Showing posts with label Products I've used up. Show all posts

Mega Empties! Skincare, Makeup, Body + Hair

It’s hard to believe that my last empties post was almost two years ago!  Don't worry, I haven’t held on to my trash from that entire time, but I’ve got my empties from the last six months to a year.  I’m going to speed through these with very mini reviews, but feel free to ask questions if you're curious or want more details on anything.

Fair warning: it's going to be a long one!


A Year of Empties {Part #3: Body Care}

Body care is a big one -- apparently I use a lot of soap! Keep reading for the nitty gritty -- pun intended -- on all the body products I finished up over the course of the last year...


BODY WASH
The Lavera Refreshing Lime & Verbena Body Wash was a good, basic shower gel -- it smelled good and did the job.  I adore the Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Body Washes, especially the now discontinued Wild Berries scent.  I have one more hoarded bottle in my shower and then I'll have to reconsider the other scents. I also enjoyed the Honest Co. Sweet Orange Vanilla Shampoo + Body Wash, although I probably won't buy anymore Honest due to all the hoopla surrounding the brand. The Apricot Kiss version also smelled terrible -- like gross, fake honey.  I used it up as laundry detergent -- since there was no way it was getting near my person -- and thankfully the scent did not linger.  I also used a bottle of the BR Naturals Lavender Body Wash, and while the lavender wasn't my favorite, the wash itself was nice, as was the DivaWash Cleanser, a multi-use product that I finished off as a body wash when my Diva Cup ended up sitting mostly unused in a drawer.  

HAND WASH
The Nourish Organic Moisturizing Hand Wash has also been discontinued, but I'm fairly certain it was identical to the body washes, packaging aside.  Both make a great non-drying drying hand soap and the fig scent is a good fruity go-to.  The Everyday Shea Hand Soaps have become my absolute favorite -- dare I say holy grail?  My hands dry out easily, especially in kitchen situations where I'm washing them countless times in a short period of time, and these are the best.  I haven't strayed to another hand wash since discovering them mid-2017.  The Mandarin Mango is my top pick of all the scents I've tried, and while the Lemon Verbena wasn't bad, it mostly smelled like lemongrass to me and isn't one I'm rushing to buy again.


BAR SOAP
I use bar soap in the shower, as a hand soap, and also as an ingredient in my homemade laundry detergent, which explains how I went through so very much of it!!  I’ll continue to purchase longtime favorites like the Green Beaver Castile Sunflower Soap, Rocky Mountain Soap, and Mamma Oceania, all three of which are lovely and palm oil free, but I likely would not buy the BR Naturals Exfoliating Peppermint Leaf or Dr. Jacobs Luscious Lavender Loofah Exfoliating Castile Soap, both because of their palm oil content and the exfoliating bits -- I generally prefer a smooth bar of soap.

CASTILE SOAP
A Dr. Jacobs product that I do love is the Liquid Castile Soap, used here in the Peppermint and Citrus scents.  Dr. Jacobs uses a mix of saponified plant oils -- like traditional castile soap -- and coco-glucoside, a mild surfactant, to create a hybrid soap that's the best of both worlds.  It's ultra-gentle, thick, and foamy. These are great for sorts of uses -- body wash, deep cleaning makeup brushes, laundry, and household cleaning.  

DEODORANT
As a green blogger and, more specifically, after judging the CertClean awards last year, I literally have a shelf of deodorants that I rotate amongst, so it's a wonder I finished up any at all! These are two of my very favorites: the Ursa Major Hoppin’ Fresh Deodorant, which is the only natural deodorant I’ve used that actually mimics the feel and consistency of mainstream deodorants, and the Mabrook & Co. Clean Deodorant, a more ubiquitous coconut oil/baking soda formula, but one that's executed extremely well.  Both are ones I’ll happily continue to use!



BODY MOISTURIZERS
I finished up one body oil, the Sukin Wellbeing Body Oil, which smelled incredible -- Sukin’s signature citrus-vanilla - and moisturizes like a dream, as well as several body butters.  The Duckish Natural Skin Care Unscented Shea Lotion Stick is my favorite for dry, scaly legs in the winter, and I also loved the Nourish Organic Pure Unscented Body Butter, also a victim of Nourish’s mass discontinuations.  The Rocky Mountain Soap Lemongrass Body Butter was nice too, although I definitely prefer the consistency of the Duckish.  Rocky Mountain’s body butters are equally moisturizing, but they're a little heavier on the beeswax and don’t melt into the skin quite as elegantly.  

I stayed loyal to my two favorite hand creams: the Trilogy Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream and the Rocky Mountain Soap Vanilla Mint Hand Cream.  I have another tube of the Trilogy on the go now and although you can’t buy this exact version of the Rocky Mountain anymore, I am curious to try the reformulation that just launched.  I also used up samples of the Gabriel Organics White Seaweed Hand & Body Lotion and the John Masters Organics Lemon & Ginger Hand Cream, both of which were fine, if not standouts.  

OTHER/MISCELLANEOUS
A shaving cream I always come back to is the Kiss My Face Key Lime Moisture Shave.  It’s inexpensive, works great, and a bottle lasts ages.  If I’m not shaving with an otherwise unloved conditioner or other re-purposed product, the Moisture Shave is likely what’s in my shower.  I also really loved the Perk Citrus Mistress Body Scrub.  I'm not sure if Perk is around anymore, but Citrus Mistress was top notch.  Lastly, while I'm not a big user of hand sanitizer, I always keep a bottle of Young Living Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier in my purse for times when I can’t get to a sink.  It does the trick and, although it’s, of course, full of alcohol, it doesn’t seem as drying as many other hand sanitizers.  

That was a long one!  Makeup is still to come over the weekend and more regular content will resume next week.

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A Year of Empties {Part #2: Skincare}

Chugging right along to skincare!


CLEANSERS + SCRUBS
I stocked up on the old versions of some Andalou Naturals favorites as soon as I heard they were reformulated, so several of these will be versions you can no longer get your hands on.  The Citrus Kombucha Cleansing Gel, Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk, and Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish have been longtime favorites, but I can't speak to them in their current, updated forms.  The Osea Ocean Cleanser was my favorite Goodbeing Box discovery and is something I’ll be buying in full size sometime soon.  It’s a gentle non-foaming gel that smells fresh and lovely and leaves skin clean but not squeaky.  The POLYN Invigorating Face Wash is a multi-functional foaming castile-based cleanser that works equally well for face and body, and as a shaving foam.  I also used samples of the Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash -- a longtime favorite, I have a full bottle in my bathroom right now -- and the Pure Anada Refreshing Cleanser, which I really don't remember much about at all.


OIL CLEANSERS/MAKEUP REMOVERS
I fell hard for the Clean Kiss Organics Kiss Me Clean Cleansing Oil, a phenomenal oil cleanser that takes off every last speck of makeup and leaves my skin happy.  Definitely something I’ll re-buying at some point.  The Province Apothecary Moisturizing Cleanser + Make-Up Remover is also lovely, although I’m not sure I'd spend the extra money when I love the more affordable Clean Kiss (and Holiskin) cleansing oils so much.  I’m also a big fan of DIY Cleansing Oils and, blended with castor, rosehip, and essential oils, that's how I used this bottle of Aura Cacia Organic Sweet Almond Oil.

MAKEUP WIPES
It's a little horrifying to see how many wipes a person can get through in a year! I used five packs of my current favorite Everyone Chamomile + Aloe Baby Wipes, two travel packs of the Honest Co. Honest Baby Wipes, which I tend to pick up when I need something more compact or at the last minute, and one pack of the Avalon Organics Brilliant Balance Purifying Towelettes, which were pretty terrible. People complain about wipes being too dry, but these are on the complete other end of the spectrum -- ultra-saturated and almost soapy.  They smell strongly of (cheap/bad) lavender and leave a weird film on the skin. I used them purely for cleaning off swatches and dusting around the house.

I also used a pack of the Boo Bamboo Skin Balancing Makeup Remover Wipes, which used to be my favorite but seem to have very inconsistent quality of late.  I think I have another pack tucked away somewhere, but since they've started to vary a lot pack-to-pack -- in feel, smell and efficacy -- I won't be buying anymore.   Lastly, I used two travel packs of the Boo Bamboo Baby Boo Wipes.  I don't love these ones either, but they don't irritate my skin, so I’ll pick them up in a pinch.

To the best of my knowledge, all of these brands are biodegradable, but I do still ultimately want to move away from using so many disposables like wipes.


TONERS
Not a big year for toner! I have a couple teetering on their last legs now, plus I made my own witch hazel concoctions for much of the year, but the only non-DIY I finished completely was the Niora Naturals Alpha Clear Exfoliant, a very gentle AHA product that's good for those with ultra-sensitive skin. I liked it at the time, but it's not something I'd go out of my way to use again as I've since found more effective acid products that I prefer.

SERUMS/OILS
The Sola Skincare Balancing Face Oil is one of my all-time favorite oils and was almost immediately repurchased when this bottle ran out.  It’s light textured and moisturizing, and is especially ideal for anyone looking to target acne, oil production or irritation. I also really enjoyed a sample of the Province Apothecary Rejuvenating + Hydrating Face Serum, which I'd consider buying in the future.

I used a sample of the Pure Anada Smooth Priming Serum early in the year and ended up scooping up a full size bottle.  It’s a basic hyaluronic acid serum made of just hyaluronic acid and chamomile floral water that's gentle and inexpensive enough that I have no gripes about adding a few drops into my body lotion or foot cream when things are looking especially dry.  Another great sample was the Dr. Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel, which I like to use as a targeted/spot treatment on blemishes and other small irritations.


MOISTURIZERS/BALMS
The Andalou Naturals Probiotic + C Renewal Cream used to be my favorite moisturizer from Andalou. I recently bought a trial pod of the updated version to see how it compares, but I haven't broken into it yet.  The Andalou Naturals Night Repair Cream was nice too, but again, this was the old version.  

I loved the Rocky Mountain Soap Pomegranate Day Cream, a rich moisturizer that sinks in nicely and thoroughly moisturizes without feeling heavy or greasy.  Rocky Mountain recently sent me a few of their bestsellers, including a new jar of this guy, and I'm excited to have it back in rotation.  The Huna Skin Nutrition Balm is also a lovely product, if a little too heavy for my skin as a moisturizer.  I adored using it as a balm cleanser though!  

I was not a big fan of the Pure Anada Green Tea & Grapeseed or Scentless Moisturizers.  Both were a little too heavy for me and seemed to just sit on top of the skin.  The Green Tea & Grapeseed also smelled way too strongly of a strangely pungent neroli for my liking.

EYE PRODUCTS
I have a lot of love for the POLYN Cooling Under Eye Serum, a beautiful aloe-based eye gel that feels ultra cooling and works wonders on under eye puffiness.  I even used it as an all-over face serum a few times during the summer and it was lovely for that too!  The Pure Anada Awake Eye Gel, on the other hand, was just okay and didn't seem to do a lot for me.

SHEET MASKS
No regular masks used up, which I think tells you something about both the state of my life (busy) and that of my mask stash (unreasonably large). I'm not a huge sheet mask user, but I did try out two: the Andalou Naturals Lift & Firm Hydro Serum Facial Mask, which I found cold, sticky, and ultimately unimpressive, and the Boo Bamboo Pore Refining Bamboo Fiber Charcoal Sheet Mask, which I quite enjoyed. It’s not pore refining in the same way as a clay or other detox mask, but it felt nice and left my skin plump and hydrated, which, really, is about all I think you can reasonably expect from a sheet mask.   I did end up buying a few more of this one to keep on hand.


And that's a wrap for skincare! Body care and makeup are still to come...

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A Year of Empties {Part #1: Hair Care}

I haven’t shared any empties since February of last year, so, needless to say, I’ve accumulated quite a pileup!  In the interest of finally clearing that out, I’m dedicating the rest of this week to empties posts.  Today will be hair care, followed by skincare, body care, and makeup.  Out of necessity, individual reviews will be brief, but I’m happy to expand on anything in the comments if you’d like more information.  


SHAMPOO + CONDITIONER
I haven't been particular to anything specific for shampoo or conditioner, so I've basically just rotated through several of the more inexpensive options on iHerb.  I’ve gone through multiples of the Broo Malted Mint Invigorating Shampoo and Conditioner before and it’s a good, non-drying duo.  You can definitely smell the beer in the formula, alongside the mint, but it’s not overly strong or offensive.  The Desert Essence Italian Lemon Revitalizing Conditioner smells nice and is nicely moisturizing while still feeling quite lightweight.  Its matching shampoo, the Italian Lemon Revitalizing Shampoo is great as an occasional clarifying shampoo, but I found it a little too harsh for use every wash.  The Andalou Naturals Argan & Sweet Orange Shampoo + Conditioner (now the Moisture Rich Argan Oil & Shea) has been a favorite of mine for a couple years, but it’s been reformulated and, since I stocked up before the change, I haven't tried the new one yet.  I also used samples of the Stop the Water While Using Me! Rosemary Grapefruit Shampoo + Conditioner, which didn’t make a huge impression after one use, and the John Masters Organics Spearmint & Meadowsweet Scalp Stimulating Shampoo, which I’ve used before and like quite a lot.  I believe John Masters has also reformulated many of their products and I’m unsure if this particular item has changed.  


STYLING PRODUCTS
I’ve used countless bottles of the Kinky-Curly Spiral Spritz Styling Serum and while it's a great weightless product, I’ve started to prefer something with a little more hold.  The Original Sprout Natural Hair Gel, for babies and up, does the trick nicely with a medium hold, light scent, and similarly affordable price point.  I went through two tubes and I have another on the go now.  The Wildcraft Cell Regenerating Face Serum hasn’t been miscategorized -- I just really enjoyed using it as a hair oil.  A few drops after styling does a fantastic job moisturizing my ends, adding shine, and taming frizz.  It a nice face oil too, but the real standout for me was in my hair.  


HENNA
I started and ended the year with Rainbow Research Burgundy Henna and it’s what I’m still using.  The color, a dark burgundy, covers my greys, last well, and fades naturally.  It’s also pretty accessible and easy to get my hands on. I also enjoyed the Henna Color Lab Wine Red Henna, but it’s definitely a more high maintenance color to maintain.  It’s a beautiful brighter red, and also works well at covering greys, but it bleeds red for weeks and fades much more quickly and noticeably than the Rainbow Research.  I’ve said before that I only dye my hair because I have noticeable greys and it’s not a process I enjoy by any means, so I’m always going to go with the less work, lower maintenance option.   For both of these, I'm able to get at least one full head and one root touchup out of a single container/package.  


That's it for hair! Stay tuned for lots more empties over the next few days...

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Mega Empties // Products I've Used Up {Part 4: Makeup}

The one good thing about waiting so long to write up my empties is that I actually had time to accumulate a decent pile of finished makeup!  Using up makeup takes forever, but it's always so satisfying, isn't it?  Here's everything that I finished off in the last few months:

  

Face
Juice Beauty's Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream makes a nice lightweight base.  It offers minimal coverage, but has a pretty, glowy finish.  Natural Glow, the lightest shade, was a great color match for me too.  The scent is the one negative of this product, although by midway through the tube, I was mostly used to it.  The CC Cream smells strongly like petitgrain, which if you aren't familiar with it, has quite a grassy/herbal scent.

I didn't notice any skincare benefits or reduced dark circles from Alba Botanica's Fast Fix for Undereye Circles, but it works pretty well as a yellow-toned color corrector.  It's a little sheer, so most often I used it layered under another concealer.  Alima Pure's Luminous Shimmer Blushes are a fantastic formula and Guava, since discontinued, was a beautiful shimmery peach.  I wish it was still available -- it was a great natural, easy-to-wear color!

Eyes
Zuzu Luxe Onyx Mascara is a longtime favorite of mine -- I've probably used 15 or 20 tubes of it over the years!  It doesn't give the most dramatic lashes, but it's great for a natural look and doesn't smudge or flake at all.  I've even made it through a few snowstorms with intact lashes with this guy!  The Ashley Morgan Cosmetics Black Mascara (now Purely Lulu) was a new discovery for me and a great one!  It's very black and creates beautiful, fluttery lashes.  Both mascaras are also good for sensitive eyes.

Zuzu Luxe's Russet Eyebrow Pencil was, I believe, my very first brow purchase.  I found the color slightly too warm-toned with my natural hair color, but since henna-ing my hair the last couple months, that warmth became a positive.  Color aside, Zuzu's brow pencils have a good, solid formula that goes on nicely and lasts the entire day without budging.    

I still have a ridiculous number of eye shadow samples, but at least I finished off a few more!  Silk Naturals Nekkid Eye Shadow, a supposed dupe for MAC Naked Lunch, is a shimmery pink/pale rose gold.  It's a great all-over the lid shade.  Cheeky Cosmetics Espresso Eye Shadow, a rich and pigmented matte dark brown, was another hit and fantastic as a powder eyeliner.  Lucy Minerals' Creamy White Eye Shadow is a powder, but one with a super creamy feel, similar to the company's foundation, and I liked it a lot as a brow bone highlight.  I used up samples of Silk Naturals' Beach Bunny and Malibu Miss, both technically bronzers, as eye shadows too.  Both are mid-toned warm/yellow browns -- one shimmery, one matte -- which are exactly the kinds of colors I wear in the crease most days, and the sheerer bronzer formula made blending super easy.  Since I'm not much of a bronzer wearer, I was happy to move the samples out this way instead.

Lips
I hear so many people say that they never get through lip balm, but that's clearly not an issue for me!  Rachel's Plan Bee's Lip Balm completely saved my lips last winter when nothing else was working and I'll always have a soft spot for it for that alone!  I prefer the Peppermint to this one, the Natural Flavor, but both are fantastically nourishing and buttery.  I also really enjoyed the Duckish Grapefruit Lip Balm.  It has a slightly heavier formula -- although not uncomfortably so -- and makes the perfect protective lip cover for braving the cold.  This is what I've been wearing for late night winter dog walks where the temperature is regularly around -10°C.  The Savannah Bee Co. Wild Blackberry Beeswax & Propolis Lip Balm was also great.  Less of a heavy hitter than the first two, but it still worked well and the blackberry scent is fantastic -- sweet and fruity without smelling fake or cloying.  Compared to the other three, the Sierra Bees Organic Unflavored Lip Balm was a little unimpressive.  Sierra Bees is one of iHerb's own brands and the lip balms are both certified organic and super inexpensive.  I have nothing bad to say about them -- they're good balms and the price alone (currently $2.95 for an 8-pack!) always has me tempted to throw a pack into my cart, but I realize there are other balms -- like the other three here -- that I like more. 

Nails
Priti NYC's Soy Nail Polish Remover is my gold standard for nail polish remover.  It removes polish well, doesn't dry out nails or cuticles, and it has absolutely no nasty polish remover smell.  I have mixed feelings about the Suncoat Nail Polish Remover Gel, a gel that you're supposed to spread onto the nails and let sit for 2 minutes before wiping off.  By itself, you need to reapply many times to fully remove polish -- really not worth the time or effort -- however as the first step in removing tricky glitter polishes, I did like it.  I'd leave the gel on for closer to 5 minutes and then remove it and go back in with a regular liquid remover like the Priti NYC.  I'd never recommend the Gel Remover on its own, but it definitely helpful in breaking down difficult glitter polishes.  I loved the Pacifica Gloss Top & Base Coat at first, but it was ultimately disappointing.  You can't really tell in the photo, but the bottle is only about halfway done and it doesn't work at all anymore.  The polish is gloopy and has started to dry on the nails with bubbles and divets.  I'm kind of bummed to chuck it, but it's basically unusable at this point and just ruins otherwise good manicures/pedicures.  

And that's a wrap!  I'm so happy to finally get rid of all this beauty trash!

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Mega Empties / Products I've Used Up {Part 3: Body Care}

I like tracking empties for a number of reasons, not the least of which that I find it really interesting to notice how much of various kinds of products we actually get through.  It's not always what you think.  Case in point: today I learned that I use a lot of soap.  Keep reading for the details + the lowdown on all the body products I've used up in the last 5+ months.  

Bar Soaps
I'm a fan of gentle bar soaps, especially through the winter months when my skin is more prone to drying out.  The Mamma Oceania Antioxidant Soap, SBT Seabuckthorn Berry Bar, and Rocky Mountain Soap Pumpkin Soap were my favorites of the bunch -- all three are very gentle, palm oil free, great for sensitive skin, and made by fantastic Canadian companies.  On a Branch's Apple Cider Soap -- also Canadian and palm oil free -- had the most amazing spicey cinnamon scent, but the bar got a little gloopy and melted away quicker than I would have liked, even left to dry in a draining soap dish.  I did have this particular bar hanging around for a good while before I used it, which could maybe have impacted it.  The Graham Gardens Lemongrass Milk Soap, sent to me by the lovely people at The Choosy Chick, smelled wonderful too and produced a great luxurious, rich lather, but it's one that I likely would not repurchase since it does contain palm oil.




Body Wash
I'm not sure why I've never used Acure's body washes before, but they're really lovely!  They have the feel and lather of a traditional shower gel, but leave skin feeling a lot softer and more hydrated than most gels.  I didn't notice any significant formula difference between the two, just the scents -- the Clarifying Body Wash is minty and fresh, while the Cell Stimulating Body Wash (now the Energizing Body Wash) smells like almonds.  If you're familiar with Acure's hair care, the body washes smell exactly the same as the Volume and Ultra-Hydrating hair products.  

Nourish Organics' Moisturizing Cream Body Washes are a longtime favorite of mine.  They have a creamy/milky consistency and are extra gentle on the skin.  Wild Berries was discontinued last year, but I still have a couple bottles stashed away.  I also like The Honest Co.'s Honest Shampoo + Body Wash, mostly for its yummy orange-vanilla scent.  This mini came in one of the company's trial kits, but I've also bought the full size before.  



Moisturizers
The Savannah Bee Company's Unscented Honey Body Lotion is a fantastic unscented lotion.  It's rich and nourishing but doesn't leave you feeling greasy or slippery, or take forever to sink into the skin.  No odd 'unscented scent' either, if you know what I mean.  I also really loved the Duckish Lavender Lotion Stick.  It's solid in the tube, but melts into the skin immediately on contact.  Rocky Mountain Soap's Dry Skin Butter is a similar concept, but the actual product is much more solid and slightly waxy.  It does a good job treating dry skin, but doesn't feel nearly as luxurious as the Duckish.  

I held onto this bottle of Rachel's Plan Bee Body Oil for far longer than I probably should have, but I really did love it.  It's pretty much the perfect body oil in terms of feel and consistency, but I couldn't always tolerate the scent, which is why it lasted me so long.  It's an undeniably beautiful orange-vanilla fragrance and completely essential oil-based, but it was a little too strong for me a lot of days.  As I've told Rachel before, if she ever creates an unscented version, I'd be all over it!  The Honest Co. Organic Healing Balm, from the same trial kit as the body wash, didn't make a strong impression.  It's a fine product, but I think there are better balms out there, so it's probably not something I'd purchase again. 



Teeth
I'm pretty set on keeping my mouth care completely free of glycerin and the Miessence Mint Toothpaste is a new favorite.  It tastes a little salty, but is very minty and leaves your mouth feeling super fresh.  I wish Miessence was a little more accessible -- the only reason I haven't replaced this already -- but I'm sure I'll place an order eventually.  Tierra Mia Organics Healthy Dent Tooth Regime, on the other hand, didn't work for me at all, at least not as toothpaste.  Teeth felt clean after using it, but the mint was so subtle as to be undetectable, so all I got was a strong soap taste that would not go away, even after multiple rinses.  No exaggeration, it lingered in my mouth for hours!  Since they're basically just shreds of bar soap, I ended up adding the tooth chips into loads of laundry, just for the sake of using them up.  They actually worked great in that capacity and I'm totally sold me on DIY/bar soap laundry detergents now!



Essential Oils
Clearly essential oils don't sit unused around here!  Thieves is great for boosting the immune system and overall health through cold and flu season.  I like it as a preventative and also used it to help kick a flu bug I caught early in the fall.  Peace & Calming is one of my favorite blends to use before bed, particularly if I have trouble winding down or falling asleep.  Lastly, Orange and Cinnamon Bark (along with Clove) were frequently enjoyed in my oil diffuser through the fall months.  

Stay tuned for makeup empties over the weekend -- the last of this ginormous batch of empties!

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