Product Review: Mini Ref

I've been seeing these mini fridge online for sometime now whatever the sales platform might be - Facebook Marketplace, Lazada, Shopee etc. I've been thinking of getting one for 2 to 3 years but was hesitant due to 2 facts - first, it's not branded so if your unit gets busted, no fixing it probably and second it does say in yhe review it doesn't really get cold so I thought, I guess I won't have a mini ref in my room unless I free up space for the usual 3 to 4 cu ft one.

Then last year, amid the scorching heat of Philippinr summers I noticed all my face creams and serums are changing consistency. Aaaah! Que horor! So I decided to finally get one and repurpose it not for food and drinks as advertised but for my makeup and face creams. I ordered one via Shopee. Looked for a seller with a handful good reviews and purchased the unit for P2,000. Again, not branded and various sellers have it with a wide range of prices but same look and feel of the item (at least in the photos).

The unit arrived promptly and came with 2 types of power supply. It can either be plugged into a regular 220v socket or used with the 5v (?) socket in a car. I plugged it and waited for a couple of hours. 

Did it become cooler? Yes! Not by a lot though, a good 16° to 20° C from my assumption. Para kang nasa harap ng aircon. 

 Is the build sturdy enough? The body is good and solid. The locking mechanism is quite simple but needs a gentle push, it's not like your regular ref tgat is magnetized. All external and internal body is plastics so easy to clean, I just wipe it with a wet tissue. The rack/divider inside though is quite flimsy and was bent a bit after holder some face creams. Good thing some of my bottles are a tight fit under so it kinds provides extra support from under so don't put anything heavy there or find a metal plate and measure it up against the size to change that part up.

Another thing to consider, remember regular refrigerators have a small bucket sometimes at the back for the condensation? Cos everytime to open the unit, hot and humid air gets trapped inside. Add the cold temp inside and this causes condensation to appear. In short, be prepared to find little puddles of water inside. I just wipe it with tissue or I line with tissue and change it up once a week.

Glad to say I have been using it for more than a year now. My face creams and serums love it. I also placed some of my medical ointments there as well as my face masks which is a great hack especially when you need to look fresh and you don't have ant cucumbers around for your eyes. Leave the face mask overnight inside the mini ref, use it the following morning and the cold mask will help brighten your face up! True story.

So there, you can use this for chocolates, canned drinks (only because I think aluminum will get colder better) and make-up/beauty products.

Body and built - 4/5 (because of the flimsy divider)

Efficacy - 4/5 (-1 only bec of the problem with condensation)

Look and feel - 5/5 soooo cute!

Ease of use - 5/5 (just plug it!)

Product Review: Imarflex IAP-150 Air Purifier

Since I was a teen I've been suffering from stuffy nose and/or sneezing on most mornings. There's a specific time of the year when this happens and was eventually diagnosed as allergic rhinitis. I've learned to live with it. I know it will start once I get up but would be gone after 2 to 3 hours, earlier if I leave the house immediately.

So last year I decided to get an air purifier. I wasn't so sure about the technology and it's efficacy. There are mixed reviews online so with caution I decided to buy something that won't break the bank but would help me determine if this is right solution for me.

I ordered the Imarflex IAP-150 online. Pretty standard delivery time and came with the original box. The item is quite compact but it should be cos it's only for small rooms of less than 30sqm. It has a sleek silver and black color with green light when on the dial when turned on. The HEPA filter that comes with the package is easy to install but check for plastic covers inside as when I popped this in initially I didn't check and first few minutes the unit was VERY noisy and then some plastic-y smell started. Good thing I decided to recheck if I installed in correctly.

Opening the unit is through the bottom. You can push on the levers and it should pop open. You should see the pre-filter and then the HEPA filter. It also has a scent box but I placed some cotton there with drops of essential oils but I don't think it worked well in dispersing the scent at all so I've never really used that.

Once on you can turn the dials to change the setting of the fan. It's quite quiet even on the highest setting. Also note there's no separate knob/dial for the ionizer but I saw some questions online and was advised the ionizer is on at all times. It also says the filter should be replaced every 6 month and costs about P700 more or less online. I do clean the pre-filter by washing and drying it (not sure if this recommended but hey, works for me) and I slightly brush the HEPA filter once in a while.

Now the verdict, does it really improve the air quality? I can't say, I still get my stuffy nose once in a while and since it's been pretty erratic even before I can't say for sure whether this device is helping or not. BUT one thing I noticed when it's turned on for the night is when morning comes and the soft sunshine is streaming through my window, I don't see any dusts particles flying around which I've observed before. This might mean the ionizer is working as it supposedly helps ground all flying dusts.

So for the price of P2,600 not bad but it won't solve all your allergic woes.


Packaging: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Efficacy: 3/5
Filter Cost: 5/5

Disclaimer: Please note I am not in any way connected with this brand, the online store or the delivery partner of the store and I have not received any form of payment for this review. I am a regular consumer and bought these products and services for my own personal use.

Product Review: iLife V58 RoboVacuum

I've been insterested in robovacuum since I saw the Xiaomi one over a year ago. Told myself will let the technology improve and then get one once it's a bit more mature 😉

So I finally decided to get one and though I've read great reviews about Xiaomi I decided to opt for more budget friendly brand for my first ever robovacuum. I looked up iLife in Lazada and got the V58 on flash sale for a little over Php6,500.

Order arrived in original box, no other packaging needed, I guess. It has the unit, the remote, a cleaning brush, manual, some replacement brush/sweeper and replacement filters. You had to buy a separate water case and mop attachment for the wet mopping feature which costs about Php700+ in Lazada. Not sure if they have a local distributor but replacement kits seems to be available online.

The manual wasn't too helpful. Just had the codes for problems. Flashing orange color is better than continous beeps 😉 I did check online videos at youtube and they helped me a lot in figuring out the model.

Tried it out and it's bit noisy but still a few decibels lower than my vacuum. Suction is good and found bigger pieces of trash inside. It does have the function to clean thw peripheral areas (along the walls) and another button so it won't fall off edges. I did leave my room's door open and one time the V58 got out and fell from my stairs (just 1 step down) so I *think* you gotta press it everytime.

Battery life is good. I have a pretty small home so I ran it in my room about 12sqm for half an hour (no heavy dusting here, just wanted to keep furballs away from under my bed. And then brought it down and ran it for another 40mins to hour in a 40sqm living/dining area.

I gotta say I always think my place is pretty clean but everytime I clean out the V58 the bin is always brimming. So I really appreciate all the sweeping and sucking it does.

Cleaning up the unit is quite easy albeit takes multiple steps. I normally just take out the bin, throw the contents in the trash can, take out the filter and then brushes as much dusts as I can for a minute. I turn the unit upside down, with my trusty screw driver I had to remove the sweeper so I can clean the hairs that got stuck there and there are always a lot, I do this once week at least cos I have long thick hair. Normally I'm done in 10 to 15mins then I use the unit again for the rest of the week. Of course, you need to do this more frequently if you will clean a larger and/or messier area.

I am planning on getting the wet mop feature soon once the Covid19 lockdown lets up. For now, pretty much happy with my robovacuum.

Price: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Accessories: 4/5

Disclaimer: Please note I am not in any way connected with this brand, the online store or the delivery partner of the store and I have not received any form of payment for this review. I am a regular consumer and bought these products and services for my own personal use.

Product Review: Compression Bag

The bulkiest item of clothing we have stored in our closets are the winter/spring jackets. Poufy. Squishy. Heavy.

There are vacuum bags available but when traveling you hafta lug around the pump and make sure your bags don't get any of 'em holes hehehe. So when I found the Kishu bags in IG I immediately stalked the account and read through the customer's reviews posted there.

All it took was a PM through IG and I was able to order, pay and send my details for delivery. It was delivered immediately with the parcel arriving same day. Amazing!

So I tries it first with my kiddo's winter jacket that my aunt and uncle got her from S Korea. I tell you, it's bulkier and heavier than the winter jacket I used at Romania one late November.

You just have to place the item inside the bag. Close the zipper and it would look like any ordinary packing cube. The magic happens when you closed the secondary zipper running around the entirety of the cube which squishes your garments down, making it flatter overall.

My kiddo's jacket ended up a tad thicker than a regular folded bath towel. Not baaaaaad. My jacket still had space. I could squeeze in a few cardigans or shawls there still.

Overall, not a bad investment piece for those looking to compress your clothings items for storage or for travel.

Rating:
Delivery - 10/5 lol
Materials - 5/5
Cost - 5/5
Reuseability - 5/5


Disclaimer: Please note I am not in any way connected with this brand, the online store or the delivery partner of the store and I have not received any form of payment for this review. I am a regular consumer and bought these products and services for my own personal use.

Product Review: Leather Passport Holder

If you've read my past posts you'd know I favor leather goods and accessories. So when I saw this passport holder from Booths Republic on Facebook I've decided to order one. Mind you, it's a hard choice since I prefer oily pulled leather than brightly colored types but given tgen have an option for a red one, which I like, I decided to try it.

They have 2 types of passport holders, one for 4 pax and can hold up to 8 passports and one foe 2pax which can hold 4 passports. I was iffy with how the passports were arranged on the bigger 4pax one that when it came out a couple of mobths back I really wasn't interested. I felt there's a chance when closing it that the top part would get messed up folded. Anyway, good for me cos the smaller version came out recently.

The holders come in 3 colors - black, blue and red. Names can be embossed inside for free. Embossing on the cover though comes with a fee. Nice touch if you're really into personalizing your things.

So approximately 2 weeks after ordering the items (note I did order other personalized items) I received my passport holder neatly tucked in it's own box.

The leather is soft to the touch. As mentioned, all 4 of our passport fits - 2 for me and 2 for my kiddo. There's are 2 slots foe cards and a pen holder. It also has slota underneath the passport holders for other papers, IDs or documents (you need to fold them though).

I definitely love the red color and the embossed names!

If you're interested, please search Booths Republic on Facebook.

Rating
Delivery: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Quality: 5/5


Disclaimer: Please note I am not in any way connected with this brand, the online store or the delivery partner of the store and I have not received any form of payment for this review. I am a regular consumer and bought these products and services for my own personal use.

Visiting the National Museum for Natural History

Have you seen some of the very instagram-able photos from the National Museum for Natural History? So did we! Decided one November weekend to bring the little curious girl over to see the spectacle and we weren't disappointed.

Getting there was fairly uncomplicated on a weekend, a trike ride to Marcos hiway, a jeepney ride to the LRT2 station at Santolan and 2 train rides after we alighted at the UN station. Lots of transfer but again, painless. We arrived around 11 am.

The building itself is easy to find even for someone like me who hasn't been to Luneta for a good 15years. Armed with the reviews I read prior to our visit, we came with just a small bag and we arrived prepared to line up with the rest of the crowd, game face and all.

There are 2 lines going in, first you have to get through the metal detector and bag checker. If you came with a bag bigger than a regular bond paper then you go through the second line inside for the baggage counter. We spent a good 15 minutes on the first line which wasn't too bad because we can already feel the air conditioner by then which gave solace to the noontime heat. By the way, there's actually someone at the door guiding the visitors to the baggage area with a laminated bond paper, comparing the size of your bag, best to do the test at home if you want to cut your time lining by half.

You'd be greeted by a cheery and bright atrium with the "tree of life" in the middle also being used as the elevator. It was meant to be used to ferry the visitors at the very top floor and to experience the exhibits floor by floor going down. It was not working at the time we went there to we started at the basement going up.

The exhibits are well curated, seamlessly flowing from one world to the next. Fauna and flora are covered. The biodiversity that can be found in the country. I won't give too much information so you can experience it yourself.

One thing is for sure, having experienced museums and exhibits in other Asian countries and Europe, this is a great start for the Philippines. Kudos to the team who worked on it and more importantly, for making it available to the public for free!

My only wish is that the visitors would care for the place and I hope they understand we deserve this, we deserve a great museum and we need to care and preserve it.

We'd be coming back to visit the other 2 National Museums, the National Museum for Anthropology which sits right across the Natural History museum and the National Museum for Fine Arts. You should too!

Disclaimer: Please note I am not in any way connected with this brand, the online store or the delivery partner of the store and I have not received any form of payment for this review. I am a regular consumer and bought these products and services for my own personal use.

Follow Up Review: EcoBar Shampoo and Conditioner Bar

I've heard the claims that bar soaps can last 80 washes, equivalent to 2 bottles of shampoo.

Well here's my experience:

I started using the EcoBar shampoo (Heal+Detox) and conditioner (yellow) first week of October.

Photo below was taken yesterday, November 29th. The shampoo bar broke down to pieces a week or so ago but I just put all pieces in my palm and I wipe the entire thing to my head of hair. The conditioner bar (middle bar) is only halfway used and can still be used to at least 2 more weeks I think. I added a newly opened shampoo (Thickening) for comparison.

So given I've used the shampoo bar for about 7 to 8 weeks, it's safe to say I was able to get close to 50 washes out of it already. Would it reach 80 washes though? The current sizes of the pieces will probably last a few more days, nothing more. The conditioner bar though is another story and might actually deliver 70 to 80 washes. BTW, I always use the shampoo and the conditioner in tandem so they were used the same number of times.

At any case, I also need to consider my hair. Long and thick. Maybe that's the culprit why my shampoo bar didn't last 80 washes but at this point I am still amazed that it has lasted me almost 2 months, pending a handful of days.

It arrived packed in a brown paper the size of my hand. The amount of materials saved is well worth it.

Disclaimer: Please note I am not in any way connected with this brand, the online store or the delivery partner of the store and I have not received any form of payment for this review. I am a regular consumer and bought these products and services for my own personal use.