12/28/2022

Maped Study Compass Universal

This is a good quality compass. it comes with a small lead pencil that has a pressure screw to adjust it. The pencil can be easily adjusted up and down and, other pencils can be inserted instead. I've tried others I have, and they fit without problem as long as they're a similar short height; otherwise, It's difficult to use. The storage case if very good. However, the compass is very small, even for my very small hands, and I find it difficult to use naturally; like I struggle to use it. I guess it will be OK for children's hands, but not for mine for sure. I regret not having paid for something more expensive and getting something that I can easily use and move around.

12/19/2022

IZE Seminyak (Bali, Indonesia)

IZE Seminyak

Jalan Kayu Aya No. 68 Seminyak, 80361
Bali – Indonesia

P : +62 361 8466 999 E : bliss@ize-seminyak.com

 
Trendy hotel in the heart of Seminyak, very modern and fairly new when I first visited. 

THE GOOD BITS
 > In the heart of Seminyak, walking distance to plenty of shops, spas, cafes, restaurants, and bars. Plenty of taxis go around all the time. 
> Very modern, stylish hotel. Spacious, well-equipped trendy, elegant and comfortable room. 
> Very friendly staff, from reception to security guys and cleaners. 
> Free mini-bar! Only frizzy drinks and water inside, but that was enough to make me happy! 
> The upper floor pool. People complain about the seats being in the shade, but I think that is really smart if you don't want to get burnt, or if you get easily burnt. So, I was happy with it! 
> Good fast free Wi-Fi. 
> Sixty TV channels, local and International, different languages. 
> Extensive set of toiletries (besides the bottled body wash, hand wash, shampoo and conditioner). Mind, they are inside the drawers.
> Very good quality towels. 
> Complementary bottled water, coffee & tea facilities (Mind, they are inside the covered drawers) and snake skin fruit plate. 
> I was given an upgraded room, something that always makes me happy. 
> Walking distance by plenty of awesome cafes and restaurants.
> Well communicated, and easy to get a taxi from/to to the main sights in the area.

THE DOWNSIDES
 > Surrounding area is crowded, as expensive as Australia, too Westernized and touristy for my liking. 
> Signs on flooring. (Mind, reception is on floor 2). There are signs around, but not immediately visible. I expected them to be beside the lifts, where they would have been most helpful, but they were a bit far from them. 
> Lobby, apparently, had limited air-conditioning, so it was a bit 'stuffy'. 
> I was given wrong information about walking distance to Seminyak Square, postage fees for postcards, date of release of the 500,000 rupiah deposit demanded upon check-in and timing of room payment.

12/17/2022

Watercolour Paper Art Sketch Pad, 140 LB/300 GSM, 20 Sheets/40 Pages

I have this as a warm-up exercise pad to do mixed-media projects. I use a lot of liquid supplies: flow acrylic, inks, water drops, etc. and I've also pre-gessoed the pages before use. The paper is thick enough to withstand most of the media without bleeding and holding the painting pigments quite well. The paper texture is smooth and the colour white. For the price, this is an excellent watercolour and mixed-media paper pad.

My main disappointment is with the binding system. It 's supposed to open and close easily so that one can extract the page, paint on it and then put it back. I haven't been able to open the rings no matter how hard I've tried. Leaving the pages in the pad makes them prone to medium and paint transfer on the edges, even if I use some baking paper behind the sheet I'm using.

For the rest, very pretty cover, very good paper and very handy size to store away and do small projects. I'll buy again

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.

10/31/2022

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.


10/30/2022

Madura Green and Papaya 20 Enveloped Tea Bags, 30 g

This a good green tea tisane, made with a mix of green tea and papaya leaf. The packaging design is great overall (from the containing box to the sachets to the tea tags system) and the quality of the herb is good. However, I was expecting something that does taste a bit of papaya not just of green tea, and this is what this tea tastes of to me, green tea. The package doesn't list the percentage of papaya leaf in it, but I think it's very small because of what I've said. This tea is still very nice, but not what I expected. As any green tea, the tisane has a small amount of caffeine in it, but nothing that keeps me awake. There is no way on the packaging that it says it is organic.

SECOND VERSION
In a few words, not my cup of tea. It is a nice very-light green tea with some papaya leaf added but the taste of latter is not noticeable to taste. The packet doesn't list the percentage of papaya leaf in it, something that is a red flag to me. Besides, I like my green tea to be organic but there is nothing on the package to indicate that this is the case.  It has a tiny amount of caffeine but nothing that prevents me from falling asleep if I take it at night.
 
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 weak 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, so I won't buy from these people every again. 

I WON'T BUY EVER AGAIN :)

10/28/2022

Australian Natural Care 500mg Korean Ginseng Super Strength Capsules (50 Count)

  I have been using these capsules since I bought this bottle, 4 weeks ago or so. I was feeling tired and sluggish at work, especially mentally, with low stamina and needed of an energy boost as, for the rest, I'm a healthy person. I have never taken a Ginseng supplement on its own, so I decided to buy these bottle as advertise as 'energy support' and the product seemed to provide the support I need. The bottle has a good clean design (by the way, it has changed from the one on the photo in the product page), the capsules are good quality, easy to swallow, have no after-taste and my stomach hasn't shown any sensitivity to them, all of which is great. Although I noticed a slight improvement in my energy levels at a physical level, my stamina hasn't shown a significant improvement either physically or mentally . That being the case, I won't buy this product again.