10/25/2025

Twizler Happy Birthday Card with Games Console

It's quite difficult finding birthday cards for boys, but I hit the golden buzzer with this. I sent this card to one of my nephews and he absolutely loved it. I think it reflects the personality and hobbies of many boys  his age (9yoa) who play soccer and love video-games. I would say that it's designed for an European audience as most children would play soccer not footy or other kinds of football.  The card is quite large and comes with a lovely red envelope. 

Bukamkom Under Eye Patches Gold (10 pairs)

This eye treatment is good value for money as the box comes wit 10 pairs of patches individually packed and is really affordable. The results are beautiful as my eye area looks refreshed, tightened and less wrinkled after use. In my case, if I leave the patches more than the advised time, I get mild irritation, so stick to the instructions and you'll be fine.  
 
I read the reviews mentioning that the patches fall easily and that you have to lay down while applying them. This isn't the case for me. Truth be told, sometimes one of the patches sticks perfectly and the other tends to slide down, but that depends on my skin being sweatier on one side. I wouldn't be exercising with them on, for sure, but I wear them when working on my computer and they don't fall. 

ANUA Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser (150ml/5.07fl oz.)

This is the first time that I try an ANUA product and I'm very pleased with it. This is excellent value for money due to the large size,  and to the fact that a small amount goes a long way. As per the instructions, I put a small amount of product in my hands, add a bit of water,  foam it, and then wash my face. It foams beautifully and easily. This cleanser has the texture of thick butter so I have to push it out strongly for the product to come out. The product is very gentle on my skin and I really love the results. This is a replacement from my average well-known economic brand, and I'm happy with the switch because it might cost a bit more but at least I'm buying from a Korean company that is not a multinational corporation without a conscience.

Life-Space Double Strength Probiotic Capsules (64 Billion CFU , 15 Strains, 30 count)

This is a double-dose version of the 15-strain variety that I reviewed in the past. This one has 60-millium CFU and the other 30 million, but the strains are the same. I bought this variety as it was heavily discounted and wanted to know if I'd notice a difference. It hasn't made a difference to me. Said differently, it's still an excellent product, but I don't see a difference in my body from the lower-dose capsules. 
 
I love the packaging. The glass container can be easily reused as the info on it is written on an easily detachable plastic coat. These capsules don't need of refrigeration, so I can keep the jar anywhere. 
 
I cannot publish the review on Amazon as I reviewed the other variety and the system is blocking this one. Whatever. That's why I have this blog :) 

L'Oreal Preference Permanent Hair Colour (5.3 Light Golden Brown)

I prefer L'Oreal Preference hair colour (pun intended) to the more popular Excellence variety as it doesn't dry my hair as much as Preference, and the resulting colour is also nicer. The kit contains the usual colour bottle, developer bottle, treating mask and plastic gloves.
 
Colouring was easy and the result on my gray hair was a colour very close to the one on the packaging. I have dark hair so I didn't expect to have my colour toned down at once, as I'm going from dark to light. However, the side of the packaging shows a photo of the colour one might get when used on a dark brown colour. The results were not close to that colour, unfortunately. At the same time, it created some random highlights that I really liked. I thought that I would get the overall toning down on subsequent applications. So I waited less than my average tinting time to apply the colour again. The results this time were way better and I can see the difference. So I will continue using it till my hair tones down completely. This is not going to happy in two uses, but perhaps in four depending on one's hair length. 
 
The complimentary hair mask is really good and can be used twice depending on one's hair length and thickness. However, I prefer to use a professional, salon-purposed Argan oil mask that works better on my hair. 

10/11/2025

Ohuhu Mix-Media Hardover Pad (210cm x 210cm)

This Ohuhu pad looks expensive due to its luxurious leather-like cover, flexible soft binding, elastic band, ribbon bookmark and decent mixed media paper. It comes in a sturdy cardboard box that protects it and makes it perfect for wrapping and gifting. It comes with a complimentary silicone sheet that can be inserted between pages to prevent bleeding and staining. All the design is really well thought and the price fantastic. 

I was looking forward to having this pad for mixed-media painting, but the first results were disappointing. I first tasted the paper without gesso priming and I was getting quite happy with the paper performance despite using a lot of wet media. My happiness ended when, after finishing a grid layout, I started to remove the low-tack soft masking tape I normally use. This tape glides off beautifully on most papers, but it ripped the paper apart destroying most of the painting area. I got me really annoyed.

The product page states "Designed especially for use with alcohol markers, the 120lb (200GSM) mixed media paper has a pleasingly smooth surface that resists smudging and feathering." To me, this is not the best paper for wet mixed-media because the paper definitely wraps and buckles, and needs of gesso to work on it to prevent the paper being ruined or torn apart. However, the pad is perfect for dry media, pencils, crayons and markers.  
 
In the end, I decided to use it as a collage sketchbook with limited use of water-based products and I'm very happy with this pad for that purpose. 
 
The pages are punctured so you can cut them off if ain't happy with what I'm doing or the paper gets damaged. However, the part of the binding before the puncture stays in, so if you have many pages cut off, it bulks up and it looks cheap. 
 
For the rest a good quality pad perfect for limited wet and dry media, and collage.  

Arttec Oil & Acrylic Sketch 240gsm A2 Pad (12 sheets)

This pad is one of the few affordable A2 pads in the market that allow you to work with oils. acrylics and mixed media. I've used it with mixed media and it's great both as a sketchbook and for producing studies or art pieces that you aren't going to sell. It has a beautiful canvas-like texture on the front, and a sealed plastic-ish smooth back that prevents bleeding. It's not meant to replace good quality paper, but allows creating quality studies and sketches without breaking your budget. You can still have some rubbing and scratching done on the paper, but to a certain point. I gesso the pages before working on them so that the pages don't tear or break when doing that. The pad is not only affordable but the twelve sheets are a generous number for the price. 

10/10/2025

Johnson's Pure Cotton Bud Applicators With Paper Sticks (150 Pack)

I use these cotton buds for so many purposes, to clean my ear lobes to start with, but also as part of my DIY manicure, to clean my eyebrows while dying, in my artwork practice, you name it. I love that the sticks are made out of paper. They are still strong and don't break. 
 
I cannot understand the necessity of using a plastic container. A cardboard one, made out of recycled cardboard, would be not only more environmentally friendly, but also cheaper to produce. I hate one-use plastic packaging. The container is really cute and can be reused, but due to the shape is not easily to store in small spaces, so I ended binning it. I feel guilty every time. 
 
Due to what's happening in some parts of the world I'm no longer supporting brands like this and reverting to local brands and companies.  

Bamboo and Plastic Desk Top Drawers

This is one of those Kmart items that I consider a staple at home. I have many of them stacked on each other in my art studio/home office. They're not only good looking, durable, roomy and easy to clean, but also fit well with the Ikea Skandi look that I love for my studio. I stuck them by using a bit of blue tack on the base. I have put some of them inside my shellves, and they look great, keeping all my stuff tidy and organised.

USEFUL INFO

Measurements: 12.1cm (H) x 33.7cm (W) x 24.2cm (D).

Materials: Polypropylene (PP) plastic and bamboo.

Product weight: 1.7kg.

10/08/2025

Kmart 4-Drawer Storage Unit on Wheels

Not fancy, not pretty, but a great storage solution if you're on a budget. This unit is perfect for garage, shed, and tools storage as well as a great shoe and toys cabinet. It's amazingly simply to put together without the need of any tool; it's like a large Lego puzzle. It has rudimentary wheels that help me move the unit around. Price is amazing for such a useful unit. I've had two of these for years, and they're still as new. On the flip side, they're a bit wobbly, made of plastic, and nothing you want to display around the home.  
 
USEFUL INFO 
Measurements: 70cm (H) x 31.5cm (W) x 43.5cm (D) / 2.3ft. (H) x 1ft. (W) x 1.4ft. (D). Drawers: 15cm (H) x 32cm (W) x 43.8cm (D).
Material: Polypropylene (PP).
Maximum weight capacity: 5kg (each drawer)

TEHAUX Paint Brush Cleaning Tub (10.5 X 21cm)

I was so excited about finding this brush cleaning tub at a good affordable price. The good thing is that it's made of stainless still and it costs half of what you'd pay if it were from an art brand. However, after getting it and using it, I've found that it's a bit of a nuisance in my studio. The ringed holder only allow small thin brushes to be inserted; otherwise, the brushes will pop up and fly across the room like popcorn. I use a mix of brush sizes in my art practice, so it defeats the purpose. The brushes, can be placed vertically or inside the ring, horizontally. This tool would need of more space than the one I have on my working table to be fully functional. In all honesty, those brushes that fit in the rings, dry better, quicker and get less damaged. 

Yitexin Canvas Pencil Roll Wrap (72 slots)

This is a good quality large pencil wrap with 72 slots. Perfect to keep pencils, average pen and thin/medium markers. The elastic band are  tight, so it's difficult to get some of the markers in. At the same time, this prevents them from sliding off. There are too double fittings, which are perfect to insert thick markers or several small things, like pencil/pen refills, erasers, etc. I miss having a couple of more of those double fittings to put all the things I wanted in. This wrap has thicker canvas and is better quality than others I own. I fit tons of stuff in this.  

YOUSHARES 6-pc Aluminium Pencil Extender Set (Assorted Colors)

These pencil extenders are not only good quality aluminium in six good-looking colours, but perfect for average pencils when they get too short. It fists most artist pencil brands and all the short pencils I have.  
 
USEFUL INFORMATION
Measurements: 7 mm dia x 105 mm long.
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UPPFYLLD Ice-cream Scoop (Turquoise)

This scoop costed me a dollar, but it isn't worth the money. It's made of great quality plastic in a lovely turquoise colour and it's dishwasher safe. However, it defeats the purpose because it isn't good for hard ice-cream, the one most people would have in their freezer. The ice-cream gets stuck inside and you need a spoon to get it out. Needless to say, it doesn't hold the shape or improve presentation. Ikea recommends heating up the tool with hot water, but this doesn't change the outcome basically because this scoop is made of plastic not metal, and doesn't heat up enough to get the desired purpose. Perhaps works well with soft ice-cream? A simple table spoon put under warm/hot water does a better job. Watch professional chefs use two average spoons to plate an ice-cream and you'll save your money and the planet. 
 
DESIGNER: K. Gouriou & W. Chong.
Material: ABS plastic.
Measurements: 18 cm L.

Diswashing: Dishwasher-safe. Wash this product before use. 

 

 

CarSleek 2-Pack Non-Scratch Plastic Scrapers with 8 Blades Replacement

I love this little tool both as a everyday scrapper and as an art tool. I have one these devoted to removing paint from my desktop, small little drops on the floor and other hard surfaces. The manufacturer says that It can be used to remove sticker decals and glue on glass, cook-tops and ovens. I haven't tried this tool on those surfaces so far, so I cannot comment. But the blades are sharper than you think and work well on the surfaces I've tried them on. This scrapper is also a great mark-making tool. Easy to store as it's pretty flat. I love the ergonomic design, as well. I appreciate the complimentary blades. 

Jopenope Mini Folding Windproof Travel Umbrella (Yellow)

This is a cute mini-umbrella that can easily be carried in a small bag or small backpack pocket. The colour makes it easy to notice from a distance, which is really convenient. The pouch is great and keeps the umbrella tidy, and can be used for other purposes. This umbrella has an inner lining for sun protection of 50+ so it's perfect as a parasol. By all means, this is NOT a windproof umbrella. That's false advertising. It is perfect for drizzle days or spit rain not for full showers or windy rain as it easily turns the umbrella upside down.