Showing posts with label My Amazon reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Amazon reviews. Show all posts

7/29/2026

UnionSine HD2510 500GB Ultra Slim Portable Hard Drive

I bought this portable HDD drive just to store my artwork photos, so the size fits the purpose. I use it only with my laptop, so I cannot comment on how it works with a gaming console. Although the product page says that has ultra fast data transfer, my experience is that the transfer speed is average. It's also true that my laptop is getting to the end of its life and the processor isn't the faster. Transfer isn't noisy at all. It's a light non-bulky drive, therefore, easy to carry and put away. I love that the drive is coloured as this helps me distinguish this drive from any other. I bought this during a Prime Day promotion and a great price; currently is sold for an average price for a hard drive of its capacity. 

MIND =
> Plug and use.
> USB 3.0.
> Max transfer speed 125MB/s-137MB/s, and write max speed 103MB/s. 
> Three-year warranty.

DFYAN Korean Grill Pan Kit (11D in)

This is  a totally-flat small grill that can be used directly on the stove (electrical in my case) or on an open fire. I have still to try it on a barbecue or portable campfire, but my experience with my kitchen stove is good. On the stove, it heats up quickly, and a few drops of oil are more than enough to do a couple of burgers, or three or four skewers. Said differently, this allows cooking for one or two people maximum. Personally, I wouldn't  put anything liquid in it.
 
The pan comes with a set of complimentary barbecue tools (wood handles, spatula, thongs and two silicone holders). It has an acrylic sleeve that can be used as carry and protective bag as well.  
 
TO IMPROVE 
> The wood handles are  a necessity for this pan, but they are too loose and come off easily. 
> I would rather have one good tool than 3 bad ones.  
 
MIND
Compatible with gas and electric stoves, open fire, and barbecues. 

JBL Tune 520BT (Blue)

I purchased this wireless headset and colour because it was the cheapest one and the price is great. I've had this for several months already and I can only say good things about  this headset.
 
I use it mostly for commuting and for listening to music or videos on my laptop. The sound quality is great. The headset pairs easily with my mobile and with my laptop, and it auto-switches off when not in use. I love that it comes with  human-voice automated prompts advising of pairing, connecting, and when the device is on and off, which makes such difference. In fact this is one of my complaints about other devices. As the ON button is also the OFF button, and the button responds to pressure, sometimes I don't know if I'm switching in on or off. The voice prompt makes things really easy. 

This headset is very comfortable on my head, not too big or too small. I have a small head, so it might be tight for a large one. I love that the headband is padded. The pods padding is also firm but comfortable to wear.

The battery charges in full in just two hours and lasts for a long time (up to 57 hrs).  The indicator light goes red when the battery is low or the battery is charging. 

The instructions booklet recommended downloading the JBL Headphone App, so I did. You need to switch on your Bluetooth and connect your device, then add it to the app. Once you do, you can customise it. As this is a basic headset, the features options are also basic. However, you can customise:
> The Equalisers (you can choose between presets for bass, club, extreme bass, vocal, jazz, and sound).
> Adjust how much of your own voice your hear during calls through VoiceAware.  
> Adjust it for smart audio or video (not for both).
> Adjust the right/left balance.
> Set a max volume limit. 
> Use auto power off. 
> Change the human prompts language (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Deustch,   Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and  Russian are available). 

FULL SPECS Can be found HERE. And the Start Guide HERE. 
 
MIND = 
>  Battery Life and Speed Charge (5mins = 3H).
> Wireless 5.3 Blootooth.  
> It has a matching app.  

Kame Stamp Shape Super Punch KM-5810 (1")

This is a good quality 1-inch punch that creates clean postage stamps cutouts that then you can use in different craft projects. It works smoothly with most papers I've used it with, but it got stuck with a very thin paper I tried it with and it took me a while to get it back to functioning. Lesson learnt. This puncher is large and a bit heavy, as the cutting part is made of stainless  steel. The plastic part is made of sturdy material.

MIND = Perfect for printing pager (80-500mgsm) 2mm-thick EVA sponge paper, 1mm-thick cardboard, corrugated cardboard, PVC sheet, 0.1 thick aluminium or copper sheet. 

Nutrawave 50 Billion Daily Probiotic (15 strains)

I've already used several jars of  these Canadian probiotics and they make a great difference to me. Some of the medication I take affects my digestive system, so these capsules have been a great help to keep everything working as it should. They work for me because they have a high dose of 15 strains of probiotics; it isn't as much the billions but the many strains what make them work for me. They're gluten and soya free, odourless and tasteless. 
 
They don't need of refrigeration, so I haven them stored both in my pantry and my office drawers. They're perfect for my medical travel kit as well. 
 
They are well-priced for a 60-capsule jar. However, beware  that they're sold at different prices in different Amazon listings. 

7/24/2026

Bamworld Bamboo Corner T5 Indoor Plant Stand (Tea Brown)

Although technically a 5-tier stand, the first tier is actually on the floor, so it's more a 4-tier one.  It is made of  tea brown coated bamboo, and it goes perfectly with the furniture in my living room. I love anything made from bamboo as the material is always sturdy, durable and light to carry. It holds medium sized plants quite well, saves spaces and really enhances my living room. 
 
I had trouble putting this together mostly due to the poor assembly leaflet. The printing font and photos are tiny and the printing quality terrible, so some of the elements were not clearly printed. I had to take an enlarged photo of each section and proceed from there. I wouldn't have been difficult at all if the leaflet had been printed properly.  
 
MIND = Load capacity 9 kg per shelf. Max plant diameter 18 cm.  

Oshhni Ceramic Stackable Paint Palette with cover (10H x 8.5W cm)

This is a very good quality ceramic palette, slightly wider than others I own. It's a great tool to have when I'm painting small pieces and I'm using small quantities of a specific paint or ink, and  to separate colours that I don't want to mix. Ceramic palettes like this keep the paint fresh for longer, something that is enhanced if you cover any leftover paint with the lid or using another tray.  It can be easily washed and stored. 
 
MIND = Hand-wash only.  

TALENS Amsterdam Acrylic Paint (Greenish Blue) (500 ml)

This greenish blue acrylic paint a mix of Phthalo blue and Phthalo green pigments and resembles a Phthalo deep turquoise colour. Isn't a Phthalo blue with green shade, as the colour is different. This Amsterdam paint has medium body viscosity and a high degree of lightfastness.  I mix it with ivory black or Payne's Grey to get darker values or with different kinds of greens to get a multilayered blue. As this colour has a high degree of  transparency, I tend to mix it with a similar but opaque paints when I want this colour to be less transparent. I can also dilute it to make washes. 
 
This format of Amsterdam acrylics are great value for money and, for whatever reason, this colour is always cheaper than others in the same line and size range. That's great for me as I use this colour in my artwork often. The only thing I dislike about these large bottles is that the pout is too big, something that doesn't makes easier transferring the paint from this bottle to a small bottle or when you want to dosage the paint with precision. For the rest a great colour and paint at an affordable price. 

Bosch Kneeling Mat

I trust Bosch products because of their quality and affordability. I also love that they have a specific look that's immediately recognisable and easy to found around my place. This kneeling mat is quite large and perfect for garden or household purposes. I mostly use it when something falls on the floor and I have to look underneath furniture or when I'm assembling flat packs. It has the right mix of firmness and  softness and it really cushions my knees. So far, so good.

Celimax Noni Bubble Face Cleanser (155 ml)

This Celimax bubble Cleanser is a mild facial soapy foam that leaves my skin super clean with no creamy or oily residue. It has a green refreshing rosemary scent, which I find enjoyable as it is very light. This Noni line targets people with combination, oily and acne prone skin but it's gentle enough to be suitable for people with sensitive skin. One pump push is enough to clean my face. 
 
This is a green plants and flowers formula, the main ingredient being extract of Noni (Indian Mulberry, from the coffee plant family, 35.51%), ACZERO complex (Bergamot leaves, pine leaves, green tea leaves, Centella Asiatica leaves, coffee beans, white willow bark and Cladosiphon Okamuranus) and other plants and flowers extracts listed at the back of the packaging. Finally it also contains salicylic acid, which is perfect for oily and acne skins, which is perfect for oily and acne skins, and calms skin irritation due to those.    .    

7/18/2026

LParkin Woodland Animals Fox Canvas Pencil Case (8L x 3.5 H in)

This is a gorgeous light pouch that looks small but can hold lots of pens, pencils, markers,  erasers and sharpeners. It's advertised to hold up to 80 pencils. The illustration quality matches that of the photo. The pouch is said to be made of canvas, but I think it's just thick acrylic canvas-like fabric. The inner lining is clearly plastic, something I love as some pens, markers and pencils can stain or spill a bit of product. This pouch is also great as a makeup holder.   

7/17/2026

Scholl Dry Skin Foot Care PediMask (1 Pair)

Like many other feet Scholl products, this mask is great. My feet are always dry or very dry, especially after Winter. Using this foot mask makes a huge difference. The results are as good as the ones I got at a beauty salon feet treatment. The effects are noticeable immediately and for several days, but I tend to use this mask (alternating this with others foot masks) for several weeks so that my feet get back to normal. The mask contains glycerin, urea, shea butter and macadamia oil.
 
The product is really easy to use. Cut the plastic boots top and put your feet inside as if they were socks. Fast the Velcro and let your feet soak.  The recommended treatment time is 20 minutes. However, I keep the boots on for 30-35 minutes as I haven't had any allergy reaction to the product. 

The boots are  quite large so they can fit small feet like mine to a large size. The product doesn't specify what's the maximum size, though. They're disposable, one-use plastic and that's my main criticism. 

Russell Hobbs Colours Plus 2-Slice Toaster (RHT2655BLK)

This is a simple but effective toaster. It doesn't occupy much space on my kitchen bench, and it looks good. It defrosts and toasts, and it has an eject and stop button and a crumbs extractable tray. The knob can be pulled up when the toaster finishes so that the bread can be more easily picked up. The bread slots are spacious, something that I love as I tend to use breads of different thickness and types. Toasting is quick, but the quality of the toasting is average and rarely the same on the same setting with the same type of bread.

Read the instructions before using this toaster. Don't put bread the first time you use it because you'll get a terrible chemical burnt stench. The instructions say that this is 'curing' the materials. Whatever that means. I really disliked the chemical stench, but it didn't happen again.
 
I used to have a better taster from this brand, so I can say that this one is average quality. This one is a basic toaster at a affordable price. I bought this in a hurry after my previous one died, but I prefer fully stainless steel toasters that toast more evenly and consistently well.    

7/16/2026

Yosoo White Chinagraph Peel-Off Wax Pencil (8pc set)

My disappointment at getting this slightly white wax pencil turned into a blessing in disguise. Because I've used it as guide on some coats of paint to draw something and I was able to delete it afterwards with little effort. It is a very waxy pen, and it's more like those flat wax sticks that one used for drawing sewing patterns of fabric but with less white lead. 
 
THE SO-SO
> I don't particularly like the peel-off system as you cannot control the volume of lead out.
> The first pencil I used broke its point, in a chunk, after using it two seconds. 
>  I have a true China white pencil and this is a wax pencil not a Chinagraph. I haven't used it on glass or fabric just on top of dry acrylics or dark surfaces and it's barely visible and too waxy to stick to anything else. 
> The lead is slightly white not really strong opaque white. 
 
ANNOYING
Although very cheap, I wanted to buy one pencil, not a whole set.  
 

Northcote Pottery Leonard Self-Watering Pot (20x18 cm)

This is a very nice self-watering UV-resistant plastic pot that I use both indoor and outdoors. This size is perfect for herbs and small or medium-small plants. I love its lightness, so I can move the plant between my backyard and my living area with little effort.  The colour is true to the product page photo. It looks expensive, but it's quite cheap. The lower part is the water receptacle; it has a small pout where to introduce the water. I like the self-watering feature because it's really important during Summer and warm period. This size and model is available in other colours, so I will be buying more! 

ESRICH 16-pack Canvas Board (5x5in)

These mini cotton canvas board  aren't only affordable but also decent quality (I'd say student quality, but they're also acid free). I use them with acrylics and/or mixed media, sometimes using a lot of wet products, and they stand abrasion and wet on wet work quite well. I've noticed, though, that the edges can deteriorate if you work hard on them, so I recommend giving them a coat of gesso to improve the edge resistance. They come packaged in groups of four, which is a perfect number to work on a mini-series. They are pleasurable to work on and  the final result  looks very lovely. They can be used with oils, gouache tempera, watercolour and acrylics.   

Fclub Vintage Rose Watercolour Tin Palette (20 Full Pans & Adhesive Magnets)

This is such a great watercolour palette. It is not only beautiful but also very light and comes with the empty full pans and adhesive magnets so the pans don't move once set in place. I store here some Gansai Tambi watercolour and solid pigment pans. I can comfortably fit 8 large full pans with a bit of room left either to put a short pencil or piece of charcoal or an eraser. It's a great case for travelling due to its capacity and the lightness of the tin material. 

Derivan Matisse Acrylic High Tooth Gesso MM36 (250 ml)

This is a very affordable good quality thick gesso with a lot of grit (or tooth) in hit; i.e. has a thick sandy texture. Initially created to use on encaustic work, I use it for my mixed media and acrylic artworks  as I tend to use watery products, inks or semi-fluid acrylics and love sanding or scratching surfaces. I tend to give the substrate two coats  using a silicone brush. Once dry, I can scratch, sand or carelessly work on my piece.  

Raffaello Gift Box (15 pieces, 150g)

I love Raffaello balls. I really enjoy the crunchy coconut-coated wafter and the inner chocolaty (more custard-like) cream and toasted almond core. It's sweet but not overly so, and the contrasted textures and clean favours are a hit with me. I love having two balls with my mid-arvo tea or coffee on weekends as a treat. I got two of these boxes at very reduced price and that was great. This box is great for gifting. 

5/11/2026

XIAOFEIPENG USB-C 25W PD Fast Charger

I bought this fast charger just to have a spare charger for some of my devices. This is good looking, economical USB-C only charger, very light, good looking, and it does the job. It is compatible with all my USB-C devices, which is great. Unlike other similar devices, it only has an USB C port, no extra ports or kinds of USB ports included. I haven't timed the charging time for my small devices, but it's quite fast. The  company states that it fully charges devices in 60 minutes, so that is not especially fast I'd say!  The company offers a 18-month replacement policy, so check the enclosed instructions.