wonderwhatif
Member Since: January 26, 2015Reviews
Arteza Liquid School Glue
I’ve used a lot of craft items from Arteza and I’m usually impressed. Their white glue is also great quality. It’s ideal for thicker paper and card activities, as I did find it thicker than the regular white glue I use. It dried well and... +
I’ve used a lot of craft items from Arteza and I’m usually impressed. Their white glue is also great quality. It’s ideal for thicker paper and card activities, as I did find it thicker than the regular white glue I use. It dried well and seemed to have a stiffer seal than the cheap glue I’ve used in the past.
At the current price of $99.99 for 20, you’re paying about $5.00 per bottle, which while not cheap, is still cheaper than some brands of similar quality. I like that it doesn’t have an overly strong smell. The twist caps are easy to undo and close with one hand. There is sometimes a little dot of glue left when you close them, but that’s a small price to pay for such an easy to close mechanism.
I like the thicker texture and effectiveness of this glue and I would recommend it!
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BlinkOne Alphabet Bead Set
I’m a voracious crafter so these BlinkOne’s Alphabet Bead Set was extremely appealing to me. The Acrylic beads would be perfect for a multitude of crafts or for parents, teachers and youth leaders. There’s a fantastic range of styles on these... +
I’m a voracious crafter so these BlinkOne’s Alphabet Bead Set was extremely appealing to me. The Acrylic beads would be perfect for a multitude of crafts or for parents, teachers and youth leaders. There’s a fantastic range of styles on these craft beads and you can mix and match or just pick one dedicated style. I tested them out by Bracelet making, but you could easily use these on embroidery or glue them onto a card or other projects.
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Design/Quality
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There’s a wide range of circular and cube shaped beads here, so you can go wild with a funky mixed design or stick with just circle or just square. The set also includes letters and some really adorable love heart beads. The BlinkOne beads were a fantastic surprise. Often when you order from 3rd party brands things can arrive and be poor quality, but that wasn’t the case here at all.
BlinkOne’s Alphabet beads were perfect and I mean, spot-on perfect. Every bead was finished to a great standard. There was no overfill, malformation or flaws whatsoever. The holes were perfect with no scratchy edges and no issues. The cubes have a really large opening so you can use them with thicker string, while the discs have a narrow opening designed to fit the included elastic.
Since it includes elastic, everything you need is ready to go, which makes it perfect for parties or multi-kid households. The elastic included in this kit is thick, not overly stretchy or too stiff, it’s simply perfect; like the rest of the kit!
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Value
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There’s fantastic value in this BlinkOne Acrylic Alphabet Bead Kit. The letters have beautiful, bright colours and with the range of designs and quality, I really can’t find something to complain about. There’s a great range of letters and numbers.
Since it’s only $23.99 (at time of review), I feel that’s more than reasonable.
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Summary
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This is a great letter bead kit for anyone on any budget. It’s a brilliant price, top-notch quality and is very easy to create adorable bracelets or use in other crafts. If I had to nitpick I’d say that you’ll need your own storage if you don’t want to reuse the sticky plastic bags, but they are reusable if you don’t want to store them elsewhere. The Acrylic Alphabet Beads don’t take up a lot of room and if you’re like me you never run out of craft storage! (It just spills out into the rest of the house!)
Pros
+ Perfect Quality, not a single flaw.
+ Totally uniform beads with two sizes of opening.
+ Bright colours and a massive range of designs.
+ Lots of beads included for a low price!
+ Elastic is good quality and included!
Cons
- Literally nothing, these are amazing!
Recommended:100%! Great price, great quality, a brilliant set from BlinkOne.
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Amoysanli pen holder
I’m a notoriously cheap/budget Queen so while the price is a little higher than I’d like ($22.99 at time of review) this Pen Holder by Amoysanli is easily the best one I’ve used. It’s a c-c-c-combo of the great look and a few nice... +
I’m a notoriously cheap/budget Queen so while the price is a little higher than I’d like ($22.99 at time of review) this Pen Holder by Amoysanli is easily the best one I’ve used. It’s a c-c-c-combo of the great look and a few nice features.
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Design/Feel
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The design is a stand out here. Since it’s basically a metal cup, you can use it to hold pens, pencils, paintbrushes and basically whatever you want. It’s a multi-function desk piece. What I love about a holder like this is that you’ll never regret getting it. Change your desk around and don’t need it for pens anymore, there’s always SOME use for a sturdy, quality pen holder.
The metal design means this is sturdy as heck, doesn’t scratch easily and will last a long time (if it doesn’t, you best believe I’ll update!). On top of that, it comes in a really cute Rose Gold colour. You also have the choice of black or grey, I’d like to see more colours from them, but I do love the pink colour.
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Features
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Other than being a standard pencil holder, the Amoysanli holder has two important features. One, it has a non-slip bottom. I have a fairly glossy desk and non-slip is a must-have. Secondly, it has a felt interior insert, so nothing you put in here will get scratched or make that awful ‘moving against metal’ noise.
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Summary
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While priced a little higher than budget seekers might want to pay, there’s no arguing with the quality of it. The Amoysanli pen holder is a perfect desk companion, multi-functional, good-looking and great quality!
Pros
+ Fantastic metal design in a range of nice colours.
+ Sturdy, metal will last forever, doesn’t dent or scratch easily.
+ Felt insert stops scraping or damage.
+ Rubber non-slip bottom stops it from being knocked around your desk.
Cons
- Perhaps a little highly priced for some folks.
Recommended: Yes! Would work for any desk and looks great doing so!
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ZYYRSS Aqua Blue Gift Bags
ZYYRSS Aqua gift bags would be perfect for anybody looking for a higher quality bag for selling goods at craft fairs, small businesses or for use as DIY gift bag bases. The quality of these bags is above the simple paper bags I’ve used and tested... +
ZYYRSS Aqua gift bags would be perfect for anybody looking for a higher quality bag for selling goods at craft fairs, small businesses or for use as DIY gift bag bases. The quality of these bags is above the simple paper bags I’ve used and tested in the past. The paper is a stronger, partially glossy and very good quality type that seems more like card or speciality paper. The strings on the bag are also silky good quality rope style handles that look great. Lastly, the blue/teal colour is gorgeous and I’m a little biased here because I love shades of blue and blue/green mixes.
The value is fair here too. At 25 bags, it comes in at $1.08 per bag (Not including tax). Given the fantastic quality, I think that’s fair. If you’re on a lower budget consider looking at the thinner paper bags as these are a luxury quality and if you don’t need that then you can get a different type. However, if you need a beautiful and functional bag for your small business or craft needs, these are fantastic!
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Olay Sensitive Skin calming facial Moisturizer SPF
Olay Sensitive Skin calming facial Moisturizer is a sensitive skin moisturiser that’s great for daily use and I really enjoyed it that way. It’s no secret that I think pretty highly of Olay. My mum has used them her entire life (just a simple... +
Olay Sensitive Skin calming facial Moisturizer is a sensitive skin moisturiser that’s great for daily use and I really enjoyed it that way. It’s no secret that I think pretty highly of Olay. My mum has used them her entire life (just a simple Olay Moisturiser and nothing else) and her skin is fantastic. They are reasonably priced and don’t charge a premium for leaving out the ‘nasties’ like some companies! They’ve been my go-to daily moisturiser for years when I’m not testing.
Olay’s Calming Facial Moisturiser is a great moisturiser for day use for those on a budget. I love that it’s fragrance-free and smells of nothing but a pleasant ‘cream’ smell. Since it’s non-comedogenic it doesn’t block pores and it’s also free of oils, dyes, silicones and parabens. The SPF is an added bonus as it will protect from the sun’s hidden rays during Winter, and Fall. In Summer and Spring, you’ll want an extra sunscreen when going outside.
The consistency is also perfect for me as it’s thick, but not too thick; spreadable, but not watery. It feels pleasant on the skin and absorbs quickly without any greasiness.
Over my time using it, I did notice an improvement in my skin, though I do always breakout a little when switching products. Olay’s Skin Calming Moisturiser and it’s Hungarian Water Essence left my skin feeling fresher and much, much softer.
Overall, I found this Sensitive Skin moisturiser was fantastic at softening my skin and had a brilliant user experience with good consistency and no fragrance. I’d recommend it without hesitation especially to those on a budget.
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Olay Brightening Pressed Serum Stick
Since I tend to be lazy with my skincare regime (and often don’t have time when not explicitly testing stuff), I was super intrigued by the concept of a serum stick. While Olay’s Brightening Pressed Serum Stick won’t be right for everyone, I... +
Since I tend to be lazy with my skincare regime (and often don’t have time when not explicitly testing stuff), I was super intrigued by the concept of a serum stick. While Olay’s Brightening Pressed Serum Stick won’t be right for everyone, I did find it quick, easy and effective! I don’t wear makeup daily, but I did find it absorbed quickly and didn’t leave a residue. I would probably recommend applying it and your moisturiser at least 30 minutes before your makeup and other formats of the serum might absorb less easily. (I only tried brightening).
The only negative I can think of is that I feel like the serum stick uses a lot more product than a bottle. Since the heat of skin makes it transfer faster, I’m not sure it would last as long as a bottle of serum. I don’t like oily serums, so I’m glad this is non-oily. I wish they were more specific about how much to apply; should I be covering every inch of skin, or just a few lines and then rub in? The packaging doesn’t have that info. The scent of the stick is a simple, slightly fruity scent, but it does have a bit of a glue stick smell (probably whatever is used to make it into a ‘stick’ might also be used in glue.
After just over a week’s use I already started to see the difference. My skin had less breakouts and looked less oily, as well as looking fresher and less damaged overall. I would use this in the future.
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Old Spice Barber's Blend Clay
I am currently wearing my hair very short and as a result I often alternate between men’s and women’s products as well as hair length. I’m still looking for my dream hair product for short hair and while this Old Spice Clay isn’t it, it’s... +
I am currently wearing my hair very short and as a result I often alternate between men’s and women’s products as well as hair length. I’m still looking for my dream hair product for short hair and while this Old Spice Clay isn’t it, it’s still a pretty good product at a very reasonable price. I feel like it’s medium hold rather than strong, though it does deliver on the promised matte finish.
It has a rather masculine smell (as expected of old spice), but it’s not so strong that I’d feel uncomfortable using it. The scent is quite herby and spicy smelling, which I like.
One thing I didn’t like is that to apply you must rub it between your hands, but it is quite stiff and doesn’t rub in very well, so when I apply it, I end up with too much clay in some spots and not enough in others. I found it a bit difficult to spread around and it worked better on damp than dry hair. That could be my lack of experience with clay type products showing, but despite that small annoyance, I did like the clay and found it was a good option for bad hair days.
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Neutrogena Clear Face Sunscreen Lotion
Absolutely love this sunscreen. My only complaint would be that I was sent the SPF 30 option, which is a little low for me. I have extremely pale, Scottish skin that burns easily even on overcast days, so SPF 30 only works for me in spring or early... +
Absolutely love this sunscreen. My only complaint would be that I was sent the SPF 30 option, which is a little low for me. I have extremely pale, Scottish skin that burns easily even on overcast days, so SPF 30 only works for me in spring or early summer, during the hottest summer days I need a higher SPF. This is available in higher SPF though, so it’s not really a problem.
This sunscreen has everything I need, it doesn’t clog pores or cause breakouts, it’s water and sweat resistant (so good for swimming or exercise) and it’s fragrance-free. For me, fragrance free is always a bonus as sometimes scents are too strong, especially on the face. Though often fragrance-free has a natural scent (of the chemicals of the sun lotion, for example), this one barely smells like anything. What smell there is, is a light lotion scent that doesn’t bother me.
The consistency is a little runnier than I expected and quite watery. I prefer a thicker lotion, but the consistency of this actually helps it to spread and absorb quickly and easily, so it’s ideal for covering larger areas.
It’s a brilliant facial sunscreen and I’d definitely buy it in the future. I even use it on my body, though if it’s out of your budget, sticking to face can help you stretch it.
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HAUS LABORATORIES by Lady Gaga: LE MONSTER MATTE LIP CRAYON in Power Move
Out of the entire Haus labs line, I would only recommend a handful of products and this lip crayon is one of them. It delivers on everything it promises and looks great while doing it. I’m definitely partial to matte looks and even though I have... +
Out of the entire Haus labs line, I would only recommend a handful of products and this lip crayon is one of them. It delivers on everything it promises and looks great while doing it. I’m definitely partial to matte looks and even though I have dry lips that are heavily damaged, this didn’t dry them out or sink into the damaged spots as some matte stuff is prone to doing. It felt so comfortable to wear, like there was nothing on my lips.
I love the ‘Power Move’ colour and it goes great with my pale skin. The crayon also glides on effortlessly. I have a medium lip bow on my top lip and a standard flat bottom lip and the pointed crayon tip easily goes over both of them without slipping outside of my lip line. Because it’s chunky, you can easily fill it in as well.
I’ll continue to use the Le Monster Matte Lip Crayon and while it’s a bit out of my price range, I think fans of Gaga wouldn’t be disappointed with this!
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VTech Peppa Pig Learn & Discover Book
Peppa Pig Learn and Discover Book by Vtech is a home-run, most especially if Peppa Pig is popular in your house (and she’s wildly popular everywhere!). Like other Vtech toys, it's designed to make learning fun and done so with good quality and... +
Peppa Pig Learn and Discover Book by Vtech is a home-run, most especially if Peppa Pig is popular in your house (and she’s wildly popular everywhere!). Like other Vtech toys, it's designed to make learning fun and done so with good quality and different modes. Each page has two ‘story’ panels and four ‘letter’ panels. In ABC mode, pressing this button will have Peppa read the letter panel corresponding to the button ‘B is for Ball’ and then say the letter the second time ‘B’. In music mode, each page plays a different tune and pressing the buttons will give you a sound effect, so you can play along, or just listen. Storybook mode will read each story panel, featuring each of the letter words in a sentence. Search and find challenges kids to press the button corresponding to the letter that Peppa asks for.
On top of this, when the book is closed, buttons can be pressed for sound bytes. The buttons also light up and there are other buttons to the side which feature short and sweet phrases from each character. The volume can be edited to be loud or reasonably quiet.
It’s a great book, good for learning and it’s brilliant quality. Toddlers can be rough with their books and this has thick-duty plastic and pages that won’t tear or be damaged easily. It looks great on top of this and will delight any Peppa Pig fan. I often find Vtech toys are great quality and well-designed and this Peppa Pig book follows that trend; a must-buy for fans of the series.
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