11/25/2023

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water in Oil 400ml

I'm not a fan of the simple version Micellar water, but I'm a fan of this one due to the mix of water and oil. I use it all over my face, on my eyes and lips included. I have a slightly sensitive skin and I've had no signs of irritation in the long time I've been using it. This product removes my makeup wonderfully, water-proof mascara and lipstick included. It is not as good on waterproof mascara as other purpose-made cleaners, but it's still excellent. I have an age, and it works wonderfully on my skin.
 
I don't use the product straight out of the bottle. I shake the bottle and immediately, when the water and the oil are still mixed together, I squeeze a good amount of liquid into a recycled refillable spray bottle that I have from a lenses cleaner product. When I want to use it, I shake the small spray water and, when both liquids are mixed, I spray the product twice onto a makeup cotton pad, and then clean my face with the pad. In this way, the quantity of product I use is minimal, no waste, but it's enough to remove my makeup. As I use it this way, a bottle lasts me ages and it's great value for money.

WTF Shopping Moment: Rude AI

 
We are all excited but scared about how AI is taking the world by storm. I like AI capabilities to offer us a first-point summary of topics that I'm looking up. Well, that was till today. I was browsing Amazon and came across a toilet paper page. Amazon is now including, before the reviews, an AI-generated summary of what reviewers say about this toilet paper. Now, this is the first page I saw this morning while having my breakfast. Wonderfully summarized, totally understanding the nuances of the English language, really elegant too. Right? The giggle of the week.  

11/19/2023

Mont Marte Watercolour Pad A5 300gsm 12 Sheet

This is an A5 paper pad of good quality 300 gsm paper. You know, there are good and not so good 300 gsm watercolour paper, and this is good paper, and great value for money as well. 

I've tested the paper without pre-gessoing the surface, which leaves the paper more exposed to the media I used. I've used both acrylic paint and acrylic inks, adding quite a bit of dripping and the paper stood everything wonderfully and I was totally surprised at how well it took acrylic paint and acrylic inks, without buckling or deteriorating. I like the paper texture and the fact that the pad is glued just in one of the sides, but I'm not a fan of the paper colour. Yet, it doesn't really matter, because I will be painting over it and I can change that easily.

GAIA Skin Naturals Bamboo Baby Wipes, 80 Piece

I love Gaia products. They never disappoint me. This is also the case with these sensitive bamboo-based wipes. I don't have children, so I bought these wipes to use in my art practice. I have been using cleaning household wipes, critic acid based, and they are great, but they're not environmentally friendly and are sometimes too harsh on painting surfaces, so I thought I would give these Gaia a try.
 
These bamboo wipes have a lovely soft texture and a sweet creamy scent that I love. They are not too dry or drippy, still wet, so they're perfect for smudging and blending different kinds of media on paper without wiping off the whole thing or destroying the surface. They are also great to use with stencils as they wipe off paint and leave clear marks without leaving watery residue or blotting the paint. They are lovely to clean off residual paint from my painting brushes (both silicone and synthetic bristles) after I have had them submerged in water for a while, or to remove medium or gesso from my silicone brushes easily.

They don't work as well to wipe off almost dry paint completely or remove stubborn dry paint on my hands, table or brushes, though.
 
I love that these wipes are plant-based and environmentally friendly. I bought the small package just to given them a try, but I will definitely buy them again in a large package.

Smith’s Fun Mix Variety Multipack Potato Chips 20 Pack

I love this mix of mini snack bags. I love all the flavours in the pack. These are great for school/work lunches, or to have at home when I fancy trying different snacks without having to purchase a large bag of each variety. I also love that there is an equal amount of bags for each variety, unlike other multi-packs out there. The only thing I really dislike is the amount of chemicals some of the varieties have.
 
Once I have finished the snacks I reuse the cardboard, which is good quality and flexible, for painting on it.  I add a bit of gesso fist, though. It makes a great painting substrate for my artistic experimentation. 

HAOZHUZI Circular Paper Cutter

I've been looking for a circular affordable cutter that goes through different types of paper. Unfortunately, this is not the one. I returned this product upon arrival because, although the design is good overall, and the price good, the production of the design is poor.  

THE GOOD
Very light and easy to use. Put the round body on the center from where you want to cut. Adjust the small button tip on the ruler to the diameter of the circle you want (it loses and tightness by rotating it), and then rotate the long ruler around. Perfect circle cut. It works like a flat compass.

It works especially good with normal paper, like printing paper, but it's also good with thicker papers like 200 gsm and 300 gsm watercolor paper, which is what I wanted it for. Needless to say, I had to press quite a bit for the thicker paper to be cleanly cut; when I did not, it left paper traces and unclean edges behind.

The round body has a container in the belly, protected by a lockable lid, where two complimentary blades are located.
 
THE NOT SO GOOD

The circular part is toy-like, so no weight at all. That being the case, the platform slides off center often creating unnecessary cuts and ruining the circle I was cutting. This happens also when pressing it down with my hand. I would not press it too hard because it's average plastic.  There is nothing attaching the round body center to the surface, that's the reason it slides.

This is great  for large circles, from 8 cm up, but not to cut smaller circles as the small adjustable knob stops against the circular body at that distance.
 
No instructions on the box or inside. The cutting blade is protected by a cap that can only be removed if slid on the side, not up. It took me a while to figure it out. You might break it if pressed up too hard.
 
You need a large surface, with no clutter on it, to rotate the cutter easily.
 
Very weak plastic. 

11/18/2023

Mont Marte Metallic Acrylic Paint 8 Piece

I'm happy I purchased this taster set because, after trying it, I won't be buying the product again. For the same reason, I'm glad that I didn't purchase the larger set.
 
The colours are very pretty, and can be mixed or layered among themselves. I especially like the bronze and the copper colours on their own. I also like how the green and blue, the pink and purple, and the copper and bronze mix together. The golden paint is very light, so it looks very pretty over some of the other colours. 
 
In all honesty, the picture of the packaging back on the info product page is clear and you can see that the colours are semi-transparent (marked by the small circle filled half way). I didn't notice the photo, unfortunately, but I was looking for a matte opaque set and this is not. 
 
I don't mind the colours transparency, as they are perfect for layering and to add final touches. However, I find that the colours are very pretty but don't have enough pigment and the texture is medium-body not heavy-body. Besides, the mica content is on the low level, so sometimes the metallic shine doesn't show much.
 
These acrylics are light-fast and can be easily stored vertically in a low pen holder.

A good intro set of acrylics for craft painting. 

UPDATE 30/1/24
I have been using the golden, bronze and copper colours a lot lately. They can be layered easily to create depth and vibrant results. They work especially good on cardboard colour paper way better than on water surfaces. I have come to use several coats to get a bit of more opacity. These are the colours I use the most and they are really pretty. I add a bit of black to the bronze and gold to create a vintage worn-out sort of effect. I have to come to love these despite their shortcomings. A bit of paint goes a long way.

Genixart Flat Paint Brushes Set, 6 Pcs

I have just received this product and returned it. I bought this set as size 12 shows as an xl size in the hands of large hands in the product info photos. This large one must be a triple XL, a 30+ size, not a size 12, because the set contains very small brushes and none of them is the size in the photo. Real size 12 is very small. I have reported the photo several times and they haven't removed it as yet. Why would you want to keep misleading photos on any product page? 
 
REVIEW WAS  NOT PUBLISHED AND THE PHOTO HASN'T BEEN CHANGED AFTER SEVERAL MONTH OF BEING REPORTED AS MISLEADING.

11/17/2023

Derwent XL Tinted Graphite Drawing Blocks, Multi-Colour

I waited for months for this coloured graphite tin to be heavily discounted for me to purchase it. When I did, I thought that it was a great shopping day because this is usually an expensive product that you understand why is so.
 
This is a set of chunky but very soft coloured graphite blocks. They can be used as charcoals, soft pastels, or watercolours as they are water-soluble and blend beautifully between themselves. I love the way they mix and the fact that I can easily create super-cool effects with my fingertips. Of course, if you want to use these blocks in mixed media, make sure that you use matte medium to fix them on paper so they don't wash out. I like to blend them together or with other water-soluble materials and then add liquid-ish gesso primer to create beautifully-soft pastel backgrounds. I have mixed them with Derwent Inktense blocks and Caran D'Ache Neocolor II crayons and they are like water for chocolate. In short, super-mega-uber versatile and a great purchase

The tin is really good quality, and I love anything tin because it lasts for life and can be reused for multiple purposes. The inner holder keeps the blocks in place preventing deterioration or crumbling.

The only downside is that there are two grey graphite blocks, a normal one and a super-soft one. I would have preferred just the super soft graphite to be included in the tin, and the other one being replaced with a coloured variety. More modern versions of this product have, indeed, no normal graphite. It makes sense because I can find normal graphite everywhere, but coloured graphite blocks not so much so. 

Stargazer Small Eye Shadow brush no. 5

I bought this eye makeup brush heavily discounted in one of those rare crazy sales. I thought it was too long to be used comfortably to apply eye-shadow so I stored it. After sitting unused in my drawers for several months, I decided to use it as painting brush and it's perfect for that. 
 
The brush is great for acrylic painting and water soluble media, and I have used it with mate gel without problem. It recovers its shape easily if washed with gentle beauty bar soap and conditioning bar when really dirty; if used with gesso or mate medium, wash immediately after use. This brush was never designed to be in water jars for hours or be used with paints. However, the ferrule and the handle haven't deteriorated or come apart; the bristles are still in pretty good condition despite the mistreat as well. 

Sugarpill Cosmetics Liquid Lip Colour (Heartstrings)

This is the first lipstick I bought from this American brand and, although very expensive for a lip gloss, it was totally worth it.
 
This must be one of my favourite pink colour lip gloss ever. It has the texture of a lip gloss but it's richly pigmented in a very bright flattering metallic pink; yet, it feels and looks matte. It smells very nice, too. This is a 100% vegan & cruelty-free product, something really important to me. Packaging is a killer, as well. 

It's out of stock almost everywhere I look for, so I regret not having bought a replacement before this was gone. I have another colour from the same range, but it's not as flattering as this one.
 

1000 HOUR Hair Mascara, Dark Brown, 26 g

I've been using this product for years. It is meant to be used to mask showy greys on the part line or temples area, but I mostly use it as eyebrow groomer and tint. As such is one of my fav beauty staples. The colour I use is dark brown, however, the last dark brown container I got before this one differs both in container colour and tint colour. This container looks more black than brown, but 'dark brown' is clearly written on it. I thought it would be just the container. However, the tint inside is as dark, and looks more  black than brown. You can see  my photos showing the difference in tint and colour between the last one I bought and this one, both supposedly the same tint from the same brand. As my hair is really very dark, this tint does blend well, but my eyebrows aren't as dark and this tint makes them look too dark so I have to apply it and wipe it off a bit. Overall a good product, but I think this is not really dark brown and it really annoys me that the colour is so different from my previous dark brown bottles.

11/13/2023

Black Moon Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick (Genie Metallic)

This is the second tube of metallic velvety liquid lipstick that I buy from Black Moon Cosmetics. The colour is a beautiful iridescent magenta, that turns into a velvety coat once it dries off. The lipstick smells divine as well and it really suits me. Not as flattering as the Devil metallic shade, but gorgeous the same.
 
This is not a permanent or semi-permanent lippy and will disappear as soon as you have a coffee or eat anything, which is a big letdown for such an expensive product. However, the lipstick is advertised as kiss-proof and "it won't budge for hours"; that is not true for me. 
 
Vegan and cruelty-free always does it for me.

Black Moon Cosmetics Liquid Lipstic (Deville Metallic)

This is the first lipstick I buy from this brand, and I'm a devotee already. The colour is just amazing, a semi-metallic red, but a shade of red that is not your usual red, so it's an unique shade. It ' a liquid creamy lipstick that needs just a bit to spread evenly. It becomes matte once it dries off, and it feels like velvet on my lips. It looks fab on me. The packaging is delightful, too. 
 
On the flip side, this is not a permanent or semi-permanent lippy and will disappear as soon as you have a coffee or eat anything, which is a big letdown for such a pricey product. However, the lipstick is advertised as kiss-proof and "it won't budge for hours"; that is not true for me. 

Vegan and cruelty-free.

Rude Cosmetics Eye-shadow Palette (United Shades of Glitter)

I'm a glitter critter and this palette has been in my wish list for months. It has a great combination of colours, some of them multi-chrome. 
 
The shadows have a creamy consistency and spread easily when used over a primer. I recommend using a primer or thick foundation base as, otherwise, the glitter crumbles and might enter your eyes or scratch your eyelids when rubbing it. The shadows can be applied with your fingers or using the complimentary wand.  Some of the shadows are true to the photo, but others (the multi-chrome) loose part of their charm when applied.
 
Due to the creamy consistency and not powder consistency the product it runs out quickly. 
 
 
 
100% Vegan and Cruelty Free

Stargazer Black Lipstick

This is a great affordable lipstick for Halloween or any disguise occasion.  Quality is decent for the price. The product feels balmy  and when I checked the list of ingredients on the label, it has aloe vera, wax and several other oils as part of the ingredients. The lippy covers my lips well. This is a matte lippy, so you'd need to apply lip gloss on top to get something like in the photos. It has some sort of blueish undertone at least on my lips, but it looks a very dark brown under artificial light. This is my first  black lipstick ever and I think it's quite cool.

Lethal Cosmetics Pressed Eye Shadow (Flutter)

This is advertised as "Sparkly duo-chrome that shifts in the light from gold to turquoise." but it looks like a sparkly lemon yellow, slightly greenish and I don't see the turquoise anywhere. Not as pretty as the photo, either. Yet, it is great to mix with other cool or warm colours as it is very subtle. It is not as hardly pressed as other shadows of the same brand I own, something that I dislike, as it crumbles easily resulting in product waste. Overall very pretty. This shadow wears well all day long even when I don't use eye primer, and it doesn't smudge.Like all the Lethal Cosmetics eye-shadow range it is a sustainable good quality product, something important to me. 

Lethal Cosmetics Pressed Eye Shadow (Mantis)

I'm a fan of Lethal Cosmetics eye-shadows as they look great on me and I get so many compliments on every single colour I put on. This shadow looks a bit different from the pan to the eye. I thought it would be a light warm peach, but it is a mix of peach and cold pink, so it looks beautiful. The golden flair is not so noticeable as in other multi-chrome shadows. Not what I expected, but still a wonderful colour that enhances my eye colour. This product is vegan, cruelty free and the packaging is made of a very cool folded cardboard, so totally recyclable, all of which is very important to me.  This shadow wears well all day long even when I don't use eye primer, and it doesn't smudge.

Lethal Cosmetics Pressed eyeshadow (Untamed)

I'm a fan of Lethal Cosmetics eye-shadows. I get so many compliments on them, that I'm the best ambassador for the brand. This shadow is one of my favourite ones of lately because I used to mix similar hues in the past, but now I have them together mixed in this gorgeous duo-chrome. The colours are clearly noticeable but subtle at the same time. This shadow wears well all day long even when I don't use eye primer, and it doesn't smudge. It looks great on my hazel eyes. A bit pricey but totally worth it. This product is vegan, cruelty free and the packaging is made of a very cool folded cardboard, so totally recyclable.