Product Review: Winsor & Newton Gloss Varnish

Monday, November 1, 2010

Unfortunately, the air dry gloss varnish made by Genesis stopped working for me. I began using it in 2005 for nails, lips, and eyes. I never had a problem with it until earlier this year when it turned sticky on three or more occasions, prompting me to throw it away. Luckily, I was able to remove the sticky gloss from my vinyl parts with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I spoke to several other artists who had similar experiences with Genesis' air dry gloss. We suspect Genesis changed the formula at some point.



I decided to try Winsor & Newton's Artisan Water Mixable Oil Gloss Varnish and so far, I love it! It is easy to apply and has a perfect, smooth glossy finish. It is definitely not sticky or gummy at all. It is an air dry formula, but it takes about 24 hours to dry completely, which is a long time compared to Genesis' air dry gloss which dries within minutes. Drying time aside, this is a great alternative to Genesis' air dry gloss varnish for artists looking to switch.

Pro: Smooth, glossy finish. Not gummy or sticky.
Con: Lengthy drying time (24 hours)
Price: $5 - $10 for a 75ml bottle
Where to purchase: Dick Blick
Would I purchase this product again: Yes

Product Review: Sansodor™

Wednesday, March 17, 2010



I know many of you are wondering “What the heck is Sansodor™??” LOL

Sansodor™ by Winsor & Newton™ is a low odor solvent that I use to reborn dolls. Specifically, I use Sansodor™ to thin my Genesis Heat-Set paints.

When I was first introduced to Genesis Paints in 2005, I needed a paint thinner with slow evaporation time. Every low odor solvent I tested evaporated in less than one minute, which is hardly enough time for me to smooth and blend my paints onto the vinyl pieces.

I finally tried Sansodor™ and fell in love! Sansodor™ takes approximately six minutes to fully evaporate and that gives me plenty of time to smooth the paint with cosmetics wedges. The largest size bottle (one liter) lasts me through approximately 10 newborn-sized dolls.

I store my Sansodor™ in a temperature controlled room inside of a locked cabinet and it stays fresh. The odor is indeed low and easy for me to tolerate. When Sansodor™ is baked in the oven; the fumes are strong and smelly. For that reason, I prefer to bake vinyl parts outdoors.

Say goodbye to chalky-looking dolls forever!

Pro: Slow evaporation time which makes the task of blending paint a breeze
Con: Strong odor when baked in oven
Price: $19 - $30 for a one liter bottle
Where to purchase: http://www.dickblick.com
Would I purchase this product again: Yes


5/5 star rating

Afro Kinky Human Hair Review

Tuesday, December 29, 2009


I ordered afro kinky human hair to try out from hisandher.com. First off, the #2 color (darkest brown) is perfection and the quality is top-notch. It arrived in 56 tight coils (yes, I counted them) that look exactly like the photograph. The coils are between 6-8 inches stretched. I unraveled a coil by twisting in the opposite direction and rooted a few individual strands. The strands did not break but they were difficult to grab with my 42 gauge, 3 barb needle. That is to be expected when rooting any curly hair though.

Because the hair is human, it became nice and soft when I added water and conditioner to it. Straight out of the package, the hair feels like a 4a texture that needs to be moisturized. For an explanation of “4a” and other hair types, click here.

The amount of hair I received (one ounce) is definitely not enough to root an entire head. I estimate that I would need approximately 6 ounces to complete a newborn-sized head due to the waste factor.

I am glad I had a chance to try the hair out. The coils are not something I care to deal with. They are better suited for wig making just as the website stated, lol.

I am planning to stick with my Beverly Johnson afro kinky human hair. It is sold unraveled and in my opinion is more rooting friendly. I haven’t had much luck finding it online and I really do not have time to go downtown to purchase the hair until February. Little Shani will just have to wait it out.

Xoxo,
BN