1/10/2022

HABEE SAVERS Bra Extenders 50mm

As described, this is a bra extender. It does the job and allows me to use the bra when I have put a bit on weight and the original straps are too tight. Mind, the upper part comes bent and stapled with an invisible plastic staple, perhaps to have it fit it in the package, so you have to remove the staple to use it. I say this, because it's barely noticeable. Easy to hook and comfortable to use. Great value for money.

1/02/2022

BlueFire Colored Water-soluble Professional 72-Pencil Set

THE GOOD
> The package is really elegant, well presented and organized.
> The set contains 72 colored pencils plus a complimentary brush, with enough diversity of colors to do coloring and work on shadows and mid-tones.
> OK as coloring pencils.
> The tiny coloring Fantasy Dream is really beautiful.
> Good priced for the amount of colors you get.

THE NOT SO GOOD
> These are watercolor pencils, but once you apply water, the color is barely there. I expected, for sure, the color to dilute and be less vibrant once it becomes watercolor, but the dilution of the color was dramatic, like the pigment doesn't hold much with the water because the pigment is not good.
> The brush doesn't help much with the water-coloring, as the color didn't spread well, the bristles hold too much water and there aren't enough bristles in it for the water to be more evenly distributed.
> Color chart on the box doesn't match the pencil colors in the box. Also, there are discrepancies in the numbering on the pencils, with some of the numbers missing or just wrongly numbered.
> The color trays arrived with the colors all mixed up as per my photo, not color organized, so I had to spend an hour organizing the pencils properly.
> Bad quality pencil body and lead that break and bristle easily, like just getting the pencil out of the grip.
> The holding tray is made of plastic, and the grips where the pencils are held, tend not to be stable, so once I get one out, others pop up on their own.

OVERALL
This is a good set for just coloring, not so much if you want professional watercolor pencils. Quality of the pencils overall is average and they're easily breakable.

12/31/2021

Mavala Switzerland Mini Color Nail Polish - Pink Cosmic, 5 ml

Let me tell you, the Cosmic Pink colour you see in the pictures and the colour you get on the nails is quite different. The bottle looks a bit purpleish or cherry-ish, but it is not. This is a very girly, festive and Cinderella-ish pink. I guess the glitter bits distort the colour in the photos because even in the photos of my hands, the colour doesn't look as prettier as in real life .

The polish spreads easily and evenly. One coat is nice enough and has decent coverage, but two coats make perfection. Despite the glitter, one coat dries off quickly

This polish has a rugged textured finish not a smooth one, which can be expected from any glittery polish. It smoothes out a bit with a clear top coat, but the textured finish won't disappear despite this. Beware, as with any glittery polish, it takes a bit of more effort to remove it. The polish chips off but not overly so, so a new spot application is enough as the polish is thick enough to cover the spot without needed of a full coat.

This is a travel-size tiny size (see my photo beside an average polish bottle), and, this being the case, it's a bit pricey for what it is. This explains the four stars not the five. On the other hand, as I have small hands, I find this sizing perfect for my DIY manicure and the brush is perfect for my nails size.

The brand is vegan and cruelty free, something that's really important to me. This is my first Mavala polish, and I will repeat.

12/30/2021

Dehub Ice-Cream Popsicle silicone Moulds Set of 8

Very good quality flexible kitchen silicone lollipop molds in vibrant colors. The package contains 8 molds with its correspondents sticks, plus an extra spare stick. The first impression is that these would be a bit too wobbly to hold anything upright in the fridge. However, after using them, there is no issue, whether the mold is empty or full. They do what they're supposed to do. As the silicone is flexible, it's super-easy to remove the ice-cream from the mold by putting each individual mold under running warm water for like 5 seconds, and the ice-cream comes up in one piece and very easily. The sticks don't break or deform with use. Super-easy to clean, too.

GROSCHE Milano Stovetop Espresso Maker Moka Pot 6 Cup - 9.3 oz, White

Overall,this is a good beautiful percolator that makes good coffee, but it has a design issue and it's the messiest coffee maker I own.

THE GOOD STUFF
> Beautiful, trendy and elegant, this caffettiera looks great anywhere.
> Plenty of capacity. I don't use it for espresso but for my daily milk coffee, yet it gets me three generous cups.
> Despite the size, this percolator is quite light.
> The handle is comfortable and has a comfy grip. Also, as the handle is off the percolator body of the, it doesn't heat up as much as other stove coffee makers.
> The silicone seal is quite tight and allows perfect percolation. I've found that this is really important, as I own other stove coffee makers, and the seal is the culprit for the bad quality of the coffee as the water doesn't go through the coffee properly.
> The spout pours beautifully.
> The upper body rolls on the lower body without difficulty, without getting stuck and without having to force it.
> Easy to clean, just wash it out with clean water; that's it. Despite the dripping, the white coating is not stained.
> The ethical/charitable scope of the company is something important to me. I've spent my money on a caffettiera that funds Grosche's Safe Water Project. Also, the company is carbon neutral, environmentally friendly, it's managed by women, and ticks all the ticks you want companies with a social conscience to tick on.

NOT SO GOOD.
> Aluminum, not stainless steel, which I would expect for the price I paid for this coffee maker.
> If you put the stove burner a bit high, the coffee will spit out profusely. That happened to me the first time I used it and, it dripped over the caffettiera itself, and all over my stove and bench even though the upper container wasn't even super full. I learned the lesson, now I put it on a medium heat and no problem.
> If the container is full of water, like below the screwing ridge and on or over the valve, the coffee will still spit out and drip all over the stove and kitchen bench. No inner line mark to indicate maximum height of water allowable. You have to learn the lesson by trial and error.
> You have to wait for the percolator to cool down so the spitting inside has finished; otherwise, you'll get a mess in your kitchen as the inner spout is too big and, as it keeps spitting coffee not only inside but also outside. This is a design problem. I don't have this problem with other similar percolators, as I prepare the coffee and pour it immediately without a mess. So, this one is quite annoying.
> You can call it Milano, you can point to the made-in-Italy vale and mention Italy many times, but except for the valve this is a made-in-China product as per the box (see my photo).

O.P.I. Nail Lacquer An Affair In Red Square

I've been using OPI An Affair in Red Square for several years now and it's my fav red shade on the nail polish stratosphere. OPI is also one of my fav nail polish brands. Yet, there are some issues with this specific shade that I want to mention:
> This shade is one of the thickest OPI polishes I own, and I own many. One coat over a base coat and under a top coat suffices to have full coverage and to look spectacular.
> Two coats of the polish look great, but, when I apply two coats, the polish takes a lot of time to dry off (more than other OPI shades) and it tends to smudge easily even when it's almost dry.
> This shade polish starts to thicken when the bottle it's mid way, in a way that makes it difficult to apply without resorting to adding acetone to clarify it.
> This being the case, and despite this being of one those polishes that I always have in my beauty case, it is pricey, because I usually bin the bottle midway.
> This red, as most red shades, chips easily, that's why I reserve the second coat for when my nails are totally dry but I need to cover the chipping.

Beyond that, this is just a classy wonderful red that never goes out of fashion and I never get tired of.

12/28/2021

Skittles Sours Chewy Lollies Snack and Share Party Bag 190g

If you, like me, have a sour teeth, skittles will make you soar to the sour. I love the crunchy coating, the chewy core, the fun colors and, most importantly, their level of sourness. The flavors in the package are lemon, orange, strawberry, green apple and grape. The flavors are very good and they taste of what they are meant to taste plus the sour punch. The initial coating is sweet, although not overly so, and the sourness comes after you chew them. On the flip side of things, these lollies are loaded with artificial colors and thickeners, so that's why I buy these now and then to appease my sour yearning. The package size and amount of skittles in it are considerable for the price, so this is good value for money.