1/02/2024

Scotch 3-pack Magic Tape 19mm x 7.62m

I love this tape as it has myriad uses. This version is the normal width of the normal Magic Tape. I use to stick pieces of small artwork in an album (but used on the back of the image, as otherwise lifts paint or collage areas),  as page marker,  bookmark and any other use that I would give to a normal sticky tape. However, it is low-tack and I can lift it and reposition it easily, so it has a longer use life. The dispenser is light and the guillotine cuts easily and cleanly. The only thing I dislike is the length of each roll, but this three-piece package makes do for it.

Stone Chef Non-Stick Alluminium-Alloy Frying Pan 28cm

This is a very light non-stick frying pan, something that I love, as it's easy to maneuver, lift and clean. I love the fact that it has no harmful Teflon but food doesn't stick. The handle barely heats while cooking; besides, it doesn't have that chemical smell that other Bakelite handles have.  This 28-cm pan is perfect for cooking for 1 or 2 people. I wash it by hand and it cleans very easily, but it's dishwasher friendly. I use it on an electric stove, and no issues. Well-priced too. 

Primula Stovetop Coffee Maker

This is a classic stove coffee percolator with capacity to make 12 espresso cups, which is always double for normal milky coffee (six mugs) as I put two shots in one mug. I have smaller moka pots, but I wanted one that would allow me to fill in my work Thermos in one go without having to prepare two pots, and this is perfect for that.
 
The pot is as simple as it gets, no design fuss. Yet it does the job and cost me half of what I would have paid for any other brand. If you have never used one of this, you'll find step-by-step guidance on the packaging box and in the instruction leaflet (see my photos).
 
I thought that the handle is too small or weak to carry the weight of such a heavy pot, but I found it to be quite OK despite its appearance.
 
I use the pot on a small electric camping stove as my kitchen range has very large burners and I don't think the handle would withstand so much heat. Too many reviewers have mentioned that. However, on this camping stove, as per my photo, it is perfect. It takes a while to heat up, but it does the job.
 
Pouring is clean and easy, something I love as this is one of the most common flaws in other coffee pots I own. This pot allows perfect clean pouring with natural hand tilting.

It washes well with little effort.

DOWNSIDES
-- The inner steam spout spits coffee out if I lift the lid, and it spills out. So the outing is not really smooth and continuous.
-- Although made of traditional aluminum, it is quite light and the metal feels weak and cheap. The filter perforated base clunks a bit, as that's because the filter is not made in one piece, and, to me, that's a recipe for further disaster.
-- I haven't used this on a large cook-top burner because it would melt the handle. Too many reviews on that for me to ignore. It is also the first impression I got when I opened the box. Like, I checked the reviews afterwards and found that to be the case.  

IN SHORT
A family-sized moka pot, basic in design but does the job if you have a small cook-top burner (gas or electric) at a great price. I will update this review in the future, if necessary. 

12/13/2023

L'Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Hair Mask, 300 ml

I've used this mask for the first time recently lured by the sale price, by the fact that I usually love L'Oreal hair products, and because I had never tried this before. 
 
This mask smells really nice. It 's a feminine scent, so not as gender neutral as other L'Oreal hair masks scents I've experienced. 
 
Dream Lengths doesn't de-tangle my hair as well as other L'Oreal masks, isn't as nourishing and, most disappointingly, it leaves me with a freezy head if I let my hair dry au naturel. Definitely, not suitable to my wavy tinted thick long hair, which is what the mask is supposed to be designed for. I'll stick to the other masks in the same price range because they do a better job on my hair and cost me the same.

12/09/2023

Felix Mobile (Mobile phone carrier)

 

Felix Mobile has replaced my previous mobile carrier, which I've had for many years. I was lured by the unlimited data plan, as I use my phone as a hot spot to connect my laptop and I use a minimum of 100 GB per month. Most carriers in Australia have prepaid or postpaid plans for 100 GB at quite expensive prices and unlimited data for ridiculous prices. I was also lured by the fact that the company was new in Oz and they were offering a $35-plan for unlimited data, unlimited calls and SMS. I got a bonus for $5 for unlimited international calling. I have use the company for 3+ months and I couldn't be happier, how easy is to add or remove add-ons on the app, the quality and speed of the Internet that I get with it, the fact that uses 4G and the Vodafone network to operate.
 
They are carbon neutral certified. They claim to plant a tree on our behalf for every month we're on one of their mobile plans. But they don't do so directly as they've partnered with One Tree Planted, a non-profit organisation focused on global reforestation to plant the trees, i.e. they're supporting a great NGO but not planting trees directly like in Oz. We don't know where. It sounds off to me.  

They increased the pricing of their unlimited plan, short after I joined, but I was one of the few newcomers they kept the original $35, and now the unlimited plan is advertised at $40, which is lovely.

The two major letdowns are, firstly, the basic design of the app and color scheme, and, most importantly, the limited customer service they offer. No phone number to call CS, no specific chat on their website. The only way to contact them is via WhatsApp or via the  app chat. Contact via their website via desktop is poor and idiotic. 

12/05/2023

Sof Sole shoe goo - Clear

I've used this glue three times and I've had mixed results. The flat soles of my ugg boots totally unglued themselves, each one on separate dates; I used this glue and they were restored to its original goodness with little effort. I've also used this glue with a pair of flat leather boots whose point was unglued and the results weren't that good because, although the point got glued, there is still a gap with the dry glue visible, which looks horrible.  

This isn't an instant glue that seals surfaces on contact. This glue needs of some pressure on the shoes to make the parts being sealed make contact. I can put a rubber band and some pressure on my ugly homey boots or cheap shoes, but doing so with my good shoes isn't an option because it will deform or damage them.  The results are great for shoe flat parts not as much for small edges or points.

I love the smell of this glue; it reminds me of bygone cobbler shops.

12/04/2023

Zhu Ting 12-piece Flat Art Paint Brush Set

This is a great set of expensive-looking flat nylon hair brushes perfect for acrylic paint. The variety of sizes is great, but I miss one or two larger brushes. They are great quality. The bristles don't deform despite me leaving the brushes in water for days or using them with acrylic paint, gesso or matte medium.  The handle seems not to stain as quickly or badly as other brushes I own. They clean easily with hand soap under running water even when the paint is a bit dry on the bristles. They are great value for money as well. The only downside is that these brushes are on the small side, and a bit smaller than other brushes with the same sizing (see my photos).