There are so many things to appreciate the new Colorverse Joy in the Ordinary Series. First, they are in single 35ml bottles which allow for a less expensive, lower quantity purchase. Previous Colorverse inks were only available in two-bottle sets which cost upwards of $36. The Joy in the Ordinary series is also one of the only non-space sets that Colorverse has created. The previous non-space series was the tree-themed sets but those were still in the two-pack sets. Joy in the Ordinary celebrates the things that astronauts might miss when on interstellar travels — things like Rainy Days, Walking the Dog, and Brunch Dates.
I confess I chose Coffee Break because of the name. I often use the same logic when choosing nail polish colors. There’s a reason I’ve bought two bottles of OPI I’m Not Just a Waitress, sometimes the name of a product alone is enough to sway my purchasing decisions. It was the same with Coffee Break. Who wouldn’t want an ink that evokes the feeling and color of a good cup of coffee.
That the ink is also a lovely warm, cocoa-inspired brown solidifies this ink as a good brown, IMHO.
Of course, there are a lot of good warm browns. I suppose I should have looked at my ink stash before ordering yet another brown ink. Monteverde Brown Sugar is really close in color and it’s a fraction of the price. Pelikan Edlestein Smoky Quartz has a bit more yellow and is darker overall. Kaweco Caramel Brown is also darker but more red. SBRE Brown by Akkerman is more orangey. J. Herbin Cafe des Iles is not as saturated and slightly more red. J. Herbin, Kaweco and Monteverde are all cheaper options. If you are looking for an alternate, I’d recommend the Kaweco or Monteverde. They are both solid options.
In writing, the shading in the ink definitely creates a convincing coffee stain look. There doesn’t appear to be any sheening but the color is lovely.
Colorverse ink is historically dry but I did not need to add any White Lightning to it to keep its viscosity. Your mileage may vary depending on nib and feed.
I like Coffee Break. If I didn’t already have a dozen or more brown inks this would be the one I would want to buy again.
Tools:
- Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 16 with 6mm guide sheet
- Pens: Midori bullet pencil modified dip nib holder with Zebra G titanium nib ($33.50 per 10-pack), Acrylic dip nib pen (Approx. $15), Shawn Newton Esterbrook Nib Holder with #9668 nib
- Swatches: Col-o-dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Brush: Silver Black VElvet Round #6
- Ink: Colorverse Joy in the Ordinary Earth Edition Coffee Break ($12 for 35ml bottle)
I like brown inks. Like you, I sometimes purchase for the name. Well often do.
It’s so nice to see Colorverse bring out a lower cost option. My only set was a gift (Hubble Zoom). Thank you for sharing Coffee Break (I’d buy it for the name too).
Thank you so much for this review. I have been on the search for brown inks that are coffee inspired and I am looking for the perfect one with decent water resistance. May I know how it performs when submerged in water or water swipes? I have a vial of rainy day and its water resistance was pretty decent. I would like to know if this is the same with Coffee Break. I like the name so badly since I would love an ink with its name that is coffee inspired. Thanks!
Alyssa, I tested the water solubility of the Coffee Break here and its not great. This was done on Col-o-ring paper so different paper stocks may have different results. YMMV.