Category: Product Reviews

It all started last year, with a knife.

Little did I know how hard these things would be to find. Fortunately, a kind soul sent us some last year. That enabled the party last year. But, we had more kids-than-knives, and I wanted to solve that problem THIS year.

I looked EVERYWHERE, and could not find a decent source of these things for a good price.

Sure, Pampered Chef had one. And there were a few kits out and about, but why pay for patterns and scoops I’ll never use? Heck, Gene the Pumpkin man even has his own with his name on them, but couldn’t find a way to purchase them over the internet, and Michigan is a little far for me.

Then I found The Spiders of the Web.

Not only did they have the knives, but they had them individually, for a buck. Heck, the prices all round the site seem to be better than your average Halloween store.

So, of COURSE I had to get, well, a few.

Had some concern when my order’s status did not get updated, adn they responded swiftly to my email inquiring about it. The box arrived the next day.

Sometimes it’s little things that make you smile. Such as an undead box…

From 2011 buildup

I’m pleased to say the knives are a better quality as well. Much sturdier, sure grip handles…

From 2011 buildup

I even got myself a fancy set.

From 2011 buildup

And, we got a little freebie tossed in as well.

From 2011 buildup

Price, customer service, and style.

As you may have noted, The Harvest featured a LOT of pumpkins.

And, they were lit by a combination of Floralytes, “Super Bright Clip on LED“, and the Acolyte LED tea lights.

The Acolytes were a last minute purchase this year, as I knew I did not have enough lights, and I was a little concerned about the super brights to buy more of them. (and with good reason, see link to them above) So, I placed a last minute order with 100candles.com for some Acolytes in white and amber

The order did not go off without a hitch, with some going on backorder without me getting notification, and me returning from my trip wondering where my order was. They answered the email in a hurry, however, and offered to swap products, rush shipment, or anything else needed for me to get them in time. Fortunately, none of that was needed, however, and they arrived just in time to be put to use.

After about 13 hours of use, the lights were still going strong, unlike the clip on lights mentioned above. The on/off switch on the bottom is a lot simpler to manage than the screw on/off nature of the floralytes.

While not quite as bright as the floralytes, they were more than adequate to the task at hand, and actually provided a more natural feel, especially the amber colored ones.

The one complaint I have is that the battery cover on some of them was a bit loose, and would have to be jostled around in order to get them to light properly.

Overall, based on my experience the last 2 years, I’ld heartily recommend the Acolyte LED tea lights for lighting pumpkins over any of the other options, based on price, durability, battery life, and quality of lighting, and plan on purchasing many more to come.

Before we get too far removed, I want to get up my review of Mehron 3D Gel.

This stuff claims to do it all.

Sculpt it, smooth it, use it as an adhesive, heck just add some of your makeup to it and it’s automatically colored your custom color. It even won’t stick to your hair, clothes, whatever else you don’t want it on, with just water cleanup.

And it works fabulously…under the right conditions.

I discovered this while out looking for liquid latex for my makeup in the Lab. Doing a small test prior to the lab, I quickly fell in love with it.

You simply place the bottle in a pot of water on LOW/Warm on your stove, and wait for it to melt. Then, apply it. I used a sponge, a brush, but finally settled on my fingers as the easiest means of application. Mixing makeup into the liquid form makes it whatever color your makeup was.

The stuff IS more sturdy in it’s adhesion than spirit gum, but not quite on the same level as medical adhesives. It works with all the same tricks and effects I’ve come to know and love from liquid latex. And, when it came time to remove it, it simply rinsed away under hot water. I was ready to declare this stuff the best product ever invented with the caveat of using some common sense not to burn yourself.

However….

It’s the washing away that is the weakness of this product. It responds to heat. And, when one is stuffed into an out-building with no air conditioning on a warm September day…it’s gonna melt. Thus another year with no theatrical makeup in the Laboratory.

So, this product is to be used with care at all stages. If you are going to be in a nicely cooled room/party and taking it easy, this is easily the best product out there. If you are going to be a ‘working act’ in a haunt, in a warm room/weather, or active/dancing, you’re better off looking elsewhere for your theatrical makeup as this will end up in a puddle before long.

I was at the Swap Meet on Sunday with my boy, and he wandered over to a little importer stand and picked up a package of “Laser Finger Beams”.

From An UnOrthOdOx Halloween

Now, maybe I’m wrong, but these looked an AWFUL LOT like the “super bright” ones I just bought and reviewed…

With Alec’s permission, we did a little side by side comparison. “Super Brights” on top, “Laser Fingers” on bottom.

From An UnOrthOdOx Halloween

So, Laser fingers feature a somewhat cheaper construction:
They are one piece, no replacing batteries.
They use a smaller size button battery.
The switch and battery contacts are of cheaper design.
Catching a pack with $3 that has been burning a hole in his pocket, they clocked in at just a shade cheaper as well.

However, they also have straps instead of the clamps, which would allow them to be attached to a much larger range of items.

That’s all fine and dandy, but how do they stack up?

Once again, “Super Bright” on top, “Laser Finger” on bottom.

From An UnOrthOdOx Halloween

Red was noticeably dimmer than it’s “Super Bright” counterpart, but White was much brighter. All in all, I’ld say they stack up rather well…

Again throwing together our Lindberg Skull for a quick setup.

From An UnOrthOdOx Halloween

One might be concerned with the smaller batteries equating to shorter life span…

However, if Talia’s kids meal variety is anything to judge by, that’s not a problem. (we still had a few of those in the drawer, and other than the character design, they are identical to the laser fingers)

And, a quick search on the internet reveals these things are REALLY, REALLY CHEAP. WITH shipping, clocking in at under $.50 ea. (or cheaper if you can manage the bulk)

That’s a heck of a deal. I’ve heard some reports of them being in various dollar stores as well. That would be approaching Treat prices…

From An UnOrthOdOx Halloween