8/18/2022

Vicks VapoRub 50 g

I got a viral infection recently and I was having problems sleeping due to my nose breathing being difficult and having a dry cough. This jar brings back so many memories from childhood that I thought I'd give it a try now, decades later. The smell is strong and pervasive, therefore, it stinks any clothes; that being the case, I used old worn out pajamas while applying the product. The rub really helped to keep my breath flow and to sleep better. It didn't help with my coughing, so I supplemented this with lozenges from the same brand. I noticed that rubbing the product on my chest wasn't enough, so I also rubbed it on my throat so the vapors would reach my mouth and nose, and there was a noticeable improvement. A little dollop goes a long way. Good value for money.

2x100 Sheets Japanese Chinese Calligraphy Rice Paper

I've used this paper for many months in my mixed media projects and is a great replacement for art tissue paper, which is way more expensive. This paper is great quality. It has a rugged face and a glazed one. The size is a bit over A4, so I trim it to use it in my ink-jet printer to print elements that I then integrate in my artwork. I use one sheet at a time, though, otherwise the paper gets jammed or just doesn't separate well. The paper prints beautifully even when using a normal printer and average settings. When I use it with matt medium, I have to be careful because, if I use the rugged side up it can rip apart, something that doesn't happen when I use the glazed side. This paper is a a bit thicker than tissue paper, too, so trimming the edges of any motif is important as, otherwise, there will be a 'halo'. I don't use this paper for calligraphy or with liquid ink, so I cannot comment on that. I buy this paper over and over again. Great value for money, too as this set cots just a little more than the single package.

8/05/2022

10pcs Empty Plastic Squeezable Liquid Dropper Filling Bottles Needle Tip Applicator

I love needle tip bottles as they're great for systemic writing and mark making in my artwork. I wasn't expecting these 30 ml bottles to fit heavy body acrylic paint in, for sure, but I have semi-fluid acrylics, quite runny. To my dismal, the bottle mouth is so narrow that it's extremely difficult to pour some of my acrylics in, so much so that I wasted lots of paint in the process. I first tried with a fitting mini funnel but it didn't work. Then, I tried by pulse, and no luck either. It might work well with inks or flow acrylics, but I don't own any of those. It is a pity because the bottles are good quality plastic and the tip is also good quality. Yet, they're worthless to fit in the many types of acrylic paints I own.

Mont Marte Flow Medium

I wanted a thinner to use with those bottles of paint that are getting too thick and dry, so adding a bit of this medium and shaking the bottle well works perfectly. I also use it to thin average acrylics so that they become liquid-ish still maintaining their pigmentation. I've never used this medium for flow acrylic painting, so I can't comment on that. It works well for me. It is a good size mini bottle, a little amount goes a long way, and it is great value for money.

7/24/2022

Burt's Bees Lip Balm Chai Tea Tube 4.25g

This is a simple, no-fuss lip balm that makes wonders for my cracked lips. It is very emollient and pleasurable to have on. I always check the list of ingredients in the cosmetics I use as this really matters to me. This lip balm has a huge array of natural wax, oils and plants extracts, something that, to me, explains, why it took me two days to get the cracks disappear from my lips after using this balm. I own other lip balms and lip treatments and this is my fav so far.

I love chai tea, so I chose this variety thinking that it might have a slight similarity with the flavour, but, to my delight, it really tastes of chai tea.

Good value for money.

MASTERPRO MPHB8 Loaf Bakeware Pan Carbon Steel/Black

This a good quality oven tray. I don't use it for bread just to roast veggies. It is quite large, like a fifth larger than most average bread pans out there. See my photo to see the difference. Very easy to use, and it doesn't stick. It cleans super-easy, just with a bit of soapy water even when I put lots of oil in it. Great value for money.