 Hi everybody!
I hope you’re all good! After tidying my garden, I then realised I had a lot of washing to sort out before my trip to the UK. Neverending washing! The good thing about this heat is that it dries super quick though. This heat wave reminds me of the great times I’ve had visiting Asia, where I was unprepared for the humidity and the monsoons that seemed to come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly! In my last blog I promised that today I would write about some of my favourite winning brands from the 2022 ASIA Global Makeup Awards and I am a man of my word! I’d like to begin with the Best ASIA Beauty Brand Gold Winner which was Nature Tree. Founded in 1981, this Taiwan brand has developed and manufactured raw liquids to supply professional skin care salons for over 40 years, and is known as an expert in the use of raw liquids. Natural, professional, and affordable these guys have a wide range of projects as well as posting engaging and useful social media content. Now, let’s take a look at the Gold Winner for Best Toner which was awarded to new Taiwanese brand L’oiseau Bleu for their International Suprême Doux. This product is especially good for those of us with sensitive skin since it includes amino acids and plant extracts. The result is hydrated skin which doesn’t feel at all tight! Much like other European brands which I have written about, the inspiration for this company came due to its founders (who are sisters) frustration at not being able to find a product which was suitable for their own suitable skin. Demonstrating an understanding of the uniqueness every one of us has when it comes to skin products, the sisters offer a try before you buy option, so you can test the products for yourself and see how it works for you. The third brand I’d like to tell you about is THETREE who took Gold for Best Hair Product with their super Purify Hair & Scalp Tonic Treatment. This impressive brand develops professional salon-level hair products tailored for Asians, and aims to create a safe product without adding any toxic ingredients. Their objective is to help millions of women to have beautiful hair and to feel good about themselves. Although this is an asian brand they have strong connections to Europe, particularly Norway and endeavour to make sure that all their products meet the strict EU quality standards. Their social media pages demonstrate excellent customer communication and a steady flow of new products joining the range. Definitely well worth a closer look! Oh my goodness, I'm out of space again. After writing a few blogs on winners from the UK Global Makeup Awards, it’s been a real treat to look further into some of the winners from the Asia Global Makeup Awards. At first glance, the brands seem so different, in terms of marketing material, but once you really get into it, it's quickly apparent that we all want the same things from our beauty products! Thanks again for joining me, Ciao for now Dan
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 Wow...can we take a minute to admire NailKind's gorgeous shades.....we are in love with the bottom left nude - we think it is called Nutz Hi again everybody!
Today I got up extra early so I could get some work done in my garden! It’s just been far too hot to attempt any garden work at all recently but it was getting a bit out of control and I knew if I didn’t have a go at it before my trip to London that when I get back it would be so much worse!!! I have a little vegetable patch and although I can’t say that I have green fingers I am slowly learning and this year seems to be going well; I haven’t been over-ambitious like in previous years where I couldn’t bring myself to thin out my courgette plants and they just overran the whole garden! Listening to Radio 4 earlier, they were talking about the worrying inflation levels we’re currently experiencing and interviewed a London restaurant owner to ask about the effects it was having on her business. Interestingly, she mentioned how the trend for vegan food has enabled them to avoid putting up their prices too much to reflect the increases in the price of meat and so I thought it would be fun in today’s blog to look at one of our Best Vegan Beauty Brands from the UK Global Makeup Awards. NailKind took the Silver Award for best Vegan Beauty Brand, it’s really rare to see vegan nail products but NailKind are not afraid of a challenge and bring a vital option to customers who want to look after their nails but want to avoid animal-based ingredients or indeed harsh chemicals. The judges from our beauty awards were to impressed by their ethics as well as the quality of their nail polishes. The judges trialled the brand's newly launched range of natural polishes that are 85% natural origin, vegan, and animal- and planet friendly. NailKind is a Danish brand with strong values regarding natural, cruelty-free ingredients instead seeking out the best natural and vegan alternatives for its nail polish products. The company was founded in 2017 in Copenhagen by two friends with over 20 years of experience in beauty, cosmetics and design. As with many of the brands I’ve blogged about before, the founders became frustrated after searching fruitlessly for a product which met all their needs and so set about creating it themselves. In this case, the founders wanted a luxury nail polish with bright colours that would let them express themselves, while meeting their vegan, and natural requirements and still be affordable. Once they had decided to start the business, they went about choosing both classic and modern colours and then giving them names which matched their moods such as Pillow Talk, Mist You, Popsicle Party and Nutz (we LOVE this last nude shade). Originally the collection consisted of 12 colours but the team is working tirelessly to add more and more exciting hues to the range. Celebrities have already caught on to NailKind and thanks to word of mouth, the popularity of the brand is continuing to grow. This is definitely a brand to look out for and I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more from NailKind in the future. They have a really exciting vibe about them and are clearly passionate about what they do. I’ll finish here for now but I’ll be back very soon with a new blog where I’ll take a look at some of the Asia 2022 Global Makeup Award winners! Ciao for now! Dan  Ciao everybody!
Phew! It's 37 degrees here in Italy. We are all struggling and even trying to sleep is really difficult! I’m lucky to live near the beach though so I’ve had some nice, refreshing dips in the lake although as soon as I get out I’m all sweaty again! I’m excited because I’m flying back to London this Friday and I can't wait to see my family and my Global Makeup Awards colleagues who I really miss! I’ve been looking forward to the UK’s cooler weather and I know it’s been pretty hot there too but I’ve just checked the iphone app and it’s looking like mid-twenties in the day and much, much cooler at night! Woohoo! Last month I wrote a blog about winners of the Best SPF Beauty Products and how important they are not only during heat waves but even throughout winter. If you are heading anywhere hot this summer - it's crucial to remember an SPF lip balm as lips are so delicate and are better protected with a balm than sun lotion. A true holiday beauty must have. In today’s blog I would like to look at some other great products which have the added benefits of including protection against UV rays. The Best Lip Balm winner at the 2022 UK Global Makeup Awards was for SNOWBERRY RED Multi-active balm UVA|UVB SPF30 by Albus and Flora. Albus and Flora was founded by physiologist Rachel Williams BSc(Hons), MSc(Dist) who previously had a 10 year career in academia which also involved publishing research and consultancy roles for Team GB at 3 olympic games. Rachel’s inspiration for starting the brand came after skiing in the French Alps where she witnessed first hand the damage UV rays could cause to the lips. This led to her combining her expertise in physiology and science-backed research with her passion for natural botanics. The brand also shares really valuable information and advice on how to protect our skin from sun damage. UV rays and pollutants create free radicals in the skin, which cause oxidative stress that can break down collagen. After a weekend in the sun, it's really important to counteract the damage free radicals can cause with plant-based antioxidants. Serums and moisturisers that have ingredients like green tea, vitamin C, and turmeric extract are the best for treating skin after sun exposure. A look at the brand’s ingredients policy also shows a real commitment to natural ingredients and a solid understanding of the chemicals which are commonly used in cosmetics and the harm they can do to us. In addition to finding natural alternatives to harmful chemicals, the products are also fragrance-free. Furthermore they also strive to use ingredients which are sourced in a sustainable manner and are devoted to using 100% recyclable cardboard in their packaging. Naturally they also avoid any kind of animal testing. If you haven’t already checked out their lip balms, I urge you to do so! This blog has also been a great reminder for me to take care of my lips, especially during this hot period! You guys look after yourselves too! It’s so easy to forget about these things when we’re having fun in the sun! I’ll be back soon! Ciao for now Dan Official Press Release from Marina Miracle MARINA MIRACLE
NATURAL, ORGANIC, VEGAN, PROBIOTIC, CRUELTY-FREE SKINCARE MADE IN NORWAY UK LAUNCH - 21st June 2022 for Marina Miracle ''The world's best face oil and it's from Oslo! This is definitely a beauty product worth testing!'' - COSTUME Magazine says of our Herbal Face Oil, they also call our Argan Night Serum a “Miracle of the Night!" We live in a society that is more environmentally conscious than any generation before. We constantly hear the words ‘Organic, Natural, Vegan, Sustainable’ - often though, these words are used very loosely when it comes to some beauty products currently on the market. Many products contain synthetic chemicals, additives, and perfumes, which can be unwanted ingredients for some consumers and can be irritating to those with sensitive skin. That’s what really sets Marina Miracle apart from anything currently on the UK market. We can honestly say the following statement: Marina Miracle is Scandinavian Skincare at its finest: Natural, Organic, Vegan, Probiotic, Eco Friendly and Cruelty-Free. All ingredients we use are plant-based, renewable and degradable. We do not use microplastics, nano-ingredients or any synthetic ingredients that influence the planet or health in a negative way. As a company, we are proud of our high environmental and sustainability standards, and we have been Green Dot members since 2018. All our products are vegan and cruelty-free; we do not use animal-derived ingredients of any kind, and we never use ingredients that have been tested on animals. We are proud to say that our brand is approved by the official Green List of Dyrevernet (Animal protection in Norway). The company founder, Marina Elisabeth Engervik, was born with atopic eczema and she tells her story: ''The eczema got so bad that I was hospitalized at only 4 years old. And as a teenager and young adult I struggled a lot with acne, sensitive and irritated skin. I tried different treatments and products, but I could not find anything that kept my skin in a healthy balance. I realized that I had to solve this myself. After personal study of formulation processes, skin science and ingredients, I was equipped to formulate a facial oil. And my skin finally became healthy and balanced. I perfected the formula and shared the product with friends and family with different types of skin problems and everyone saw improvement in their skin. The good news spread quickly, and people started to ask for the ''miracle oil'', that's why I named the brand ‘Marina Miracle’”. Since then, Marina Miracle has been a firm favourite amongst customers, beauty bloggers and skincare professionals throughout Scandinavia and Europe. At long last the products will be available to the UK market from 21st June 2022. We've won over 50 other international Beauty awards. We are a small, close-knit family at Marina Miracle with under 20 employees worldwide, but for a small brand, we’re making a big impact! In 2022, Vogue Scandinavia included us in a recent article entitled “14 female-founded Scandinavian beauty brands to know”. General availability through our website: marinamiracle.co.uk Press contact and retailer enquiries: Olivia Shaw hello-uk@marinamiracle.com – 07849 893618 Benny Hancock - winner of Best Men's Grooming product in the UK 2022 Global Makeup Awards Hi again everybody!
So in the last few blogs I’ve been looking into the stories behind some of the winners at the 2022 UK Global Makeup Awards. I really enjoyed learning more about the reasons the founders had for starting their brand, what their values are and why they mean so much to them. I find that knowing this extra information and background behind a product gives the customer experience so much more meaning. It’s a bit like really enjoying a book, some poetry or art and being able to appreciate it at a deeper level because you know the context behind the piece and have a better understanding of its meaning and the creator’s message. I’d like to do the same today, although it will be slightly different because this time I would like to learn more about the Best Men's Grooming Product Gold Winner which was Benny Hancock with the brilliant Eclipse Full Collection Set. First let’s find out more about Benny Hancock and his background. He is well known as a leading professional make-up artist and has over 10 years’ experience working closely with top celebrities and supermodels. As such, he is seen as an authority on working with men’s skin and has often been looked to for expert guidance from colleagues within the industry and featured in major style magazines. Benny really understands the fundamental differences between men and women’s skin as well as the differing aesthetic objectives. In a video posted to the company website, Benny explains that he wants men to feel empowered and confident in their looks. He believes that if they have a blemish that makes them feel uncomfortable, they should be able to conceal it just as women do although the ethos of the company is to enhance rather than to conceal.He goes on to explain that the most popular product in the range is the beard definer. This is a rather superb product and it's no wonder that it’s popular as I can see a lot of men who would love it. The great thing about the beard definer is that when we have different colour tones in our beards, it blends them to one single colour, yet washes out easily. A real game-changer in men’s cosmetics! Great for those of us who continue to find a rainbow of different tones in our beards! Benny goes on to demonstrate a thorough understanding of men’s attitudes towards cosmetics, from packaging to a light effect which enhances rather than changes their look. This range is clearly developed by a guy who really knows his stuff and is a deserved winner at the 2022 UK Global makeup Awards! I also love this quote from the website: “ I believe when you invest in yourself and look and feel your best, you can conquer anything thrown your way.” Once again, I have really enjoyed finding out more about one of the winners and learning what immense passion and expertise there is behind a quality range. Thanks again for joining me! Ciao for now Daniel  Hi again everyone,
Of all the winning brands at the UK Global Makeup Awards, the one category I probably find most fascinating and exciting is that of the Editor’s Choice Awards. There is so much stiff competition for this category as literally every brand involved in the awards could be a possible winner and so to take Gold is no mean feat! You have to beat all the other brands in all of the other categories too! In today’s blog I would like to take a closer look at the joint Gold-Winner in the Editor's Choice category which was won by Reverse Life with their super Marine Collagen 10,000mg. Taking a deeper dive into the background behind the founder and brand has been really fascinating and I’m excited to share some of the information I found with you all today! The product itself is a collagen supplement which helps to boost metabolism and energy as well as helping to promote healthier joints and bones. It has also has vitamin B5 to help skin stay smooth and soft. So this product was absolutely adored by the editor as not only does it help how your skin looks on the outside as well as helping to strengthen hair and nails, but it also helps you feel good on the inside by helping you feel energised and keeping your joints in check. The story behind Reverse Life is a very personal one. The company was founded after Mark Shepherd sought to bring relief to his mother who has arthritis. He couldn’t bear seeing her in agony with joint pain and losing much of her independence and mobility. He wanted to do something and went about researching ways to help. As part of his research, Mark spoke with several of the UK’s top specialists and learned that once we reach 40 years old, we will already have lost more than 33% of our collagen. This leads to a weakening in our skin and bones. This spurred Mark to work on developing a liquid collagen formula which would not only help his mother but with others. More and more people became interested in the benefits of the formula, not only for reducing arthritic pain but also as a way to keep skin looking young. Amazingly, the ReverseLife was launched during the Covid lockdown. Mark and co-founder Chris Niebel defied the negative voices and concerns of people who thought they were crazy to start a business during a period of such uncertainty but as Mark said “ my argument was that we’re providing something to the people who can’t go to see the doctor and can’t go to see the beauty therapist because of the lockdown and shielding. In a way, it really was the perfect time to start this.” Recently the company was awarded NHS Partnership status, having been a front runner in offering Covid tests to their staff (at company expense) before the government introduced free testing kits. As for values, the company is committed to supporting people’s physical and mental health while continuing and extending its research into collagen and its health benefits. They are devoted to using the most advanced ingredients available and work closely with scientists, doctors and nurses to continue developing their expertise and products. That really was a fascinating story for me to look into and write about. I hope you’ve enjoyed it too. A huge congratulations to Mark, Chris and the rest of the team for their success at the UK Global Makeup Awards and for their fantastic work in general! I’ll be back again very soon! Ciao for now! Dan  Upcircle spf 25 mineral sunscreen winner in UK 2022 global makeup awards Hi everybody, It’s been hotter here in Northern Italy this month than in previous years. Usually, May is a little colder and rainier than I’m hoping as I eagerly and impatiently await the arrival of the summer! This year, though, I’ve been out paddleboarding and swimming in the lake nearly every evening. I have to admit that in the past, I only really thought about sun protection when I was at the beach but this year I’ve been much more conscientious about applying SPF to my face and neck, even if I’m just out and about for work or running errands! Choosing which SPF to use is not always easy, we want to make the right choice for our skin while still taking into account price, natural ingredients and how well it works! UpCircle Beauty only recently released their SPF 25 mineral sunscreen after a long period perfecting the formula, determined that it would be of the highest quality before hitting the market. Well, this hard work paid off because not long after its launch, they took Gold at the 2022 UK Global Makeup Awards for Best SPF Beauty Product. Not only that but on their website they also give some great advice on different types of SPF and how to choose one which suits you personally, some great info on using SPF during the winter months and some really interesting information regarding natural ingredients. Behind the scenes, Upcircle is a really fascinating company. Its team is clearly passionate about their work and the brand’s values. Those values include minimising waste and using inventive and ingenious ways to use existing materials and upcycle them rather than buying new and creating all the environmental problems that go with it. The company name is even inspired by the practice of upcycling! Another thing I really love about UpCircle is their transparency and courage regarding their stance on inclusivity and body positivity. They stand for natural beauty and prefer to use real customers, friends and families in their strictly unphotoshopped photos and advertising materials. A real breath of fresh air! Finally, and this is another aspect of the company that we really love and relate to, the brand was founded and is run by two siblings, Anna and Will. Anna is in charge of the business communications while Will is the expert in number-crunching. The pair, who started the company six years ago while in their early twenties, are both passionate about making ethical and environmentally-friendly products affordable and accessible by everyone and it's clear that the whole team shares their values. Clearly I’m not the only one who is impressed. UpCircle have received glowing reviews (sorry!) this week in The Independent for their SPF and in Cosmopolitan for their body scrub. Well, I could go on but maybe it's better if you check out their website where they happily share a lot more info about their team and their methods or read the recent reviews which I mentioned above. I also want to mention quickly that our 2022 Global Green Beauty awards have just 2 weeks left for entries. If your brand is organic / natural / vegan / zero waste / ethical - why not enter it in to this year's awards to see if it makes the cut as one of 2022's best green and clean beauty products. There are no launch date restrictions and is our biggest beauty awards of the year. That’s enough for me though, I’m going to SPF up and get back out on the lake for another paddle! Ciao for now Dan  Hi everyone,
We have been so busy and excited recently since we announced the Winners of the UK 2022 Global Makeup Awards. We received over 250 entries into this year's UK 2022 Global Makeup Awards, there was fierce competition among the best brands in the industry. We were so impressed with the quality of the products which entered! The products were judged over a period of several months by our judges who eventually decided on the best beauty products for 2022 within the UK. There is a full winners list within Global Makeup Magazine on this website, but in today’s blog and in the next few blogs I’m going to take a closer look at the people behind some of the winning brands. Carter Beauty were Gold Winners in the Best Primer category for their wonderful Youth boost primer and serum. You probably already know about Marissa Carter, who is extremely popular on social media for her fantastic tutorials and the brave and honest way she shares all her challenges and successes with her followers. If you don’t yet know much about Marissa then I’ll just briefly outline her career! She has over 20 years’ experience in the beauty business and has a reputation for driving innovation, being behind nearly 150 make-up products, many of which are sold across the 1500 Walmart stores across the USA. The first Irish brand to reach this amazing achievement. Furthermore, her products are stocked in 23 countries, and sales average three bottles per minute. The great thing about Marissa’s social media pages is that we see directly the hard work and passion behind the scenes as well as the ups and downs! Sometimes we’ll see the glamorous side such as appearances at the Oscars and sometimes she’ll share her struggles and frustrations in a way that we can all relate to. Let’s take a look now at Gold Winner for Best Lash / Brow Product which went to Marina Miracle for their Eyelash & Brow Serum. Founded by Marina Elisabeth Engervik who aged just 4, ended up in hospital due to her eczema. If you’ve read my previous blogs then you’ll know that deeply personal experiences similar to this are often the catalysts behind the creation of the best brands. Moving into her teens, she then struggled with acne, sensitive and irritated skin and continued to struggle to find any treatments or products which would work for her. Deciding that she wanted to solve the problem herself, Marina began her journey of testing and researching ingredients and formulas, eventually perfecting the product which we have today. Once again, I’ve loved researching and sharing the fascinating stories behind some of my favourite products. Both Marissa and Marina are clearly passionate about their brands and work so hard to make them the very best they can be. Knowing the backstories makes using the products a much more meaningful experience too! By the way - we also have entries open for our 2022 Global Green Beauty Awards which celebrates the best in green and clean beauty brands. If your brand is organic, natural, ethical or zero waste - why not enter for a chance for showing off your green credentials! I’ll be back again soon looking at some more winners! I can’t wait! Thanks again for joining me! Ciao for now  Hi again everybody, In last week's blog I took a look behind some of my favourite winners from last year's Global Green Beauty Awards but as always I ran out of time so today I would like to continue on the theme! Actually, today I am going to concentrate on fragrances, these can really change the way we feel about ourselves for the better but so many products on the market are full of chemicals. Anyway, today we are celebrating the Gold Winners from last year’s best ethical fragrance category and the fascinating stories behind the brands! Let’s first take a look at the joint Gold Winner in the BEST ETHICAL FRAGRANCE category which went to Medeau Fragrance and their product Origin. The story behind the brand is one I’m sure that many of us can relate to as while founder Allison Stubbings was pregnant, she was looking for a fragrance she could use that was toxin-free. Checking the ingredients of the products which were found for sale, they all included irritants, synthetic dyes, alarming preservatives and unnecessary plasticisers, things she understandably didn’t want her baby exposed to! The natural alternatives which she did find didn’t leave her feeling special and so began her journey! I have to say I love it when I find a brand that has such a poignant story behind it’s inception, it’s so refreshing to know that there is a genuine passion behind creating a product that will make people feel good and keep them healthy rather than a financial incentive! Medeau, as the name suggests, takes inspiration from English flowers combined with French luxury and is proudly 100% vegan with no toxic ingredients, dyes or endocrine disruptors.Consequently, Medeau fragrances are transparent, EWG approved as non-toxic, vegan and PETA certified and come in sustainable packaging. Now let’s take a look at the brand which they shared the gold award with which was Nourishe Organics and their Mid Day Floral Spray. Founded by Master Alchemist, Kristin Bauer whose impressive career has seen her study DNA mutation and treatment of patients in hospital burns units, we couldn't ask for more expertise and scientific research behind her wonderful line of products which are produced from the most authentic, organic ingredients available, using ethically grown and harvested raw materials with absolutely no preservatives. Much like Allison, when Kristin fell pregnant, she took a deeper look at the chemicals that people put on their bodies everyday and wanted to do all she can to keep her own body, as well as that of her unborn baby, free from exposure to them. In her own words “How can we expect to have healthy bodies, if we are using polluted chemical products on our skin?” Kristin is clearly dedicated to helping as many people as she can and even offers 1:1 consultations where she can share her amazing expertise with us! Once again I’m out of time but I’ve really enjoyed learning more about the founders behind these brilliant fragrances and their reasons for creating their marvellous products! I’ll be back again soon! Ciao for now Dan  Hi everyone!
As I’ve mentioned a few times before, I really enjoy working on the Global Green Beauty Awards and I can’t wait for this year’s! In my last blog I talked about four silver winners from last year’s awards. Today, I want to continue on this theme, writing a little more about those previous winners. Provacan were Silver Winners for Best Salt Based Products with their CBD Bath Salts 100mg. Founded by Clifton Flack who moved from the UK to Israel in 2005 where he swiftly became recognised as an expert in consumer and corporate marketing. He became particularly interested in CBD as an ingredient and applied his ability to really listen and react to customer feedback to develop Provacan into an industry leading brand with a reputation for customer responsiveness. They take great pride in their transparency and their science led process which ensures that all their ingredients are independently lab-tested to make sure they are from the highest-grade certified organic EU hemp. Another of my favourites is the MOST INNOVATIVE 'GREEN' PRODUCT GOLD WINNER which went to The Cheeky Panda with their marvallous Biodegradable Bamboo Facial Wipes. First of all, these guys have the cutest little logo featuring, unsurprisingly, a cheeky little panda! These guys understand how by using toiletries responsibly we can also reduce our impact on the environment and how bamboo is an ideal resource for making an important difference! If you still need convincing, these guys have some numbers to back up their claims! By using bamboo we will use 65% less carbon emissions than by using tree based products. Bamboo also releases 35% more oxygen, and absorbs 30% more carbon than trees. BRONZE WINNER from the same category was awarded to The Soap Loaf Company for their Cosmeti-Craft Solid Deodorant Crafting Kit. These guys are really exciting because they offer the unique opportunity to go into their workshops at any time during opening hours and make your own bath bomb, scrubs, body butters, moisturiser, lip balm, solid deodorant, solid perfume, foot lotion, shower fizzers and shampoo bars. They have tutorials available in the workshops and also take bookings for groups and parties! How fun! The company is also committed to running an environmentally friendly business and uses 100% recycled packaging as well as re-using and recycling all the plastics and other materials which arrive from suppliers. Those were three very different companies and products, all three had their own distinct styles yet they were all winners at the 2021 Global Green Beauty Awards in recognition of not only their super products but also their dedication to clean beauty and the steps they made towards making their businesses and clean as possible while demonstrating a commitment to continual improvement! Thank you again for joining me today! It’s really great to be able to share the stories of winners with you and learn more about the inner workings of the companies which enter the awards! I’ll be back again soon with a focus on some more of my favourite brands! Until then… Ciao for now! Dan |
Danny's updates on the beauty awardsRead more about the great brands who win the Global Makeup Awards and Global Green Beauty Awards. Mostly written by Dan in Lake Garda, Italy! Submit Press Release?
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