12/04/2023

MEZON Crystal-Clear Tempered-Glass Screensaver for OPPO A98 5G - 2 Pack

THE SAD END, update 13 Dec
After what I said below, my second item in the package lasted me a week. Why it started to crack, no idea, but most likely because of bad materials bad manufacturing and bad quality control. I wasted my money, like literally, and I'm upset.  One star is quite generous. I would give it 0 if possible, because the items don't do what they are supposed to, the items are pricey and don't last.
 
 
THE REAL IMPRESSION
I had written the text below after buying this pack. I received this on Sunday arvo. Today, Tuesday arvo, was all cracked for no reason. How that happened? To me, it is just about my phone being in my bag for little time and the screensaver being rigid, and probably with some manufacturing flaw, got scratched. But, what's the point? The screensaver I had with my previous phone has lasted me over 2 years and is still as new. I thought it was something behind the screensaver and I lift it carefully and the crack expanded, so that's really annoying and shows how bad the quality is. The advertising says that it is hit and scratch proof. Really? I hate wasting time and money on things that do not do what they're supposed to. Gladly the pack has 2 items, so I'll try the other one and update the review if necessary.
 
FIRST IMPRESSION
This a good value for money containing two screen protectors for OPPO A98. The film is rigid and quite thick, but adheres easily and beautifully to the screen with minimal bubbling. The non-perfectly adhered spots can be easily flattened out with my finger. The protector has a black marquee around the edges, which helps with the protector placement and removal as it allows me to distinguish its edges from the the screen. The set is  beautifully packaged and the package also contains a wet+dry couple of tiny towelettes to clean the phone screen before placing the protectors.

MEZON Ultra Slim Transparent TPU Gel Case for Oppo A98

Once upon a time, Oppo would include a transparent gel case in all phone packages. Those times have gone and now I need to buy it myself. This Mezon case is the sort of case it used to come together with the phone, and the sort of phone case I love, because it allows the phone colour and design to shine through, but still being protective and long-lasting. It's easy to clean, too. The case adjusts perfectly to the phone still allowing the input/output points to be easily accessible (like the plugging, audio jack sockets  for ex.). I wouldn't call this case ultra slim, to be honest; I would say it's average thickness. I find the price a bit high for the type of product and material. Packaging is minimal and not fancy, but I don't need more. TPU Gel cases tend to get yellow with use and the pass of time, but I haven't had this that long to tell. I will update my review in the future if needed.


11/25/2023

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water in Oil 400ml

I'm not a fan of the simple version Micellar water, but I'm a fan of this one due to the mix of water and oil. I use it all over my face, on my eyes and lips included. I have a slightly sensitive skin and I've had no signs of irritation in the long time I've been using it. This product removes my makeup wonderfully, water-proof mascara and lipstick included. It is not as good on waterproof mascara as other purpose-made cleaners, but it's still excellent. I have an age, and it works wonderfully on my skin.
 
I don't use the product straight out of the bottle. I shake the bottle and immediately, when the water and the oil are still mixed together, I squeeze a good amount of liquid into a recycled refillable spray bottle that I have from a lenses cleaner product. When I want to use it, I shake the small spray water and, when both liquids are mixed, I spray the product twice onto a makeup cotton pad, and then clean my face with the pad. In this way, the quantity of product I use is minimal, no waste, but it's enough to remove my makeup. As I use it this way, a bottle lasts me ages and it's great value for money.

WTF Shopping Moment: Rude AI

 
We are all excited but scared about how AI is taking the world by storm. I like AI capabilities to offer us a first-point summary of topics that I'm looking up. Well, that was till today. I was browsing Amazon and came across a toilet paper page. Amazon is now including, before the reviews, an AI-generated summary of what reviewers say about this toilet paper. Now, this is the first page I saw this morning while having my breakfast. Wonderfully summarized in  a way. AI totally understands the nuances of the English language, right? The giggle of the week.  

11/19/2023

Mont Marte Watercolour Pad A5 300gsm 12 Sheet

This is an A5 paper pad of good quality 300 gsm paper. You know, there are good and not so good 300 gsm watercolour paper, and this is good paper, and great value for money as well. 

I've tested the paper without pre-gessoing the surface, which leaves the paper more exposed to the media I used. I've used both acrylic paint and acrylic inks, adding quite a bit of dripping and the paper stood everything wonderfully and I was totally surprised at how well it took acrylic paint and acrylic inks, without buckling or deteriorating. I like the paper texture and the fact that the pad is glued just in one of the sides, but I'm not a fan of the paper colour. Yet, it doesn't really matter, because I will be painting over it and I can change that easily.

GAIA Skin Naturals Bamboo Baby Wipes, 80 Piece

I love Gaia products. They never disappoint me. This is also the case with these sensitive bamboo-based wipes. I don't have children, so I bought these wipes to use in my art practice. I have been using cleaning household wipes, critic acid based, and they are great, but they're not environmentally friendly and are sometimes too harsh on painting surfaces, so I thought I would give these Gaia a try.
 
These bamboo wipes have a lovely soft texture and a sweet creamy scent that I love. They are not too dry or drippy, still wet, so they're perfect for smudging and blending different kinds of media on paper without wiping off the whole thing or destroying the surface. They are also great to use with stencils as they wipe off paint and leave clear marks without leaving watery residue or blotting the paint. They are lovely to clean off residual paint from my painting brushes (both silicone and synthetic bristles) after I have had them submerged in water for a while, or to remove medium or gesso from my silicone brushes easily.

They don't work as well to wipe off almost dry paint completely or remove stubborn dry paint on my hands, table or brushes, though.
 
I love that these wipes are plant-based and environmentally friendly. I bought the small package just to given them a try, but I will definitely buy them again in a large package.

Smith’s Fun Mix Variety Multipack Potato Chips 20 Pack

I love this mix of mini snack bags. I love all the flavours in the pack. These are great for school/work lunches, or to have at home when I fancy trying different snacks without having to purchase a large bag of each variety. I also love that there is an equal amount of bags for each variety, unlike other multi-packs out there. The only thing I really dislike is the amount of chemicals some of the varieties have.
 
Once I have finished the snacks I reuse the cardboard, which is good quality and flexible, for painting on it.  I add a bit of gesso fist, though. It makes a great painting substrate for my artistic experimentation.