10/08/2022

Rimmel London Nail Nurse Base & Top Coat 5 in 1

This is one of those products that I buy when I travel or I'm on a budget. It does the job quite nicely for a fraction of the price I pay for other brands. It is not as good as others I buy, but it's good quality nevertheless. The bottle design is simple and effective as it has the average quantity of product but isn't as bulky as others.

Clairol Root Touch Up, 4 Dark Brown

I use this brand and colour kit on a regular basis between visits to my hairdresser's. It fully covers my very white grey hair and I find it easy and safe to apply. I always let it on more than the time the package recommends, as I've seen that, if I don't let it stay longer, my greys aren't fully covered. I do this as I haven't noticed any allergic reaction when using it for longer. The colour lasts me great about 2.5 weeks, which is OK and what I expect it to do.

I wish the bottle had a bit of more product so that I could cover my back head roots. The quantity in this retouch kit allows me to cover the front and top layers not the back or my hair, which is OK as I have long wavy hair and it would not show much either way.

Unlike the same brand full-regrowth package, this kit comes without conditioner.

The application brush is excellent for the price. I don't put it in the rubbish, but I use it for my artwork, to clean grout or other home purposes.

10/02/2022

Youshares Colored Pencil Case 166 Slots Pen Case Organizer

PROS 
> Beautiful exterior design. 
> Good quality sturdy materials. 
> It accommodates tons of my drawing stuff: different kinds and lengths of markers, pencils, crayons and what's not. See my photos. 
> The elastic bands aren't individual but 2-3 joint together, large ones, which comes handy to put different sizes of pens together still keeping them all secure. 
> Great to carry around. 
 
CONS 
> A bit bulky. 
> Takes lots of space in my drawer and it's not easy to accommodate in small spaces. > Zip area a bit too tight or close to the inner trays.

9/25/2022

Mavala Switzerland Mini Nail Polish Baghdad, 5 ml

I've bought Mavala mini nail polishes before and I love the travel size and the quality of the product. However, this item has been a great disappointment. To start with, the photo is misleading as the colour is not orange but an orange-ish pink (see my photo); most importantly, the colour is quite translucent and, even if I use two coats, the results are quite neutral. If I had been looking for a neutral pink I might have been happy with this colour and texture, but I was looking for an opaque orange as per the colour in the photo and I got neither.

Umisu 6 Rolls Washi Tape Journal Paper Tape Vintage

This is a beautiful selection of antique/vintage inspired tapes in different widths and printing motifs. The prints are neat and good quality. These rolls are a great addition to some of my mixed media projects. I tend to add matte gel medium to the top once in the artwork just to secure their position as they're low tack and can be lifted/removed easily. The main downside is that they're a bit pricey

Comiart Feather Wire Texture + Pro Needle Detail Tools

I don't use these for sculpture but for my mixed media artwork. I paint on thick watercolour paper, so I can use these without a problem to make marks, but minding the pressure I put as they can be quite 'abrasive' on the paper. Both tools are made of good quality metal. The needle tool comes with a protection cap, which is needed as it's really pointy and I could harm myself if I placed it in my pen holder without any protection. I wish the fan tool came with a cap and the 'hairs' were a bit more flexible. Overall, a good must-have set for abstract painting

Cenovis St John’s Wort, 60 Tablets

This is an amazing product that I've used for years during periods of great work stress, grieving, and personal relationship upheavals that affect my mood. St John's Wort is scientifically proven to treat mild anxiety and depression (I actually researched this before I took it for the first time, because I don't trust just the cover of any supplement). I take this occasionally, so I don't consider this a medication, but a short-term solution when I cannot mentally or emotionally cope with tough life situations and taking into account that I don't suffer from any psychological illness. I usually take 2 tablets a day for a couple of weeks and it's enough for me. The longest I've taken this is a for a month. I usually see results quite rapidly, in a week, and my anxiety and negative thoughts calm down and I see an improvement. Unlike friends/family that have used this, I don't get sleepy, so I take it usually in the mornings. This is a must-have in my fist-aid kit.