Left: MW observations from LAMOST + Gaia. Right: mock data created for Auriga 23. Each dot represents one star/particle coloured by weight obtained from selection-function correction. There are about 15 000 k giants in the final sample of the smooth halo of the Milky Way. The mock data of Auriga 23 include about 20 000 particles, which generally match the spatial distribution of the MW sample.