Whew... alright. So now that I've gotten over my last ink review, I'm pleased to get into this one. Now, remember back when I had possible Mystery Ink samples? I think this was one of them. However with the purchase of a customized pen from a FB group member, a bunch of inks were thrown into the order as well and a small 30ml bottle of this ink was one of them (to match the pen I got). So here is
DIAMINE SOFT MINT
If I could describe this ink as if it were a person I would call it a Sweetheart. Because it is! I'm glad soft is in the name because that perfectly describes tis ink shade. It's not too light to be illegible and not too dark that it's a teal or a turquoise either. It's has FANTASTIC shading properties. It's in the middle of a blue or a green. I don't find the color hard to read for long periods of time and as for calling it a sweetheart..
It's forgiving. Oh so forgiving. Cheap paper? That's fine. Cheap pen... it's alright. Wet nib, dry nib, hard and fine nib, soft and expensive gold nib, it's all ok. Need bright paper with contrast to see writing? It'll be light Blue for you. Get eye strain and prefer cream paper? It can be Green for you. Made a mistake and need to cover it up with white out or correction tape? It won't show through. You can even erase it completely with a bit of diluted bleach. (as seen in the swatch swab on the lower right. That's he bleach. Completely Gone) Worried it'll stain your pen? It'll be whatever you need and get out of your way when you don't.
In fact, this ink might be a little TOO forgiving. You can completely neglect this sweetheart ink your pen and it'll just.... disappear into nothing and not even bother any darker ink you replace it with even if you didn't wash the pen. (Unless maybe that ink is yellow or pink, but I did say Darker.) It won't even leave crusties.
Pretty sweet isn't it? Now, I used this ink up when I had the first sample. I used it as a standard test in all my pens though I don't really write long with it. At least I didn't until I got a LAMY Safari Special Edition 2019 in Pastel Mint. I LOVE matching my ink with my pens. I even spilled this ink accidentally (that's the trouble with those 30ml plastic Diamine bottles), but I still have plenty to test with when I get a new pen. I don't know if I'll get a full sized bottle or not, it's been great having a 30ml to travel with as an easy pocket size.
Check that out. So much bright Cyan, but it has a hidden heart of green. Can't expect it to stand up to water, but I get the impression that Soft Mint doesn't like confrontation. As a close primary color I think this ink could be easily tinted further into a green or turned into a soft purple with the slightest touches of a red or any other color. Though strong colors like black or orange might turn it muddy grey or brown and crush any softness out of it. So maybe be gentle when introducing it to mixes. Alas, there's likely no colorfastness so it'll flee if exposed to too much sunlight. Soft Mint is more shy and private like. It'll be there for your quiet journaling time, but would probably fade from being exposed all the time in art pieces. It could probably show off shimmer powders quite well, but I haven't tested any of those yet, since I don't have much left in my bottle.
I definitely recommend you try this ink, but not just a sample. I hope you fall in love with having this friendly ink around to compliment anything else you're doing. As a tester, as a mixer, for yourself or for letters. It's an easy going, forgiving friend that will accept whatever you have, whatever you're able to afford in a pen or paper and keep supporting what you need from it so you can express yourself, just the way you are.
