online. There is typically free shipping for orders over fifty dollars, you get to pick two free samples with every order, and there is a HUGE selection of free product with purchases over twenty-five dollars. You get so much more bang for your buck and I feel satisfied with the money I spent rather than robbed. Hey, you can never go wrong with free!

For my Sephora birthday gift, I chose the skin care set by Farmacy. Every year, the freebie bundle selection usually follows the same formula, just with different brands. There is one for hair care, makeup, fragrance, and skin care, respectively. As I am pretty inflexible with my makeup and hair care, I pick the skin care sets nine times out of ten. Even if I were more adventurous when it comes to makeup, I would still make the same choice because I can never have enough skin care. 😀

Farmacy is a brand that I have heard of, but never tried and I am looking forward to it! This birthday set includes the Honey Potion Plus Hydrating Mask, a moisturizer, and a cleansing balm. I haven’t used a face mask in months so I am most excited to try the Honey Potion Plus. The cleansing balm is one that I could take or leave, but who knows? Maybe I’ll end up loving it! And, of course, testing new moisturizers is always fun. 🙂

For the remainder of my haul, I got a Goop Glow eye cream as my freebie for spending more than twenty-five dollars. Like Farmacy, this is a brand that I am familiar with but haven’t tried anything by. The brand definitely has a name that I wouldn’t soon forget! A moisturizer and blush were my free samples and I have already used the Alpyn Beauty one – it was lovely and would be especially nice for those with a dryer complexion.

I am so happy with my Birthday Haul from Sephora and can’t wait to use all of the new to me products. Keep it locked for a new Face Mask Festivities and swatches from the Glossier blush coming soon!

Which store offers the best promotions? Do you like to shop Sephora in store or online? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul12

BFF Garden Party

Posted on July 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My bestie, Lea, recently moved into a beautiful new house and it is awesome! I am so proud of her and want to do everything I can to assist in the projects that she needs help with. That’s what best friends are for, after all. One of the major things that needs done on her property is the gardening. The upkeep from the previous owners had been nonexistent and it all fell on Lea’s shoulders. Luckily, I am a huge fan of gardening and couldn’t wait to get to work! 😀

This past week, Lea and I headed to Meijer’s to buy some plants, Peach White Claw, and sushi for dinner. After our surprisingly good store bought sushi, we set off to our first task of clearing the planter boxes around her porch and filling it with hostas in various colors and sizes. It turned out GREAT! Check it out:

How It Started:

How It’s Going:

Our first order of business was to give ourselves a blank canvas for the hostas. We began pulling out the weeds, rocks, and random plants that peppered the planter boxes. Everything was going swell until I noticed an ant crawling on my arm. Then, I looked down to find that my gardening gloves were covered with them. It. Was. Awful. While pulling out a bushel of dying tall grass, Lea and I discovered that I had unearthed a ginormous ant colony. It. Was. Terrifying. Lol they were literally everywhere! 😮

The Attack Of The Ants happened at the far edge of the planter box and we refused to go anywhere near it. But, we completed the opposite end and stopped about two feet shy of the scene of creepy crawlies. To start, I taught Lea about the merits of cutting the plastic container the hostas were in so we wouldn’t hurt the plant while attempting to pull it out. Then, I showed her how to break apart the roots to make it perfect for their new home. After the demo, we began working separately and she did wonderfully. With the know how to DIY, she planted the remainder herself once the ants cleared out a bit. We were both very happy with the end results. 🙂

Lea and I had a fantastic time during our Garden Party hangout and we already have our next project planned out. I can’t wait to get our hands in the dirt again and get some flowers planted soon!

What projects are you working on around the house? What is your garden like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul11

A Night At The Theater OOTD Bloopers

Posted on July 11, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Night At The Theater OOTD! Johnny and I had a wonderful date night seeing Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square and it was a whirlwind event. We had to stop by my parents’ to get the tickets, make the fifty minute trek to the Taco Bell and the Funhouse where we kick started the night, and make it to Playhouse Square by seven when the doors to the theater opened. With so much to do and no time to waste, we had to take OOTD shots in record timing. In fact, it might have been one of my most successful shoots yet because there weren’t too many bloopers to choose from! Check it out:

That look of pre TBell anticipation

Willing our food to get done faster with my gaze. We were hungry!

Don’t mind my face, just mind how cool the fringe looks in this shot! 😀

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finesse, style, poise. Straight working it.

I genuinely have no idea what warranted this reaction!! 😮

When I say we took rapid fire pictures outside of the Funhouse, it was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. After we got our Taco Bell, we walked over to the bar to eat it there. However, one of my pre OOTD quirks is that I’d really rather not eat before I take pictures. No, this is not because of a weight thing as I could truly care less. This is just pure laziness on my part lol. Once my makeup is on and lipstick is applied, the last thing that I want to do is eat, do touch ups, wipe the remnants of lipstick off, and put it back on again. I mean I could… I just don’t want to! And, at the end of the day, Johnny and I would rather get pictures out of the way at the jump so I can be done working and enjoy the date.

I promised Johnny that our photo shoot would be and I quote “so, so fast” and I delivered results, baby! I think we might have taken two minutes worth of pictures and called it. In that time, I checked on progress once, adjusted a few things, checked on progress again, and was happy with what we had and that was good enough for me. It’s funny because in this speedy session, I was pleased with more pictures than I usually am with an upwards of ten minutes shoot. Hence, the lack of bloopers. What can I say, I guess I thrive when it’s crunch(wrap) time!

The moral of this story? I should start treating every OOTD shoot like Johnny and I are about to dig into Taco Bell. Hey, whatever works right?! 😀

What is a “lazy” quirk about you? What is something that you don’t like to do before taking pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul10

Beauty & The Bell

Posted on July 10, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Mine and Johnny’s Moulin Rouge date night came as a surprise to us. We knew we were going, but we thought we were seeing it on the eighth instead of the first! I planned on making us reservations at my favorite restaurant, Pepper’s, but that plan got foiled with the mix up of dates. Lucky for us, I have another favorite eatery – Taco Bell, and that is where we went for our pre Moulin Rouge meal. Lol, check it out:

^^^ VERY NICE!!!!

Taco Bell is, was, and always will be everything I could ever want and more. We strolled into The Bell in our theater’s best, used the touch screen ordering device like seasoned pros, and naturally took pictures. You’re not going to not when you’re at the Taco Bell in fancy clothes! There was another perk to this particular TBell location, the fact that it is right next to a really awesome bar called the Funhouse.

After we got our food at the happiest place on Earth, we brought it over to the Funhouse to eat there and enjoy a libation. The combination of TBell and the boozy blue raspberry slushie was a match made in heaven! Not only does the Funhouse have great drinks for on the cheap, but it is literally the coolest bar I have ever been to. It is decorated with pictures of carnival side shows, coffins, and skulls everywhere. There is also a nice selection of arcade games. So, obvi it’s right up mine and Johnny’s alley!

Once we were done breaking bread or should I say burritos, we played ski ball which is both of our favorites. We started out pretty rusty because we haven’t played in almost two years. By the time our quarters were gone, we were scoring left and right and that was much more like it! Then, I dragged Johnny into the photo booth to get a commemorative photo strip of our night on the town:

Lol these pictures sum up our relationship beautifully and I love them so much! I truly can’t think of a better, more fun, more us beginning to our night at the theater than a trip to Taco Bell and the Funhouse. We had such an amazing date night and I can’t wait for more. BTW, we deff got Taco Bell again on the 4th of July lol!

What is your favorite bar in your neck of the woods? What about your favorite fast food eatery? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul9

A Night At The Theater OOTD

Posted on July 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! Yesterday, you read my review for mine and Johnny’s date night viewing of Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square. Today, we will be checking out what I wore for our Night At The Theater. Half of the fun of going to a show is getting dressed up! It’s a blast to not only get dolled up yourself, but to see what other people are rocking for their theater’s best. I LOVED the look that I put together so let’s get to it:

Who? What? Wear?

Floral Dress: ModCloth, Coconinno

Fringe Shawl: TJMaxx, Laundry

Black Heels: Show Story

Gold Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

When I am styling OOTDs for Playhouse Square, it is important to me to create looks that are glam and unique. As I mentioned, a lot of the fun for me comes from styling and I want fits that make me stand out in the crowd of theatergoers. This particular outfit was a little ditty that I came up with in my head and it turned out exactly how I pictured it. I love when that happens! 😀

Let’s start with the dress. It’s actually kind of funny, I got this dress by Coconinno from ModCloth when my brother got married in 2015. This is the first time I have worn it since then and I am pleased to report that it still fit like a charm lol. Why haven’t I worn it in almost a decade, you might ask? I don’t know, honestly! It’s beautiful, of course, but I just never felt like I had another occasion to wear it for. So, it sat sentinel in my closet for years.

This dress wasn’t my first option, but I realized that I had exhausted all of the pieces that I would normally wear for a Playhouse outing. The remainder of the clothes I had to pick from were too casual for both the setting and a show like Moulin Rouge that examines the finer things in life. This dress was an afterthought and now I don’t know why I didn’t wear it sooner! The fit was divine and the big, gorgeous blooms in a jewel toned palette made me feel like the star of the show.

As I styled this outfit in my head, I knew that the dress itself wasn’t going to be enough. It was too hot for a jacket and my faux fur shawls were a been there done that accessory. The solution? The adorably charming fringe shawl by Laundry! I am obsessed with this piece from the flowery lace to the hanging tassels. Once it was on, it almost looked like it could have been part of the dress and that is what I was hoping for. Something that looked built in rather than simply placed on top.

Next on the agenda was shoes and I chose the heels by Show Story that I wore for mine and Johnny’s wedding. With so much wedding attire in one look, I should have put my veil on too! A dress like the one I was wearing was begging for a killer pair of pumps, which is a style that I don’t own any pairs in other than my wedding heels. These were the obvious and only choice and the vertebrae heel added the edge that is a necessary part of all of my looks.

Finally, it was time to accessorize and all I did was wear a small gold dangly pair of earrings from American Eagle Outfitters. There were several reasons for this minimal approach. 1) Long earrings or a necklace would have taken away from the neckline that was established. 2) The bold dress pattern and the fringe shawl served as accessories in themselves. 3) A lot of my tattoos were visible and I prefer for them to do the talking. With all of that in mind, why would I need anything more than a little touch of bling?

I have styled countless looks for Playhouse Square shows and this one is definitely in my top three. I felt awesome in it and my vision came to life perfectly. Keep it posted for bloopers and pics from the rest of our Moulin Rouge extravaganza coming soon!

What is your favorite occasion to dress for? What is the oldest piece of clothing you have in your closet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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