Paul Rubens Hot-Pressed 50%-Cotton 300gsm Watercolor Journal (Pink, 5.2’’ x 3.8’’)

This is the second small journal I buy from this brand. I reviewed a slightly different journal in the past. This version has some of the design deficiencies I criticised in the other version sorted out.

The most important thing is that this journal has a wonderful thick smooth watercolour paper that is great for both watercolour and mixed media. I always gesso my pages with either white or transparent gesso, which protects the paper, gives it some tooth and allows me to apply wet media or scratch the paper a bit without any worry.
 
The satin pink cover is really pretty and girly; not the best quality but befitting the price.  I'm happy that this journal does not have the awkward inner pocket the other has because the journal opens/closes more naturally. The journal comes with the promised elastic band, which is necessary to keep all the sheets together once they've all been torn apart.
 
The main downside is that the dotted tearing indentation is not consistent throughout the journal pages, and some of them are badly punctured. That being the case, the tearing is not always clean and neat.
 
For the rest, a great mini journal for experimenting, doing small paintings or just as a travel sketchbook. The separated pages make great postcards too.

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JBL Tune 500 Wired ON Ear Headphones Black

I wanted to replace my old broken laptop headset with something affordable and wired as it is mostly to use plugged to my laptop. Besides, I've had other JBL products in the past and this is a brand that I trust.

GOOD
> I bought this almost half the original price on a lightning deal and that is a bargain, something that always makes me happy.
> Good looking. The set looks expensive.
> Good materials.
> Head band soft padding.
> Integrated cable with volume micro-button.
> Plug and play, no drivers or set up needed.
> Good quality sound with my computer. I haven' tried them with my mobile.
> Flat folding, which makes the set great for storage in drawers and for carrying in a medium sized bag.

SO SO
 > I agree with other reviewers say on the tight grip of the headband. I have a small head and this is nothing that I honestly feel is too much, unpleasant or uncomfortable. At the same time, I don't use these for long periods of  time.
 
NOT SO GOOD
> The leather-like sleeve covering the ear padding is paper thin. What's the point of making the rest really good quality and the most important part really subpar? I don't get the thinking behind this, to be honest.
> Length of the cable it's a bit short for my needs as I tend to twist and move a bit away from my desk/laptop and it unplugs itself.
 
OVERALL
A great wired headset at a very affordable price made of good quality materials. The only downsides are the headband being a bit tight on the head if worn for long periods of time, the ear-pod padding sleeve quality being not good, and the cable being not long enough for my needs. I will update this review in the future, if needed.

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Vicks VapoDrops Butter Menthol Lozenges 24 Pack

I always have a packet of these in my first-aid kit, especially in winter or when I fly. I use them when I suffer from slight cold symptoms, like clogged/blocked nose, scratchy throat and minor idiopathic dry coughing, and they work well for me. Besides, I love the taste. If I get serious dry or chesty coughing I would get other lozenges or just prescription medication. Yet, this is not always needed because my blocked airways are sometimes the result of very dry air-conditioned environments, long flights or just changes in weather that affect me. They're good priced too.

SECOND VERSION, AS THE FIRST ONE, WAS NOT PUBLISHED

I always have a packet of these at home, especially in winter or when I have a long flights. I use them when I suffer from slight cold symptoms, like clogged/blocked nose, scratchy throat and light dry coughing, and they work well for me. Needless to say, I don't use this for chesty coughing or severe dry coughing. I also love the taste.

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QUICK-EZE Chewy Forest Berry Antacid Tablets, 24 Pack, 120 grams

These tablets have a great flavour and are more chewies than tablets. I've used them to help me with minor signs of indigestion and light heartburn, after heavy meals and they work well for me. If I have a real indigestion or stomach upset I get something else because they aren't strong enough. I've used these tablets for travelling, and they are easy to pack as I can put it in any small handbag or pencil case or small corner in a suitcase.

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Madura Camomile 20 Enveloped Tea Bags, 1 x 30 g

Good camomile bags. The herb produces a clean tasteful chamomile tisane. I tend to use one bag for average mugs and two for my larger ones. Nicely packaged and designed all over, from the tea bags, the tea tags, to the container box. Not organic, which is disappointing. 

 

There is no way on the packaging that it says it is organic. For the rest this is an average chamomile, not better than the cheapest brands, which, by the way, are organic. 

SECOND VERSION 

Camomile teabags are always in my pantry as I swear by it for stomach upsets. I gave this brand a try just because it's a local brand. The packaging and design of the packet and teabags is excellent. However, the product itself, the chamomile, it is too weak for my taste. It is a nice clean chamomile to taste if I just want to have a healthy drink, but not enough if I have stomachache or tummy upset as it isn't strong enough for the purpose.  Also, I always want my chamomile to be organic, but this packet has no indication of that being the case, something that find really disappointing. 

I WON'T BUY EVER AGAIN :)

NB = The review has been deleted thrice from Amazon, despite being completely honest and having nothing that you would consider against Amazon guidelines. I tried the second version, to no avail. Like they have blocked me for saying that the chamomile is too week and packaging isn't clear about the ingredients in it, which is against Australian food regulations. I guess that the people declining publication are Madura company themselves, as it takes my reviews at least two days to be published but when I publish these, they come up as negative immediately afterwards. That's kinda dodgy and I won't buy from these people every again, mediocre products, bad labeling and manipulative ratings.

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The Face Shop Cotton Swabs 3P, 1 count

This package contains three smaller packages with cotton buds. They are a bit shorter than the average ones I usually use (see photo), but they're still good and do the job. The handle is not plastic or flexible but wood and rigid, yet I have no problem using them as the others. Instructions and description at the back are written very faintly with little contrast between the background and the lettering, therefore barely readable even using my phone camera 3x zoom. I find the small packages great k for my impending trip as they come in handy zip mini bags and can be stored anywhere. On the downside the wood part, which is not flexible, tends to halve if a bit of pressure is exerted.

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HASK Argan Oil Deep Conditioner Sachet, 50 g

These sachets are perfect for travelling, as they don't spill, are easy to pack and they have a tear to open the sachet without the need of scissors. I have long wavy hair and this sachet gives me two generous treatments. The texture is very creamy and thick, i.e. buttery not runny, and it is very nourishing. The smell is the classic Hask mandarin scent that I love so much. I leave the treatment for a few minutes on, that is, I don't remove the product just after detangling my hair, and then I wash it out. I tend to use the oil from the same brand as finishing touch once I have towel-dried my hair. The results are excellent re detangling and nourishment of my very dry hair. I'll buy it again.

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Segolike Vaveren Nail Polish Storage bag caseTravel Organizer, Grey

GOOD POINTS
> Elegant and good looking case so it doesn't clash with my bathroom decor.
> Compact.
> The double decking allows me to put plenty of stuff inside.
> Easy and safe to carry.
> Sturdy material.
> The polish bottles are safely stored within the foam inner structure.

BAD POINTS
> Bad quality stitching. Some threads were already out upon opening the parcel. See photo.
> The inner foam last row is stitched too tightly so it cannot be opened and I cannot put any polish bottle inside, which defeats the purpose.
> The number of nail polish bottles I can comfortably put in is NOT 30 unless you use polishes from a brand with tiny bottles. I use different brands of nail polish and you can see in my photos that the bigger bottles, which are standard size by the way, somewhat protrude out.
> Smaller than expected. See photo beside a small packet of tissues.

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Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Mouse

I can finally say that I have found the right work mouse for me and my small hands. There is a reason why I love Microsoft mice, and the Sculpt Mobile is the perfect example that you don't have to buy the latest super-duper flashy expensive mouse to have a great work mouse.

The Sculpt Mobile, obviously, is designed for people who are on the move and travel frequently, but it is also a  mouse perfect for people with small hands.

This mouse is a pleasure to use. It runs softly and smoothly on a gaming mat, the rugged fabric surface of my sofa, and on the bare surface of my desk. It's quite ergonomic, at least for my hands' shape and size. It is simple,  nothing fancy,  two click buttons, a scroll wheel, and a  Windows button. It's very responsive and accurate, with an excellent tracking system, so I don't have to move my hand much to get the mouse to move on the screen. Clicking is soft and incredibly low pitched, and therefore not noisy at all. Highlighting is quite intuitive and fast. The Sculpt Mobile is not heavy, but not as light as other small mice I own, mostly because the materials are better  quality and less plastic-ish.

Although the instructions on the packaging recommend downloading installing software from Microsoft, I didn't need to do that as my mouse was immediately recognised by my laptop as soon as I plugged the dongle.

The dongle has a storage place on the mouse belly to keep it safely away when moving or travelling.

The main downside of this mouse is the scrolling wheel, not as smooth or sensitive as other mice I own.

Overall, I love this mouse. It is not the flashy type that doesn't work, but the 'normal' does-the-job-to-perfection type. After trying and returning two flashy mice for not being good enough, I am happy to have this normal mouse as more than good.

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Lenovo Yoga Mouse

7/10
I travel quite often so any flattish mouse is going to grab my attention instantly, especially if it is as cool as this one. The Lenovo Yoga Mouse can be folded and unfolded at ease and has the USB dongle conveniently stored within the same mouse. An internal pivot allows the lower part of the mouse to rotate and get into mouse position, or go back to flat and use it as a mini-remote with slides or media players to adjust the volume, move back and forward, and rewind. When the mouse if flat, the clicker feature is activated, and the contrary happens when the mouse is on.

I found the mouse lovely, very good looking, lightweight, and sober in looks. It is easy to charge through the provided USB cable, it charges fast and the power lasts for a long time if you don't use it as work mouse. It has no scrolling wheel but a touch central strip that does the job and has a Microsoft button that activates by clicking on.

On the down side, the clicking is a bit hard and metallic in noise, which can be hard on my hands at the end of the day. The touch area seems less responsive to touch than other touch mice, and the bluetooth tracker seems also less sensitive or accurate than other mice I have.

The mouse is comfortable in general, but not for long periods of time or for full-time work. I noticed that my hand and arm were getting tired and stifg. My thumb and pinkie finger hang from the sides like two outcasts, and for whatever reason it feels unnatural because, once the mouse if bent and in mouse position, the angle on is a bit sharp, not rounder, on the sides. To be fair, I have small hands, so a person with bigger hands and fingers might have no issue at all. For me, however, it makes it perfect as a secondary mouse, to use it with my entertainment and travel computers, and as an alternative mouse for work when I want to give a rest to my hands from my usual mouse.

The packaging is very flashy, but it has a lot of unnecessary plastic waste. I would rather have a fabric pouch provided to protect the mouse than a bulky hard plastic case, difficult to store, and totally impractical.

The mouse does not have removable batteries; it charges by using the provided USB cable from any power source.

The main virtue I see in this mouse is its versatility, it is an overall nice mouse, perfect for travelling and a good price for the fanciness in it.

I have used the mouse in two different computers running on Windows 10, a new one and a very old one, the latter with less touch and connectivity capabilities, and the mouse works perfectly in both.   

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Cover-More Travel Insurance (Online Retailer)

I travel quite often, and these days I pay for travel insurance. 

Cover More has been my travel insurance company since ever, meaning since I started paying for travel insurance. There were years in which my only insurance was praying the heavens to protect me because I did not have the money to do pay for anything but the ticket. I found the pricing of the polices really high, taking into account that I have rarely had any problem and that this might be the case of most travellers. Just guessing! They claim that spend many millions on claims per year, and I believe them; however, I think that the number of people not claiming is higher.

However, there is no detour. I have compared Cover-More with other travel insurance companies (even with my health insurance company, which offers discounts to members for Travel Insurance) and Cover-More is cheaper or the same price, depending on the policy, but it has more benefits. So I am stuck with them.

I would like their policies to be a bit more flexible and considerate with regular customers. But they do not have regular customers because their idiotic system does not record us as such, no matter how many times you book with them. They should implement a rewards point system for people who regularly buy their policies, and points added for travels done without claiming anything. Then, turn the points into discounts and voila. That would make me happy. And you.

The only time I had done a claim, everything was easy-peasy. The claim was for a last-minute flight change that forced me to move intercity immediately and the only thing I could find available was a room in a five star hotel. I produced the receipts, told them what had happened and I was fully reimbursed, no fuss.

In the past, I used to book on the phone because their website was just good for quotes but useless for booking. Currently, it is pretty good for bookings and I book directly online.

I am never happy paying so much money to a Travel Insurance company, but, really, if I got sick or something bad happened to me overseas, their policies give me a great peace of mind, and they are cheaper than other companies out there. So let it be. 

UPDATE 11/1/16
I have just bought a policy with Cover-more. I visited first their website, as I have been using it for years. They don't seem to get thing right. The booking of a policy is simpler and clearer than ever, and the look of the website has improved. However, something really important has worsened. In the former version of the website, you introduce your  personal info and dates of travel and you would get a quote in all policies they offer, side by side. At present, the police they offer for International, is just one, no the most comprehensive, . The latter (called Options) can bought through travel agents, which is always a pain because they inflate the prices and to get a discount you have to move your rear to find somebody who offers a better price and keep playing poker,and it only benefits the travel agents. It might be that you can book the Options comprehensive policy on the phone, but the website looks nicer and simpler but it is not better. 

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