China Glaze Everglaze Polish in I Wanna Be Your Lava, French Press & Royal Satin

Gel-that-isn't-a-gel is a continuing nail trend, blending longer lasting formulas with super-glossy finishes for those who like the gel look but don't like the wear and tear that comes from bonding plastic onto your nails.  China Glaze's new Everglaze polishes are one of these faux-gels - they promise a week of solid wear, and a glossy finish.  I rarely have time to change my polish in the week nowadays, so something that'll last Sunday evening to Sunday evening sounds perfect for my regime.

First off, these three shades are gorgeously multi-tonal.  I Wanna Be Your Lava (pun-tastic) is a bright coral with a flash of fuchsia; French Press is a deep brownish grey with a flash of bronze; Royal Satin (my favourite!) is a rich, metallic berry which glows in the light.  Top marks for prettiness.  The range does come in some more subtle colours with cream finishes, too, but I'm really glad I received three of the more striking ones to try out.

And now, the wear time - does it really last a week?  Well, yes.  I get six days of solid wear with no chipping and barely noticeable tipwear, and on day seven I get a few tiny chips.  Impressive stuff.  Bear in mind that unlike a proper gel, this stuff isn't hardwearing if you're a bit clumsy with your hands - bang your nails into a surface, and it will chip.  Still, six days of wear with no chips suits my working week just fine - this polish is up there with Kiko's Power Pro for long wear.

At £9.95, they're not cheap, but they do perform exactly as promised.  Well worth a look if you like your nails to stay flawless during the working week with no maintenance.  You can find them at a couple of online retailers, including Nail Polish Direct, who are selling them below the RRP at £6.95.

Disclosure:  PR samples

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Long lasting, Rouge Noir dupe love: Kiko Power Pro Nail Lacquer in 15 Wine

I expressed my love for Kiko's Power Pro nail polishes a while ago, and I recently went out and bought four more shades to add to my collection - each in the dark red/purple spectrum I like so much - to carry me through the week without needing to re-do my manicure.  I used to enjoy a mid-week manicure, but I rarely find myself with a spare evening any more, so a polish that'll last through the whole week is essential.

I love Kiko's Power Pro because it lasts brilliantly well (this photo is from day 4), has a formula which gives a brilliantly shiny, opaque-in-two-coats finish, and the brush fans out wide enough to paint my fingernails in one stroke, and my thumb nails in two.  If you look very, very closely at the photo, you'll see that my nails are so shiny you can see the sky, my dining room, and my hair reflected in them.  Impressive stuff, particularly for the tiny price of £4.90 each.  If you need your nails to last, and you've not yet tried Power Pro - do it, do it now!

Disclosure:  Bought by me.

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Deborah Lippmann Autumn 2015 - Miss Independence & She Wolf

Deborah Lippmann makes really lovely, albeit really expensive, nail polishes.  She makes some of the most unique glitters you can find outside indie brands, and until recently, I wouldn't really consider buying non-glitter shades because they were all a bit, you know, normal.  The fall (or autumn, because darn it, we're British) shades she's launched, though...

I have two of them here - Miss Independence, a deep, vampy cool violet, and She Wolf, the only shade of greige/putty/taupe I've tried which doesn't immediately make my hands look zombie like.  Both are cool toned, slightly greyish in that way which looks a bit edgy without making them unflattering.  They wear like iron, too - six days a piece with no chips, and only the tiniest bit of tipwear creeping in at the end.

I'll enjoy wearing them all autumn long (and probably all winter long too).  At £16 each, they are undoubtedly expensive, but hey... if you love the colours as much as I do, treat yourself!

Disclosure:  PR samples

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Illamasqua Earth Collection - Nomadic Eyeshadow Palette, Ara Pure Pigment & Element Nail Varnish

Nomadic Eyeshadow Palette

Ara Pigment

Top: Ara Pigment; bottom: Nomadic Eyeshadow Palette

Element Nail Varnish

So, in the time it's taken me to write about Illamasqua's Earth collection for autumn 2015, they've gone and released a new one, Equinox.  And Alex Box has announced her departure from the brand. Oh well.

Earth is themed around, obviously, earth - the imagery is of mysterious eyed, veiled and turbaned ladies in a distinctly desert-like environment.  Since I've been reading the Martian recently, I've been imagining them on Mars, which is a little off piste, but fits in with the colour theme - warm, rich brick reds and oranges tempered with cool rock greys and beiges.

The Nomadic palette, £34, is the centre of the collection, and it's an interesting one - it boasts three matte shadows in shades of taupe grey (Solitude), green (Loam) and warm orange (Terra), and one shimmering pewter, Gravity.  As always, the eyeshadows are well pigmented and blend smoothly, with the mattes boasting not one jot of chalkiness.  Solitude, Loam and Gravity are much easier to wear, and I've had to take myself out of my comfort zone to find a good use for Terra - I suspect many others will feel the same.

My favourite part of the collection is the understated, shimmering taupe silver of the Pure Pigment in Ara, £17.  It's got such a beautiful rich shimmer, blends easily, and doesn't fall out too much if you pat rather than swipe it onto the lid.  It's also a perfect pairing for the more rich reds and pinks I wear on my lips during the autumn.  Element Nail Varnish (which has mysteriously disappeared from the Illamasqua website), £14.50, is also lovely, but I can't help but think I've seen this kind of low level metallic pewter polish somewhere before - it's not particularly unique.

All in all, there are some interesting elements in the Earth collection (see what I did there?) and my picks are the pigment and the palette in that order.  But there's something off here, and I can't quite put my finger on what it is - the quality of the products is high, as usual, but I think the overall tone is just a bit meh for a brand like Illamasqua.  Granted, it's less "safe" than some of their previous nude based collections, but it's not setting the world on fire.

And with Alex Box having now departed, I'm left wondering whether Illamasqua can survive as a mid-priced, game changing brand.  I guess we'll see what happens with the collections to come...

Disclosure:  PR samples

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BUY THIS NOW: KIKO Power Pro Nail Lacquer in 13, 02, 12

Kiko's new nail varnishes are simply stunning!  Power Pro Nail Lacquer is designed to give ultra shiny colour with a long wearing finish - Kiko are claiming up to seven days chip-free wear.  As well as that impressive wear time, they also boast a specially shaped brush and a smooth, easy to apply texture.

Unusually, much of the PR claims are true - the colours are beautifully shiny even without topcoat, the polish glides onto the nail smoothly, helped out by the fan shaped, densely bristled brush, and the wear time is excellent - with topcoat I get about six days before my nails start to chip, impressive given how hard working my hands are.

Alongside all this gloriousness, Power Pro lacquers also have an impressively dense amount of pigment in them - the swatches above are one coat on the red and the bright pink, and two on the pale pink.  The coverage is just brilliant - I can't remember the last time I was so impressed by a nail polish.

All this, and they only cost £4.90, and come in a wide range of 45 shades from brights to pretty neutrals.  I'll definitely be investing in a few more!  Find them at the Kiko website now.

Disclosure:  PR samples

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Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish in Blue Lagoon, Pink-tude & Palm Peach

These summer colours from Bourjois are perfect for warm weather - their soft, almost-pastel but slightly juicier shades are pretty and bright and probably look great with a tan.  Not that I can really prove that, being incapable of tanning myself.

Anyway, as usual, the 1 Seconde format means very quick application - the brush is wide and fans out to glide colour onto the nail perfectly smoothly in a single stroke.  They dry quickly, and are pretty shiny even without topcoat.  The nail wheel above is sporting two coats, and the colour is perfectly even and opaque.

Find them at Boots, for the usually bargain-tastic price of £5.99.

Disclosure:  PR samples

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Deborah Lippmann Earth Angel

Deborah Lippmann's Earth Angel is one of those nail polishes which looks a bit weird in the bottle, but distinctly lovely on the nail, particularly in the sun.  It's described as a dusty rose, but I think the key loveliness here is the cool, brownish beige tinge which makes this a medium pink which actually works beautifully on my pale, cool skin - it's understated without being boring, and there's a tiny hint of coppery shimmer which stops it from being entirely flat.

Because it's a Deborah Lippmann shade, it's expensive - £16!  It does apply beautifully, though, and the opacity is great - this is two coats.  It also lasted pretty well, going about five days on my nails before it started to chip.  Unfortunately it's a Harvey Nichols exclusive in the UK, and they don't seem to have put it online - you'll have to call if you don't live near a Harvey Nichols and you'd like to pick one up.

Disclosure:  PR sample

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L'Oreal Infallible Nail Polish in Scarlet Century and Rebel Blues

I usually hate double-ended nail polishes, finding them nearly impossible to apply smoothly because of the bulk and weight of the other end.  These L'Oreal Infallible Nail Polishes though, they're clever - they may appear double ended, but they're actually two normal sized L'Oreal nail polishes held together by a plastic middle.

The concept here is that you have one full colour shade and one tinted jelly shade - they can be used separately, or layered for maximum effect.  Alone, both full colour shades are gorgeous - Scarlet Century has that glowing from within thing going on, and Rebel Blues has a deep inkiness to it which isn't very summer, but is very pretty.

And here's the rub:  neither jelly polish really brings anything to the party.  At best, they're softly tinted clear polishes which can add a hint of colour to your nails if you're looking for a very soft jelly effect on your nails, and at worst they're a slightly tinted topcoat which adds nothing to the full colour shade.

Still, both the full colour and the jelly shades are beautifully smooth and easy to apply, and dry quickly.  And they're cheap at £7.99 for two shades.  But, y'know, unless you're expecting very little from the jelly shades, you may well be disappointed.

Disclosure:  PR sample

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Bourjois La Laque Nail Lacquer in 12 Ni Vernis Bleu

It's been a while since I posted about nail polish using my own nails, mostly because they've been a bit ragged in the cuticle area recently - I'm a bit stressed at work and can't stop nibbling.  So please excuse the cuticles here.  Cuticles aside, this is one of the best new nail polishes I've tried recently - it's got a thick, spreadable texture which gives you a smooth coating of colour quickly, and it wears like iron - I got five days out of this manicure with no wear at all, which is a long time for such a bright, clean turquoise with a cream finish/

The only downside is the shape of the bottle - it's got a lovely curved front with a triangular protrusion at the back, making it look somewhat like a wedge of cheese from the top (mmm, cheese).  It's certainly very stylish and attractive, but I found the cap pretty difficult to get a grip on, particularly given the super shiny, super smooth plastic.

Still, this is a great little polish, and it's launching in May with some really bright, popping summer shades.  And as usual for Bourjois, it's well priced, too - a mere £6.95 a bottle.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Models Own Colour Chrome

Chrome Indigo, Chrome Mauve, Chrome Cerise, Chrome Olive, Chrome Rose

Look at the finish on these!  Models Own's latest collection is called Colour Chrome, and it's supposed to give a liquid metal, chromed finish.  It absolutely delivers - each shade is beautifully metallic in a matte, glowing finish.  I've never seen anything quite like these shades - they're opaque in two coats and are the closest thing to a true chrome finish I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, that glorious chrome-ness comes at a price - your nails need to be in great condition, or every ridge and bump will show up, and as gorgeous as they are, you have to think of them as a one-night stand rather than a long term relationship.  Because the finish looks best without top coat, I've struggled to get more than a couple of days wear out of them before chips and tipwear sets in.

Small price to pay for a gorgeous finish, though, particularly for a big night out.  And talking of small prices, the Colour Chrome polishes cost just £4.99 each.  One thing to bear in mind is that the bottles are wrapped in chrome foil, so you can't really get any idea of the shades from the bottles - look up swatches online before you commit.  Find them now at Models Own's bottleshops, and online at their website.

Disclosure:  PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Lippmann-a-Like: BeautyBay The Collection Nail Polish

Left to right:  It's a Starry Sky on Wall Street, Champagne's Flowing on Hollywood Boulevard,
Fairy Lights Twinkle on Fifth Avenue

I didn't know BeautyBay did nail polish until these landed on my doorstep a little while ago.  And what nail polishes they are - for anyone who's a fan of Deborah Lippmann's complex glitter/shimmer finishes, these three are an absolute joy.  Particularly since they're a fraction of the price of a Lippmann polish at just £5 each (currently discounted to £2.50), with a 5-for-£9.95 deal making them even cheaper.

It's a Starry Sky on Wall Street has a black base with gold, copper and greenish gold glitter, with a smattering of very fine holographic particles.  It's opaque in two medium-thick coats and lasts for ages - I've worn it for a week before with only minor tipwear.  It's not all out flashy, but it is very interesting on the nail, and catches the light in a more subtle way than more twinkly glitters.

Champagne's Flowing on Hollywood Boulevard is one of those soft champagne golds which glows on the nail and isn't too yellow toned.  There's silver and gold glitter in there, and the overall effect is classy and pretty.  Application on this one is good, too, with no brush marks and wear time of around four days on my nails.

With it's multi-coloured glitter and clear base, Fairy Lights Twinkle on Fifth Avenue is similar to Deborah Lippman's iconic Happy Birthday, although it has more teeny-tiny glitter particles and less hexagonal glitter.  Best applied over a solid colour, this one - building it up to opaque glitter is difficult to do, and difficult to remove.

So there you have it.  Three gorgeous polishes, at a very reasonable price.  Have you tried BeautyBay nail polish yet?

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

A year in review: 2014's Killer Products

2014 has been a great year for beauty.  We've seen millions of variations on tubby pencils, micellar waters continue to be a big thing on the high street as well as from high end brands, and cleansing conditioners became king.

Over the year, I've declared a few truly excellent products BUY THIS NOW items, which conveniently makes it much easier for me to compile a review of them, and to reflect on whether they're still favourites.

The first stand out of the year, and the only nail polish to truly knock my socks off, was the rather beautiful Into the Night by Girlie Bits, an indie brand which makes the most stunning holographic and duochrome polishes.  I still wear it, and I still stare at my nails when I do.

On the hair side, I fell firmly in love with L'Oreal Elvive's Fibrology hair care, which promises and delivers thicker feeling hair.  I don't use the shampoo (it contains the dreaded colour-dulling sulphates) but the conditioner, serum and mask have all earned permanent places in my bathroom.  Perhaps the highest praise is that my husband uses them too, and chooses to repurchase the shampoo every time he runs out.

More recently, I tried out Bumble and Bumble's Blow Dry creams, and found that they really do help you get a smooth blow dry with minimal effort.  You only need a little bit, they make the hair super shiny, and they smell neutral to boot.  I'll be repurchasing the original Straight version when my sample is finished.

Macadamia's Flawless Cleansing Conditioner was one of the first widely available cleansing conditioners, and it's lightweight yet still nourishing formula cleans the hair beautifully, reduces blow dry time, and leaves the hair smooth and shiny.  Lovely it is, but it's perhaps telling that I've not repurchased it.

One product I completely failed to write about, but absolutely adore, is the Babyliss Big Hair.  The first couple of times I used it I managed to tangle my hair up rather impressively, but with a little practice this rotating brush has become my favourite way to style my hair.  Used on damp hair, it gives a shiny, bouncy blow dry which almost looks like a professional has done it.

These recently released Bourjois Mega Liner and Volume 1 Seconde mascara are still getting used virtually every day.  Intense black pigment, easy to use packaging and very reasonable pricing make this eye pairing a winner.

On the other end of the price scale, I found my Holy Grail waterproof mascara.  Clarins Truly Waterproof mascara stays put, wears like iron, and gives a very defined, voluminous look.  I've been through three repurchases since my sample ran out earlier this year.

Eyeshadow wise, there have been a lot of beautiful palettes I've fallen in love with this year, but this small, super-cheap palette from Makeup Revolution combines flattering shades, good pigmentation and excellent blendability with a teeny tiny price.

I'd heard of Amazing Concealer before, but hadn't quite appreciated the power of the tiny tube until I tried it.  The pigmentation is intense, and you only need the tiniest bit to erase dark circles and blemishes.  It's economical too - my tiny sample tube is still going strong.

Unsurprisingly, I found a handful of really good lip products this year.  My absolute favourite is this Sephora Give Me More Lip sampler, which contains seventeen products in mini sizes and a variety of shades and formats.  I still carry around a number of products from it at all times, and I really love the cute little lipsticks as well as the huge variety I got to try out from a single set.

Kiko's Unlimited Stylo lipsticks were a revelation in long-lasting matte at a budget price - at least 8 hours of wear combined with intense pigmentation made these gorgeous lipsticks an absolute winner for me.  Hibiscus Red, a pink-toned red, still lives in my makeup bag, and I get it out every time I want a power matte red which will last with no maintenance.

At the other end of the price scale, there's no doubt that Estee Lauder's Pure Color Sculpting Lipsticks are expensive at £24 a pop, but they're so beautiful.  Creamy in texture and with incredible pigmentation and impressive wear, they're luxurious, functional, and come in a very wide array of colours.

When Bourjois entered the fray with a matte liquid lipstick, the world sat up and took notice.  Rouge Edition Velvet are a range of easy to apply, beautifully soft matte liquid lipsticks which last well and are very easy on the wallet.  My favourite shade, Frambourjoise, has earned me many a compliment this year.

So that's it!  The cream of the products I've tried this year.  What have been your favourites?  Let me know in the comments!

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Enamel in Grey To Meet You and Glitterizer

Meet two new polishes for the Christmas season from Bourjois - bucking the usual festive themed colours, they've gone monochrome instead of red and green.  Grey To Meet You is a gloriously deep rich grey shade, and Glitterizer is full of flaky silver glitter which works beautifully well on top of Grey To Meet You for an edgy yet still sparkly nail look.

Both are from the 1 Seconde range, which means you get an excellent brush which spreads colour quickly and evenly across the nail.  You'll need two coats of Grey To Meet You for an opaque finish, and unfortunately Glitterizer isn't particularly smooth in the application - there's a bit of selective poking requires to get the glitter evenly distributed across the nail.

Find them at the usual Bourjois stockists for £5.99 each.

Disclosure: PR samples

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Models Own Disco Pants in Roxy, Paradise Garage and Studio 54

Studio 54, Paradise Garage, Roxy

Roxy, Paradise Garage, Studio 54

Ah, Models Own, that's more like it.  After the promise of super-bling nails from the Diamond Luxe collection, which never quite delivered, it's refreshing to find a new collection which delivers on everything it promises.  And which has a cool name.  Disco Pants, how much cooler can you get?

The Disco Pants collection promises, pretty much, to look like your nails are wearing disco pants.  If your eyes have been spared these in-your-face trousers, I can tell you that they're satin textured, stretchy wet look trousers which I would never wear, because they'd highlight every bump of cellulite on my arse.  Anyway - as with the notorious pants, this nail polish promises a pearlescent, metallic finish and smooth application with no cellulite emphasis at all.

And they deliver.  Studio 54, the bright, almost neon-glowing-pink of the bunch, looks almost exactly like some disco pants, and the emerald green of Paradise Garage comes close but suffers from brush marks thanks to its slightly more metallic finish.  Roxy doesn't really look like disco pants at all, but I'm prepared to forgive it, because it's glowing, purple/blue/gold glass fleck finish is very, very pretty indeed.

As usual, these little glowing beauties are £4.99 (much cheaper than disco pants).  Find them at the Models Own website.

Disclosure:  PR samples.  Was not wearing disco pants whilst writing post, promise.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Models Own Diamond Luxe Polishes in Oval Plum, Emerald Green and Radiant Pink

So, it's taken me quite some time to get round to reviewing these Models Own polishes, due to my nails being in a pretty terrible state, which led to me buying some nail wheels for swatching, and unfortunately not noticing that they would come from China, which led to a four week wait.  Ahem.

Anyway, I now have some nail wheels, so you're spared my splitting, peeling nails and my bitten cuticles, and can focus just on the prettiness of the polish.  In this case, the polish is indeed pretty - albeit a more subtle kind of pretty than I was expecting.  Models Own's recent Diamond Luxe collection contains "real diamond dust" for a "completely unique, multi-dimensional super-sparkly finish".  And that's where I'm unconvinced - the sparkle is definitely there, but it's subtle, appearing more as a slight glow than anything "super sparkly".

Unfortunately I think Models Own have talked me out of this in the way they've marketed these polishes - if they'd said Diamond Luxe meant a lit-from-within finish with a subtle sparkle, I might have been tempted to buy a few more.  If you tell me something is super sparkly, though, and it's not, then I'm not going to be anything other than a little disappointed.

If you're looking for subtle, glowingly sparkly polishes in a myriad of jewel tones, give Diamond Luxe a try.  If you're looking for multi-dimensional super-sparkly finishes, you're probably best off looking elsewhere.  Still, at least they cost the same as the regular range - £5 is still a reasonable price to pay for a well pigmented, smooth application polish, super-sparkly or not.  

Disclosure:  PR sample

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Urban Decay Limited Edition Pulp Fiction Collection

Urban Decay have released a limited edition collection inspired by Pulp Fiction - to mark the 20th anniversary of the film's release.  I can't believe it's been 20 years - although I do remember quite clearly being around 13, bringing the video home, and my Mum immediately switching it off when we got to the shooting up scene.

Anyway - the collection may be emblazoned with Pulp Fiction, but it's really about Mrs Mia Wallace, the film's feisty front woman.

NOTD: Illamasqua Melange

Illamasqua's latest collection, Once, has a distinctly vintage theme, and the sole nail polish within that collection is absolutely glorious.  Melange is a dusty, muted duck egg blue with plenty of burnished golden bronze micro glitter, and it somehow manages to look antique. I think it's the combination of the faded colour and the slightly tarnished, rusty shade of the glitter.

Anyway, musings about colour aside, I've only got a single coat on in the photos above.  I was being a bit lazy when I applied it, and I was unsurprised to find that like most Illamasqua polishes, this one has great opacity, and is smooth and thick enough that it virtually applies itself.

At £14.50, Illamasqua polishes certainly aren't cheap, but they tick so many boxes for me (outstanding application, unique colours, decent wear, good texture) I'll always be prepared to part with my cash in exchange for them, and Melange is no exception.  Find it now at the Illamasqua website.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

NOTD: Max Factor Gel Shine Lacquer in Glazed Cobalt

Many brands are bringing out polishes which go one step closer to a gel manicure without the LED curing and difficult removal, and Max Factor's latest release, Gel Shine Lacquer, is one of them, promising gel-like shine, and super long wear - 7 days to be exact.

The colour I'm wearing above is Glazed Cobalt, a brilliant blue with a cream finish.  It applied like an absolute dream - two coats, almost fully opaque after the first, with a consistency which is perfectly spreadable and pigmented without being gloopy.  I found that it dries a little more slowly than some polishes in my collection, which led to a few air bubbles as I didn't leave long enough between coats.

I wish it lived up to it's long wearing claims - I found that it chipped rather badly at the edges of my nails after a mere three days.  Perhaps combined with a sticky base coat it would last longer, but alone it doesn't quite cut the mustard.

Max Factor's new Gel Shine Lacquers are available at Boots, where they cost £6.99 each.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

NOTD: Models Own Pear Drops

Models Own are releasing a mini-collection of scented polishes themed around sweets - particularly, retro sweets like pear drops, cola bottles, and rhubarb and custard.  Yum.  The rather gloriously summer appropriate coral shade above is Pear Drops - and even without the scent, it's gorgeous - full of glass flecks which catch the light prettily but aren't quite obvious shimmer or glitter.  You'll need three coats for a completely opaque application, although I suspect I could have gotten away with two.

As for the scent, I found it a bit on the faint side. I sniffed my nails fairly constantly after application, and as the nose-burningly nail polish smell disappeared, I got a gentle whiff of pear drops - just like the sweets, yes, but pretty a pretty subtle version which disappeared completely after a few hours.

You'll find Pear Drops, along with it's sparkly cousins Rhubarb and Custard and Fizzy Cola Bottles, and it's cream cousins Liquorice and Gumballs, at the Models Own website now.  Each polish will cost you a very reasonable £4.99.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.