April 01, 2016

March Empties!

Even more empties this month as I moved last weekend and decided to purge some items! I'd definitely been holding onto some stuff for too long! There'll likely be another purge soon as well since I'm moving outside of Canada and won't be able to bring much with me! More on that later though!


L to R: Nails Inc. Marylebone, Nails Inc. Chester Street, Nails Inc. Porchester Square, ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper

Nails Inc. Marylebone: Unfortunately this is hard as a rock, which is too bad because this was a one-coater glitter, and I loved the colour combination of purple, pink, and silver! Life is too short to cry over hardened nail polish, and I have plenty more to use before I pick up a replacement / dupe. Click here to see it in action.

Nails Inc. Chester Street: This was a meh polish for me and I'm not too sad it's turned into a gloopy mess. There are more flattering taupes out there for me to try out!

Nails Inc. Porchester Square: Another hardened Nails Inc. mini, definitely a sign that I just can't use these up quick enough and there might be a flaw in their formula / packaging. This wasn't too flattering on me either.

ELF Cream Eyeliner in Copper: I bought this a few years back for $3, unfortunately it's all dried up and unusable now. I liked the shimmery brown shade, but it did take a few passes to build up opacity. I have too many eyeliners already and will not be replacing this with anything! I don't find myself reaching for a gel eyeliner as much as a pencil.


L to R: Ulta Brilliant Color Lip Gloss in 15, Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Afterglow, Martina Lip Balm in Vanilla, Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Maui Mango Mai Tai

Ulta Brilliant Color Lip Gloss in 15: While this wasn't fully used up (it was about 2/3 empty), the container was a sticky mess, so it's being tossed. This was a "my lips but better" lip gloss for me, and I loved the vanilla scent. It was a bit sticky, and there are better glosses on the market so I won't be picking this up again.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Afterglow: This was only 1/3 empty, but the container was even stickier and messier than the Ulta one. I'd been storing it in it's own ziploc bag for years now and I've decided to clear some space and just toss it! Too much effort to have to wash your hands clean of sticky gloss after using this! This was a glitter bomb high-shine lip gloss. I liked the colour of the gloss, but too much shimmer for 2016 and this is a sticky gloss that tends to migrate all over your face when wearing. Gross. Will not be replacing.

Martina Lip Balm in Vanilla: This was super old and needed to get tossed! While I liked the consistency, the bit of shimmer, and the scent, I'm not a fan of lip balms you use your fingers to apply with! Will not repurchase

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Maui Mango Mai Tai: I liked this scent! Fruity and tropical!


L to R: Quo Nail Polish Remover Strengthening, Delon Premium Cosmetic Cotton Rounds

Quo Nail Polish Remover Strengthening: This did a great job removing polish. Will likely repurchase

Delon Premium Cosmetic Cotton Rounds: These are my HG cotton pads! Perfect texture, no fluff, good strength! Highly recommend! I found these at Costco so I have about 5 more packs of them to get through!

I used up 7 full-size products and 3 deluxe-size products in March!

What did you use up in March?

Thanks for reading!

March 23, 2016

NOTD: March 23, 2016


I know you know I love me some purples! Here are two lavenders in 1 mani!

This is Barielle Rain in Spain with Barielle Jess' Champagne Toast (both from this haul). I used NYC Matte Me Crazy as the base, 2 coats of Rain in Spain and 3 coats of Jess' Champagne Toast and topped it off with Sparitual Multi-Tasker Base and Topcoat.

I thought I'd like Jess' Champagne Toast more as there's pink shimmer in the bottle, on the nail however it falls a bit flat and looks like your typical lavender metallic. Rain in Spain on the other hand is a difficult to define polish with purple, blue, and greys!

Thanks for reading!

March 21, 2016

NOTD: March 21, 2016


This vampy and very glam mani is China Glaze Seduce Me (from this haul) with Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow (from this haul)

I was surprised by how much I like Seduce Me, it's a great dark pink / red combo.

I used NYC Matte Me Crazy as the base, 2 coats of Seduce Me, 2 coats of Boom Boom Pow, and Sparitual Multi-Tasker Base and Topcoat to finish it off.

Thanks for reading!

March 19, 2016

NOTD: March 19, 2016


This is Julep Paula (from this haul). It's a Persian blue with purple shimmer through it! Very rich and pretty!

I used butter London Nail Foundation as the base, two coats of Paula, and I topped it off with Sparitual Multi-Tasker Base and Topcoat.

I like it!

Thanks for reading!

March 17, 2016

Winners Haul!


L to R: Zoya Crystal, China Glaze Seduce Me, Zoya Anastasia

Look what I found! More pretties to play with! Gotta love Winners! These three were only $15 including tax!

Expect some NOTDs featuring these coming soon!

Have you found any great deals recently?

Thanks for reading!

March 07, 2016

NOTD: March 7, 2016


This spring-appropriate NOTD is Julep Julep (brand name then polish name, not a typo) with Julep London as the accent!

Julep is the perfect orchid, a very flattering shade for most, and a happy medium between pink and purple!

London surprised me with more depth on the nail than in the bottle, and I'm happy it isn't a complete dupe for Sally Hansen Lacey Lilac or one of my many (mani) lighter purples!

I used NYC Matte Me Crazy as the base, 2 coats of both Julep and London and topped it off with Sparitual Multi-Tasker Base and Topcoat!

Love this one!

Thanks for reading!

March 05, 2016

NOTD: March 5, 2016


I finally caved and bought from the OPI Gwen Stefani collection! This pretty pink is Hey Baby! I used NYC Matte Me Crazy as the base, 2 coats of Hey Baby, and topped it off with Sparitual Multi-Tasker Base and Topcoat

While this wasn't a unique colour, it was good quality! Everyone needs a basic pink mani every now and then!

Thanks for reading!

March 03, 2016

NOTD: March 3, 2016


This sparkly mani is Julep Delores (from this haul)! I used Butter London Nail Foundation as my base, 1 coat of Delores (AMAZING!) and I topped it all off with Orly Top2Bottom.

Easy, fast, and gorgeous! Super happy this polish, although I will say the holo doesn't compare to Glam Polish!

Do you love holos?

Thanks for reading!

March 01, 2016

February Empties!

Another great month of empties! I'm on a roll!


L to R: Dr. Scholl's Odour Destroyers All Day Deodorant Spray Powder, Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel with Olay Beauty Anti-perspirant, GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment

Dr. Scholl's Odour Destroyers All Day Deodorant Spray Powder: See review here. Have already repurchased!

Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel with Olay Beauty Anti-perspirant: This is probably my favourite scent and formula from Secret! It just works! And this "Olay Beauty" scent is the most to my liking. Clean without powder!

GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment: From this haul. I've been reading rave reviews about GlamGlow for a while now, and with my skin so parched I pulled this out and gave it a go! I got 2 uses out of this packet. This is not a typical mask and shouldn't be treated as such. This is more of a leave on treatment and is probably best to do before bed. I loved the scent of the mask, luxurious and delicious (seriously I considered eating it!), it smells of honey with sweet coffee and something else I can't quite put my finger on. Anyways, after using this treatment my dehydrated skin was soft and rehydrated for 2-3 days afterwards. I also liked how easy this was to use, put it on clean skin and just leave it on. Easy peasy! I will consider buying this once I'm through my mask / treatment hoard.


L to R: Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Eraser Scrub, Selection Organic Makeup Remover Pads, Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

Clean & Clear Advantage Blackhead Eraser Scrub: There was nothing special about this facial scrub, it didn't "erase" my blackheads, and I didn't love the cream texture with the exfoliating beads. I prefer Neutrogena Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit. I will not repurchase.

Selection Organic Makeup Remover Pads: Standard no-name brand cotton pads. These are thinner than some, but still do a good job at toning and nail polish removal. Truth be told these are tied for third place cotton pads for me: first is an as yet reviewed Costco brand that will likely be in my March empties post, second is Quo, and tied for third with Selection is Compliments. They do the job and are cheap! Will repurchase if the first and second choices aren't available!

Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Gentle Foaming Hand Soap: Love the subtle and lingering scent of this BBW soap! It's like fancier peaches! Also who doesn't love a peach bellini - they're pretty much the only decent item at Milestones! Well I like this formula, foaming hand soap doesn't do me any favours during the dry winter months, every time I wash my hands with these I feel the moisture sapped right out of them. I will repurchase, but only during Spring and Summer!


L to R: Buxom Lash Mascara, Orly Top2Bottom, nails inc. Stratford

Buxom Lash Mascara: Same as previous review here. This is from this haul, and I believe I now have no backups of this mascara. I will not repurchase and I will not use my Sephora Lashstash coupon to get the full-size.

Orly Top2Bottom: From this haul. This lasted me a looonnnggg time. And it's the teensiest cutest bottle. I used this primarily as a top coat. But it did a good job of drying quickly, not bubbling, and adding shine! If I didn't have 5 or 6 other bottles of top coat, I would repurchase. I need to use up at least 4 of those bottles before contemplating buying a top coat, so we'll see how this stacks up then!

nails inc. Stratford: From this haul. Sadly this is dried to the bone with no hope of salvaging (plus with 200+ nail polish, this one just isn't special enough to make a trip to a beauty supply outlet to buy nail polish thinner. Harsh but true). This looks more interesting in the bottle than on the nail. As you can see from the NOTD below, it's just a plain old gold on the nail:



Life is too short to keep dried out nail polish, so Stratford is getting the boot!


L to R: Secret Scent Expressions Antiperspirant Va-Va Vanilla, Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Vamp, Calvin Klein One

Secret Scent Expressions Antiperspirant Va-Va Vanilla: See review here. Probably won't repurchase.

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eye Liner in Vamp: I bought this for $10 on sale at Sephora a few years ago. Sadly it's dried up and unusable now. It was a unique purpley brown with shimmer in it. It wasn't the creamy gel eye liner I've tried, but it was the most unique colour! I've come to the realization that I just don't reach for gel eye liners as often as my pencil eye liners, so I likely won't repurchase. If you are a gel eye liner aficionado I highly recommend this shade! Perfect for those with brown, green, or hazel eyes!

Calvin Klein One: I received this deluxe size fragrance for Christmas MANY years ago. It took probably more than 5 years to use up. This is why I like fragrance sets better than full-size bottles, fragrance lasts forever! Sephora lists the notes as bergamot, cardamom, fresh pineapple, papaya, jasmine, violet, rose, nutmeg, and musk. I interpret it as more of a citrus-y fresh fragrance. Really reminds me of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. I liked this well enough (even though it wasn't my typical sweet and fruity fragrance), but I have too many perfumes on the go to contemplate buying anything!


L to R: Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm, Balea Defrizzing Hair Mask Mandarin & Grapefruit

Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Illuminating Beauty Balm: From this haul. First up, this is the only shade offered by Stila, and it isn't a one-size fits all situation. It worked nicely for me, and I liked the light coverage it provided, but those with medium or dark complexions would be out of luck. As I mentioned in January, my hoarding situation is out of control, so I will revisit whether or not to repurchase once I've used up 5 face products.

Balea Defrizzing Hair Mask Mandarin & Grapefruit: I bought this on a whim at a Shoppers trip a while back, and finally put it to use! I found this easier to use than I expected (although it's hard to rip open while you're soaking wet in the shower!). I didn't notice an immediate change in my hair - I'd say it's still as frizzy as normal. It smelled divine while I massaged it in - very citrusy and fragrant. The smell did stay while my hair dried naturally, however after blowdrying the scent was gone. Maybe I will venture out and try more hair masks after this one! Will not repurchase, but it's opened my mind to more hair care choices!

That makes the total count 7 full-size products, 5 deluxe-size products, and 2 foil packets! Another great month! Hopefully I can keep this up in March!

What products did you use up in March?

Thanks for reading!



February 24, 2016

NOTD: February 24, 2016


I love the way glitter manis look but boy do you have to work on removing them!

This sparkly NOTD is Sally Hansen Lacey Lilac with Color Club Savoy Nights (from this haul). I used NYC Matte Me Crazy as the base, 2 coats of Lacey Lilac and 3 coats of Savoy Nights, and topped it off with Sparitual Multi-Tasker Base and Topcoat.

Love Savoy Nights as it's the perfect silvery blue glitter for cold days! And Lacey Lilac behaves very well!

Thanks for reading!

February 15, 2016

NOTD: February 15, 2016


This purple beauty is Julep Hazel (from this haul). I used butter London Nail Foundation as the base, 2 coats of Hazel and Orly Top2Bottom as the top coat.

I really like this one, this picture doesn't do the shift justice, it's a purple to red shift that's quite striking!

Thanks for reading!

February 13, 2016

NOTD: February 13, 2016


This mani is more complementary than I expected, but I definitely could've used an extra coat of polish! VNL!

I used butter London Nail Foundation as my base coat (and the green didn't stain my nails!), 2 coats of Sparitual Emerald City (from this haul) and 2 coats of China Glaze Recycle (from this haul).

Hope everyone has exciting long weekend plans! I'll be working...

Thanks for reading!

February 11, 2016

NOTD: February 11, 2016


This seasonal-appropriate look is Barielle Midnight in Paris (from this haul). I used butter London Nail Foundation as the base (cause as a deep blue I'm pretty sure this'll stain like nobody's business), 2 coats of Midnight in Paris, and I topped it off with Sparitual Multi-Tasker Base and Topcoat.

I think this is unique to my collection (or hoard), so that's exciting! It looks more purple in the bottle and more blue on the nail. My hands look ghostly!

Thanks for reading!

February 01, 2016

January Empties!

Prepare yourself! I did quite well in January!


L to R: Ducray Elution Shampoo, Crest Complete Whitening + Scope Dual Blast Toothpaste

Ducray Elution Shampoo: Same as original review here. Will continue to purchase!

Crest Complete Whitening + Scope Dual Blast Toothpaste: This was much foamier than the non Dual Blast version, but it kept breath fresh so I can't complain! I'm not tied down to any one toothpaste, still searching for the best!


L to R: Clean & Clear Splash Wildberry & Guava Morning Burst Body Wash, Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes Oil-Free

Clean & Clear Splash Wildberry & Guava Morning Burst Body Wash: See review here. Still like the scent a lot, but don't love the formula as much as Dove's.

Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes Oil-Free: See my updated review here. Will repurchase as necessary (still prefer Neutrogena though)


L to R: Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Vanilla Bean Noel, Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-hr Smoothing Eye Primer, Swisspers Make-Offs Cotton Squares

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel in Vanilla Bean Noel: Still my favourite formula of anti-bacterial hand gel! This is a basic sweet vanilla scent! Really enjoyed! Will continue to repurchase in various scents!

Tarte Clean Slate 360 Creaseless 12-hr Smoothing Eye Primer: I bought this in a tarte set of primers from Sephora a while back. I don't wear eye shadow everyday, and I don't wear primer under all eye shadow. So this took me a while to finish up. Also I was surprised at how a little went a long way here! It goes on white and leaves a slight white cast to your eyes. I don't know about the 12-hr wear time, but it did an acceptable job of helping my eye shadow last! I'm not sure I'll repurchase because I'm perfectly happy with elf's $1 eye primer. But this was nice!

Swisspers Make-Offs Cotton Squares: These are similar to these, but a larger square shaped cotton pad. Still generic, but did a better job at polish removal with less fluff. Still not my favourite, but they did the job!


L to R: Dove Go Fresh Restore Body Wash Blue Fig & Orange Blossom, Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel Sport Fresh Antiperspirant, RoC Enydrial Repairing Lip Care

Dove Go Fresh Restore Body Wash Blue Fig & Orange Blossom: I really enjoyed this one! Not only does it add moisture into my skin in the shower, but I was surprised to find myself drawn to a floral scent! I really liked this scent, made me look forward to showering! Will consider repurchasing after I use up 4 more body washes (I have quite the hoard...)

Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel Sport Fresh Antiperspirant: As you know, I really like the Secret Clinical Strength clear gel formula, this scent isn't my favourite, but I feel fresh on most days with this!

RoC Enydrial Repairing Lip Care: I really liked this lip balm, it did a reasonable job of moisturizing dry, chapped lips. I do prefer scented or flavoured lip balms, and this is a boring unscented, clear lip balm. However this would be ideal for sensitive users. Will consider repurchase after I use up 2 more lip balms.


L to R: elf Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Porcelain, REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask, Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara in Very Black

elf Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Porcelain: I bought this for $3 on a Walmart trip a few summers back. The colour was wayyy too yellow for me, but I didn't mind the light coverage and the benefit of SPF 20 was nice too. If I didn't have 7 other face products on the go (with other multiples sitting in the cupboard waiting for their turn), I would probably buy another shade of this. As my hoarding situation is out of control, I will consider repurchasing after I finish up 5 skin products.

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask: From this haul. I got 2 uses out of this mask sample. The first use I thought it was quite good, my face looked fresh the next day. The 2nd time I used it, I was slightly repulsed by the orange-ish booger quality it looked like I smeared all over my face. And, it irritated my skin that time as well (and I followed the directions and only kept it on for 15 minutes). This might be partially my fault as obviously I received this sample in 2013... Anyways I will not purchase the fullsize.

Covergirl Lashblast Fusion Mascara in Very Black: See full review here. Probably my favourite drugstore mascara! Will consider repurchasing when my mascara hoard is down to only 3 (who knows how long that'll take...)

Whew! I had a productive month! 11 full-size products and 2 deluxe-size products finished up!

Big pat on the back for me!

Did you finish up any products?

Thanks for reading!


January 29, 2016

NOTD: January 29, 2016


This dazzling gold mani is butter London The Old Bill. I used butter London Nail Foundation as my base, 2 coats of The Old Bill and topped it off with Orly Top2Bottom.

I like this one! I don't do gold/bronze manis often enough!

What colours do you need to incorporate more of?

Thanks for reading!

January 18, 2016

The Bay Mini Beauty Haul!

Recently The Bay had 10-20% off all make-up items, being the hoarder that I am, I couldn't resist!


L to R: Si Giorgio Armani, Always Red Elizabeth Arden, Clinique Cheek Pop in Heather Pop, Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar

As everyone is raving about Clinique Cheek Pops I had to try it out for myself! Not only is it the prettiest blush I own, it lasts long and I love the earth-tone pink of Heather Pop! Win!

Did you pick up anything from The Bay recently?

Thanks for reading!

January 16, 2016

NOTD: January 16, 2016


This bright pink mani is Sephora by OPI Access 24/7 (from this haul) with Wet N' Wild Party of Five Glitters (from this haul).

I used NYC Matte Me Crazy as the base, 2 coats of Access 24/7 (as the nail line is still visible, I easily could've done 3), 1 coat of Party of Five Glitters and topped it all off with Orly Top2Bottom.

A fun mani and I think the colours went well together!

Thanks for reading!

January 12, 2016

NOTD: January 12, 2016


This smokey purple NOTD is 3 coats of Eve Snow London Alter Ego (from this haul). I used butter London Nail Foundation as my base and topped it with Orly Top2Bottom.

When I bought this I thought it would be more opaque, I'm not a huge fan of having to layer and layer nail polish (and I don't have the patience!), but it is pretty.

Do you have any smokey purple polish?

Thanks for reading!

January 10, 2016

NOTD: January 10, 2016


This fun NOTD is OPI Strawberry Margarita and Essie Suite Retreat (from this haul). I used butter London Nail Foundation as the base, as Suite Retreat had me worried about staining with it's vibrant blue hue (it didn't!), 2 coats of each Suite Retreat and Strawberry Margarita, and topped it off with Orly Top2Bottom.

Perfect brighten your day mani!

Thanks for reading!

January 08, 2016

January Winners Haul!

A recent trip around Winners had me snatch up the following polish!


L to R: Barielle Autumn in Seoul, Barielle Rain in Spain, Barielle Jess' Champagne Toast, Barielle Midnight in Paris, Barielle Taupe Notch, and Eve Snow London Alter Ego

I look forward to trying out these two new-to-me brands!

Did you pick up anything in the after-Christmas sales?

Thanks for reading!

January 06, 2016

My Fav NOTD from 2015

Keeping up with the theme of reflecting on 2015, I wanted to pick out my top 10 fav NOTDs from 2015! Again in order from oldest to newest!


Sephora Formula X A+ with nails inc. Old Bond Street (original post). Spunky and fun!


Glam Polish Isengard (original post). Love the name, love the colour, and the holo is breathtaking!


Deborah Lippmann It's Raining Men with Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow (original post). Super classy and can't believe it's a one coater!


Anna Sui Minnie Mouse 300 Nail Colour N (original post). Cute and sweet!


Wet N' Wild Cosmopolitan with butter London Jack the Lad (original post). Surprising that this throwback drugstore polish goes so well with a high end one!


Arcane Lacquer Erudite Charm (original post). Love the name and the combination here!


Sephora by OPI All That Jasmine with Sephora by OPI Havana Dreams with Sephora by OPI Your Wish Is My Command (original post). A super summery skittlette NOTD, plus Your Wish Is My Command has to be one of my favourite colours!


Deborah Lippmann Through The Fire (original post). Classic and elegant. Love.


Color Club Lady Holiday with nails inc. George Street (original post). Color Club Lady Holiday makes the Fav list again! I just love this grey polish, so versatile and understated!


Seche Nostalgic with Julep Judi (original post). Another one-coater makes the list! Vampy purples (or really purples of any kind) are usually my fav once the weather gets cold!

More indies, more single colour NOTDs, more variety in brands! I think 2015 NOTDs were pretty diverse if I do say so myself!

What was your favourite NOTD for 2015?

Thanks for reading!

January 04, 2016

December Empties!

Seeing as I missed (oops!) the November post, this empties is a bit super-sized!


Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes Oil-Free: I've changed my tune on these wipes since this review. While I still like the Neutrogena wipes better (see below), these are reasonably effective and don't sting or leave oil behind. Will repurchase if in desperate need (ie when my hoard is wiped out) and these are on sale compared to the Neutrogena wipes.

Ducray Elution Shampoo: See review here. Literally the only way to keep my dandruff under control.


Bond No 9 I Love New York For All: From this haul. Sephora describes this fragrance as notes of bergamot, muguet, pepper, coco, coffee beans, creamy chestnut, patchouli, vanilla, leatherwood, and sandalwood. This is a unisex fragrance, and for me it's very obvious. It's muskier than something I would buy for myself, but I like the hint of vanilla and bergamot. However, I'm not a patchouli fan, or a sandalwood fan for that matter. Would not repurchase.

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Black: This is an oldie. While I didn't technically use it up fully, the last time I sharpened it a huge chunk was caught in the built in sharpener, so I can no longer sharpen, and I know this is well over the recommended 2 year life (I've had this since high school at least). This was a reasonably creamy pencil, not as nice as my tarte or Urban Decay liners, but it did the job and didn't smudge. Will not repurchase because I have at least 9 other black eyeliners already on the go.


Neutrogena Make-Up Removing Cleansing Wipes Night Calming: Still my favourite make up wipe! See review here.

Cetaphil Acne Principles Gentle Foaming Cleanser: I prefer the Oily Skin Cleanser version to this one, as the foaming formula was a touch drying. Will not repurchase but will stick to the original!


Bath and Body Works Watermelon Lemonade Deep Cleansing Hand Soap: BBW describes the fragrance as watermelon and freshly squeezed Meyer lemon. Love! Perfect for summer! Would definitely repurchase, and I love this formula which is more forgiving on dry hands than a foaming formula.

Ducray Squanorm Shampoo: See review here. Still love!

What products did you use up in 2015?

Thanks for reading!