8/10/2024

VGSEBA Gold Leaf Gilding Foil Sheets,100 Sheets 3.15" x3 .35" (8x8.5 cm)

These leaves are a good alternative to real gold leaf and at a fraction of the price. They look like a sunset gold or Aztec gold leaf, something I love. Each foil leaf is protected by a tissue-paper leaf.  The sheets are very delicate and break easily, so they're especially good to cover something, little by little,  by applying foil coats; not so good or easy to cover a specific shape (or at least I don't know how to do that). It glues easily with gloss medium and matt medium, but the first one is more befitting with a metallic product like this.
 
Good value for money as there are 100 sheets in the package and one sheet can be used as accent in a small painting. I wouldn't use this in art pieces for sale, but I  use it in my art journaling or small art pieces I want to keep for myself or for gifting.

8/04/2024

Stardrops The Pink Stuff Cleaning Paste 850 g

This is the new kid on the block on the household cleaning world. I've never heard of this brand before, but it seems to be all around the Internet, with raving reviews and impacting videos. 
 
A cleaning paste sounded something new to me, and this is why I got this tube and not other cleaning products on the same range. They describe it as a miraculous paste that cleans myriad surfaces grime and grease, so I have tried it on different surfaces to check it out myself.
 
As per my photos, I've tried it on a pot and a frying pan base, which  I scrubbed with a metallic scoured in the past without being able to remove the dry stained grease. I applied a thin coat using a soft scrubber, let it stay for 30 minutes, then scrubbed it off with the same metallic scourer, applied a new coat, left it stay for about 10-15 minutes more and scrubbed again. As you can see, there is a noticeable difference and I was able to remove most, but not all, the grease. So, it is not like in the videos you see on social media where everything comes off easily. It does not work like that. 
 
I've also used the product as a normal surface cleaner in my kitchen, on the stove ceramic top, and the washing metallic sinks and bathroom tiles. It works well and quicker that way with barely any rubbing or scrubbing, leaving the surfaces clean and polished.
 
I love the creaminess and lovely scent of the product, how easily cleans and polishes, and the many uses it has. Yet, the company statements about rubbing gently before rising off are only true is you aren't removing any tough stains or grime or grease.
 
The company claims that the product is non-toxic,  vegan and non tested in animals, things that are all important to me. Yet, what is this miracle product made of? The ingredient list on the tube says "among others" soap, perfume and preservatives, and asks you to go to their website for the full list. That is unacceptable. Say, for example, that a pet or child consumes this by accident, you would want to know which ingredients are in the tub before heading to emergency services. I've gone to their website and the product has quartz, aqua, soap, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, sodium bicarbonate, glycerin, perfume, ensizothiazolinone, Methylisothiatzolione, Layralamine Dipropylenediamine, and CI  45170 (I guess this is the pink colour). The website also says it's mildly abrasive and to use with care; so, after all, it sounds like slightly toxic and pretty chemical to me. 
 

7/30/2024

Uni Gel Ballpoint Pen Uni-Ball Signo 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.