Rhodia or Moleskine?

The Rhodia Large Plain Webnotebook boasts some of the best notebook paper I have ever used.

I purchased the notebook for around £9 but prices vary online and it is currently being sold for £12 on Amazon. Product description:

The Rhodia Large Plain Webnotebook, also known as the 'Webbie", is a classic alternative to the Moleskine notebook. Rhodia notebooks are manufactured in France and have already built up a cult following of their own, especially with those who like to use fountain pens. The Webbie contains 192 pages of 90g ivory Clairefontaine paper, which means that they are ideal for all pen types and a delight to write in. Each notebook also features an expanding pocket, a ribbon marker and elastic closure to keep its contents secure.

The magical Clairefontaine paper seriously is the SMOOTHEST paper I have ever written on and the quality is just so clearly luxe. I know some of my family members are always shocked by the amount of money I'm willing to spend on notebooks (they prefer your bog standard WH Smith paper) but you really do get what you pay for when it comes to Rhodia.

I do like the elastic clasp as well as the plain black cover (they also come in Orange for the non conservatives). My one main gripe is the large company logo in the center. I'd rather it was imprinted on the back but I guess I can easily cover it up.

Inside cover

Whilst it does claim to be the ideal paper for fountain pen lovers I can't say it didn't have any show through at all. There was no bleed through, yes, but show through was still apparent, even with my normal ink pens.

Nevertheless I am very happy with my Rhodia purchase and am going to be using my notebook for something that warrants keeping i.e. finding something useful to jot down that can be saved for the future (rather than keeping it for my messy free writing like I usually do).

With regards to a Moleskine notebook I was rather disappointed with my first purchase.

I didn't like the thin pages and the fact that the quality of each Moleskine varied from notebook to notebook. Having looked at reviews online it seems that Moleskine used to be a powerhouse brand for notebooks and sketchbooks but in recent years the quality hasn't been consistent across their products. Some people claim the paper is the best they have ever used and some claim it is the worst. I'm leaning somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. It isn't awful but for the price of the notebook I'd be expecting much more. Rhodia's Clairefontaine paper knocks Moleskine's paper out the park.

What I DO like about Moleskine notebooks is their size and shape. I love the fact that the corners of their pages are rounded. I also love the fact that you can get Moleskine's in different colours, sizes, limited edition designs. I use the cassette tape player notebook for inspirational quotes and images, particularly when I'm in a nostalgic mood (because nothing says the '90s to me more than a cassette tape!)

I like using a Moleskine for random doodling too. I wouldn't use Moleskine's sketchbook versions because the paper is like card and I'm not artistic AT ALL so I wouldn't have need for it since I can't do watercolour painting or charcoal work or just ANYTHING to do with drawing.

My rubbish doodles as I sat around waiting for my cousins to arrive so we could start watching a horror film. Passes the time!

As time has gone on I have become more and more attached to my Moleskine. The thin paper still annoys me but it does have a lot of good qualities and I can see why it has such a following. I ended up using my first Moleskine as a really messy journal where I stuck photos in and random notes and I love the fact the spine was able to withstand the serious battering it took.

Overall I prefer the Rhodia Webnotebook but the Moleskine comes a close second.

Santoro Gorjuss book reviews

Santoro is a company that make the loveliest and cutest notebooks ever.  They also make pens, purses, bags and a range of other items but it is, of course, their journals that I was most drawn to.

I ordered the "Santoro - Soft-touch Premium Journal with Pen - Gorjuss Family in a Book" from Amazon for just over £13. (It is now being sold for £13.99).

Here's the Amazon description and Santoro's stock image.

Gorjuss Notepad & Pen. Write down your most private thoughts or just organise your life with this bound journal and matching pen from Gorjuss. In muted tones of brown and red and with a bright red pen and matching elastic band closure this journal is a must have for all girls big or small. Gorjuss Journal has a soft touch PU cover, an internal keep safe pocket for private treasures and 192 pages of paper with ruled, gridded and plain pages for varied use. Also attached is a three ribbon page marker and a separate bookmark. Size: 10 x 15 x 1.7cm

So the actual notebook is just like you see it here - adorable. This will really appeal to fans of the kawaii. It comes with a nice, useable biro (which I found a little difficult to use because I struggle with any pen that isn't on the skinny side just because of the way I've held a pen since childhood *major hand pain* but it will work fine for everyone else). I like the red band too.

I do love the feel of the soft cover but it gets dented VERY easily and even before I had used it I noticed scuffing. This will definitely annoy those who aren't accustomed to treating their notebooks in a delicate way. I mean I look after my notebooks very well but even then it already has quite a few impressions in it.

Three ribbon marker - silver, black and striped

The pages themselves are really lovely. They are divided into thirds, with one third a coral colour. The front cover image is very lightly printed in the background.

 Another third has lined pages with a red edge.

Right side

Left side additionally has this corner image

 And you also get a light grey grid pattern with two images in the top left and bottom right corner.

The pages are lovely, very good quality and take ink pen well without any bleed through (though there will be show through with fountain pen).

I really love the inside cover also.

Whilst I do rate this book highly and would definitely recommend it as a gift for journal lovers (especially fans of the "cutesy"), I cannot rate the high price tag in a similar way. £14 for a very small notebook is astronomical! I love the design of the other notebooks Santoro make but anything above £8 for such a small journal is just far too overpriced for me so I won 't be repurchasing this design or buying the others unless I find them on sale. And looking at reviews on Amazon it seems others have judged it in the same vein!

The next Santoro notebook I bought has the Puddles of Love design on it. I absolutely adore this notebook! It is A5 in size and two designs on the pages.

The front cover is made of the same thickness card that you'll find for paperback novels.

Back cover

Inside cover

Half of the book is lined with a light pink ink on a blue background. The other is plain pink pages with a really light print of the front cover image in the corner.

Again this is another "cute" purchase but I prefer the actual design (and price tag!) of this notebook. I paid somewhere around £5 for this notebook but it seems that they have replaced this particular design with a hardcover version for £10 on Amazon. I don't know if that means that this version is now discontinued or if they are selling both elsewhere but this version is no longer available on Amazon.

Overall I can completely understand why this company have called these notebooks "Gorjuss" as they really are. I think they'd make ideal gifts for a very specific target audience. As much as I love my two notebooks I don't think I'd buy any more as I do feel they are very overpriced.

Etude House Baking Powder - Pore Cleansing Foam

Just a quick post to say I love this stuff! I do tend to rotate my face washes as lot as I find that with my combination, oily t-zone and acne prone skin not all face washes work CONSISTENTLY on me. That is, like shampoo, after a few months my skin (or hair) seems to get used to the one brand and it then gets ineffective. So I switch up my face washes and shampoos every once in a while.

Anyhoo, my usual face wash is the Origins Checks and Balances which I do really like. But I switched to this a while back and it has been fantastic! It feels creamy in texture but foams up really well and feels thoroughly cleansing on the skin. I wouldn't recommend it to dry skin sufferers but it has worked great on my oily/combo skin and has helped reduce the appearance of blackheads (though not gotten rid of them completely).

This was an eBay purchase since there are STILL no UK stockists for Korean brands. It was about £6 which I think is a complete bargain! Great stuff!

Keel's Simple Diary review

I am a massive notebook fan. If my previous posts haven't made it obvious I'll reiterate that I am an avid journaller and love plain notebooks, lined notebooks, scrap books, quote books, art journals... basically every type of notebook that exists.

Keel's Simple Diary is a great pre-set diary for those who like the idea of prompts to help them get started with journalling, or for those who are in a rush but still want to write a little bit to remember their day.

They come in a range of colours and so far there are two volumes out. I own two: royal blue (volume 1) and yellow (volume 2).

I ordered mine at the start of the year from Amazon and they were between £5 and £6 at the time. A quick look on Amazon now tells me they are priced somewhere between £7 and £10 (it depends which colour you buy).

Now I DO think £10 is a little overpriced for these books but £7 seems reasonable. Prices on Amazon do fluctuate, however, so I'm sure you could nab one for a lower price sometime.

Back cover

Each diary comes with a page discussing the colour you have chosen.

Inside cover coordinates with the colour of the diary. So does the tag.

Here is the Amazon description of the diaries themselves:

In a world where products are out as soon as they are in, where communicating without wires doesn't come without strings, where even our accessories require accessories, we need simple tools. Keel's Simple Diary helps us look inside even when we are overloaded outside. The book offers structure for those who don't have time to wonder, making it easy to record life's moments. It gives the pleasure of a quick response and the sense that no matter what's wrong, more is right. What is Simple Diary ?An assistant for life, a book for any occasion, for any person at any age. On every page you will discover a taste of philosophy, a pinch of psychology and a twist of insight. Here are three things Simple Diary can do for you: 1. Entertain the mind. 2. Help you focus. 3. Keep you company. Simple Diary Volume One, The Cloverleaf Edition, comes in six colors: red, orange, yellow, brown, royal blue, lime green. Simple Diary Let it happen.

For me, personally, Keel's Simple Diary will not replace normal journal writing. What it does do, however, is give me interesting starting points when I've got writer's block. I tend to use it more when I'm super busy and don't have time for writing long entries in my plain notebooks. In that way I get to still keep a log of my days but in a quick and easy manner.

I've recommended Keel's to my friends who want to keep a diary but always give up after the first entry (the curse of the blank page - they hate looking at stark white paper). The fact that each page has printed prompts is really good for those who find empty books overwhelming or just dull. The questions and comments in the Keel's diaries are very unique and quirky so really do give you original ideas to write about.

Some are quite odd and I can't admit I like all the questions in the books. But still, I think the diaries are great for those who want to journal but lack motivation or as an addition for avid journallers who want something different or to supplement their usual writing.

Below are some example pages (blank plus a few I scrawled over early this year when I was very sick - I think I had a 7 week flu at the time which made me very cranky and more sarcastic than usual!)

Overall I love Keel's Simple Diaries and (if the price goes down!) I'll definitely pick up the other colours in the range when I've used up my current two.

The Book Lover's Journal Review

The Book Lover's Journal by Peter Pauper Press is a reading journal with pre-set pages to record books read and write mini reviews on them.

I've kept a book log on and off from the age of 10 onwards, so for more than half of my life I've been drawing charts into plain notebooks to have them recorded in a set format.

Here's an example page from 2006, when I was around 16. April to June was exam season so I didn't read as many books as I usually did:

On one side I'd write the title, author's name and character list, on the other the mini review and rating.

I'm glad I now use the Peter Pauper Press version as everything is already done for me, which saves a lot of time and effort.

 The inside cover:

It is currently being sold for £9.92 on Amazon but I'm sure I paid less for it when I ordered it a few months ago, so the price could possibly go down again.

Here's Amazon's description list:

• Introduction
• My Book Log: Pages Turned
• Books I'd Like to Read: My Reading Wish List
• My Books: Books Bought, Borrowed, Lent, and Given
• Book Group Info: Friends and Fellow Readers
• Acclaimed Authors and Books: Inspiration for Future Reading
• My Reading Life
• 216 pages

To be honest I haven't really got much use for things like the Book group info pages, or books bought, lent or given (since most of my reading nowadays is done on the Kindle). I really love the set up to record books read though. The paper quality is really nice too, I use inky/gel type pens and the ink never bleeds through and there is little to show through on the next page.

Here are a few example pages of things I've written about books I've read in the last year. Some of it is quite embarrassing on re-read with the slang and whatnot but you know, I just wrote what I felt like at the time.

Looking back at my 2006 reading list, it seems I was reading more grown up material as a teenager than I do now. Anthony Hope and J. B. Priestley compared to Jacqueline Wilson and Suzanne Collins. Hmm. I guess it goes to show I still read everything. Nineteenth century classics are my ultimate favourite type of novel but I will still always love Jacqueline Wilson, her novels always remind me of my childhood (and how the girls in my class would all fight over her books in Year 5).

This Book Lover's Journal would make the ultimate record book for the avid reader.

My Paperblanks notebook collection

Apart from Peter Pauper Press my favourite notebook brand of all time is Paperblanks. I'd say Paperblanks have nicer designs in a larger variety too (which makes sense considering the higher price tag)!

I purchased nearly all of my Paperblanks notebooks from online as they are very expensive from places like WHSmith and the usual bookstore (depending on the size prices vary but for the average A5 size they are around £12-£15 each). I love the medium A5 size notebooks best as they are the most comfortable size to write in.

My number one favourite notebook is of mammoth proportions - it is A4 and has plain pages, 2 ribbon markers and clasps to close it, as well as patterned edges.

Love the giant back pocket

The perfect plain pages.

I haven't decided what my Magnum Opus is going to be yet but when I do it's certainly going to get recorded into this notebook.

Paperblanks are pricey but they definitely offer some of the most beautiful looking books of outstanding quality. They make ideal gifts for the notebook lover, whatever their age.