wonderwhatif
Member Since: January 26, 2015Reviews
PARVENZA enuine Leather Purse - Rose
From what I can tell from short term use, this is a nice wallet, though in my opinion it’s a little overpriced so I lowered it by a star for that. There’s also a few minor things I didn’t like. For example, the gold metal parts look a bit... +
From what I can tell from short term use, this is a nice wallet, though in my opinion it’s a little overpriced so I lowered it by a star for that. There’s also a few minor things I didn’t like. For example, the gold metal parts look a bit brassy and cheap. I don’t like that the interior pouch shows the ‘other’ side of the leather and also the fabric it’s lined with looks cheap and is boring black as well.
Other than those minor details, I quite like it. I don’t think it’ll fall apart too fast as everything else looks reasonable quality and the stitching looks good (though again I feel it’s a bit expensive). It’s a good purse/wallet for a lady to keep in her bag with all her cards and stuff in combo with a much smaller wallet for just the essentials. That’s because in terms of storage, it’s pretty big. It has more card slots than I could ever feasibly need (I use an app for my rewards cards) and plenty of different pouches and zippers for money too.
One thing I really like is that it has an open area for photos (or ID I guess). I always look for that when I buy a new wallet. Also the card slots are a good size. Sometimes with foreign-made wallets the money slots and card slots are too tight. With this I can easily pull the cards in and out. I can’t tell if it’s genuine leather (not my expertise, though it says it is), but it does have a kind of weird smell and plasticky feel that I don’t associate with leather, but this leather might just be heavily treated.
So I wouldn’t buy it for the buzzwords, but if you like this wallet, go right ahead and buy it. Style-wise, it’s cute and a nice colour and has a ton of room. If that’s what you’re looking for, this could easily be the one for you!
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Viva Naturals Organic Coconut MCT Oil
This MCT oil seems fine (as far as I can tell, I’m not a lab), I’ve used Viva’s products a lot before and trust them with my natural health products, but unfortunately this one just isn’t right for me. I often find I have stomach upset when... +
This MCT oil seems fine (as far as I can tell, I’m not a lab), I’ve used Viva’s products a lot before and trust them with my natural health products, but unfortunately this one just isn’t right for me. I often find I have stomach upset when it comes to adding new supplements and struggle to tolerate them. Usually I start off at a much lower dose (as I did here), but even starting off at only half a teaspoon, my body refused to adjust to this. I’ve had this issue with both natural stuff and some medication, so I don’t blame the product, but it’s still frustrating.
In the time I used it, I did lose some weight, so I can’t comment on if that was because of the MCT, since I was already losing weight.
What I can comment on is the texture and taste. As promised this is totally flavourless. I’m a super-taster (more taste buds than average, I’ve tested for it) and couldn’t detect any noticeable taste. I wouldn’t recommend putting it into coffee, simply because many people have a laxative effect when starting MCT at first and combining it with coffee seems a bad plan. Also, it is an oil and thus will float on top of whatever you put it in. Because of the flavourless nature, I recommend just drinking it straight from a measuring spoon with a swig of whatever liquid you like.
This might be right for some people, but my body just couldn’t tolerate the effects, even when given some time. It does seem good quality though, is a big bottle and is flavourless and odourless. Before taking it, I would definitely make sure it doesn’t interfere with any of your meds or other natural supplements and make sure to start slow or you could really mess up your stomach.
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covergirl trublend base business- color neutralizing
Skin type: Combination. As someone with extremely pale skin that is cool-toned, but turns immediately red upon being touched, I was really interested in this colour correcting primer. For those who don’t know, green coloured primer or concealer... +
Skin type: Combination.
As someone with extremely pale skin that is cool-toned, but turns immediately red upon being touched, I was really interested in this colour correcting primer. For those who don’t know, green coloured primer or concealer helps to neutralise red skin. My skin has only two colours, white and red, even in the sun I burn and then turn white again right away, I never tan; I suppose that’s the Scottish skin for you!
I wasn’t expecting to love this primer as much as I do! The first time I applied it I put it on only the right side of my face, sticking to roughly that half as I applied it and then applied my makeup as normal. While I don’t feel the green primer takes away the red an extreme amount, I definitely noticed a difference in the right side of my face, both in person and in the photos I took. It is definitely less red.
What I didn’t expect was the other differences. I’ve had bad luck with primers in the past, but right away I noticed that my makeup was blending much better on the side with the primer and this result continued the other times I tried it. With the Covergirl TruBlend Primer applied less flaws on my skin showed up (I have massive problems with flaws showing up) and the make-up seemed to blend much easier too.
I also like the consistency of the primer. It’s like a thick, soft serum that absorbs very quickly. Within ten minutes I was ready to apply my foundation. The only small negative is it has quite a strong perfumed kind of smell, but it didn’t bother me and it doesn’t stick around.
I’ll be using this primer from now on, as it works brilliantly with my skin and helps correct the redness as well as reducing flaws and letting the makeup sit better.
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Rimmel London Oh My Gloss
I was excited to try a transparent gloss as it gives my lipsticks a totally new option. I, sadly, own very few glossy lipsticks and with this I can now make all my colours glossy when the mood hits me. So first off the bat, this is pretty glossy... +
I was excited to try a transparent gloss as it gives my lipsticks a totally new option. I, sadly, own very few glossy lipsticks and with this I can now make all my colours glossy when the mood hits me.
So first off the bat, this is pretty glossy, but not the shiniest product I’ve ever seen. For something called ‘Oh my Gloss!’ I was expecting something with a crazy level of shine. This is a shiny gloss, maybe even ‘extra shiny’, but I wouldn’t say it goes as far as mirror shine. If you’re looking for a shocking level of shine, this falls just short. I do like it though and it gives a lovely shiny gloss effect.
One thing about lip gloss is that it’s always sticky and this really isn’t much different in that regard. It’s less sticky than some, I’d describe it more as tacky than sticky, but if you have long hair (I don’t) it will undoubtedly stick to this. It lasts well and I’d say I got more than 4 hours wear, while eating and drinking, from this.
Despite being sticky it does feel comfortable to wear and stays well. I would definitely recommend it for those looking for a way to jazz up old boring lippie shades, or just have a shine with their natural lip colour.
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Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask
Skin type: Combination After only one use of this mask, I didn’t see a big difference and even continuing the use (twice weekly as recommended) I didn’t feel it did much more than cleansing my face. The price is quite high, but you don’t need... +
Skin type: Combination
After only one use of this mask, I didn’t see a big difference and even continuing the use (twice weekly as recommended) I didn’t feel it did much more than cleansing my face. The price is quite high, but you don’t need much and the tube holds a reasonable amount.
My skin looked slightly brighter and my pores a little cleaner, but again I felt it was similar to cleansing my face. I was surprised at how little it seemed to moisturise, my skin felt a little softer, but I’ve had drugstore masks do a more extreme job. My skin is definitely blemish prone (though not oily), but even then I didn’t feel like it worked well for me.
I also tried applying it to some blemishes and it didn’t seem to do anything there either.
I did find the mask soothing and enjoyable to use, is the one positive side for me. The scent is reasonably strong, but orange/vanilla with no scent of honey to be found. Orange is a scent I really enjoy so I was happy with that part of it.
Overall, I just didn’t see a massive difference in my skin, so even though I enjoyed it, I probably won’t buy it in the future.
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Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Light Day Cream
I wish I could give this cream two ratings, one for effect and one for how I felt about it. So I split the difference and ended up settling on a rating of three stars. Here’s the reason why. I felt like this cream did make my skin look brighter... +
I wish I could give this cream two ratings, one for effect and one for how I felt about it. So I split the difference and ended up settling on a rating of three stars. Here’s the reason why.
I felt like this cream did make my skin look brighter overall, with a better tone, less oily and my pores smaller; but I would NEVER use it. I struggled even to use it over a week’s time. The reason for this is the smell and texture. The smell is a really, really, crazy intense honey smell, one of the strongest I’ve smelled. It doesn’t smell fake either, like real honey. But if, like me, you struggle with strong scents and don’t love honey smell to begin with, this is not the cream for you. At the end of the day, the honey scent was just too much for me and I found I couldn’t adjust to it, even after a week. It lingers on the skin and is just so, so strong.
On top of that, the texture is not something I loved either. I found that like many of the Antipodes creams, it had a glossy white texture when attempting to rub it in. However, in this case I really felt I struggled to get it to rub in well, which in conjunction with hating the smell, meant I hated using it.
I also felt nervous about the use of bee venom. I did a patch test, as recommended, but can’t help but feel there are many out there who don’t know they are allergic to bees. I like my face cream without that hint of danger.
If you really love honey, you might still like it, but it just wasn't right for me. The results were pretty nice for a week, nothing groundbreaking, but it delivered on its promises. Still, the strong scent and texture mean that I won’t be using this again.
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L'oreal Everpure Soothing Lavender oil Shampoo
Hair type: Thick, naturally wavy, short pixie cut and naturally greying brunette. I used this shampoo with the matching conditioner. I’m sad to say there isn’t much I liked about this shampoo and I wouldn’t use it again. Everybody’s hair... +
Hair type: Thick, naturally wavy, short pixie cut and naturally greying brunette.
I used this shampoo with the matching conditioner.
I’m sad to say there isn’t much I liked about this shampoo and I wouldn’t use it again. Everybody’s hair is different, but it really didn’t seem to do well with mine. I recently cut my hair short again and after using it I immediately noticed that a lot of it was sticking straight up. This shampoo left my hair really fuzzy and not smooth or nice. For me, the death knell came the next day, I noticed my hair was greasy already. I wash every second day and usually don’t get greasy until then.
Texture-wise, it’s fine and the lather is fine. I don’t like the smell, but I’m not partial to lavender. It smells like lavender and something else herbal (kind of cilantro-ish). The only thing I like about it is that it’s 100% sulfate-free, paraben-free, and vegan formula.
Overall, this shampoo just didn’t agree with my hair and left it fuzzy and greasy.
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Colgate Total Clean Mint Toothpaste
This is very similar to the other Colgate Total toothpastes, but each one has their quirks. I’m glad to report that texture-wise, this lacks the grainy/gritty texture that some of them have and feels smooth and exactly like you’d expect a... +
This is very similar to the other Colgate Total toothpastes, but each one has their quirks. I’m glad to report that texture-wise, this lacks the grainy/gritty texture that some of them have and feels smooth and exactly like you’d expect a toothpaste to feel.
It does a great job of cleaning teeth, no weird aftertaste and it maintained my whiteness level (max, I think). While I normally use a specialist sensitivity toothpaste, my sensitivity wasn’t a problem while using this, so I can also recommend it to those with sensitive teeth.
It has a more minty taste than many of the other Colgate Total pastes, but this is more of a peppermint than a spearmint, it might be a bit strong or ‘burny’ for some people, but I don’t mind. The value is really good!
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Lexmark B2338DW Wireless Monochrome Printer
This is a black and white LASER printer. To be clear, it is a laser printer (faster and better than inkjet in my opinion) that uses toner. While this is a great laser printer for home use, I have to say it really feels more like it’s designed for... +
This is a black and white LASER printer. To be clear, it is a laser printer (faster and better than inkjet in my opinion) that uses toner.
While this is a great laser printer for home use, I have to say it really feels more like it’s designed for an office. The way the wi-fi is setup, with no USB cable included, feels more like it’s intended to connect to a big office network than a home one. That being said, once it’s setup it is extremely painless to use and works amazingly well for home use, with a few caveats.
For a short summary, scroll to the bottom, otherwise continue reading for a detailed review!
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Design
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One thing of note is that it’s a pretty big size and much heavier than my old Monochrome laser at a similar size. It feels sturdy and a bit old-fashioned, like it’s designed for the hustle, bustle and heavy use of an office. The upside of this is it can take a lot of wear and tear and is super durable. However, it does look dated and not the prettiest.
Another way in which it feels more suited for a workplace type environment is that it doesn’t have a simple off button. When you press the power button, it remains in standby and will turn itself on when you print. Coincidentally it also makes noises sometimes, updating and has a bright light on the power button. If you want to turn it off fully, you must hold the button for around 5 seconds.
The paper capacity is a huge 250 sheets and it can do double sided (again an office feel).
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Setup
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The toner is easy to insert and remove and the physical setup takes maybe ten minutes.
In terms of setting up the wi-fi, it isn’t as easy as most printers nowadays that come with a clear guide and do it through the computer. I know I keep repeating this, but again it really feels like it’s designed for an office. Instead of setting it up via the computer, I used AOSS with my router and set it up through the touchscreen on the printer. Since I have a mesh, it might have been more complicated and I had to input the IP address of the mesh. So someone with only a little computer knowledge might struggle with this. If you’re tech-savvy it won’t be a problem, but this isn’t a great beginner printer for less tech-savvy folks.
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Print
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The print quality is as fast and great as you’d expect from a laser printer as this price point. The blacks are dark and print quality is clear (see my test print). One thing that’s strange is it doesn’t have a ‘test’ print when you finish setting up, so I just printed the amazon page for my initial test.
While the official Lexmark toner might seem expensive (and there may be knock-offs, but those usually void the warranty) at 136.39CAD (at time of review), it’s actually an average cost. Since it prints 3,000 pages, it works out at 5 cents (rounded up) per page, which is slightly under the average of 5.5 cents per page for printers under $200.
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Summary
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Overall, this is a fast printer with great quality, a large paper tray and an easy to remove toner cartridge. However, it can be difficult to set-up the wifi and feels more like it’s suited to an office or home office environment as opposed to for home printing.
Pros:
+ Laser printer.
+ Fast.
+ Clear, bold black ink.
+ Toner prints 3,000 pages (more than average)
+ Paper capacity is huge (250 sheets)
+ Is perfect for office/business use.
+ Easy to use once setup.
+ No problems with disconnecting (though I have a mesh so my wi-fi is perfect right now).
+ Standby mode will turn itself on when you print.
+ Durable and strong, can handle wear and tear.
+Toner is easy to remove and install.
+ Easier to set up on office style networks.
+ Average toner cost.
Cons:
- No USB cable included.
- Wi-fi can be tricky to setup.
- Feels more designed for office use than home.
- Power button must be held to turn off.
- If on standby makes random noises at times (updating maybe?)
- Large, heavy and old-fashioned looking.
- Not good for non tech-savvy folks.
Recommended: Yes, for offices or home offices. For simple home use, this may not be your best bet and I’d advise research before deciding, however if it’s on sale, it could be a great deal!
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Colgate Total Advanced Health Professional Clean Toothpaste
In terms of flavour and effectiveness, this toothpaste is great and works pretty much as you'd expect. It doesn't have an overly minty taste, but nothing about it tastes weird, I'd describe it as a mild mint or creamy mint kind of taste. Texture, is... +
In terms of flavour and effectiveness, this toothpaste is great and works pretty much as you'd expect. It doesn't have an overly minty taste, but nothing about it tastes weird, I'd describe it as a mild mint or creamy mint kind of taste. Texture, is a little different.
I feel like the texture might bother some people. It has a kind of gritty or grainy texture that feels a lot like microbeads on your teeth. It isn't particularly rough, but sensation-wise, I prefer a smooth toothpaste. I'd still use this, but it definitely takes it from five stars to four stars, for me.
It maintained my white level (which is pretty much at max at the moment) and I'm thankful to say I didn't have any sensitivity problems with this while using it!
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