Excellent video! These types of comparisons are so important because not all of us who love coloring have huge budgets to do so. But when we do save up money to buy the premium brand, we do expect a premium product. What this video taught me is BUYER BEWARE - not all is what it seems. Thank you SO MUCH for posting! ❤
@michellechalmers8753 aww thanks you! Thanks exactly why I do these videos, because I can try a bigger range of things I like to find the diamonds in the rough, the bargains that perform better than you think. I was very disappointed with how the Sakura worked especially for the price! Thanks for watching and such a lovely comment 🥰
Great video by the way. I don’t even do any kind of colouring but I was so invested i stayed for the full 45 minutes. It was really intriguing to see how each brand would perform ❤
I really enjoyed this comparison. Several years ago, I purchased the Color Technik regular gel pens and glitter gel pens (set of 50). I really liked them! I got away from coloring, so I gave them to my grandkids. I recently discovered Johanna Basford's lovely coloring books and after watching this video, decided to order more of the Color Technik glitter pens to compliment the set of 300 colored pencils I just ordered (gotta have all the color options). Much to my disappointment, they look to be discontinued. Amazon says Currently Unavailable and they don't know when or if they will be back in stock. Good thing you have backups for your backups! Thanks again for the history of gel pens, and for the brand comparison!
Thank you for this comparison. Very informative. I have the Flair and King art glitter gel pens and neither disappoint. I was disappointed with how the signo worked when you showed them. Also yes, the sakura did not fair well, which was also disappointing. I wonder sometimes if it depends on how old the stock is from the seller, which we will never know. Also since gel pens are a free flowing liquid when we use them over coloured pencils the ball will get glogged up from the wax on the paper from the pencil and then stop working. So when I use them that way, I clean them after. Happy colouring with your gel pens.
@louisescherbain312 I guess the age could have an effect, but then both the Signo and Sakura are brand new and the Color Technik and Chromaflow over 3 years old. Yes, that's true about the ball getting clogged if you use the pens over pencil, which is not something I ever do, I love colour whole pages with gel pens. 🥰
I love the sakura for adding touches of sparkle when making cards. But the color technik set are my go to when i want to do a bigger area. I loved the history lesson, you really have a knack for these types of videos.
Oh, I really enjoyed your video I love that you had the time stamps in the info box and I loved how you swatched all of them in a chart made it super easy for me to see how they were going on if they sounded scratchy perfection. Thank you.
Loved hearing the history. I'm quite happy with my Poundland and The Works "original" pens. I prefer the limited colours, I'd just get overwhelmed with too many colours, as I do with pencils 😊
Thanks for doing all of this comparison! I had a similar experience with my Gelly Roll Stardust (on the red and pink, also…I couldn’t ever get them to write, even using the pen in hot water, etc, etc.) I also found them to be scratchy. I have the Uni in Metallic and they are fine, but (like the black and white 1.0 size) take absolutely forever to dry and smear so easily. Somehow, they are also scratchy (I’ve never met a Uni pen that I actually like…for real, I just don’t like any of their pens!!) I’ve seen another person who did a big comparison and Aen won (that set was the mix of regular, glitter, neon, etc,) and they compared the amount of ink in the pen by the length of ink in the barrel, I would have never thought to look into the diameter of the barrel!! Genius!! Anyway, I’m in the US and I’m going for your choice (although I’m not a colorist, I bullet journal, and I’m just a stationery nerd with an insane love of pens…and sparkly pens!) Thank you for the history lesson, also!! I love history, and I couldn’t believe that permanent markers weren’t invented until the mid 60s!!! I guess I figured permanent ink had been around forever (well, in inkwells, but not with that fabulous permanent marker smell…mmmmmmm.) I’m Gen X, so we suffered in the US stationery desert of Mead notebook paper, Mead spiral notebooks (that always snagged your clothes) and the dreaded Bic ballpoint. I remember Roller Balls coming out but found them to be even more annoying than ballpoint (because they smeared so badly.) And I remember Gelly Rolls coming out and they were all the rage. Now, I only write with gel pen or fine liners (Paper Mate Flair and super thin Flair, you have never disappointed since I was a little kid! I love Staedtler 88’s also. My go to gel pen for writing is Pentel Energel .05) Oh!! I was so excited to see you show Cray-Pas’s!! We had those in art class in elementary school and they were so wonderful compared to regular crayons…oh, how I wanted a set of my own for at home!!! I wonder if they still make them? Off to check!
@mollymollie6048 Great to hear from another stationery nerd! I'm not a fan of those big mixed packs of Gel Pens, like the Castle Art set, the pastels never seem to work very well! Thanks for fabulous comment 🥰
❤❤❤ Very informative Lily. I have the flair & you can't beat the gelly roll glaze but I am still a pentel dual hybrid gal for all the expense. Having said that they are not a glitter gel pen & I wouldn't use my dual hybrids to colour an entire picture. Thanks for this video. I love watching you compare gel pens
Thanks Claire! I love the Dual Metallics too but didn't include those as they are a different kind of pen... can you imagine a whole page coloured in them ✨️😍✨️😅
I have the ColorIt gel pens that came with refills and they look and feel exactly like Chrometek. Also, Tanmit and Aeon Art are the exact same pens, just different names. The Uniball Signo Gel Impact pens are a limited metallic range with an excellent white. They are they have a truly large ball, and extremely juicy ink. They are amazing. Anyhow, I never cared much for the Gelly Rolls. I think thy are overhyped. I have the glaze range just for the clear one to use when coloring glass. Other than that I use the ColorIt and Uniballs. Fascinating video Lily!
@120_colours I was definitely surprised! I remember the first time I realised some pens had bigger holes, up to then I assumed the "40% more ink" that was stamped on the pack was just a marketing ploy. 😆
Thanks for the video - I've been wondering about trying the Sakura ones and now I know there's not really much point. Glad to have saved myself some money! 🙂
I have the original first sets and they still work. Have added the new sets as they become available. The only bug I have is the clear and white glaze pens I bought recently don’t work without stopping and skipping, even bought another set and same happened😂 I love the Gurkkst ones have had a few sets of those, biggest set I have is the Shuttle Art 120 glitter pens with refills😋
@be_a_bright_sparkle3687 Yes, O have the Shuttle Art 120 set too, I reviewed them, great colours, a little scratchy (smaller ball 😆) but not bad at all!
Lol! I love my Signo gold soooo much, yes it a bit scratchy, but they are so glittery when dry. Also Karin Decogels should have been in this comp, they are expensive, but they are beautiful and flow so well! ( Just to upset the applecart!😂) Very enjoyable video as always! xx
The Signo's are like metallic pens with glitter added, so they're shinier looking. I don't have the Karin Decogels, I'm not sure I could stomach paying £30 for them 😅 Maybe one day... when I haven't got 500 others to work through 😂🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK I know what you mean the price of them is crazy, I've only got the glittery ones, but they are beautiful. I think you are correct though, I think you might have enough already!🤣😁
This made me chuckle comparing the balls and the holes 😂. Also, I don’t feel so bad about my collection after seeing your video of how many sets of gel pens you have! A really good comparison video though, thank you. The same, I bought the full set of arteza from their website in lockdown after so many people were endorsing their products a few years back and I’m hoping they still work because I’ve never actually used them and I am wanting to get back into zentangle art (that I’ve newly discovered, I thought it was new……..yes, where have I been?! ) what with full time work, I never had a minute spare to myself so now I’m semi retired I’m also looking forward to learning adult colouring. I tried this for therapy years ago but haven’t done it for quite some time. Just as a side note…… I saw your video where you found old Zentangle books and products and wanted to say if you ever want to get rid of them, I’ll take them off your hands if you want to sell them and I’ll pay postage etc. Just let me know. So just to recap…….the better glitter gel pens overall, in your opinion, would be the Chromateck?
@journalforjoy1726 hehe I do have a lot of Gel Pens that's for sure! I am actually planning on destashing my Zentangle books, so DM on Instagram or send me an email (address in the video description). Yes, the Color Technik are my favourite, I just wish they still made them (although I have enough refills to keep my going for a while!). Thanks for the lovely comment and happy Semi-Retirement! It is hard to find time for hobbies when darn working gets in the way! 😅🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK I don’t really do instagram but I will email you. Ooh yes, with everything going up so much though, it’s good you have quite the stash! 😀 Thank you, I’m really looking forward to having some time to myself to fill with things that make me happy!
I've always used colour technique but I have invested in jelly rolls and like you I prefer my much cheaper pens. The only other pens I splashed out on were The hybrid dual metallics I do love those.
Agree. I've bought £48 pound sets that are not as good flowing as link but like you said only 10 colours and I never use the silver lol so 9 really but I love them.
Loved this video Lily I do love the gellyrolls mostly the moonlights and pastels and glaze but I do agree the stardust are not the best in the market but what I really love about them is the clear and the light green and light blue are my favorite ones as I feel they are the lightest shade of most of the sets I have found they are kind of like pastel shades of glitter gel pens which I feel the market is really lacking but again I do agree there are better alternatives out there 💜💜💜
@chelseascreativecolouring There are some lovely light shades in my bigger sets of Glitters, but I know what you mean, I find most of the Stardust are less bright, softer colours.
I really enjoyed your video and the history lesson on Sakura. Also, I loved the ball and hole comparisons! I had never thought of doing that. Do you know the brand of your pen cases? I am trying to find some new ones, but the one I just got has very tiny loops.
Thanks Ann. With regard to the pen case, you have to make sure you get a pen case, not a pencil case. I talk about it in this video:- th-cam.com/video/4tReS_Urbog/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0N00aZ3UKf2fhwJH
Thank you so much for this comparison thing I am new to this jelly roll thing and glitter pin stuff I did buy some gelly roll but now I will definitely go with the color technique thank you again Karen Hilton Oklahoma USA
So I couldn't find your number one pick anywhere so I bought some jelly roll pens and some ooly to compare. The ooly arrived today and I have to say they are way smoother than whatever I had before.
I’ve got a couple of moonlight gelly roll and I use them for writing cards. I have shuttle art gel pens and they are ok for the price and what I want them for. I don’t create art in my colouring books - I basically scribble! 🤣 And that’s ok, Adult Colouring or as I still call it - colouring in, is to keep me sane and for me to be creative when I don’t have an artistic bone in my body! 🤣 I really enjoyed the history lesson, and I found it very interesting. I would like to see you swatch your new set, I love a good swatch 🤣 x
Thanks so much for the memories. I need to go dig out my glitter pens. They all seem to have a silver glitter. Have you ever found any that have the same colour glitter as the ink? Also because you are the gel pen queen, what set of plain gel pains would you recommend? I have a few sets of different brands in small sets but would like a larger set with multiple shades of each colour. Thanks again for such an in depth & entertaining video. Cheers from Australia ❤️🇦🇺
I know what you mean about having silver glitter, sometimes it totally overshadows colour. I think I do have some with tonal glitter, I'll need to check. With regard to plain / non-glittery sets I'm still looking for the perfect set... but I have a video coming out soon comparing all those I do have! 🥰
Giggling throughout. Fellow cockney here, felt like I was back at school rummaging through my fresh pencil case of goodies with my friends! I only ever had scented and plain gel pens, but never owned pastels and glitters as a kid. I have the gelly white and clear glitter which are divine. But super surprised at this set here! Would you consider a part 2 and swatch your old Sakura ones? I was looking forward to getting them but may check out the others on this list! Saturday morning giggle, good start to the day thank you!
@Schmambo Watchya fellow Cockney! 😁 I am considering a part 2, which would include swatching my old ones plus adding some other info. Thanks for watching, playing with pens always makes me feel like I'm rummaging around my furry school pencil case! 🥰
I used to love Sakura but I find the ink to skip a lot. The metallics and moonlight perform better. I did find the best glitter gel pens ever at a TJ Maxx. 4.99 USD for 12 pens. KingArt big time gel pen, is by far the best glitter gel pen on the market and I have done a ton of coloring using various pens and these are moist but not so moist that they run. Beautiful pigment and a lot of ink in the bullet. Very impressed. I don't think I can use another brand after using these.
Hi Lily! This was so interesting! I just recently purchased a set of Chrometek Glitter Gel Pens, I am so disappointed! I have to really work with them , ugh! I'm in the States and I love and use them daily the Dollar Tree Brand- Super Glitter Gel Pens, only basic colors. I did find from Aen Art, a Color Changing Gel Pens, an excellent dupe of the Pentel Sparkle Pop. Only $4.99 for 12 Color Changing Colors... Compared to the Expensive Pentel Sparkle Pop at around $20.00 for only 8. I also use the Beautiful Taotree Glitter Gel Pens, set of 36 for under $10. Thank You very much for Sharing this Wonderful Video!💜
I remember the excitement of buying metallic and glitter gel pens from whs smith in the 90s. Everyone had their favourite colours for doodles and blowing on the end when they seized up.
@loolu15 Hi! It's a floss organiser with the dividers taken out. I got mine from Hobbycraft in the UK but there are similar ones on Amazon amzn.to/3M0jXUP
I am looking for a metallic glitter pen to use on my Christmas cards this year. Do you have any recommendations or favourites that you think would be good at writing in cards?
I really enjoyed your video, the glitter penscare the only ones I want. I'm looking for just a set of black glitter pens now then I'll be sorted. I bought a pack of 36 glitter pens from Ali, I really like them but I'm not an expert but maybe you could tell me what you think of them.
I've not seen the Glitter Pens on Ali Express (I've never bought anything from them!) so I've no idea what they are like. I'm guessing they're either like the generic ones I show in this video or similar to the Tanmit ones, let me know!
Sakura is pronounced Sah-koo-rah in Japanese. It means cherry blossoms. ❤ I believe the Signo is pronounced sign-o. I am on my second pack of the Aen Art pens.
@crazybyproxy Yes, I have the Pentel Dual Metallic Pens (and they're fab!) , but they are a different kind of pen; with both metallic and glitter ink, so I didn't include them in this as I was comparing straight glitter pens. 🥰
@@homebodyart In the UK they are called Pentel Dual Metallic and they are indeed fab, but they are a mix of Metallic and glitter ink, so including them wouldn't have been a fair comparison with just the straight glitter ink pens. 😊
I really enjoyed your video. I don't rate Gelly Roll to be fair. I am keen to get hold of the Color Technik glitter gel pens, do you know where I can buy them in the UK? Amazon doesn't have them. Thanks
@Savannah_Creates_Postcards excellent question Savannah, I have been pondering this myself over the last week and it's the reason there are a number of tests currently taking place in my house! Stay tuned for a part 2 delving into that! 🥰
My thing about gel pens is that rubber grip. I am allergic to rubber. So I can't just buy any gel pen. Which is something I wish these companies would take into consideration when designing their pens. I have the 10 set of doodler'z gel stick gel pens from zebra. Try those. They are very good.
@butterflies015 The grip isn't made of rubber, it's plastic, so you'll be OK. 🥰 I have the 60 set of Doodlerz (and reviewed them here:- th-cam.com/video/ErGgx-Zk6DQ/w-d-xo.html)
I wonder if your old sakuras would have done better? I have some from 2005 that still work and do a great job. Smooth as butter, but I just bought my daughter some about a month ago and they are crappy and so scratchy. Not sure what happened to that brand 😢
Here in the UK, Pentel Sparkle Pops are called Pentel Dual Metallic Pens and they're different from standard glitter pens as they have both metallic and glitter ink in them. They are great pens, but not a relative comparison 🥰
What a lovely comparison video! Very useful for those looking to buy glitter gel pens. I watched this video till the end, and was amazed to see Flair pens (the Indian one! ) at the end. Both Flair and Linc Shine are really juicy and glittery. BUT they only come in Packs of 10 :(
I've occasionally had problems with Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pens not running smoothly, but that usually only happens if they're very old. If I tap the pen down hard directly on it's point several times that sometimes helps. Maybe your batch is old. They're definitely not worse than other cheaper gel pens out there, if you get a good batch. The ones I've used are very smooth and glittery, with more of an ink flow than a regular glitter gel pen.
Hi CaseyAnne! I have old ones, the ones I tested were brand new, bought in the last 3 months. They may not be worse than other cheaper pens, but they're not better either! They also have a smaller ball, which will restrict the flow compared to some of the cheaper brands with bigger balls. Also, for the price for 12 Stardust, I can get 30 Chromatek!
@@ArtJourneyUK Hi! When I said they weren't worse that other cheaper pens, I also said "if you get a good batch". I wasn't comparing it to the new one you just bought. It's also possible that the "new" ones you received aren't very new, it's hard to know how long they've been sitting around before you purchased them. Or they could be defective, which could happen with any brand. I noticed that the pens you tested have new packaging. I haven't gotten any recently, the ones I purchase came in a blister pack. The tip looks small but the ink flow is amazing, at least in the ones I have. I'm curious if there's been any changes or if you just received a bad batch. Did your old ones work well? I use larger sets of gel pens all the time (my favorite is Aen Art), but I love the feel and flow of the gelly rolls so they work great if you're doing something that doesn't require a lot of colors.
The pack is the newest packaging here in the UK, the old packaging was the blister pack. I haven't used Gelly Rolls since 2010ish, and at that time they were great, like I said in the video, but there wasn't the choice on the market then as there is today. Seems other brands have mastered the gel ink technology too, so Sakura are no longer head and shoulders above the others. Don't get me wrong, I used to be a big fan but, after these tests, I prefer others now...and I was shocked at that too!.
@@ArtJourneyUK I'm just saying it's possible you got a defective pack and maybe they really are as good as they used to be. So, others will now think they're no good anymore, based on your disappointment. It's ok if you don't want to use them anymore, and yes there's larger sets out there, but if something doesn't work right and it used to work great, I'd want to know if it really had changed or if I got a defective pack. Also, sometimes Amazon has fakes that try to pass as the real thing, especially if you buy from a third party seller. I'm not saying this is the case but its a possibility.
I understand what you are saying, but it could also be the case that they aren't as good anymore! That's the benefit of independent reviews (no-one sent me anything for free, all paid with my own money, so I can be totally objective). The Stardust pens weren't bought from Amazon, they were bought from a UK Hobby/Craft/Art store that buys from the UK distributor. Thanks for all your comments, I know it's a shame when someone doesn't like your favourite art supply as much as you do; but it's horses for courses and if we all liked the exact same thing there been no need for other manufacturers to make things and keep on improving the status quo 🥰
Why all this raving over a Product (Color Technik) that is UNAVAILABLE! 😭 Do you know if this is temporary or are the Color Technik discontinued? What is your recommendation since the Color Technik is unavailable? Great review, love the history. I am searching for HOW you color with Gel Pens and not finding a playlist on using your Gel Pens only one on Reviews :( How are you Color with your Gel pens and do you have a comparison or discussion of WHY Glitter Gel Pens vs regular Gel Pens or other versions such as the different versions of Gelly Roll Pens? I have the Gift set of Gelly rolls, because several years ago and maybe still, it was quite a saving over purchasing smaller sets. I even bought with Subscribe & Save on Amazon so saved even more :) My Gelly Rolls work Great even the Stardust. I have 2 sets one purchased 2017 and another 2020 I could not resist the decrease in price was only $49.00 USD for the 74 pen set!
@amethystte2749 Color Technik still have an area on Amazon but the pens have been out of stock for a while, I don't know if that's permanent or temporary. With regard to my recommendation if you can't get Color Technik, then I'd say Chromatek or Tanmit. If you're in the US, you can get lots of fab brands like Soucolour and Aen Art so you have lots of choices over there. Videos on How I Colour with Gel pens and the Different Types of Gel Pen are coming soon. I work full-time and colouring is my hobby so I don't get as much time as I'd like to make videos 🙂 Sounds like you got a great deal on your Sakura Gelly Roll set, enjoy them! 🥰
@carolannedwards1021 that I can! It's the reason I make videos, so people who are interested in the same things can watch! It's also the reason I put chapters, so you can skip through to the bits you're interested in and avoid some of my chatter 😆
I would have like to have seen a comparison with your original Sakura to the new pack you bought. That would have been interesting to see if the formula has maybe changed 🫶🏻
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Excellent video! These types of comparisons are so important because not all of us who love coloring have huge budgets to do so. But when we do save up money to buy the premium brand, we do expect a premium product. What this video taught me is BUYER BEWARE - not all is what it seems. Thank you SO MUCH for posting! ❤
@michellechalmers8753 aww thanks you! Thanks exactly why I do these videos, because I can try a bigger range of things I like to find the diamonds in the rough, the bargains that perform better than you think. I was very disappointed with how the Sakura worked especially for the price! Thanks for watching and such a lovely comment 🥰
Great video by the way. I don’t even do any kind of colouring but I was so invested i stayed for the full 45 minutes. It was really intriguing to see how each brand would perform ❤
@@WaynesPokeWorld aww thanks!
An art school lesson i thoroughly enjoyed
@@emmacolours2020 Gold star for you... or should that be Gold Stardust 😆
Loved the history lesson!!!!
I really enjoyed this comparison. Several years ago, I purchased the Color Technik regular gel pens and glitter gel pens (set of 50). I really liked them! I got away from coloring, so I gave them to my grandkids. I recently discovered Johanna Basford's lovely coloring books and after watching this video, decided to order more of the Color Technik glitter pens to compliment the set of 300 colored pencils I just ordered (gotta have all the color options). Much to my disappointment, they look to be discontinued. Amazon says Currently Unavailable and they don't know when or if they will be back in stock. Good thing you have backups for your backups! Thanks again for the history of gel pens, and for the brand comparison!
Thank you for this comparison. Very informative. I have the Flair and King art glitter gel pens and neither disappoint. I was disappointed with how the signo worked when you showed them. Also yes, the sakura did not fair well, which was also disappointing. I wonder sometimes if it depends on how old the stock is from the seller, which we will never know. Also since gel pens are a free flowing liquid when we use them over coloured pencils the ball will get glogged up from the wax on the paper from the pencil and then stop working. So when I use them that way, I clean them after. Happy colouring with your gel pens.
@louisescherbain312 I guess the age could have an effect, but then both the Signo and Sakura are brand new and the Color Technik and Chromaflow over 3 years old. Yes, that's true about the ball getting clogged if you use the pens over pencil, which is not something I ever do, I love colour whole pages with gel pens. 🥰
I love the sakura for adding touches of sparkle when making cards. But the color technik set are my go to when i want to do a bigger area.
I loved the history lesson, you really have a knack for these types of videos.
@hafnic I think that's a good differentiator, the Sakura are for a little extra zhuzh! Thanks for the lovely comment 🥰
Oh, I really enjoyed your video I love that you had the time stamps in the info box and I loved how you swatched all of them in a chart made it super easy for me to see how they were going on if they sounded scratchy perfection. Thank you.
@@jcwittig Thank you! I'm glad it was useful 🥰
Loved hearing the history. I'm quite happy with my Poundland and The Works "original" pens. I prefer the limited colours, I'd just get overwhelmed with too many colours, as I do with pencils 😊
I love those original Works ones, great for mandalas but I like blending multiple colours together which you just can't do with 10 or 12 colours. 🥰
Thanks for doing all of this comparison! I had a similar experience with my Gelly Roll Stardust (on the red and pink, also…I couldn’t ever get them to write, even using the pen in hot water, etc, etc.) I also found them to be scratchy. I have the Uni in Metallic and they are fine, but (like the black and white 1.0 size) take absolutely forever to dry and smear so easily. Somehow, they are also scratchy (I’ve never met a Uni pen that I actually like…for real, I just don’t like any of their pens!!) I’ve seen another person who did a big comparison and Aen won (that set was the mix of regular, glitter, neon, etc,) and they compared the amount of ink in the pen by the length of ink in the barrel, I would have never thought to look into the diameter of the barrel!! Genius!! Anyway, I’m in the US and I’m going for your choice (although I’m not a colorist, I bullet journal, and I’m just a stationery nerd with an insane love of pens…and sparkly pens!) Thank you for the history lesson, also!! I love history, and I couldn’t believe that permanent markers weren’t invented until the mid 60s!!! I guess I figured permanent ink had been around forever (well, in inkwells, but not with that fabulous permanent marker smell…mmmmmmm.) I’m Gen X, so we suffered in the US stationery desert of Mead notebook paper, Mead spiral notebooks (that always snagged your clothes) and the dreaded Bic ballpoint. I remember Roller Balls coming out but found them to be even more annoying than ballpoint (because they smeared so badly.) And I remember Gelly Rolls coming out and they were all the rage. Now, I only write with gel pen or fine liners (Paper Mate Flair and super thin Flair, you have never disappointed since I was a little kid! I love Staedtler 88’s also. My go to gel pen for writing is Pentel Energel .05) Oh!! I was so excited to see you show Cray-Pas’s!! We had those in art class in elementary school and they were so wonderful compared to regular crayons…oh, how I wanted a set of my own for at home!!! I wonder if they still make them? Off to check!
@mollymollie6048 Great to hear from another stationery nerd! I'm not a fan of those big mixed packs of Gel Pens, like the Castle Art set, the pastels never seem to work very well! Thanks for fabulous comment 🥰
I’m not a bit surprised that you were right about gel pens😂. Good job I do love it when you do science.
I was surprised! 😆 🥰
❤❤❤ Very informative Lily. I have the flair & you can't beat the gelly roll glaze but I am still a pentel dual hybrid gal for all the expense. Having said that they are not a glitter gel pen & I wouldn't use my dual hybrids to colour an entire picture. Thanks for this video. I love watching you compare gel pens
Thanks Claire! I love the Dual Metallics too but didn't include those as they are a different kind of pen... can you imagine a whole page coloured in them ✨️😍✨️😅
@@ArtJourneyUKI think I may take that challenge 😂😂😂
I have the ColorIt gel pens that came with refills and they look and feel exactly like Chrometek. Also, Tanmit and Aeon Art are the exact same pens, just different names. The Uniball Signo Gel Impact pens are a limited metallic range with an excellent white. They are they have a truly large ball, and extremely juicy ink. They are amazing. Anyhow, I never cared much for the Gelly Rolls. I think thy are overhyped. I have the glaze range just for the clear one to use when coloring glass. Other than that I use the ColorIt and Uniballs. Fascinating video Lily!
@JessicaSzempruch thanks Jessica! I love the Uniball Gel Impact, used them in my Art Journals years ago. 🥰
Brilliant wonderful History research thank you xxxx . thank you for this . happy swatching
@bethmegansmith4642 thanks Beth 🥰
This is fascinating, watched and enjoyed all the way through ☺☺
@@ChantelleArts thanks Chantelle 🥰
Very surprised but I love your comparison videos. You really make me smile with size of balls and holes 😅
@120_colours I was definitely surprised! I remember the first time I realised some pens had bigger holes, up to then I assumed the "40% more ink" that was stamped on the pack was just a marketing ploy. 😆
It kept me laughing!
Thanks for the video - I've been wondering about trying the Sakura ones and now I know there's not really much point. Glad to have saved myself some money! 🙂
@@CraftyColourist Glad it helped. I really thought they were going to wow me!
I have the original first sets and they still work. Have added the new sets as they become available. The only bug I have is the clear and white glaze pens I bought recently don’t work without stopping and skipping, even bought another set and same happened😂 I love the Gurkkst ones have had a few sets of those, biggest set I have is the Shuttle Art 120 glitter pens with refills😋
@be_a_bright_sparkle3687 Yes, O have the Shuttle Art 120 set too, I reviewed them, great colours, a little scratchy (smaller ball 😆) but not bad at all!
Lol! I love my Signo gold soooo much, yes it a bit scratchy, but they are so glittery when dry. Also Karin Decogels should have been in this comp, they are expensive, but they are beautiful and flow so well! ( Just to upset the applecart!😂) Very enjoyable video as always! xx
The Signo's are like metallic pens with glitter added, so they're shinier looking. I don't have the Karin Decogels, I'm not sure I could stomach paying £30 for them 😅 Maybe one day... when I haven't got 500 others to work through 😂🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK I know what you mean the price of them is crazy, I've only got the glittery ones, but they are beautiful. I think you are correct though, I think you might have enough already!🤣😁
@@wendyscolouring 😅
This was very interesting - The sakura pens looked muted in their colours - who’d a thunk it eh.
Great realistic comparison video Lily - thank you 😊
They did, didn't they? Thanks Jackie, hope you're doing well 🥰
Great video. Love the content, the history, how you got back into glitter pens... and the testing! Excellent! Thankyou.
@@LTNyota thank you! 🥰
This made me chuckle comparing the balls and the holes 😂. Also, I don’t feel so bad about my collection after seeing your video of how many sets of gel pens you have! A really good comparison video though, thank you. The same, I bought the full set of arteza from their website in lockdown after so many people were endorsing their products a few years back and I’m hoping they still work because I’ve never actually used them and I am wanting to get back into zentangle art (that I’ve newly discovered, I thought it was new……..yes, where have I been?! ) what with full time work, I never had a minute spare to myself so now I’m semi retired I’m also looking forward to learning adult colouring. I tried this for therapy years ago but haven’t done it for quite some time. Just as a side note…… I saw your video where you found old Zentangle books and products and wanted to say if you ever want to get rid of them, I’ll take them off your hands if you want to sell them and I’ll pay postage etc. Just let me know. So just to recap…….the better glitter gel pens overall, in your opinion, would be the Chromateck?
@journalforjoy1726 hehe I do have a lot of Gel Pens that's for sure! I am actually planning on destashing my Zentangle books, so DM on Instagram or send me an email (address in the video description). Yes, the Color Technik are my favourite, I just wish they still made them (although I have enough refills to keep my going for a while!). Thanks for the lovely comment and happy Semi-Retirement! It is hard to find time for hobbies when darn working gets in the way! 😅🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK I don’t really do instagram but I will email you. Ooh yes, with everything going up so much though, it’s good you have quite the stash! 😀 Thank you, I’m really looking forward to having some time to myself to fill with things that make me happy!
This was brilliant. Really show you need to pick the product for what you want and expensive is not always best....
@@ShuffleBunnie Definitely!
I've always used colour technique but I have invested in jelly rolls and like you I prefer my much cheaper pens. The only other pens I splashed out on were The hybrid dual metallics I do love those.
Yes the dual metallics are fab, I didn't include them as they are a different type of pen. 🥰
I wish Linc Shine would come out with some more colours, they are definitely the best.
Definitely good value for money for the glitz you get. Wouldn't a 50 pack be fab!
Agree. I've bought £48 pound sets that are not as good flowing as link but like you said only 10 colours and I never use the silver lol so 9 really but I love them.
Loved this video Lily I do love the gellyrolls mostly the moonlights and pastels and glaze but I do agree the stardust are not the best in the market but what I really love about them is the clear and the light green and light blue are my favorite ones as I feel they are the lightest shade of most of the sets I have found they are kind of like pastel shades of glitter gel pens which I feel the market is really lacking but again I do agree there are better alternatives out there 💜💜💜
@chelseascreativecolouring There are some lovely light shades in my bigger sets of Glitters, but I know what you mean, I find most of the Stardust are less bright, softer colours.
I really enjoyed your video and the history lesson on Sakura. Also, I loved the ball and hole comparisons! I had never thought of doing that.
Do you know the brand of your pen cases? I am trying to find some new ones, but the one I just got has very tiny loops.
Thanks Ann. With regard to the pen case, you have to make sure you get a pen case, not a pencil case. I talk about it in this video:- th-cam.com/video/4tReS_Urbog/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0N00aZ3UKf2fhwJH
What a bummer Sakura! and so expensive!! Thankx for the school lesson😎
@@danettetrostle7173 I know! I was surprised and disappointed. 🥰
This sounds like a cool lecture from a specialist in college 🙌🏼❤️
@@TheSerenNadine College would be fun if it was all about pens!
Why do I love gel pens so much?
@@introvert22 me too Mary!
Me too. They just make me happy
Thank you so much for this comparison thing I am new to this jelly roll thing and glitter pin stuff I did buy some gelly roll but now I will definitely go with the color technique thank you again Karen Hilton Oklahoma USA
@karenhilton4684 Thanks Karen 🥰
The timing of this video for me....is just golden.
@@HolographicCathawk 🥰
So I couldn't find your number one pick anywhere so I bought some jelly roll pens and some ooly to compare. The ooly arrived today and I have to say they are way smoother than whatever I had before.
@@HolographicCathawk Gel pens have definitely improved in recent years!
I’ve got a couple of moonlight gelly roll and I use them for writing cards. I have shuttle art gel pens and they are ok for the price and what I want them for. I don’t create art in my colouring books - I basically scribble! 🤣 And that’s ok, Adult Colouring or as I still call it - colouring in, is to keep me sane and for me to be creative when I don’t have an artistic bone in my body! 🤣 I really enjoyed the history lesson, and I found it very interesting. I would like to see you swatch your new set, I love a good swatch 🤣 x
@BevM7373 hehe I still call it "colouring in" too!! 🥰
Thanks so much for the memories. I need to go dig out my glitter pens. They all seem to have a silver glitter. Have you ever found any that have the same colour glitter as the ink? Also because you are the gel pen queen, what set of plain gel pains would you recommend? I have a few sets of different brands in small sets but would like a larger set with multiple shades of each colour. Thanks again for such an in depth & entertaining video. Cheers from Australia ❤️🇦🇺
I know what you mean about having silver glitter, sometimes it totally overshadows colour. I think I do have some with tonal glitter, I'll need to check. With regard to plain / non-glittery sets I'm still looking for the perfect set... but I have a video coming out soon comparing all those I do have! 🥰
Great video love the history. Was really surprised about sakura have they changed the ball size from the old ones.
@@junecletheroe8125 I wondered that. I always remembered the Sakura having bigger balls (without sounding rude!)
Giggling throughout. Fellow cockney here, felt like I was back at school rummaging through my fresh pencil case of goodies with my friends! I only ever had scented and plain gel pens, but never owned pastels and glitters as a kid.
I have the gelly white and clear glitter which are divine. But super surprised at this set here! Would you consider a part 2 and swatch your old Sakura ones? I was looking forward to getting them but may check out the others on this list! Saturday morning giggle, good start to the day thank you!
@Schmambo Watchya fellow Cockney! 😁 I am considering a part 2, which would include swatching my old ones plus adding some other info. Thanks for watching, playing with pens always makes me feel like I'm rummaging around my furry school pencil case! 🥰
Another Awesome Video. Thank You. Xx
@deborahjane68 Thanks Debs 🥰
Oh no, how did that happen Sakura?? Thank you for this thorough investigation💖💖💖
I know! I was so surprised!
I used to love Sakura but I find the ink to skip a lot. The metallics and moonlight perform better. I did find the best glitter gel pens ever at a TJ Maxx. 4.99 USD for 12 pens. KingArt big time gel pen, is by far the best glitter gel pen on the market and I have done a ton of coloring using various pens and these are moist but not so moist that they run. Beautiful pigment and a lot of ink in the bullet. Very impressed. I don't think I can use another brand after using these.
@michellecarruthers9724 The Kingart are the same as the Color Technik, great pens.
Amazon has some cool pens Lilly. My daughter bought me some sweet pencil set for coloring. Sweet video. ❤️🌹🌷🌺🌻pa america
Hi Lily! This was so interesting! I just recently purchased a set of Chrometek Glitter Gel Pens, I am so disappointed! I have to really work with them , ugh! I'm in the States and I love and use them daily the Dollar Tree Brand- Super Glitter Gel Pens, only basic colors.
I did find from Aen Art, a Color Changing Gel Pens, an excellent dupe of the Pentel Sparkle Pop. Only $4.99 for 12 Color Changing Colors... Compared to the Expensive Pentel Sparkle Pop at around $20.00 for only 8. I also use the Beautiful Taotree Glitter Gel Pens, set of 36 for under $10.
Thank You very much for Sharing this Wonderful Video!💜
Thanks Sherry! I've seen the Taotree ones on Amazon.com, they look familiar to the Color Technik... but sadly they're not available here yet!
Really! That's too bad, maybe some day.
I remember the excitement of buying metallic and glitter gel pens from whs smith in the 90s. Everyone had their favourite colours for doodles and blowing on the end when they seized up.
@@WarboysWitch Yes! They were the "must have" pen, with their distinctive shape! 🥰
Hi lilly thanks for the investigation! Luckely mine are verry good!
@lindaverkade438 Good to hear Linda! 🥰
Great video! What is the plastic storage box you have for your pens?
@loolu15 Hi! It's a floss organiser with the dividers taken out. I got mine from Hobbycraft in the UK but there are similar ones on Amazon amzn.to/3M0jXUP
I always enjoy comparisons videos. 😍
@@colorcrazy2944 Thank you! 😊
Great video love hearing all about how they came about 😉
@@crossstitchbutton thank you 🥰
I remember buying my first Sakura belly roll set from Create & Craft I had the Stardust set…..I loved them…so sparkly….🥰🥰
Ahh Create & Craft... I did some shows on there back in the Alan & Barry days!
This was very interesting!! So which would u recommend since the color technik aren’t made anymore? Chromatek, zcsm, or tanmit?
@jessicazentz6454 Thank you! I'd say Chromatek or Tanmit. If you're in the US then Soucolor or Aen Art too!
That was awesome! Thank you!
I am looking for a metallic glitter pen to use on my Christmas cards this year. Do you have any recommendations or favourites that you think would be good at writing in cards?
@@jcwittig I do favour thd Uniball Signo range. I particularly like the broad (1mm) tip for bold writing 🥰
I’m howling here 😂 you’re a tonic!😂😊
I really enjoyed your video, the glitter penscare the only ones I want. I'm looking for just a set of black glitter pens now then I'll be sorted. I bought a pack of 36 glitter pens from Ali, I really like them but I'm not an expert but maybe you could tell me what you think of them.
I've not seen the Glitter Pens on Ali Express (I've never bought anything from them!) so I've no idea what they are like. I'm guessing they're either like the generic ones I show in this video or similar to the Tanmit ones, let me know!
Sakura is pronounced Sah-koo-rah in Japanese. It means cherry blossoms. ❤ I believe the Signo is pronounced sign-o. I am on my second pack of the Aen Art pens.
@@junbug1029 That's exactly how I pronounced it!
Just curious if you can get the Pentel pens? I recently discovered a dual color glitter gel they sell on Amazon Canada.
@crazybyproxy Yes, I have the Pentel Dual Metallic Pens (and they're fab!) , but they are a different kind of pen; with both metallic and glitter ink, so I didn't include them in this as I was comparing straight glitter pens. 🥰
I found up to 80 glitter refills for the Color Technik gel pens for sale on the AliExpress website.
@@brittanydaniels1102 Oooo Brittany, I'll take a look. Thanks!
You should try the pentel sparkle pop pens. They are glorious
@@homebodyart In the UK they are called Pentel Dual Metallic and they are indeed fab, but they are a mix of Metallic and glitter ink, so including them wouldn't have been a fair comparison with just the straight glitter ink pens. 😊
I really enjoyed your video. I don't rate Gelly Roll to be fair. I am keen to get hold of the Color Technik glitter gel pens, do you know where I can buy them in the UK? Amazon doesn't have them. Thanks
@indigokat68 Amazon have been out of stock of them for a while, so not sure if they're still in business.
29:39 that's how I'm going to judge every new person I meet from now on
@@J.5in hehehe! 🤭
wow!
I am curious about the archival quality of each of these brands compared to the Sakura.
@Savannah_Creates_Postcards excellent question Savannah, I have been pondering this myself over the last week and it's the reason there are a number of tests currently taking place in my house! Stay tuned for a part 2 delving into that! 🥰
My thing about gel pens is that rubber grip. I am allergic to rubber. So I can't just buy any gel pen. Which is something I wish these companies would take into consideration when designing their pens. I have the 10 set of doodler'z gel stick gel pens from zebra. Try those. They are very good.
@butterflies015 The grip isn't made of rubber, it's plastic, so you'll be OK. 🥰 I have the 60 set of Doodlerz (and reviewed them here:- th-cam.com/video/ErGgx-Zk6DQ/w-d-xo.html)
I wonder if your old sakuras would have done better? I have some from 2005 that still work and do a great job. Smooth as butter, but I just bought my daughter some about a month ago and they are crappy and so scratchy. Not sure what happened to that brand 😢
@mikefeatheringill40 Yeah, they definitely seem to have got worse.
What about the pentel sparkle pops? Those appear to be very glittery.
Here in the UK, Pentel Sparkle Pops are called Pentel Dual Metallic Pens and they're different from standard glitter pens as they have both metallic and glitter ink in them. They are great pens, but not a relative comparison 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK oh interesting. I always thought they were different since one says glitter and the other metallic. Good to know. Thanks!
What a lovely comparison video! Very useful for those looking to buy glitter gel pens. I watched this video till the end, and was amazed to see Flair pens (the Indian one! ) at the end. Both Flair and Linc Shine are really juicy and glittery. BUT they only come in Packs of 10 :(
@@arteramgopal9723 Yes, that's definitely their downfall. If they come in packs of say 30-50... they'd be the outright winner!! 🥰
I've occasionally had problems with Sakura Gelly Roll glitter pens not running smoothly, but that usually only happens if they're very old. If I tap the pen down hard directly on it's point several times that sometimes helps. Maybe your batch is old. They're definitely not worse than other cheaper gel pens out there, if you get a good batch. The ones I've used are very smooth and glittery, with more of an ink flow than a regular glitter gel pen.
Hi CaseyAnne! I have old ones, the ones I tested were brand new, bought in the last 3 months. They may not be worse than other cheaper pens, but they're not better either! They also have a smaller ball, which will restrict the flow compared to some of the cheaper brands with bigger balls. Also, for the price for 12 Stardust, I can get 30 Chromatek!
@@ArtJourneyUK Hi! When I said they weren't worse that other cheaper pens, I also said "if you get a good batch". I wasn't comparing it to the new one you just bought. It's also possible that the "new" ones you received aren't very new, it's hard to know how long they've been sitting around before you purchased them. Or they could be defective, which could happen with any brand. I noticed that the pens you tested have new packaging. I haven't gotten any recently, the ones I purchase came in a blister pack. The tip looks small but the ink flow is amazing, at least in the ones I have. I'm curious if there's been any changes or if you just received a bad batch. Did your old ones work well? I use larger sets of gel pens all the time (my favorite is Aen Art), but I love the feel and flow of the gelly rolls so they work great if you're doing something that doesn't require a lot of colors.
The pack is the newest packaging here in the UK, the old packaging was the blister pack. I haven't used Gelly Rolls since 2010ish, and at that time they were great, like I said in the video, but there wasn't the choice on the market then as there is today. Seems other brands have mastered the gel ink technology too, so Sakura are no longer head and shoulders above the others. Don't get me wrong, I used to be a big fan but, after these tests, I prefer others now...and I was shocked at that too!.
@@ArtJourneyUK I'm just saying it's possible you got a defective pack and maybe they really are as good as they used to be. So, others will now think they're no good anymore, based on your disappointment. It's ok if you don't want to use them anymore, and yes there's larger sets out there, but if something doesn't work right and it used to work great, I'd want to know if it really had changed or if I got a defective pack. Also, sometimes Amazon has fakes that try to pass as the real thing, especially if you buy from a third party seller. I'm not saying this is the case but its a possibility.
I understand what you are saying, but it could also be the case that they aren't as good anymore! That's the benefit of independent reviews (no-one sent me anything for free, all paid with my own money, so I can be totally objective). The Stardust pens weren't bought from Amazon, they were bought from a UK Hobby/Craft/Art store that buys from the UK distributor.
Thanks for all your comments, I know it's a shame when someone doesn't like your favourite art supply as much as you do; but it's horses for courses and if we all liked the exact same thing there been no need for other manufacturers to make things and keep on improving the status quo 🥰
Thank you for such a long, fun, chatty video. I needed the distraction from the shit show that is the US government right now 🤦♀️
Glad I could distract you for a little while! 🥰
How much is twenty pounds in USD
@@lynntheokie8370 Currently about $26 🥰
Anything with ink in it will dry out. I suspect this happened with your sakuras
@LeisaPersall Not these ones, they were brand new, as I said.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍❣❤🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍💟💛💙💋
Why all this raving over a Product (Color Technik) that is UNAVAILABLE! 😭 Do you know if this is temporary or are the Color Technik discontinued? What is your recommendation since the Color Technik is unavailable? Great review, love the history. I am searching for HOW you color with Gel Pens and not finding a playlist on using your Gel Pens only one on Reviews :( How are you Color with your Gel pens and do you have a comparison or discussion of WHY Glitter Gel Pens vs regular Gel Pens or other versions such as the different versions of Gelly Roll Pens? I have the Gift set of Gelly rolls, because several years ago and maybe still, it was quite a saving over purchasing smaller sets. I even bought with Subscribe & Save on Amazon so saved even more :) My Gelly Rolls work Great even the Stardust. I have 2 sets one purchased 2017 and another 2020 I could not resist the decrease in price was only $49.00 USD for the 74 pen set!
@amethystte2749 Color Technik still have an area on Amazon but the pens have been out of stock for a while, I don't know if that's permanent or temporary.
With regard to my recommendation if you can't get Color Technik, then I'd say Chromatek or Tanmit. If you're in the US, you can get lots of fab brands like Soucolour and Aen Art so you have lots of choices over there.
Videos on How I Colour with Gel pens and the Different Types of Gel Pen are coming soon. I work full-time and colouring is my hobby so I don't get as much time as I'd like to make videos 🙂
Sounds like you got a great deal on your Sakura Gelly Roll set, enjoy them! 🥰
@@ArtJourneyUK thanks❤
Omg U can talk and talk lol
@carolannedwards1021 that I can! It's the reason I make videos, so people who are interested in the same things can watch! It's also the reason I put chapters, so you can skip through to the bits you're interested in and avoid some of my chatter 😆
I would have like to have seen a comparison with your original Sakura to the new pack you bought. That would have been interesting to see if the formula has maybe changed 🫶🏻
@Sawk_King I thought the same afterwards, so switched my old ones too, they were exactly the same (a couple were non-working though).