7/30/2024

Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen -- Angelic Color AC White (UM120AC.1)

The Uni-Ball Signo Angelic Color in white is a gel marker with a fine ballpoint, and a good companion to the Uni Signo broad point that I also use. It has a lovely opaque ink. I've used it on acrylic paint and acrylic ink after these have completely dried and the white colour is really noticeable and opaque when used on dark colours; not so much on light colours. The ink flows beautifully and creates polished clean delicate lines or accents. It is not archival, though, so you have to be careful not to smudge it when moving your hand around. This being the case, a fixative is needed if used on artwork. For the rest, it's a lovely marker at a great price.  

Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice Tea 20 Teabags

Celestial teas are among my favourite teas in the world. This tea variety has not disappointed. 
 
Like other Celestial teas, this variety has a wonderful aroma, which starts from the moment you open the pouch containing the tea bags, and continues after brewing. It is not just the nose the one tantalised. The flavour is equally wonderful. The tea has a distinctive apple and cinnamon taste, which is what I was expecting  from this variety; it also has other spices undertones with a hint of sweetness. It's a clean and flavoursome taste. I love it in winter nights as it's caffeine free. With a hint of milk makes a kind of light chai. I think it'd make a wonderful iced tea and I'd try it iced  when Summer comes. I find this variety easier on my stomach than other spiced teas from the same brand.
 
One teabag makes two mugs of full-flavoured tea. 
 
I love the packaging and the fact that all the information on the box is written on a decently-sized font. However, there are two very important things that I'd like in the ingredient list to be improved. The first one is the percentage of each ingredient in the mixture, which is missing. Second, and most importantly, I'd lie the general vague "other natural flavours" to be specified. Which ones are they? Do they contain any allergen or sugar?
 
For the rest, I will be ordering this again.

7/25/2024

MEEDEN 12-piece Artist Acrylic Paint Brushes Set

The box contains  flat, fan, angler, round, liner and filbert brushes in different sizes.  
 
I love Meeden products. All the art supplies and brushes I've purchased from them in the past have been both affordable and great quality. I bought this brush set not only because of the brand and its affordability, but also because it has a good selection of small/detail brushes and a 1-inch mottler.
 
Despite what the description page says, this package I got didn't come with a carrying case, just the cardboard holding packaging, which is disappointing. Unlike my other Meeden brushes, these brushes are a bit of a downgrade re handle quality. This tends to break open if kept in water for long periods of time, yet only one of them broke open. The taklon fibres are, on the contrary, excellent -- soft, flexible, easy to wash and low maintenance. 
 
Not professional quality but good quality overall, and they do the job if you're on a budget.

7/23/2024

Smith's Potato Chips Snack Mix Variety Multipack 20 Pack

This one of those lovely but naughty snack pot-pourri bags that I love. The bags small size is perfect for lunch boxes or just, as I often do, to enjoy the different flavours in small quantities. My favourite bags are the Grain Waves and the Crinkle Smith's. The other two varieties are also lovely, but they have more additives (colouring, preservative, etc.). The price per gram is obviously more expensive than if buy a full bag of one flavour, but that's the reason why I want a variety pack, because of the variety. They are also convenient for lunch boxes or to carry one in the bag when I do errands and want to have something nice at hand. All the varieties are flavoursome and crunchy. 

Bains Wholefoods Chickpea Chips Original Flavour, 100 g

I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks. This one appealed to me immediately as it is made of chickpeas, a product that I love. This snack is made of all healthy stuff, as healthy as it gets, mostly chickpea flower, peas, rice, spices and oil. No nasty preservatives. But it is not really chickpeas, it's a mix of chickpeas, rice, peas, sunflower and other stuff. That would be OK if the flavour was stronger. It is mild and lovely, with the chilly being just hinted, but nothing that invites me to buy it again. The crunch is barely there, and that's the main disappointment for me. It's healthy. Yummy? No. 

7/21/2024

Sunbites Grain Waves Sour Cream and Chives Wholegrain Chips 90 g

Grain Waves is one of my fav snacks due to the hard crunch and the delicious cereal-nutty flavour. This is the first time I try this flavoured version and it is yummy. It's on the sweetish side but very flavoursome. Looking at the list of ingredients makes my heart sink and, needless to say, it has more additives than the plain version.  I usually buy snacks from Amazon because they're the same price as in my local supermarket, but this is not one of them. Yet, I had to give away to my craving. 

Aquarius Peanuts Snoopy Carry All Tin Lunch Box

This is a very lovely box made of good tin with Snoopy illustrations all over; those on the top lid are engraved. Really cute for children or adults alike, especially for those of us who love Snoopy. The best thing is that I can use this box for many storage purposes not just as a lunch box.
 
I bought this box to store some art supplies and small pieces of collage paper, so it's great for that. I love the fact that the handle can be tucked in flat and that the lid lock allows me to store the box vertically without fear of the contains getting out or the box self opening.
 
I have similar tin storage/lunch boxes and this one is a bit narrower and taller than the others I own.  
 
A bit pricey for a tin box, but I'm sure the illustrations are copyrighted and that's part of the issue. Yet, it's value is very similar to other similar tin boxes out there.

I was a bit worried about the reviews re the lock being faulty and he box damaged. However, my tin box arrived in perfect conditions.