5/06/2025

CedarFresh Balls - Lavender (18 Count)

I bought this pack to spread through bedroom drawers and bed linen storage containers. I've used a similar product in the past and I was satisfied with the balls. I find cedar balls aesthetically pleasing, environmentally friendly and they do the job. However, this set had barely no lavender scent when I opened the box. For the rest, what makes cedar balls successful against scrawlers is their natural cedar scent and oils; yet, the scent  was barely there for me. Perhaps the fact that I cannot smell anything doesn't mean anything, and they work the same? In short, I hope they do the job, but not sure if they will.

Yubbaex 6pc Basic Washi Tape Set (Black & White Plaid Grid)

This is a small set of grid black & white (off-white I'd say) washi tape rolls. I love the simple patterns because they are excellent to use in tag art and mixed media projects due to their simple design. They go well with everything and they make great accents. The rolls in this set are small in diameter and only have 5 metres of tape each, which is more than enough for me. I have other gridded tapes, and these ones are lower in quality, but nothing to complain about because the product is sold as a basic set and  costs little. 

Jacquard Lumiere Metallic Silver ( 2.25 Oz 5)

This is another beauty from the Jacquard Lumière collection. The silver colour and brilliance are there because the paint has both metallic and pearlescent pigments. This paint is  medium to light body (viscosity) and is not fully opaque, so I need two or three coats if I want to cover something completely. Sometimes, I use a primer coat of matte grey and then apply this metallic silver. The end result is a natural-looking beautiful silver. The brand sells this paint as lightfast and waterproof and those are big hits with me. I prefer heavy body to light body (fluid) acrylics, especially for metallic colours but this one is just beautiful. 

Derwent Inkense Blocks (Tin of 36)

Derwent Inktense Blocks are professional-quality highly-pigmented water soluble blocks that can be used as watercolours or as mixed media crayons. This package contains a great mix of vibrant and neutral colours that are perfect for my needs. 
 
I love the tin box quality and design, which is great to keep the blocks safe and neatly stored. If I remove the inner holders, I can use it for other purposes. I love the "crevasses" on the sides, which are perfect for broken or half pieces. 
 
Having used the Derwent XL blocks and XL coloured graphite blocks I can honestly say that I prefer the two first to the Inktense Blocks. However, I love the quality of the bright lines and accents I can get with these blocks especially when I don't mix them with other products, as they're vibrant and make any piece standout.  They're very bold as watercolours. 
 
Are the Derwent Inktense blocks/pencils lightfast? According to the company, "87% of the range is lightfast, however, once water is added, lightfastness ratings will be different depending on how much each colour is diluted." They also state that these blocks are made using different binders and wax blends, which affects the lightfastness of each colour. As mentioned in other cases for similar products, you need to use a medium to seal the colour if you intend to work with liquid media after using these blocks. The same can be said if you use them on you painting top layer. Furthermore, once the piece is finished, you can protect it by using an UV protection varnish and, of course, by keeping the artwork out of direct sunlight.   
 
If I had to buy them now, knowing as I know, I would buy the Inktense pencils, which will have the same quality pigment but are better for me. So, in short I like these ones but I don't love them. 

MIND
The blocks are quite thin and break easily while exerting a bit of pressure. Handle with care. 

TouchCool 3pc Acrylic Marker Set (White, Fine tip, 0.8mm)

I paid little for these three acrylic gel markers. I was not hopping much from them because they're from a brand that I don't know and there were no reviews when I purchased them. Glad that I had no expectations because these markers are just OK. 
 
The first issue is that it takes a while for the ink to come out. When it does, it's really fine and clean. However, the ink doesn't always flow effortlessly, especially when working on mixed media, so that's the biggest let-down. 
 
The second issue is that these markers are sold as waterproof and they aren't. Just today, I painted some lines on dry acrylic paint. Then, I came with a damp tissue and the marker lines went off easily. I'd say they're OK for school and crafts purposes, but you would need a sealer of you want them to be waterproof. .  
 
The writing on the exterior gets off easily  as well, but this doesn't bother me.

Paul Rubens 6-pack White Soft Oil Pastels

This is a selection of white soft oil pastels sticks (with cylindrical tip, not bullet tip)  to complement any Paul Rubens (Haiya) set. White is the colour that I use the most (in backgrounds, to mix colours, as highlights), so having an extra supply of them at an affordable price is essential. These sticks are creamy good-quality soft oil pastels that remind me of Sennelier's, but at a fraction of the price. They spread, mix and blend well. They're opaque and cover any surface without gaps or see through spaces, easily. They can be blended with tissue paper, my fingers, or a stump. I use them for layering, sgraffito, mixing, lighting and toning different colours. They are covered in fine paper that can be easily removed when needed. They work well as accents on the final layers of mixed-media projects. 

Mont Marte Fluoro Oil Pastels 12-Pieces Set

I cannot stress enough how beautiful these oil pastels colours are in real life. I haven't been able to find anything similar in good quality brands, so I decided to buy this set just because it was cheap and Mont Marte is a good brand for student art supplies. 
 
The colours didn't disappoint; actually, they blew me away. Perhaps the red isn't the best fluoro red out there, but is still beautiful. These aren't soft pastels, but they are still creamy. They blend OK with quality soft pastels and well with themselves. Having used low, medium and high end oil pastels, these cannot compare in the amount of pigment they have or the level of coverage. Yet, they are still decent and a pleasure to use as highlights over soft oil pastels, or on their own on the top layers of mixed-media projects. Most fluoro pigments aren't lightfast or aren't super lightfast, so I don't expect this to be in the list of light-resistant list. Yet, this doesn't matter if you just want to use them on art journaling, sketchbooks or in small projects that won't have the artwork displayed on any wall.