This is a fun one from Tono & Lims’ Kaleidoscope series. Kaleidoscope inks are UV reactant, but the ability largely fades after several minutes. This is Utage. Meaning “party” in English, the name is a perfect match for this pure fun shimmer ink!

Visually, Utage is definitely a party! The end result is a soft, electric lavender with a beautiful violet-pink shimmer. To get there, the ink goes through multiple transformations (like a long night of clubbing!) It goes on violet-blue, but exposed to air, it quickly deepens to a dark blue. Over the next 30 seconds, it changes to a dirty yellow-green-blue while it dries. The butterfly emerges, as it slowly develops the final bright violet, and the shimmer becomes visible. On premiums, it’s a modest shading ink with a nice edge halo. This is quite an ink!

This is a nice writing ink. It’s wet with a smooth flow, and the shimmer didn’t cause any problems (they rarely do from Tono & Lims). Strokes were clean and crisp on all papers. Drying was 20 seconds on premiums, and under 5 seconds on office copy.

This is one of those polarizing inks that you either love or hate. I’m not big on the UV feature, as it only works well when wet, but it doesn’t take away from the ink’s positives. Overall, it’s a beautiful shimmer ink, with a nice halo and some shading, and a surprisingly nice writing ink. I’m a fan!