7/30/2024

Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen -- Angelic Color AC White (UM120AC.1)

The Uni-Ball Signo Angelic Color in white is a gel marker with a fine ballpoint, and a good companion to the Uni Signo broad point that I also use. It has a lovely opaque ink. I've used it on acrylic paint and acrylic ink after these have completely dried and the white colour is really noticeable and opaque when used on dark colours; not so much on light colours. The ink flows beautifully and creates polished clean delicate lines or accents. It is not archival, though, so you have to be careful not to smudge it when moving your hand around. This being the case, a fixative is needed if used on artwork. For the rest, it's a lovely marker at a great price.  

Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice Tea 20 Teabags

Celestial teas are among my favourite teas in the world. This tea variety has not disappointed. 
 
Like other Celestial teas, this variety has a wonderful aroma, which starts from the moment you open the pouch containing the tea bags, and continues after brewing. It is not just the nose the one tantalised. The flavour is equally wonderful. The tea has a distinctive apple and cinnamon taste, which is what I was expecting  from this variety; it also has other spices undertones with a hint of sweetness. It's a clean and flavoursome taste. I love it in winter nights as it's caffeine free. With a hint of milk makes a kind of light chai. I think it'd make a wonderful iced tea and I'd try it iced  when Summer comes. I find this variety easier on my stomach than other spiced teas from the same brand.
 
One teabag makes two mugs of full-flavoured tea. 
 
I love the packaging and the fact that all the information on the box is written on a decently-sized font. However, there are two very important things that I'd like in the ingredient list to be improved. The first one is the percentage of each ingredient in the mixture, which is missing. Second, and most importantly, I'd lie the general vague "other natural flavours" to be specified. Which ones are they? Do they contain any allergen or sugar?
 
For the rest, I will be ordering this again.

7/25/2024

MEEDEN 12-piece Artist Acrylic Paint Brushes Set

The box contains  flat, fan, angler, round, liner and filbert brushes in different sizes.  
 
I love Meeden products. All the art supplies and brushes I've purchased from them in the past have been both affordable and great quality. I bought this brush set not only because of the brand and its affordability, but also because it has a good selection of small/detail brushes and a 1-inch mottler.
 
Despite what the description page says, this package I got didn't come with a carrying case, just the cardboard holding packaging, which is disappointing. Unlike my other Meeden brushes, these brushes are a bit of a downgrade re handle quality. This tends to break open if kept in water for long periods of time, yet only one of them broke open. The taklon fibres are, on the contrary, excellent -- soft, flexible, easy to wash and low maintenance. 
 
Not professional quality but good quality overall, and they do the job if you're on a budget.

7/23/2024

Smith's Potato Chips Snack Mix Variety Multipack 20 Pack

This one of those lovely but naughty snack pot-pourri bags that I love. The bags small size is perfect for lunch boxes or just, as I often do, to enjoy the different flavours in small quantities. My favourite bags are the Grain Waves and the Crinkle Smith's. The other two varieties are also lovely, but they have more additives (colouring, preservative, etc.). The price per gram is obviously more expensive than if buy a full bag of one flavour, but that's the reason why I want a variety pack, because of the variety. They are also convenient for lunch boxes or to carry one in the bag when I do errands and want to have something nice at hand. All the varieties are flavoursome and crunchy. 

Bains Wholefoods Chickpea Chips Original Flavour, 100 g

I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks. This one appealed to me immediately as it is made of chickpeas, a product that I love. This snack is made of all healthy stuff, as healthy as it gets, mostly chickpea flower, peas, rice, spices and oil. No nasty preservatives. But it is not really chickpeas, it's a mix of chickpeas, rice, peas, sunflower and other stuff. That would be OK if the flavour was stronger. It is mild and lovely, with the chilly being just hinted, but nothing that invites me to buy it again. The crunch is barely there, and that's the main disappointment for me. It's healthy. Yummy? No. 

7/21/2024

Sunbites Grain Waves Sour Cream and Chives Wholegrain Chips 90 g

Grain Waves is one of my fav snacks due to the hard crunch and the delicious cereal-nutty flavour. This is the first time I try this flavoured version and it is yummy. It's on the sweetish side but very flavoursome. Looking at the list of ingredients makes my heart sink and, needless to say, it has more additives than the plain version.  I usually buy snacks from Amazon because they're the same price as in my local supermarket, but this is not one of them. Yet, I had to give away to my craving. 

Aquarius Peanuts Snoopy Carry All Tin Lunch Box

This is a very lovely box made of good tin with Snoopy illustrations all over; those on the top lid are engraved. Really cute for children or adults alike, especially for those of us who love Snoopy. The best thing is that I can use this box for many storage purposes not just as a lunch box.
 
I bought this box to store some art supplies and small pieces of collage paper, so it's great for that. I love the fact that the handle can be tucked in flat and that the lid lock allows me to store the box vertically without fear of the contains getting out or the box self opening.
 
I have similar tin storage/lunch boxes and this one is a bit narrower and taller than the others I own.  
 
A bit pricey for a tin box, but I'm sure the illustrations are copyrighted and that's part of the issue. Yet, it's value is very similar to other similar tin boxes out there.

I was a bit worried about the reviews re the lock being faulty and he box damaged. However, my tin box arrived in perfect conditions.

7/16/2024

Australian Wholesale Oils Certified Organic Avocado Oil 100 ml

I was a bit worried that this oil might not be organic or a mixture. However, it is both organic and 100% pure oil.
 
This oil is very runny and has the avocado natural green colour.  It has no specific fragrance just the oil natural scent. It is not greasy, so it absorbs well. I use it to remove hair colour stains from my skin (after tinting my hair or eyebrows, for example), to remove the same colour from my glasses frames, to apply it on irritated spots on my hands, or as a treatment when I notice that my face or hands skin is dull. It works well in all cases. I don't use it as a normal moisturiser but more like a treatment.   
 
The design of the bottle is really pretty and classy. However, it's plastic, which is a huge let down to me as I like containers that are environmentally friendly. I love the pump system, but, in all honesty, it is a bit "squirty" at times, at least with this oil. The green oil colour stain clothes.
 
Overall, a good value for money and a good product. 

Airfryer Disposable Round Paper Liners (6.3in) 100 pcs

These are perfect for my small fryer and I line them on to my silicone liners as those tend to become really greasy and stain easily. These are disposable, but depending on what I'm cooking, I can use them several times or just once. I've used them on 180 and 200 degrees and with saucy and dry food. They do the job. 
 
The main downside is that these liners are paper thing, pun intended, so they tend to fold in, on to the food, so they don't hold their shape once they're hot and they collapse on to the food. 
 
Expensive for what they are and for the quality. I'd rater have 50 pieces of more solid material than these flimsy ones. 

7/08/2024

Oakwood Everyday Wood Care Furniture Wipes, Large, White, 20 Count

These wipes are a lovely emergency replacement for furniture wood oil. I prefer the latter, needless to say, but these wipes work wonderfully on most of the furniture I own. My furniture looks clean, polished and with a good lustre afterwards. They glide well on the surfaces I've used them on, too. They're large in size, so one is enough to clean a large piece of furniture or two small ones. They are a bit wetter than I would like them to be, but they work well. Decently priced and I love the Mandarin scent.

Plyco (Online Store)

I ordered some plywood panels (craft bundles) from this store, recommended by a fellow artist. I can confirm that they're good quality and good priced; way cheaper than similar products in specialised Art & Craft stores. 
 
Plyco is not a craft store. They sell timber, veneer and plywood for professional purposes (building, flooring, cabinetry, table and kitchen tops among other uses). What matters to me is that they have craft bundles from different timber and thickness that are perfect for painters. 
 
The good thing about their website is that it shows whether the different kinds of timber are in stock or not, when they will be, and the scheduled dispatches. You'll get your order sooner if you buy your product one or two days before dispatch day; otherwise, you'll have to wait a bit longer. Shipping fees and panels are excellent value for money.
 
Not a place you want to order from if you're in a hurry or have an upcoming project that you must do within a time-frame. For the rest, very good quality, prices and shipping prices. Timber arrived properly packaged, too. They also have several shipping options, which is great.   

On the flip side of things, Plyco's customer service is not great. They have a bot on the website. I sent a message through the bot that was never replied to. I rang them on a Saturday. The guy on the phone apologized for overseeing the dispatch of my order. I mentioned that I'd be happy to upgrade. I was told to call or email customer service on a week day. I did email them. No a reply whatsoever, just an impersonal request for payment for the upgrade. As the dispatch window had passed, it  took10 extra days to have my order dispatched. I found funny that, I forgot some items on the cart in one of my browser, but I purchased them through another browser; then, a more personal sales email reached my inbox. Also, they'll auto-subscribe you to their marketing newsletters, something that I really find annoying. 
 
Overall, happy with the pricing and quality of the products, info on website and dispatch procedure, but not really impressed with CS. 
 

HP 150 Wired Mouse, Model 240J6AA

I bought this mouse because it was super discounted and I trust the brand. The design is simple, elegant (boring as well) and professional; nothing fancy about it. 
 
Simple and intuitive, it doesn't need any set up, no plugging, no software, just your fingers. It works perfectly on paper, cardboard or any smooth surface as well as on my mouse pad. The scrolling is smooth and natural. Clicking sounds are average, so not a quiet mouse. 
 
Size is medium to small. Not as small as a travel mouse for example, but not as large as a gaming mouse or professional mice for people with large hands.  I have small hands and I find this mouse comfortable. See my photo side by side with a small mouse.
 
I like wired mice because they don't use batteries and are more environmentally friendly. The cable is long enough for my workstation setup, actually a bit too long. I wish the cable was retractable.
 
Perfect for my everyday use. In my case, I have it on my painting table, where the mouse will get splashes of acrylic paint and mediums. I would not get upset if the paint damages this mouse, to be honest, because of the price I paid for it.  
 
Good packaging with specs and booklet written in English, Mandarin, Korean and Japanese. 

So far, so good. I will update this review if needed.

Material is platicky but you cannot expect gold if you buy brass, right?