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InStyle / Alli Waataja
For makeup lovers, an eyeshadow palette is like a box of chocolates — they’re full of exciting different treats, it’s hard to know where to start, and you can never have just one. This is especially the case with nude eyeshadow palettes. They're a staple in makeup kits and daily routines around the world for the rainbow of flattering neutrals, from creams to caramels to deep espressos, they offer, meaning that one palette provides all the shades you'll need to create a natural eye look full of shadowy dimension from start to finish.
But don't be fooled by the simplicity of these pared-down neutral palettes because they're anything but basic. With a range of brown hues in matte and shimmer finishes that you can blur and blend together, these nude palettes are the key to mastering the soft glam look without harsh lines or heavy layers of shadow. And who could forget about their very best quality? The unbeatable versatility of a truly excellent neutral eyeshadow palette means you can easily take a natural daytime look to happy hour with your friends with a bit of liner or a dramatic flick of one of the palette's deeper shades. All you need are a few great eyeshadow brushes.
Best Overall
Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: There are a variety of shade options in this palette to suit a wide range of complexions and the buttery pigment blends beautifully.
What We Don't Love: We do wish there were one or two soft shimmer shades for an accent.
These days, it’s rare to find a nude eyeshadow palette that is versatile enough for a spectrum of undertones, but this one truly delivers. That’s why it’s a favorite of celebrity makeup artist Jenny Patinkin. “The Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Palette is very clever because it has a row of warm colors and a row of cool colors," she says. "Plus, with two cream colors, you get the ultimate in mix-and-match options.”
Though matte powders often have a reputation for being dry or hard, which limits color payoff, you won’t experience that from this palette. These shadows are very silky and soft, gliding over the skin to deliver an impressive intensity and blending with ease. The set is special because in addition to 10 powder shadows, there are two deep-hued cream formulas (one black, one brown) that can be used as a base, eye contour, or liner for even more oomph. While the matte textures are all flawless, we do wish there were shimmer options for inner eye highlight.
Finishes: Cream, matte｜Shades: 12｜Size: Jumbo
Best Budget
ColourPop Shadow Palette in Stone Cold Fox
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ColourPop
What We Love: This palette is both massive and affordable.
What We Don't Love: It’s best for those with cool undertones.
ColourPop is recognized for its high-quality formulas at budget-friendly prices, and according to Patinkin, you really can’t beat this palette. “ColourPop makes amazing nude palettes in a ton of different colorways and at very affordable prices,” she says. “You can experiment to your heart's content with these without breaking the bank.”
This one is her go-to, and we can see why. It offers a whopping 30 pots in light to dark shades, metallics and mattes, and they boast full opacity in one rich, blendable swipe. All of the shades feature cooler undertones, which will predominantly flatter neutral and cool complexions, regardless of how fair or deep your skin may be. However, if you have very warm skin, you may not like how these shades read on you. No big deal — ColourPop has other options for you, including the warm-toned Bare Necessities palette.
Finishes: Metallic, matte｜Shades: 30｜Size: Jumbo
Best Splurge
Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Eyeshadow Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: The shadows boast a very luxe formula that makes this palette worthy of the price point.
What We Don't Love: The shade range may not be ideal if you want to create a more dramatic look on deeper skin.
Celebrity makeup artist Ashley Rebecca swears by Tom Ford’s shadow palettes, including this one, De La Créme. “I use this often when I want to create nude shadow looks with dimension,” she says. Each of the four shades come in a different finish: Sheer sparkle, satin, shimmer, and matte. Additionally, each pan can be used wet or dry to create different levels of intensity, so you can achieve a range of looks with just four hues.
Regardless of whether you use a brush or your fingertip to apply, the shades all blend like butter, and just a little bit of pigment goes a long way. Keep in mind that while the shade range in this palette is varied, it may not create a bolder look on deep complexions. Consider trying Rebecca’s two other fave Tom Ford palettes, Insolent Rose and Desert Fox.
Finishes: Sheer sparkle, satin, shimmer, matte｜Shades: 4｜Size: Quad
Best Drugstore
L’Oréal Paris Paradise Enchanted Scented Eyeshadow Palette
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Amazon
What We Love: The soft, natural shades are perfect for everyday wear.
What We Don't Love: It’s scented, which can be a dealbreaker for sensitive noses.
Fantastic wear, blendable pigment, a pink-neutral color scheme, and an affordable price point make the purchase of this palette a no-brainer. The warm tones are flattering without being too bold, making them ideal for using every day or when you’re looking to achieve a soft glam look; the creamy shimmers and mattes create subtle dimension. While we find that this palette can suit a wide range of complexions, it’s an especially nice pick for those with very fair skin — if you’ve bought palettes that have pans you can’t use because they’re too deep in hue, give this one a shot as the darkest shade is a mid-toned chocolate.
What makes this palette unique, especially at a drugstore price point, is that it offers a subtle peach scent. It’s not overpowering, but it’s there. Those with very sensitive skin or noses may not find this appealing, but we think it’s pretty fun!
Finishes: Matte, metallic, pearl｜Shades: 12｜Size: Large
Most Versatile
Danessa Myricks Beauty Groundwork: Defining Neutrals Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: This palette can be used on the entire face, not just eyes.
What We Don't Love: We wish there was one more light pan with cool undertones.
If you’re someone who enjoys traveling light or a fast, no-fuss makeup routine, look no further than this Danessa Myricks palette. “I really enjoy having this in my kit because it can be used for eyes, lips, eyebrows, and face,” says celebrity makeup artist Natalia Thomas, who counts Karlie Kloss and Noah Cyrus as clients.
This palette is a mix of large and small pans in complementary shades and textures — a creamy, pomade-like formula that can be used as a base or liner and a long-wearing powder to set, shape, and blend. This unique duo of formulas makes it a breeze to fill in and lock down brows, contour the lips and cheeks, and a lot more, making it indispensable.
Adds Thomas, “the wide range of neutrals allows me to use it on a wide range of skin tones.” We will say that if you have very fair skin, you may be left wanting for an additional lighter pan with a less yellow undertone, but overall, this palette is very diverse and is worth adding to your collection.
Finishes: Cream, matte｜Shades: 20｜Size: Jumbo
Best Nude Eyeshadow Palette for Mature Eyes
Too Faced Natural Nudes Eye Shadow Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: The shadow formula contains a blend of hydrating and firming ingredients to smooth the look of the eyelid.
What We Don't Love: The shadows in this palette can be a little sheer, so you’ll want to apply multiple layers to get a more intense look.
Thomas keeps this palette in her kit because of its versatility. “It has the perfect mix of matte and shimmer textures, as well as a wide range of neutrals that will work on every skin tone,” she says. We also like how the matte pans in this palette are larger than the shimmer pans, as we tend to burn through the former faster than the latter, which can get frustrating.
Those with more mature skin often shy away from powder shadows because some formulas can exacerbate the look of crepey texture, including fine lines and laxity. But these are specifically designed to avoid that with a hydrating and smoothing formula of glycerin, hyaluronic acid, alpine rose, and coconut water to prevent the shadow from falling into creases.
While they blend quite nicely, they aren’t very intensely pigmented, so if it's a bolder eye you're after, you’ll need to build up the drama with a few extra layers.
Finishes: Matte, shimmer｜Shades: 16｜Size: Jumbo
Best Neutral Eyeshadow Palette for Brown Eyes
MAC Cosmetics Connect in Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Unfiltered Nudes
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MAC Cosmetics
What We Love: Despite the lightweight feel of the shadows, they are very richly pigmented.
What We Don't Love: The lighter shades may read as a little chalky on deep complexions.
This neutral palette from MAC enhances brown eyes with some of their most complementary colors — brown, pink, and golden tones. The 12 pans offer a blend of four different finishes, from icy frosts and luminous satins to creamy (never chalky) mattes. A little bit of shadow goes a long way to deliver bold color without fallout. Because of the range of shades, you can create a variety of looks, from a soft, everyday eye to something more smokey and sultry.
While the spectrum of shades is broad, they may not work for all skin tones. Deeper complexions may find that the lighter tones look a little ashy upon application and this neutral eyeshadow palette may suit fair to medium skin tones best.
Finishes: Matte, frost, luster, satin｜Shades:12｜Size: Large
Best Neutral Eyeshadow Palette for Blue Eyes
Bobbi Brown Bronzed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
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Bobbi Brown
What We Love: The metallics in this palette glisten beautifully.
What We Don't Love: If you have very fair skin, the lightest shade may still look like a statement on you.
According to color theory, using complementary eyeshadow hues help your eye color; blue’s complementary colors are yellow and orange, making bronze and gold ideal picks for making your eyes pop. The warm, gilded hues in this Bobbi Brown palette are truly gorgeous, with two shimmering hues that really catch the light and look stunning, especially when used as a highlight on the center of your lid.
We like the spread of shades in this palette a lot, but be advised that the lightest shade is a putty-like hue. On medium to deep skin tones, this could be a great brow bone, lid, or transition shade, but on lighter skin, it won’t read as subtly. Keep that in mind if you’re someone with fair skin looking for a palette for everyday use — this one might be best saved for nights out or special occasions.
Finishes: Shimmer, matte｜Shades: 5｜Size: Medium
Best Neutral Eyeshadow Palette for Green Eyes
Tarte Toasted Eyeshadow Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: This palette offers some of the best pigment payoff we’ve ever seen.
What We Don't Love: The decorative finish on the packaging may not stand up to wear and tear.
Eyeshadow with red undertones complements green eyes beautifully, and this palette from Tarte is stuffed with them, ranging from terracotta and rust to copper and deep plum in matte and shimmer finishes. But beyond the color options, the real selling point of this palette is the pigmentation. The color payoff is seriously intense thanks to the formula’s Amazonian clay, which also helps the formula glide on smoothly, depositing rich, bold pigment with a single swipe of a fingertip.
While we love the tortoiseshell-like packaging, we’d recommend handling it with care. The finish can crack, flake, and peel off easily, leaving only the gold sheen under the design in its wake. Consider keeping it in its box to protect it from damage.
Finishes: Shimmer, matte｜Shades: 12｜Size: Large
Best Mini Palette
Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: The shadow range is impressively versatile for such a small palette.
What We Don't Love: You’ll need to use a primer to prevent fallout.
We’ve long been a fan of Urban Decay’s mini Naked palettes. They’re small enough to fit in a purse and the tight edit of six taupe-y shades still gives us plenty of options to create all the looks we want without any of the extras. The lightest shade has a pearlescent satin finish, which makes it perfect for highlighting the brow bone and the inner corners of the eye, while the deeper matte shades work well to shade, sculpt, and line.
Like most Urban Decay eyeshadows, the formula offers great payoff, but you might find that a brush kicks up too much pigment and causes fallout during application. This is easily solved by slicking on one of the brand’s primers beforehand, which will create a lightly tacky surface on the lid to grip the shadow and leave it exactly where you apply it.
Finishes: Satin, matte｜Shades: 6｜Size: Medium
Most Dramatic
Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge Eyeshadow Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: This palette offers an exciting mix of textures and finishes.
What We Don't Love: The shadows are very delicate and can break easily.
Many neutral eyeshadow palettes offer just one or two types of formulas in a pan, but this one from Huda Beauty features four, all in intense shades ranging from silver foil to black eye gloss, allowing you to recreate dramatic runway looks or a simple neutral eye for the office.
We’re especially thrilled by the multi-chromatic shade Haphazard, which shifts from aubergine to greenish-gold with every flash of light. If you’re someone who has a low-key office job but loves experimenting with bold beauty at night and on weekends, this palette is for you. Because the unique textures are very creamy and soft, be aware that the shadows can crumble in their pans if you’re not careful. We wouldn’t recommend traveling with this palette unless you’re extremely cautious.
Finishes: Matte, metallic, sparkle, gloss｜Shades: 18｜Size: Jumbo
Best Talc-Free
Lawless The Dreamy Dozen
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Sephora
What We Love: Even the lightest shades in this palette look great on deep skin tones.
What We Don't Love: We wish there was at least one deep shade in here that could be used as an eye-defining liner.
Though a lot of eyeshadow palettes are made with talc to provide blendability, not everyone wants to use this controversial ingredient, especially around their eyes. This one is talc-free, and you won’t even know it, given how creamy these powders are, delivering rich, buttery pigment with every application.
For those who love a soft, dreamy (hence the name!) eye style, this palette is heaven with a mix of shimmers and mattes in glowing shades of taupe, nude, and oyster that look like a real life filter. Even better, the fairer shades flatter all skin tones, which isn’t always the case.
The only downside to this palette is that if you’re someone who likes to use shadow as liner, the deepest shades in this palette may not be quite deep enough for your liking. That said, the palette’s shadows can be used both wet and dry, so you may get the look you want by using a dampened liner brush to intensify the pigment of any shadow you use.
Finishes: Shimmer, matte｜Shades: 12｜Size: Large
Best Shimmer
Natasha Denona I Need a Nude Eyeshadow Palette
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Sephora
What We Love: The sheen on the foil and “wet effect” shadows need to be seen to be believed.
What We Don't Love: This palette is best for those with fair to medium skin tones.
This cool-toned neutral eyeshadow palette is a bestseller for good reason: It provides a wide range of hues in a variety of different finishes, making it extremely versatile. While the mattes are totally divine, the real jaw-droppers in this palette are the shimmery formulas. The metallics include foils, which look true to their name, and “wet effect” sparkle shades, which glimmer beautifully.
Though the shades work for casual daytime looks and more dramatic evening eyes, we think they’d really sing on a glam bride. It’s worth noting that this palette looks best on lighter skin tones. Although there are a few dark shades in the palette, the majority are mid-toned, which may not pop as dramatically on deeper complexions; melanin-rich gals may prefer using this for soft glam looks.
Finishes: Foil, metallic, sparkle, matte｜Shades: 15｜Size: Jumbo
Best Nude Matte Eyeshadow Palette
Viseart Eyeshadow Palette Neutral Mattes
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Beautylish
What We Love: This matte neutral eyeshadow palette features a versatile shade range to create a variety of looks.
What We Don't Love: The color is so durable that it can be a challenge to remove.
This Viseart palette is a revered "kit essential" for pro makeup artists everywhere, according to Thomas. “The pigment opacity and blendability is a dream to work with, and the range of tones allows you to create a variety of looks ranging from natural to more dramatic,” she says. We like that the 12 pans include a mix of both cool and warm shades and, because all the shades are matte, you can also use them as contour, highlight, and even to fill in your brows or hairline.
The formulas are made to last — which is why beauty pros love them — but if you’re not used to very long-wearing shadows, be prepared at the end of the night: You will likely need more than a basic micellar water to remove your look. The pigment is notoriously durable, so you’ll want to use an oil-based makeup remover or cleansing balm to take it all off.
Finishes: Matte｜Shades: 12｜Size: Large
What to Keep in Mind
Color Range
“Nude eyeshadow” is a catchall term, but for many years, “nude” translated to peachy-pink shades. “‘Nude’ is not a one-size-fits-all color,” says Patinkin, and therefore a solid nude palette should be versatile enough for all complexions — with the shade range to prove it. “It should display a range of colors from warm and cool in light tones, mid-tones, and deeper colors,” says Thomas.
When you identify a palette that works for you, you should have shades that work well for your lids, socket, and lash line. For many, the Danessa Myricks Beauty Groundwork: Defining Neutrals Palette is a great option, as is Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette. Having an array of colors “will allow for a huge variety of looks that can be created, from simple to very dramatic, for all skin tones and eye colors,” says Patinkin.
Pigment
Nude eyeshadow palettes, by nature, avoid intensely bright pigments and deep, difficult to blend finishes or formulas. Instead, you should look for a palette with a mix of complementary sheer and soft pigments that are meant to be layered and blurred together. Plus, this forgiving quality makes a nude eyeshadow palette a great place for a beginner to start because you can just blend, blend, blend to diffuse any accidental heavy-handed applications.
“Having colors that are too rich does not give as much forgiveness, whereas using shadows that build in opacity as you apply them helps you to create more looks easily and manipulate your eye shape,” she adds. Too Faced Born This Way Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, a go-to for Thomas, features buildable shadows in easy-to-wear colors.
“It's good to have an assortment to choose from because you're going to want shadows that address your needs all in one place,” says Rebecca. "There might be days when you want to create sheer, natural shadow looks and others when you want more definition.” For those who like to switch up their style often, MAC Cosmetics Connect in Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Unfiltered Nudes is a true gift.
Finish
There are a variety of different formulas and finishes available, and you’ll usually find a blend of them in one nude eyeshadow palette. The core three are matte, satin, and shimmer. “Matte has no mica in it and does not reflect light — this is what our natural skin looks like,” says Patinkin.
Satin will offer a very subtle sheen using miniscule shimmer particles, less so than glitter or shimmer, which feature larger shimmer particles to reflect more light for a bolder look. Within the shimmer category, you’ll also find metallics, which may also be referred to as foils or frosts (“think of the frostiest finish that reflects light the most,” says Rebecca).
Lastly, you may also see velvet textures, which we’d recommend for masters of makeup. “Velvet formulas are normally the highest in saturation and can be tricky to apply, because a little goes quite a long way,“ Rebecca explains.
Thomas notes that most palettes contain a mix, which is not necessarily a bad thing. “Having mostly matte palettes with a couple of highlight tones in shimmer and matte textures will allow for the most versatility of looks,” she says, although she personally prefers an all matte palette, like Viseart Eyeshadow Palette Neutral Mattes, and occasionally dusting the lid with one-pot shimmers.
"Aa professional makeup artist who has given thousands of makeup lessons over the years, I can tell you that while a broad array of colors and textures is very seductive in the store on on the website, the majority of my clients only ever hit pan on the most basic light color in the assortment, usually the one with a little satin finish," says Patinkin.
Unless you’re someone who goes for a bold look on the daily, you likely rarely use the deeper or more sparkly colors, making that nude eyeshadow palette less economical long term. Consider a mini palette with neutral, wearable shades like Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Eyeshadow Palette. Starting small will give you a sense of which colors you rely on most and will ultimately help you determine if you want or need a palette with more diverse shade options.
In most cases, you’ll want to use a brush, unless you’re using cream shadow. “Your natural skin oils can tamper with the formula and sometimes cause a slight film to harden the shadow, making it more difficult to apply,” warns Rebecca. Try using flat shadow brushes or fluffy crease brushes for sheer shadows; intensely pigmented shadows should be applied with a liner brush to the lash line or a fluffy brush in the crease, which will help you more easily blend out the bold color.
Meanwhile, a fingertip is best for a final top layer of shimmer or glitter. "Generally, for anything that has a shimmer or glitter finish, I’ll apply them with a clean, fingertip pressing it on,” says Thomas. “Shimmers applied with a brush tend to fall out and not have as much of an impactful finish.”
Getting glitter on your cheeks can be hard to clean up, especially if you’re someone who likes to finish the rest of their face makeup before tackling an eye look. Try using your finger when using the metallic hues in Natasha Denona I Need a Nude Eyeshadow Palette or Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge Eyeshadow Palette.
Your Eyelid Texture
When shopping for a neutral palette, you should also consider your eyelid texture and skin type. Regardless of texture or skin type — but especially if you have skin laxity or oily lids — apply an eye primer first. “When you use a primer, eyeshadows perform to their highest ability, have the strongest possible outcome of color and opacity, wear longer, and blend more easily,” says Thomas.
That said, if you do have oily lids, even a primer may not be able to stand up to them when using cream-based formulas, as those can crease when interacting with your skin’s natural oils.
If you have textured lids, you may be reluctant to use shimmering or sparkly shadows, as they accentuate crepey texture. “I do not believe in the old adage that shimmers exacerbate lines,” says Thomas. “I personally use shimmer and satin products only as an accent — at 55, I am sensitive to the age-related changes on my own eyes and more reflective finishes can accentuate puffy, thinning or drooping skin.”
Your eyelid shape or crease can also affect how you use a nude eyeshadow palette, though the finish will be your preference. “For hooded eyes, you can use whatever finish you'd like, just be aware of where you're blending it, and don't take it too far up towards the brow bone,” says Rebecca.
Your Questions, Answered
What eyeshadow color is best for no makeup look?
Both Rebecca and Patinkin agree that you should go about one shade deeper than your natural eyelid color to create a no-makeup makeup look. “You want to use tones that are no darker than your bronzer or contour,” adds Thomas. “The idea is to create depth and draw the brow bone and eyelid forward with shades that naturally occur on your face, so that [the eyeshadow shades] are undetectable.” For this reason, Rebecca also likes using bronzer as eyeshadow to create a hyper-realistic effect.
What are neutral eyeshadow colors?
The colors of eyeshadow fall into three basic categories, warm, cool, and neutral, says Patinkin. “Warm tones have a little orange or red in them and can look lovely on a lot of people, but if you are very fair or have redness around the eyes, they can make your eyes look irritated,” she warns.
Cool tones will have blue or gray undertones, and can also be quite flattering, but can also look ashy on deeper complexions, which is why it is so important to swatch a palette before buying it. Neutral eyeshadows split the difference, with an undertone that falls right in the middle.
“They’re shades that compliment any skin tone,” says Rebecca. “Think light champagne, taupe, a soft bone color, or deeper espresso brown hues.”
What eyeshadow suits everyone?
Though it may sound surprising, rose gold eyeshadow will work on most complexions. “It’s a mix of pink and brown, so it’s flattering on pretty much everyone,” says Patinkin.
But if you’re looking for a color eyeshadow that goes with everything, you can’t go wrong with brown. “As predictable as it sounds, brown really does go with everything,” confirms Rebecca. “From light brown shadows, to warmer cinnamon or a cooler deep brown that resembles espresso, brown looks good on everyone.”
How do I pick the best nude eyeshadow palette for me?
First, start with your eye color — look for nudes and neutrals that best enhance your iris, whether that’s pinks and plums for green eyes, golds and bronzes for blue eyes, or browns, olives, and bronze for brown eyes, and then work with your undertone by selecting a palette that’s cool, warm, or neutral to suit it. “It’s really about aligning what flatters you most with shadow palettes that have mostly those colors,” says Rebecca.
Thomas adds that there needs to be "at least one tone that is slightly lighter than your skin, one slightly darker, and a mid-tone to help build and create depth." Both she and Patinkin recommend seeking out a palette that includes a variety of finishes to add highlight or additional dimension.
But don’t feel the need to have too many options, as it can get overwhelming: “If there are more than three to four colors in the palette that worry you, then look for a different palette,” advises Patinkin.
Why Shop With Us
Emily Orofino is a beauty writer, editor, and consultant with more than a decade of experience in the industry. She’s long been a fan of neutral eyeshadow palettes due to their versatility — and as a result, has way more than she could ever use up in a lifetime. For this piece, she interviewed celebrity makeup artists Jenny Patinkin, Ashley Rebecca, and Natalia Thomas, who shared their expertise regarding how best to choose a neutral eyeshadow palette for all complexions and needs.
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