Monday, 12 September 2016

Halloween Costume Ideas For Woman

Halloween
Print bought via Sweet Allure
Hi guys,

I hope you all enjoyed my autumn post (link at bottom of post) I am so happy that its now here as it means my favourite holiday is also due, which is of course, Halloween!!!! Eeeeek, I am so excited!! You may think it is too early to talk costumes but people go nuts at this time of year and buy up all the best ones so I thought I would put together my favourites. Something I am all over is the amazing costumes from The Purge: Election Year as the outfits on some of the girls were outstanding and very gory! I’m not too sure though so I decided to go on a little hunt and I thought I would include you in it in case you are struggling too. Shall we delve in?

Halloween

1. Harley Quinn (£36.99)
Ok, unless you have been living under a rock then you will know that Harley Quinn tutorials have been all over social media and YouTube thanks to the Suicide Squad. Margot Robbie was a mega babe wasn’t she? So I suspect a lot of girls will be dressing up like her this year. You can find a great costume on Party Delights which includes jacket with attached shirt, shorts, tights and belt. Obviously you will need a wig but you could just buy a blonde wig and then some blue and red hairspray. To complete the look all you need is some tattoos, a bat & a choker and you will be one hot mamma on Halloween night.

2. Miss Scissorhands (£34.98)
Edward Scissorhands is one of my all-time favourite movies so I thought I would include a sexy version of it. This costume includes scissorhand gloves and dress with attached sleeve as well as sleevelette, wig, choker, and belt. You will have to find tights and boots to complete the outfit but everyone should have these in their collection. If you don’t have knee length boots, just wear little ankle boots and you will look fabulous!

I thought this one was great as not everyone wants to go as some sexy version of an everyday occupation or a zombie of some sort. This will be comfy and you will still look like you have made an effort. If you wanted to jazz it up you could get some fake tattoos, give yourself a black eye (not a real one!) and paint on some fake blood on your mouth and nose to create the illusion that you`ve been in a fight. 

Halloween Costumes

4. Cat (£7)
This outfit includes a tutu and a cat ear headband so all you have to do is wear a black top, black tights and some black shoes. This is cheap and cheerful of you really can’t be arsed but want to make some sort of an effort. Get onto YouTube and find a kick ass cat tutorial and you are good to go.

This outfit includes a top with attached scarves, pants, belt, arm warmers, cuff. You can get yourself a staff (£13.97) on Amazon to complete the full outfit. 

Womans Halloween Costumes

6. Nun (£20.49)
I dressed up as a nun two years ago and I have to say it was the most fun I had dressing up. I got to go all gory and got myself some white contact lenses which really added to the look. Obviously if you want to add black lenses then that would be even better, especially with a black smoky eye, a heavy contour and a white painted face.

This one would be so much fun to put together. Obviously there are a ton of YouTube tutorials out there and you can make them as freaky as you want or as colourful as you want, its really up to you.

8. Mermaid (£17.69)
Who doesnt want to be a mermaid! I mean come on, this is perfect and glamourous without being over the top. 

These are my top picks this year. There is something for everyone whether you want minimal effort, maximum effort, gory, fun, cute or frightening! Hopefully you enjoy them and I have given you some inspiration.

Have you checked out my latest featuring All Things Autumn?
I can also be found on Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram |
*All photos were sourced via websites the costumes came from.
*Print in top picture was bought via Sweet Allure Etsy Store.
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Saturday, 30 July 2016

Disappointing Beauty Products

Disappointing Beauty Products


Colab Paris Extreme Volume Dry Shampoo
Colab Paris Extreme Volume Dry Shampoo

Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes
Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes

Zoella Sweet Inspirations Double Creme
Zoella Sweet Inspirations Double Creme

Magic Cosmetix Magic Tips
Magic Cosmetix Magic Tips

Disappointing Beauty

Hi guys, 

After reading Allure of a Girl's guest post on Twenty Something Meltdown, I decided to carry out this blogpost. as it’s nice to take a break from talking up the great products and discuss the ones that have disappointed me. I did one of these a few years ago and I still stick by my views on those items but I have some more to throw into the mix. You can’t like everything and a lot of these products you are going to think, what the hell is she talking about, but it’s only my opinion. You may love some of these but we are going to have to agree to disagree I’m afraid as I thought they were pants.

I had high hopes for this little guy as everyone and their mother were raving about the Ruth Crilly launch so I was keen to get my hands on it and see what all the fuss was about. I hated this from the get go. I didn’t like the texture of my hair afterwards and I didn’t like the fragrance either. I used this as I would any other dry shampoo, I held it away from my hair and sprayed onto my roots by sectioning my hair but it left my hair feeling sticky and unclean. I had slight volume but nothing worth raving about. This felt more like a hairspray rather than a dry shampoo so for that reason it gets a thumbs down from me.

I just couldn’t get to grips with this at all. It didn’t do anything for me and it didn’t keep my makeup in place nor did it "erase my pores". Not that I was expecting it to. Instead it left a film over my skin which didn’t feel natural and its texture was quite off putting when I began applying to my skin. 

These have been made for those of us who like to use our fingers to apply makeup. They are silicon tips which are supposed to feel skin like and smooth makeup on easily. I can wholeheartedly disagree. These do not help anything smooth on my face, infact they pull at the product which leaves it looking streaky and not applied properly. I used this to apply concealer before buffing out with a concealer brush but I had to go back in with the doe foot applicator as the product which pretty much non-existent. 

4. Eve Lom Cleanser (£40)
I really wanted to like this as it smelt fantastic and everyone raved about it. Vogue hailed it the "probably the best cleanser in the world" but I have to disagree. I liked how soft it made my skin feel (before the breakouts) and how it took off makeup, don’t get me wrong. I also adored the scent but as far as good skincare went, this was a nightmare. I was left with horrible spots all over my face. At first I thought the skin was purging (although I don’t agree with that statement) so I persisted but after a few weeks I had to stop as my skin was sore to the touch. As soon as I stopped using this, my skin started to heal and thankfully, its back to normal but I would never buy this again as my oily/sensitive skin hated it. Maybe this would be better on dry/normal skin though.

I really disliked this mascara. It done absolutely nothing for my lashes and left me with black rings round my eyes. I can handle a little seeping at the inner corners of my eyes which can easily be removed but this little guy smudged all over my lower lash line, above my eyes and at each corner. I looked like I had been punched in the face which is not a look I go for when wearing mascara, I can assure you. My eyelashes felt limp, there was no length,no separating, no curl and no volume. The only good thing was the fact that my lashes looked black at the roots but that’s not enough for me, I need a mascara to create some fabulous eyelashes not little black stumps!

I bought this off the back of many reviews online and I am gutted that it didn’t work on me. It took far too long to work into the skin, regardless of how much I used and left me with white streaks up and down my body. I also woke up with the worst smell coming from my skin when I wore this overnight after applying after a bath one night. The smell was disgusting. I can safely say this has never happened with any other body lotion, butter or cream I have used before going to sleep but this was horrible. I also didn’t like the smell it left throughout the day, I can’t quite explain it, but it was almost like a fusty smell, you know if you leave wet clothes for too long and they carry that lingering smell. I thought it actually was my clothes for a hot minute, but it wasn’t, it was this bloody cream. 


That’s all I have today guys. Just because I didn’t like these particular items doesn’t mean I hate the people or the rest of the products. I actually adore everything else that I have tried from Maybelline, Charlotte Tilbury and Zoella but I didn’t get on well with these at all. I haven't sampled anything else from Eve Lom, Magic Cosmetics or Colab but I will try some of their other products to see how I get on with them. Let me know in the comments if you disagree with any of my choices as I like to know how you got on with them too.

Have you checked out my latest featuring Blogger Annoyances?
I can also be found on Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram |
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Saturday, 2 July 2016

Favourite Female Bloggers

Hi guys,

I am going to do a male blogger post in the future but today I wanted to focus on my favourite girls as I have been following these girls since the start and it would be unfair to cut anyone out as I would be lying and this post would be top 20 which nobody has time for I’m afraid. Hence the split post.

As you can imagine, I follow a lot of blogs, maybe through Twitter, Instagram, Bloglovin or just good old Google bookmarks but I always go onto these blogs first as I know I will get honest reviews, some good chat and an all-round great experience. Each person here has something different but they are all equally great in my eyes. Part of being a blogger is showing love to other bloggers and helping people out. All it takes is a simple retweet on twitter, a like on facebook/Instagram or a comment on a blog to make a bloggers day so I thought I would go all out and tell you my favourites today.

I have been blogging for about the same time as Renata and have followed her since I found her way back in 2014. I have to say it’s been a pleasure watching her blog grow. Her content is always fantastic but it’s her fabulous photography that grabs my interest now. Her pictures are simply stunning. She is also the loveliest person and if you have any questions or queries she always answers you which I find refreshing as so many people don’t bother nowadays which is sad.

Another person I have been following since the start of my blogging life. Alina is the sweetest person ever who seems to know her stuff. She has great content that is both interesting and informative. Her photography is also on point. Not only does she run a blog I love but she also has a successful YouTube channel which is filled with some great makeup looks. Get over there immediately to copy her looks as they are fab.

How do you even start talking about this girl? She is the cutest scouser I have had the pleasure of speaking to. She is the co-creator of #TheGirlGang which in itself is an achievement. It brings all girls together and really feels like a home on twitter, especially when its movie night and you feel like you’re having a sleepover with your best pals, except it’s virtual. Jemma is the kind of person who always has something nice to say. She truly is a blogger all about other bloggers. Her blog is filled with gorgeous pastel colours and bright beautiful pictures but she isn’t afraid to talk about more serious issues that affect her which is a reason I have followed her for the past couple of years. If you want to read someone’s blog who makes you feel like her friend, then I suggest you follow Jemma.

I found Tillys YouTube channel a few months ago and I have been slowly working my way through her videos. Not only does she come across very friendly but she's also a bloody inspiration. Tilly started out doing Slimming World and has lost a staggering 5 stone by sticking to her plan. Don’t get me wrong, like all of us she has treats every now and again but I love how honest she is about it. If she has had a blow out, she will tell you, if she had a takeaway with her husband, she will tell you that too. She makes you feel normal for having a treat every now again. I truly love her personality and now that she is gonna be a mum, her videos on all things baby are worth watching too.

I mean come on! I have been talking about this woman since day one as she is a bloody skincare God. She knows everything and has the best advice for all skin types. She is very ballsy so expect a straight forward response from her.

I have to include Anna here, she was the reason I took the chance on blogging as she made it seem so magical. Three years later, I’m not so sure ha-ha. I’m joking, I still love it. Her content is so strong, her blog has the crispest design and her photography is out of this world. I also adore her YouTube videos but her blog is still where it’s at for me.

I love Jasmines blog, you don’t get to 44k on Bloglovin for no reason. Her reviews seem very genuine and her photos are gorgeous. Are we sensing a theme here? I do love a good photo ha-ha. Seriously though, I love almost every blog post Jasmine has created as they are all so informative. I don’t come away thinking, oh God should I try that, I come away thinking, I need that!

I don’t love her because she is a fellow Scot, well maybe a little ha-ha. No seriously, this girl knows what she is doing. Her Instagram was the first thing I found and then I had to follow (stalk) her on everything as she was just so fab. I love her style, photographs, writing and I also love the fact that she has a successful shop on Nouvelle Daily. It just goes to show you the impact bloggers have on others when they are able to make a business out of it.

Another Scottish punter ha-ha. This girl knows the script, she is a complete professional and her blog is just the stuff of dreams. I love every aspect of her blog, obviously the photos are the biggest selling point for me as they are always so creative and clear but she is very clear on her thoughts and lays everything out so well that you never have to go hunting to find out if she actually liked the product or not. I hate when you come away confused but Sunday Girl is straight to the point. Everyone should be following her.

What’s not to like about this girl. She is a fantastic blogger who speaks her mind. I love her honesty and the way she stands up to important issues. She is a joy to watch and read. Her straight talking, no nonsense taking attitude is top notch. Follow her on snapchat too, she is hilarious.

That’s my top 10. I think there is a running theme of great photography going on here but it is one of the things that keeps me coming back and one of the main reasons I read and love each and every one of these blogs. I know there are no men here but as I said at the start, I will do another post as I have a few male bloggers that I love too.
Who are your favourites?
Do you follow these girls?

Have you checked out my latest featuring My Top 10 Lush Items?
I can also be found on Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram |

*Photo was taken from link provided in picture and was digitally altered by myself.
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Monday, 27 June 2016

Can You Trust Bloggers?

Can You Trust Bloggers

Hi guys

This is in no way a post about hating bloggers, I am a blogger and I enjoy writing posts whenever I get the chance to do so. I am not 100% dedicated or super serious about it but I really enjoy it. For me, it’s supposed to be a hobby. I have nothing against any of the amazing bloggers who have made this a part/full time job, more power to you! I don’t get arsey about analytics, page views, how many followers I have, how many have unfollowed me or media packages but I do care that my readers trust my judgement and like my posts so I decided to write this post about trusting what bloggers have to as well as a few other things that came up while I was typing haha. 

After spending the day looking through reviews, I began to ask myself, are these bloggers being honest? I dont let the fact that it says "sponsored post" or "this item was sent to me for review" deter me from reading it or trusting it, but I did question if bloggers were being paid/gifted to give positive reviews rather than give their honest opinion.  I have never questioned it before as I like to think all of the reviews I read are truthful. I have bought numerous items on the back of what a blogger has to say and I almost always agree with them. I hate thinking bad of anyone, and I get that they may not want to risk ruining a business relationship or damage their reputation but surely all companies want positive and negative feedback to ensure their products are the best they can be. I just always remember that if someone is willing to buy a product based on what you are saying then make sure you are giving as much information as possible so your readers can decide if its for them or not. 
I understand everyone has a difference of opinion and a product that may work on me may not necessarily work on you but it is mandatory to be as honest as possible. This is just common courtesy and it gives readers the respect they deserve. I try to be as truthful as possible. If I dont like something, I say that. If I love it, then I say that. Sometimes it isnt as black and white as that as you may like one aspect but hate another. Just be as honest as you can. Sometimes I speak highly of something and then a few weeks/months down the line I have gone off it. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t being honest, it just means I have moved on. I am a beauty blogger after all. Its my hobby and job to an extent to review products. I am also a slut when it comes to products as I want to try everything so I can give you an idea of what’s good on my skin (oily, sometimes dry) as it may also benefit you. That means I may rave about something and then you won’t see me using/talking about it again but does that mean I was lying? No, it means I moved on to something else in the hopes that it’s better or different. If I need something new, mostly skincare, I go back and read old blog posts to find out what worked for me and then buy it again. Thats right, I read my own reviews haha and I am often surprised at what I had to say. I wonder why I never bought certain items again but I now know it’s because I am a skincare slut ha-ha. 

This is now going into rantville. Would you trust a blogger who copies others work? I have a huge problem with bloggers who quite literally copy and paste another bloggers work, change a few lines and then don’t even link back to the original content. Dont get me wrong, sometimes I use other peoples photos, especially when I have gone back to fix links in old posts and my pictures are horrendous but I always, and I mean always link back to the original content by writing "Source" under the photo and linking website. I hope others do the same as it lets your readers view someone elses opinion and see where the original picture came from. 


Plagerism
Source

The amount of time and effort that goes into one blog post is quite astonishing. I didnt realise this back in the good old days when I just read blog posts but think about it. You take the time to set up your camera, tripod, lights, backgrounds & product placement. Then you have to edit your pictures, make sure they are sized correctly, make sure they are clear, bright & eye catching. Then comes the writing. The review is the most precious, well for me anyway, as it should explain what the product is, what the company says it does compared to what it actually does (i.e. your findings) and also what is in it as people may be allergic to certain products. I like to look at reviews to see if other bloggers experienced something different and link it to give my readers a different view. Then you grab links and prices for readers so it’s easy for them to head over to buy or look. Once this is done, then it’s time for scheduling/publishing the post. Scheduling tweets. Posting on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and may more social platforms. I think you will agree it’s already quite a lot at this point so for someone to copy and paste all of this hard work is downright disgusting. I totally understand why some bloggers get upset by this but trust me I have read a few posts in my time which have been carbon copies of others so its more common than you think.

Sponsored posts are a big one to get people talking aren’t they, I usually keep out of all the agg on Twitter but  I have noticed more and more people talking about bloggers being paid to talk about a certain product or to talk about a company. Most recently Zoe London spoke out about this and I totally agree with what she said. I have nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing against bloggers being paid, hell we all got bills to pay but I do have a problem with liars or people deliberately misleading their readers to make a few bucks. Just look at Naomi Campbell and Scott Disick on Instagram recently where they have copied and pasted the PRs message straight into the caption ha-ha, I find that bloody hilarious! This could have been a publicity stunt for both company and celebrity but it really makes you think doesn’t it? 

I carried out a poll on twitter asking people if they believed bloggers who were paid and gave a glowing review. My results were as follows:
No 14%
Yes 14%
Depends 50%
Dont read it if its an ad 22% 

I then asked who they trusted more when it comes to reviews and the results were as follows:
Famous Bloggers 0%
Small Bloggers 83%
Magazine Articles 17%
Celebrities 0%

These results astounded me, I honestly believed that big blogs would have been top of the polls as they have so much more sway with the public. But I do agree with small bloggers being more trustworthy as thats who I look to when I want an honest review. I dont really believe hype when it comes from celebrities, the amount of faces you see promoting brands that you know are shit is quite unbelievable but for now, I am more inclined to believe  smaller blogs. 

The one thing I am noticing more and more of is bloggers/youtubers etc. being sent products weeks/months before the official release date to get their readers/followers intrigued and all hyped up. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it’s a perfectly good marketing strategy but I do have a problem with the majority of bloggers stating these products are amazing and when you order it on their good word, the product is actually a piece of shit. Again, I understand that everyone has different needs and a different experience with products but when you see a larger quantity of "smaller" bloggers who actually buy these products using their own money, stating the products arent good, then surely, you have to trust that. 

I suppose you will always find out if a product is good when you actually buy it but who the hell has money to burn. If you are unsure, then go a wander around the shops and collect samples. Counters always have samples and if they refuse, you don’t really want to be giving these people your money do you? I love doing this in my local Debenhams as the staff are usually friendly and hand out samples like candy.

I feel I have to say again, this post isn’t directed to anyone in particular. I normally stay out of online fights and usually catch the jist at the end of the night so if something has happened more recently and it coincides with this post, then it is purely coincidental. I am all for bloggers, there is more than enough space for everyone but as I said, I do have a problem with people being dishonest to their readers.

Do you believe bloggers?
Do you believe big or small blogs?
Would you buy something purely because a blogger said it was amazing?
Would you be more inclined to believe a celebrity when it comes to products?

Have you checked out my latest post featuring Zoella Sweet Inspirations Range?
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*Please click links on pictures for source.
* Some links may be affiliates but all thoughts are unbiased and 100% honest
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Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Jaclyn Hill & Becca Cosmetics | Champagne Collection Face Palette

Source

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette

Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette
Hi guys,

Hopefully you have all been made aware of the new Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection which was created by Jaclyn and Becca Cosmetics. As soon as I knew this was a thing, I put an alert in my diary, worked out what time it would be on sale according to UK time and kept a close eye on social media to get little sneak peaks before the official launch. I have honestly never been more excited for a makeup collection in all my life.

If you don’t know who Jaclyn Hill is, she is a makeup guru on YouTube who launched the world’s number 1 highlighter, Champagne Pop (£32), last summer which sold out almost instantly. Jaclyn is known as the highlight queen within the YouTube world so it was only right that she launched her first highlighter with, in my opinion, the company behind the best highlighters on the market. If you haven’t tried any of the Becca highlighters, you are missing out, seriously! Please buy one, you will not regret it. I have Opal, Champagne Pop and Pearl and they are by far the best I have ever used. They are the most gorgeous, buttery, pigmented, creamy and unique highlighters on the market and worth every penny. I have a guide to highlighters post which you can find here if you wanna see some swatches.

This new collection blew up on social media when it was first announced so you can imagine all of us beauty obsessed folks trying to find out as much information as possible. Within this new collection is the following: Limited Edition Face Palette (£48/$52), Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette (£36/$40) and Shimmering Skin Perfector Champagne Pop in Pressed (£32/$38), Liquid (£34/$41), and Poured Crème (£30/$38)! I already have the pressed Champagne pop so I knew I didn’t want to buy this again as I am nowhere near finished that. I wasn’t too fussed about the liquid or poured crème versions so I went straight for the thing that would get the most use and that was the LE Face Palette. So on the 26th May 2016 from 4.30pm, I sat and refreshed the Sephora screen until the “add to basket” tab opened up which was at 4.45pm. I then frantically went through the stages of purchasing it, forgot my password, kept typing in the wrong information but after a couple of minutes it was over and done with. I was over the moon when I got my confirmation email to say it had all gone through and would be with me by 31st May. I bought it for £59 with shipping and taxes included but after a few days I got an email to say this had been reduced to £49, BONUS!

I know that the face and eye palettes are sold out online, I have included links to the liquid, creme and powder variartions of Champagne Pop above but all items will be available from 16th June on Sephora website and in store so you have plenty of time to save your pennies and get in there. It will be available from SpaceNK too as of the 21st June which you can pre order here. You can also pre order the Eyeshadow Palette here.  The eyeshadow palette has been taken off of the website due to recent negative reviews with regards to Becca Cosmetics using a different lab to make sure they met the deadline. Jaclyn has also taken her YT video down where she discussed all products in her latest collaboration as she was angry and hurt that everything wasn`t tested. Check out her twitter here for more information. I dont know if this is going to be everywhere or just in Sephora. But if you are un happy with your palette, then you need to contact Becca or Sephora. 

As I said previously, the only thing I bought from the collection was the limited-edition Champagne Collection Face Palette which features five shades in total. There are 2 x 0.19 oz. Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed highlighter shades in Champagne Pop (soft white gold with pinky peach undertones), Prosecco Pop (medium warm gold). 2 x 0.12 oz. Mineral Blush in Amaretto (matte toasted almond), Pamplemousse (matte warm coral pink) and 1 x 0.10 oz. Luminous Blush in Rosé Spritz (soft peachy pink with pale gold shimmer). This palette is Paraben, Sulfate and Phthalate free. I think we can all agree, that is a lot of product for the price tag. I think its valued at over $130 or something ridiculous like that. It also comes with a huge mirror too so its easy to pop in your bag and use when you want to touch up your makeup.

It does say you can mix and match but there is only 2 pinky shades, a contour shade and 2 highlighters so I don’t think there is much room to mix and match as such. Each powder within the palette is what I would expect from Becca to be honest. They are all highly pigmented, they are buttery soft, they feel creamy, they blend out beautifully and they look fricking amazing! I imagine they would suit all skin tones as they seem to be universally flattering shades.

I am in awe of this palette. I think I may have to buy the Eyeshadow Palette from SpaceNK when it’s released or ask Liam to buy it as an early birthday present. Either way, if it’s anything like this face palette it will be phenomenal.

If you want this palette or the eye palette, I would suggest getting in there early as they are limited edition which means when they are gone, they are gone!

Have you checked out my latest post featuring My Ultimate Summer Getaway & Beach Essentials?
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* Some links may be affiliates but all thoughts are unbiased and 100% honest,
*Please click links on pictures for source.



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