wonderwhatif
Member Since: January 26, 2015Reviews
Walnut Hollow Creative Versa Tool
This is a great, reasonably priced woodburning tool for beginners. I bought it specifically because it's been suggested to me from various beginner pyrography websites. Initially, I had almost given it a very low rating, because there can definitely... +
This is a great, reasonably priced woodburning tool for beginners. I bought it specifically because it's been suggested to me from various beginner pyrography websites. Initially, I had almost given it a very low rating, because there can definitely be problems, but I ended up changing my opinion on that. Here's why.
After using this about four times, the threads became malformed and I could no longer screw in tips correctly, I was pretty upset and contacted the company, expecting them to do nothing. However, right away they sent me a rethreading tool and gave me some great advice, which I'm going to share with you here. If you end up having this problem I definitely recommend contacting Walnut Hollow. Here are some suggestions to avoid needing to rethread:
- Only change tips when cool and only to 'finger-tightness' in other words, if you use pliers, please do not tighten too much.
- Most importantly, you can use powdered graphite lubricant to stop things from sticking and prevent problems in the future!
My other complaint about this would be that the included stand is not really anything of the sort, it needs to be taped down to be used, it does not 'stand' at all. It's so annoying to use that I just ended up using a ceramic bakeware dish to place my tool in.
Other than that, I would recommend this tool for beginners. It does come with a full range of tips (even some I won't use like the solder tip) and is very beginner friendly and the temperature dial is a must-have! I wish the cord was a little longer and didn't get in the way so much, but there's not much to be done with that. If you're a beginner using this, make sure to look up a lot pyrography and safety and I advise cleaning the carbon build up on the tip with a tea strainer or mesh sink blocker.
The tool is a very comfortable size in the hand, though it can get quite warm at high temperatures.
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KIT KAT Minis bag of 20
This bag of Kit Kat Minis contains 20 individually wrapped Kit Kats, each with two bars adding up to about 60 calories. For the record my bag contained 22 bars, but I’m not complaining! If you’ve ever had a mini Kit Kat you know what to expect... +
This bag of Kit Kat Minis contains 20 individually wrapped Kit Kats, each with two bars adding up to about 60 calories. For the record my bag contained 22 bars, but I’m not complaining!
If you’ve ever had a mini Kit Kat you know what to expect. Each pair of bars has a chocolate coating over layers of wafer, giving you a treat just big enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Because each Kit Kat is wrapped individually there’s a lot more trash involved compared to if it was just a bag of loose Kit Kats, so it’s not the most environmentally friendly snack from that point of view. On the other hand, each bar being wrapped means you can throw a Kit Kat in with your lunch or into your kid’s lunchbox for a nice treat later in the day. They’re small enough to fit in a purse or pocket, making them extremely portable.
I thought that each Kit Kat was just the right size for me. I made a point to eat them one at a time, rather than grabbing three or four, and found that after just one bar I was satisfied.
They’re peanut-free and made in a peanut-free facility, so allergies shouldn’t be a problem.
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Bioderma Sensibio Rich Moisturizer Cream
I found this to be okay, but not amazing. To be honest, the only thing I liked about it is the texture and slightly thick consistency of the cream and the fact that it's fragrance-free and doesn't clog pores. When it comes to moisturising... +
I found this to be okay, but not amazing. To be honest, the only thing I liked about it is the texture and slightly thick consistency of the cream and the fact that it's fragrance-free and doesn't clog pores. When it comes to moisturising, unfortunately, it didn't do as good a job as my regular, similarly priced moisturiser. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend it, however everybody's skin is different so there's always the chance it will work well for you. My skin was not any softer or better after more than a week of using this, so I don't think it's right for me. -
Institut Esthederm Cellular Body Oil
I've tried a fair few oils in the past and never been that fond of them, so I was absolutely surprised that I really liked this one. My main problem with oils is that it feels like they never properly absorb and leave a really greasy film on skin... +
I've tried a fair few oils in the past and never been that fond of them, so I was absolutely surprised that I really liked this one. My main problem with oils is that it feels like they never properly absorb and leave a really greasy film on skin. This is described at a dry oil and I'm not sure what that means, but I found it to be a lot less greasy and lighter feeling than oils I've previously used. It absorbs fairly quickly and feels silky and soft on the skin as you're rubbing it in. On my hands, especially, it absorbed fully within half an hour, though on the rest of the body, I'd advise applying it near the beginning of the day, so you don't get any on your bed sheets.
It has quite a strong, perfumed smell, but I like it. I found it to be quite sweet, with a hint of floral smell, but quite fresh as well. I do think a pump cap would be preferable as I found the bottle a bit annoying to squeeze with oily hands.
One thing I would say is, compared to the Cellular Fondant Cream (by Esthederm) this doesn't heal skin as quickly. Like if your skin is very dry and flaky, I would recommend the fondant cream instead, but this does leave skin so silky soft very quickly. So if you have un-damaged skin that just needs softness, this is an absolute gem of a product. After one application my skin was soooo soft. When I use body lotion, it usually takes a week to get to even half the level of softness that this brought in one application.
I will definitely buy this in the future.
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Love Beauty & Planet Coconut & Ylang Ylang Tropical Hydration Body Wash
I expected this to smell really strongly of coconut, but I actually find the Ylang Ylang almost drowns out the coconut, leaving it with a really pleasant, sweet and almost floral mix of Ylang Ylang tempered with just a little coconut. Even though... +
I expected this to smell really strongly of coconut, but I actually find the Ylang Ylang almost drowns out the coconut, leaving it with a really pleasant, sweet and almost floral mix of Ylang Ylang tempered with just a little coconut. Even though coconut isn't my favourite smell, I do like this one because of that mix. Lathers well, but I always use a shower puff.
It left my skin nice and soft. I love the bottle design of these which makes them feel really luxe and means they make a nice gift for somebody if you buy them in a set. The most important thing to consider if you're buying these, is they are free of a lot of 'nasty' stuff. While they are not 100 percent natural, or even close, it's good to note that they are sustainably sourced and not tested on animals. I'll definitely use this body wash again.
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Banana Boat Simply Protect Kids Sunscreen Lotion With SPF 50+
The first thing I will say right off the bat, is there's no way I would describe this as easy to rub in. It's actually thick and quite difficult to rub in well, leaving your skin with a bit of a white hue to it, so for that reason I would recommend... +
The first thing I will say right off the bat, is there's no way I would describe this as easy to rub in. It's actually thick and quite difficult to rub in well, leaving your skin with a bit of a white hue to it, so for that reason I would recommend it as a facial sunblock. For the body, I simply found it too difficult to rub in well, it was more time consuming than a more liquid lotion, even though generally I prefer it thicker, it still needs to absorb easily.
In every other way, it works very well. There wasn't any burns on a very hot day in the pool, so the claims of water resistant up to 80 minutes seem to be accurate. With sunscreen, it's always insanely important to follow the instructions to the letter. Apply at least 15 mins before, reapply every 80 mins in water, or if towelling off at all, a lot of accidents happen because people aren't careful enough and when it comes to kids you want to avoid that. When following the directions, this worked well for us.
I'm also really impressed with the 'tear-free' claim. I have very sensitive eyes and usually start to get some stinging and burning after applying sunscreen, with this I could rub it all over my closed eyes and even when sweating there was no discomfort.
It's important to note that adults can easily use this children's sunscreen, but you should NOT use adult sunscreen on kids. So this is perfect for them. I also like that it doesn't have any fragrance. I'll be using this as a facial sunblock and due to the hard to rub in texture I will use a different one for the body.
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Institut Esthederm Cellular Water Fondant Cream
I've used a lot of body lotions - some cheap, some expensive - and one thing I'll say is this surprised me...a lot. How do I explain this? Ok, you know when you apply body lotion how after a few minutes your skin feels so nice and soft, but within a... +
I've used a lot of body lotions - some cheap, some expensive - and one thing I'll say is this surprised me...a lot. How do I explain this? Ok, you know when you apply body lotion how after a few minutes your skin feels so nice and soft, but within a couple of hours (day at most), it's back to feeling a bit dry and parched again, almost like it was only a surface softness? Well, this cellular water fondant is a deep softness. When first applying it to very dry skin, it doesn't seem like it does that much, but a few hours later you notice the skin isn't as flaky, it's more comfortable and softer. Then the next application the same thing, except it's almost like the skin is healing, like instead of a vanity softness, it's actually healing the skin and repairing it. I don't even know if that's possible, but it's been my experience with this lotion. In short, it doesn't work immediately, but improves skin hugely over a couple of days.
I found it was a nice, thick cream (I prefer this) and absorbs really quickly. You do need only a little though, it spreads really well. If it's greasy or you're struggling to rub it in, you used too much. It's an expensive cream too, so only use a little and if you feel you need more then apply a little more, but it spreads really well.
My only minor complaint is the scent. It is quite heavily scented and to my nose it leans a lot more towards jasmine than cucumber. I wish they'd gone for a lighter, fresher, more cucumber based scent, but if you like florals, you'll love the smell.
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Love Beauty & Planet Tea Tree Oil & Vetiver Radical Refresher Conditioner
This is still far from my favourite scent in the line, but I actually really prefer the scent of the conditioner to the shampoo or body wash. I think the tea tree and Vetiver smells quite like peppermint, but the conditioner lacks the strange smell... +
This is still far from my favourite scent in the line, but I actually really prefer the scent of the conditioner to the shampoo or body wash. I think the tea tree and Vetiver smells quite like peppermint, but the conditioner lacks the strange smell that the body wash and shampoo had.
Unfortunately, it did leave my short hair a little fuzzy, but with a good amount of softness. I still like it, but others from Love Beauty and Planet are better suited to my hair type!
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Hellmann's with Avocado and a hint of Lime
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first tried this Avocado Oil mayonnaise from Hellmann’s (with a hint of lime), but to be perfectly honest I could not tell the difference between this product and regular Hellmann’s mayonnaise. I found both... +
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first tried this Avocado Oil mayonnaise from Hellmann’s (with a hint of lime), but to be perfectly honest I could not tell the difference between this product and regular Hellmann’s mayonnaise. I found both to be perfectly good, I enjoyed both in the various dishes I used them in, but at the end of the day I could not tell them apart in a blind taste test. If you enjoy Hellmann’s mayonnaise that’s a good thing, but if not I wouldn’t expect this product to change your mind. Note that it doesn't taste of avocado, if that's something you were expecting.
I did not notice any particularly strong hint of lime, though others have told me they could detect it a little bit in some dishes. Just like with regular mayo, I found this to be a good addition to a lot of foods, including tuna, on sandwiches, and in some recipes. It’s easy to spread and to mix, doesn’t have too strong of a taste, but is just noticeable enough that you appreciate having it on your food.
The Hellmann’s with Avocado Oil is lower in calories, at 60 per tbsp rather than 100 in the regular mayo, but it is a tiny bit higher in sodium. Weirdly I expected the Avocado Oil mayo to be higher in Omega 3, but it’s actually got half the Omega 3 and Omega 6 compared to the regular mayo. The nutritional differences and ingredient differences are basically totally negligible, with the exception of fat and calorie. So basically, if you're looking for something that tastes just like regular mayo, but has lower fat and calories, this is a good option.
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Waterpik PPR-252 Pet Wand
So there's a couple of ways you can use this wand, I tested it indoors, connected with the provided diverter with a handheld shower. The main thing is, this is a great product if you're frequently washing your pet. It's easy to set-up, easy to use... +
So there's a couple of ways you can use this wand, I tested it indoors, connected with the provided diverter with a handheld shower. The main thing is, this is a great product if you're frequently washing your pet. It's easy to set-up, easy to use and works a treat on thick fur. You can even use it for cats (if your cat is chill about water) though I'd recommend turning it to the lower setting as it is quite forceful. The long wand design is just really clever and works so well to get down to the undercoat, while covering larger amounts of fur. This works for animals of all shapes and sizes, but large dog owners will find this a lifesaver compared to the usual shower or hose.
The only negative points I have are very minor. You WILL need plumber's tape to stop this from leaking so make sure to get that beforehand. The second point really only applies if, like me, you plan to keep it in a shower alongside a handheld shower (IE a shower with a long hose that is taken off the wall). When using it in conjunction with a handheld shower, the long hose becomes a negative as, combined with your regular shower hose it really gets in the way. If your bath is super roomy, this might not be an issue, but I found it quite annoying. The good news is, the waterpik 'wand' actually can just screw into a regular handheld shower hose, so if you have a handheld shower and want to wash the dog, the easiest way is really just to use the wand with your normal shower, without bothering with the diverter.
With a non hand-held shower, the long hose shouldn't be too big of a problem, as you'll still only have one hose in the shower.
There are a few things that make this shower wand particularly awesome:
- The cord is nice and long and doesn't tangle.
- It swivels so easily, and moves with your natural wrist movements.
- The stream is adjustable for both two different settings, but also for different pressures for each setting.
- You can easily turn the 'knob' with your fingers, without having to put down the wand or stop washing.
A must-have for anyone with a large dog who takes regular baths, or who washes animals regularly.
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