Mermaid Gift Guide Vol. 02

Ah, I've been waiting since October to bring this post to you guys! With Christmas slowly, but surely, approaching you may be wondering what to get the mer-folk obsessed, ocean inspired, glitter lovers in your life. Well don't worry, because I've got you covered with the second volume of my mermaid gift guide! You can check out last year's gift guide here ❄ Volume 1 ❄ I still highly recommend everything on that list as well (if you can still get your hands on them), and as a mermaid myself, I know I'd love to receive anything on either of these lists! Also, if you hadn't noticed, I've gotten rid of the Blogmas title for reasons you have probably guessed. This'll now put less pressure on me to blog I think, haha! The festive wrapping paper will still be present for the holly jolly season. Anyway, on with the gift guide!

Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, & Lore by Skye Alexander ($13.64)

If you know anyone who's a fan of mermaids, I can guarantee that they'll love receiving this book! It tells you anything and everything you've ever wanted to know about mermaids in mythologies and how their appearance and personalities were portrayed by different cultures. The book is fairly simple to read so it's a completely enjoyable experience to learn about how some mermaids drowned men because they wanted to keep them forever, haha. Absolutely brilliant gift idea that you can find at Barnes N' Noble or even Amazon!

Disney Collection x Sephora Set the Mood Compact Mirror ($20)

Any Disney or The Little Mermaid fan would appreciate this. It's a gorgeous compact, which I've actually reviewed in depth here with loads of pictures, that Sephora released early this fall as a part of their final installment of the Disney Collection. It features Ariel and Eric in a boat on the lake during the ever so lovely "Kiss the Girl" scene. These sold like hot cakes when released but don't fret because although you can't get them on Sephora.com, a lot of Sephora's still have this compact available to purchase! Check around a bit before hitting up eBay!

NARS Blush in Sex Appeal ($29)

You don't have to love mermaids or all things sparkly to appreciate this blush. It's a gorgeous soft peach that gives such a natural flush to the cheeks, one that I think any mermaid would have. Or maybe not, actually. Haha, I'm always torn between thinking mermaids look absolutely natural or are covered head to tail in scaly glitter. Regardless, this would be a lovely gift for a makeup/blush lover on your list!

BlackMilk Mermaid Chameloen Leggings ($72)

Are these not the raddest looking leggings you've ever seen? Just, what?! They're so cool, I don't even know how to properly describe their amazingness. Granted, they're expensive, and I feel like these would be a gift you'd gift yourself if anything. This is probably the closest us mer-folk crazed folks will get to feeling like mermaids without shelling out for an actual tail, haha! It'd be a great gift, and I'm kicking myself for not asking for these for the holidays!!

Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in Mermaid's Eyes ($19)

Last year, I recommended Deborah Lippmann's most perfectly mermaid nail polish Mermaid's Dream and since then she's released even more mermaid goodness with an entire collection of mermaid themed polishes. Any of the polish's would be fantastic gifts but Mermaid's Eyes was my favorite of the bunch with the blue base and slight yellow/green undertones!

Pandora Mermaid Charm ($35)/Alex and Ani Mermaid Charm Bangle ($28)

I've done an entire post on my Pandora charm and talked about how sentimental I think charm bracelets  are. The Mermaid Charm would be a great addition or start to any merfolk lovers' bracelet. If not the Pandora charm, then def. take a look at the Alex and Ani Mermaid Charm Bangle. It's cheaper, and a bit less loud. I absolutely love wearing mine around :)

Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Gloss in Bellini ($24)

Sparkle in the form of a non-sticky lipgloss? Yes, I'll take it! I'm sure if there's someone on your list that enjoy's the sparkly things in life will greatly appreciate receiving this lipgloss in their stockings, perhaps? It's got the shiny gloss and the lovely golden pink shimmers without any of the gooey messiness that is usually associated with lip gloss! 

Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Intro(Vert) ($25)

Last but not least, this gorgeous emerald eyeliner. When a brand describes a color as "mermaid green with shimmer" there's no way you pass that up in the store! The liner is creamy and smooth and the color is just gorgeous! Green eyeliner may not be everyone's cup of tea, but given to the right person, an emerald line with shimmer (*razzle dazzle*) will be greatly appreciated!

Blogmas Day 11 ❄ Festive Lip Smackers

Blogmas Day 11! Today's post is on my very merry, and most festive lipsticks! I say this all the time but lipsticks are my IT piece of makeup. It's the one piece of makeup that I can never have enough of. So when the holidays roll around and family parties start hopping it gives me so much more reason to pull out some bold colors! These five lipsticks are shades I reach for myself all the time around the holiday season and I think they are great colors for the autumn/winter. It's a great mix of vampy berries, bright reds, and fun fuchsia's! 

• MAC Show Orchid | A gorgeous pink and purple infused lipstick that MAC sells online or at their Pro stores. This is a lipstick that screams summer but is so much fun to wear any time of the year. It's bright and whimsy but def. not obnoxiously so! Orchid is going to be the color of the year for 2014 so you know it's a good pick!
• YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 5 Fuschia in Excess | This lipstick is really similar to MAC's Show Orchid but it's got a smidge more of red and berry tones. Think of it as MAC Show Orchid's older and more mature sister. YSL lipsticks are super luxurious and the color glides on like a dream. 
• MAC Hang Up | Everyone loves a vampire-esque lip color to wear during the fall and MAC's Hang Up is my favorite. This formula of MAC's lipstick is nourishing so you can rock the dark lip without having to worry about dry/flakey patches showing up. It's also got that kick of plum in it so if you're a bit intimidated by dark colors this one will be a lot easier to pull off!
• TopShop Rio Rio | A bit different from your average red- this one is a bright orangey-red that's perfect for those looking to be a bit more daring with their lipstick choices. It's a color you'd normally think to wear in the summer, but the heck with rules, wear it anyway. Plus, this one from TopShop is long lasting, matte, and smells delicious! It's a show stopper, for sure!
• MAC RiRi Woo | A matte, blue based red for the holidays? How revolutionary, Jess, truly. I know, I know, but WE ALL need one, there's no denying it. It's classy, sophisticated, and totally a confidence booster. The holidays wouldn't be the same without one ;D

What are your most festive lipsticks?

Blogmas Day 06 - 10 ❄ What the Heck Happened to Blogmas?

Why, hello there everyone! Let's cut to the chase, Blogmas has not been it's most successful as of late and I am to take full responsible for that. I trucked through Blogmas Day 05 and after that I got a wee bit lazy and as soon as I felt the blog mojo coming back I got sick. I don't know what I got sick with but I couldn't eat or breathe out my nose and my anxiety went through the roof. I think I've tried to write one particular post about 5 times and each time I fell asleep. I even wrote that into the post and then fell asleep typing mid sentence. I promise you, I wasn't all there, haha. I am starting to feel a bit better. This is the first day since last week that I haven't felt completely sorry for myself and just laid in bed napping. I actually thought about calling it quits on Blogmas because I just missed so many days and it didn't look like I was getting any better, but I don't like leaving things unfinished! So I'll leave today's post as an update. I've been busy with work and then got sick as a dog (where does that expression come from?) but Blogmas will continue tomorrow! I'm gonna get on replying to comments on posts from maybe a month ago now because I've been completely rubbish at that. I don't know why I've been feeling so lazy but I've got my go-go juice (*high five* toddlers and tiaras reference) and I'm ready to get back into it!

How have you all been? Are your Blogmas' going smoother than mine? I hope so!

Blogmas Day 05 ❄ LUSH Bombardino

Blogmas Day 5! The greatest thing about the weather getting colder is that there's way more opportunities for warm and relaxing baths. This also means I get to spend a lot more time at LUSH and pouring over all of their new holiday products. I got LUSH's Bombardino's on a cheeky little visit a month ago when my cousins came to visit from Canada. I was going to pick up one (the perfect one) but ended up finding two of LUSH's most adorable little bath bombs. He smells really sweet, almost like cake (LUSH says "cheesecake") and then there's the slightest hint of citrus (LUSH says "lemon" haha) Bombardino smells as cute as he looks with the frothy white hat and chocolate chip eyes, that disintegrate completely in the bath! I don't have any pictures of the bath because the water looked liked melted butter and I'm not sure that's what you all would like to say, haha. It is one of LUSH's more moisturizing bath bombs and I'm just now realizing that the scent is still lingering on my skin 3 hours after my bath (and a good scrub down with Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush shower gel) So that's a really neat aspect if you find yourself really liking the scent! The soft and sweet scents makes this guy great for a before bed bath. I know it took a lot for me to get out of the bath, get prepped for bed, edit the picture and right out this post, haha! Def. a bath bomb you need to check out before it's gone after the holiday season. Bombardino is adorable, smells delicious, and will have you ready for bed in moments!

Blogmas Day 04 ❄ My Winter Scent

Blogmas Day 4 ... and I'm already falling behind! It's technically the fifth day of Blogmas (it's actually the fifth day, haha) but working until midnight leaves no room to write. So instead, today there'll be two  posts, up super late, but still there! Loophole? Yes, but let's go with that, haha. Today's post is going to be about my 'winter' scent. I'm not one to have certain scents for every season but I've been reaching for this one a lot (at least I was until I bought the One Direction One Moment perfume, haha!) I've had Dior's Miss Dior Cherie for about a year (they're already redesigned the bottle!) and it's unlike any perfume I've ever bought. I'm usually the type to go for the more fruity and sweet scents, or as the perfume industry describes 'flirty' scents. Miss Dior Cherie has notes of blood oranges, neroli, rose, and patchouli. It kind of smells like a hug, if that makes any sense, haha. The notes are strong, yet inviting and very warm (if you could smell it you'd know what I mean!) I don't like wearing this in the summer time unless I'm going somewhere at night with family or friends. It's one of those perfumes you save for special occasions and since the winter is full of them, it's perfect! I love that the bottle is just clear glass with a simple bow on the cap. It makes it look elegant and somewhat romantic as it sits on display with other perfumes! This is the Eau de Toilette which means the scent is a bit softer and doesn't last as long, but if you find yourself really like the scent I'd recommend getting the Eau de Perfume because it'll be stronger and last much longer. I know scents are quite personal to everyone so I'm not sure if I could recommend it you all, but I would recommend giving it a whiff if you ever see it! You might discover a new gem :)

What's your go to scent in the winter?

Blogmas Day 03 ❄ Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover

Blogmas Day 3! Today's post is a review that is way over due. It's a review on the Sephora Collection Instant Nail Polish Remover and am I ever so glad to finally be writing this review. Sephora's Instant Nail Polish Remover is an unconventional method of removing nail polish, but it's nothing new to nail junkies. As the bottle states "it's magic!" Inside the bottle, once you've unscrewed the cap, is a gigantic piece of foam soaked in nail polish remover, which has a tiny space in the middle. Basically, all you do is stick one finger at a time into the bottle (which looks as dirty as it sound when you do it, but whatever, haha) hold it for about 10 seconds giving the bottle a few twists here and there, then when you pull your finger out, tada, it's completely sans nail polish! You can take off an entire manicure within about 45 seconds! It's absolutely great for anyone who likes to change up their nail polish colors frequently and once you've got this in your possession it seriously encourages you to do so more often, haha. I do have to mention that after a few months, depending on the polish colors you've been removing, it starts to get really dirty in there and then your fingers end up coming out colored (although surprisingly, the polish on your nails still manages to disappear, haha) It takes a few months for that to happen depending on how frequently you use it but it's only $9.50 per bottle so you're not really breaking your bank. Also, one last thing, even though I'd love to end on a high note, it's rubbish at removing glitter polishes. It'll remove all the base color and the color off the glitters themselves, but for bigger chunks, they'll stay put and take much longer to remove. So do I think this is worth getting? Absolutely. It's not a pricey product that's very effective at doing what it says and removing all types of polishes. Is it a bit more difficult with glitters, sure? But what would glitter polishes be if not difficult to remove, haha! It's def. worth looking into and if not this one in particular, I'm sure many brands make an instant nail polish remover like this!

What's your favorite way to remove nail polish? How often do you change it up?

Blogmas Day 02 ❄ All Wrapped Up

Blogmas Day 02! Today's post is going to be dedicated to a holiday tradition my sister and I fight over every single year, without fail- the wrapping of the gifts. There's something about wrapping things up and sealing them with a bow that brings out our competitive edge. We call dibs on wrapping certain gifts like normal people call shot gun. Although, granted, she is a lot better at wrapping then I am, it's still loads of fun to do and it's almost therapeutic deciding which gift gets what shiny and fun wrapping and which colored bow goes on top. It really puts me in that holly jolly mood. My family used to never be big on buying tons of different patterns of wrapping besides the standard 'Hanukkah' and 'Happy Holiday' wrapping, but this year was different - we finally ran out of all the blasted paper which meant I had to run to Target and pick up some new ones. Sure, I was only supposed to pick up some Hanukkah wrapping paper (which by the way, they seriously need to increase their selection of) but as soon as I stumbled over to the shiny and glitteryness that was the holiday gift wrap I couldn't resist ooh-ing and ahh-ing at it all. I also couldn't resist these festive Mickey wrapping papers, one of which you'll see a lot of during Blogmas as it makes for a great background, haha! I didn't think there could be anything more fun than gift wrapping during the holidays, but I was wrong! I think next year I'll leave the proper gift wrapping to my sister if I can be the one to go out and buy the supplies every year. My sister has already called dibs on wrapping up the last of our gifts, so I'll just anticipate the opening of said gifts, haha! Also, as a note to myself for next year: more glitter and metallics for sure! Oh, and much bigger bows! 

Do you enjoy all that is gift wrapping as much as I do? Where are you favorite places to buy gift wrap supplies?

Blogmas Day 01 ❄ Holiday Wishlist 2013

Seeing as it's December 1st, it's time to officially welcome you all The Mod Mermaid's second year of Blogmas! If you're unfamiliar with Blogmas, it's basically very similar to the YouTube version of Vlogmas, only instead of vlogging everyday until Christmas, I'm going to blog! Yup, every day for the next twenty five days you'll get a brand-spanking-new post popping up in your feeds! I hope you're all looking forward to it because I know I am, especially after not having blogged much this past month!

I decided to kick things off with a good ol' fashion wishlist post and these are some products I'm dying to get my hands this holiday season (two of which I've already received because my holidays started a bit earlier than most- thank you, Hanukkah) I'm surprised at how short my list is this year. I never expect everything on my list, but usually it's a big one. Anyway, let's see what I'm lusting for this holiday!

• Make Up For Ever Everlasting Eyeliners Set | It's seriously no secret that MUFE eyeliners are my favorite pencils. They're creamy enough to not tug at the eye and stay put until you've gone at it with a makeup remover. This set would be perfect because it comes with three full size pencils and three mini pencils for just $39 which is such a steal I'm surprised I haven't caved an bought it myself. There's a nice mix of everyday colors and a couple of colorful ones to spice things up.
• One Direction Our Moment Perfume | Now, okay, I'm not the biggest One Direction fan but this perfume smells delicious! It's sweet, fun, and girly- everything I could want in a perfume so I'd really like to gift this to myself. I sometimes forget that just because I'm 20 doesn't mean I can't wear the fun and fruity scents!
• Pandora Winter Mittens Charm | Around the holiday's is when I really like to receive charms for my pandora bracelet. Out of all the winter charms this one was by far the cutest with the two little mittens linked together and red hearts on the front, and I'd love for it to be on my bracelet. There's a lot of blue and not nearly enough red so it should tie in together quite nicely!
• Michael Kors Large Selma Satchel | *drools* Okay, as of one I made this wishlist, this was one of the things I dreamt about receiving as a gift. I tried hard to save up for it but my mom beat me to it and actually gifted this to me on Hanukkah. It's gorgeous and absolutely everything I wanted it to be. It's like my little baby now and I'm so thankful to have this be one of the gifts that I've received from this list!
• Urban Outfitter's PomPom Beanie | I loooooooove me a bauble hat. Seriously, is there anything more exciting than a beanie with a bauble? I loved that the beanie was white with the small black hearts on it because it made the hot pink bauble really pop. The hat fit my head so nicely that I almost didn't mind the $30 price tag and bought it on the spot. Unfortunately my sister pulled me out of there before I could whip out my credit card, BUT she did end up gifting this to me for Hanukkah. The sneaky little devil ;D

That's all that's on my list this year! There's really not a lot I want this year and it's not because there isn't anything good. I'm just starting to appreciate the gift of just having someone willing to give you a gift. Also, money is always a really good gift that I've come to appreciate. I know some people think it's a bit unthoughtful to give someone cash, but HEY! you can always buy yourself something that you want with that moolah (or pay off some bills- that's always a lovely gift, haha) So now I want to know ...

What's on your holiday wishlist this year?

Benefit | gimmeBrow

*waves sheepishly* Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good start to your week. It's been a bit quiet over on this little edge of the web, hasn't it? Truth be told, I've been majorly distracted with working (then sleeping) and I've been trying to read more so the computer has been pushed to the side. I'm also getting ready for Blogmas next month so I guess the thought of blogging every day will make up for my lack of posts this month. At least that's how I figure it, haha!

Anyway, today's post is going to be about a new and completely unexpected favorite product of mine: Benefit's gimmeBrow. I'm not one to ever mess with eyebrows by filling and shaping them because sometimes it can look really unnatural if you don't do it right and adding another meticulous step to my makeup routine just wasn't for me. But when I saw this guy at the Benefit + Birchbox event I went to a while back, I figured why not give it a try? (Mostly because I had to buy something anyway and brow products are something that are non-existent in my collection) gimmeBrow is a "brow-volumizing fiber gel" which is meant to stick to hair and skin to quickly and easily create lush brows. The product itself is quite small, almost the size of my middle finger. It comes with an easy to use applicator with a small spooly on the end that holds the fibers and picks up the product. It's a bit off putting to see how small it all is, but you really don't need to use a lot and the small spooly makes it easier to be precise when you're filling in or just giving some shape to your eyebrows. The formula is wet like a brow gel usually is, but it dries within a minute so you have time to play around with everything before it sets. I love the effect it gives because it's the most natural looking eyebrow look I've ever gotten from a brow product. You wouldn't even guess that I did my brows but they look a bit more defined, darker, and definetely shaped. It's def. not a product you'd want to pick up to create BOLD looking brows, but it is great to add a little natural oomph. I find myself reaching for this guy a lot when I go to do my makeup and it takes no time at all. Just a few brushes through my eyebrows and et voila, they're done! It's $22 for the little tube with 0.1 oz of product but I've been using it religiously for a month now and it still seems to be full and the gel hasn't dried out, so that's great! I'm not sure if I'll buy it again when I run out even though I do love it, but we'll have to see! If you can justify the slightly expensive price and want a brow product that's quick, easy, and gets you the natural effect you want, I'd def. give Benefit's gimmeBrow a go!

 What are you favorite brow products?

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NARS | Guy Bourdin One Night Stand

First, there was the Danmari blush palette that sold like super hot hotcakes. Now, NARS bring to us another stellar blush palette in collaboration with Guy Bourdin. Sure, I'm sad I missed out on the Danmari, but the NARS One Night Stand palette is exponentially better. Buckle your seat belts because this is going to be a rave review like you won't believe! One Night Stand is a cheek palette that's got you covered with 0.14 oz of four blushers, a bronzer, and a highlighter.

• Devotee Highlighter (highlight glow)
• Mistinguette Blush (bubblegum pink)
• Deep Throat Blush (flirty sheer peach)
• Laguna Bronzer (diffused brown with golden shimmer)
• Orgasm (peachy pink with gold shimmer)
• Goulue Blush (medium pink)

A regular sized NARS blush will run you $29 for 0.16 oz. This cheek palette costs $65 and each pan carries just 0.02 oz less product, but let's be real, how many blushes have you hit pan on? I know I haven't yet, haha! So you get six cheek products for the price of about three which in my eyes is such a steal! The pigmentation of these is not even a topic of discussion- it's amazing. Just enough pigmentation to leave you with the desired color on your cheeks without being able to go over board. The texture is very smooth, finely milled and not at all chalky. You get a nice variety of colors so it doesn't feel like the shades are overly similar. In the Danmari palette they had Orgasm and Super Orgasm which, who really needs both? My favorite is Mistinguette, which is such a lovely bright yet pale cheek color. It makes no sense until you see it on, haha. The packaging, as always with NARS, is the classic black with rubberized case and the large NARS letters with a splash of red to display 'Guy Bourdin's' name. Absolutely love, love, LOVE it. The packaging will no doubt get a bit dirty in time, but I quite like it, shows a bit of love <3 The whole One Night Stand palette is a just a smidge smaller than the whole of my hand, but it'd be perfect for traveling and has seriously got you covered for any event your cheeks may attend, haha. 

So, final verdict? I think it's a great palette overall! You're getting a great array of shades, with stellar pigmentation, for an amazing price. It's something that should be on every beauty junkie's wishlist, I think. This would also make a great gift for any makeup/cheek product crazed person on your list! If you can get your hands on it, I'd say go for it, without hesitation. I can almost guarantee you'll be sorry if you didn't!

What do you think of the One Night Stand palette? Has it made your Holiday wishlist?

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Aurora | Once Upon A Dream

Happy Friday, to all! It's been a while, but I'm finally back with my Disney Princess series! I've been sick all week, but it's been far too long and I needed to get back in the swing of this series! If you're new to my blog (there are a few newbies, so hello!) my Disney Princess series is basically a series in which I take inspiration from one Disney princess and create an eye/makeup look! I've already done six other princesses Snow White, Rapunzel, Kida, Belle, Cinderella, and Ariel, so make sure to check those out by clicking on each respective princess! Today is the seventh installment and I bring to you Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. I'll be honest, this is the princess I had a hard time with finding inspiration. I really loved the concept of the "make it pink, make it blue" when the fairies were fighting over the color of Aurora's dress, but I couldn't find a way to make it not seem like a baby shower on my eyes. I wasn't very inspired by Aurora and all I could think was natural, natural, natural because she's a probably the most natural beauty. So I took the theme of natural and actually ended up using blushers as eyeshadows to create a pretty pink gradient. My sister said it looked like my Rapunzel look, but I think this one is more subdued and natural (*take a shot every time I say natural) I really like it and can actually see myself wearing this to work, sans the glitter of course, haha. I may redo her one day, although I am quite pleased with the finished look ... and the tiara ;D Here's what I used:

On the eyes:

• Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer Potion
• Urban Decay Venus Eyeshadow
• NARS Devotee Blush
• NARS Devotee Blush
• NARS Mistinguette Blush
• NARS Goulue Blush
• Urban Decay Mushroom Eyeshadow
• Lit Cosmetics California Soul Glitter
• ULTA Automatic Eye Liner in Raisin
• YSL Badydoll Mascara

On the face

• NARS Sheer Glow Foundation
• NARS Mistinguette Blush/Benefit Devotee Blush
• Benefit gimmeBrows Brow Gel
• MAC Venus Lipstick

Which Disney Princess inspires you the most?

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LUSH | Abombinall

If you've seen my latest LUSH Haul post you'll know that I recently bought this adorable ball of bath. It's LUSH's Abombinball bath bomb that's meant to look like the Abominable Snowman (although he looks more cute than abominable ;) ) He's available both in the States ($6.95) and the UK (£4.10) but this year it's a retro (online exclusive) product, which is such a shame because he's fantastic and deserves to be on the shop floors surrounded by his other yeti-friends. Abombinaball smells of peppermint and hints of vanilla, which is so soothing after a long day. When you plop him in the bath he fizzles for a bit until the faster fizzing bath bomb inside is exposed and he starts (slowly, but surely) zooming across the tub. I'd suggest adding bubbles after he's all fizzled out so you can really see him run! He leaves a white frothy trail over gorgeous blue water. I've forgotten how conditioning LUSH bath bombs were supposed to be but this one did a fantastic job of reminding me. When you step into the bath the water feels silky and soft, and your skin feels smooth in seconds. I know it's more 'bang for your buck' when you split LUSH's bath products into halves, but I always love the whole experience of LUSH's baths so I chucked him all in. Just know that even though Abombinaball is a more pricey bath bomb, he can be rationed, even though I didn't ;) This guy was a favorite of mine back in Holiday 2011 and I've just been reminded how amazing he is. I really wish they would have brought him to the stores, as I love him and it'd be easier to get a hold of 20 more, but I'm glad I did snatch one up when I did!

Is there a bath bomb you can't bear to ration? Are you on your way to order up a couple of doxen Abombinball's? :)

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