Candy Japan

Candy Japan is a monthly subscription box of Japanese sweets. You receive a package of assorted candy twice a month for the price of $25 (approx £15) with free shipping. 

As the packaging isn't in English an email is sent to subscribers to explain the contents so you know what you are eating. The latest shipment was an envelope containing two items - one sweet and one sour. 

The email lists the box on the left as Pickled Plum and Basil Pretzels, and the packet on the right as Kumamoto Banpeiyu Puccho.

The Pickled Plum and Basil Pretzels come in two packs and are long, thin crispy pretzel sticks that look a bit like Pocky, but with a very sour, salty flavour.

The Kumamoto Banpeiyu Puccho is a packet of individually wrapped chewy candies. They have a very soft, gummy texture. They are Banpeiyu flavoured, which is a citrus fruit, and taste like tangerine and grapefruit to me.

So that's what I got in my envelope. It's not a lot, but bare in mind this is one of two packages sent out over the month. I have to be honest, fruity and citrus flavours are not really my thing, but I still enjoyed the experience of getting to sample candies from Japan; This really appeals to the anime and manga fan in me. I also appreciate the email with English descriptions, though I think it's fun to taste them first to see if you can figure out what they are for yourself. 

Madame Ladybug July 2014

Madame Ladybug is a period subscription box. Every month they send you a box full of period supplies and treats to help make your visits from 'Aunt Flo' more pleasant. They offer 3 tiers of subscription box; Flo Control, Pamper Me and Ultimate Indulgence - priced at $18, $25 and $33, respectively. 

I opted for the Ultimate Indulgence box which worked out at about £34 including international shipping. I purchased the single month subscription which doesn't renew, as this isn't exactly a cost effective service if you live in the UK, but I was curious to give it a try and it's a good opportunity to test out some American snacks which aren't sold over here. 

Here's how my Ladybox looked when I opened it up:

It's full to the rim of goodies and I couldn't wait to dive in. A pamphlet is supplied which details the full list of items included, but I didn't read it as I wanted to explore the contents myself. 

The first packet contains my chosen brand of sanitary towels (tampons are also an available option). There are 14 in total which should be plenty sufficient to last me through my period. Madame Ladybug have also included 3 additional sanitary pads and 3 panty liners, which is very handy. 

This packet also contains a couple of Summer's Eve and Stall Mates individual wet wipes. The Stall Mates ones are flushable whereas the Summer's Eve are not. There are 4 Scensibles bags too, which are basically scented nappy bags and make it easier to dispose of your used towels/tampons. They have a lovely light floral fragrance. The last item is 4 Advil tablets to help ease menstrual cramps. 

There are 2 bags of snacks and sweets. The first bag includes Famous Amos bite size Chocolate Chip Cookies, 3 Good Earth tea bags (Cocoa Tango Black Tea, Superfruit Green Tea Pomegranate & Cherry, and Chai Tea Vanilla), Welch's Fruit Snacks, a Madeleine, Nutri Grain Apple Cinnamon cereal bar, Belvita Cinnamon Brown Sugar breakfast biscuits, Crystal Light Natural Lemonade Drink Mix and Uncle Wally's Banana Nut muffins. 

The second snack bag contains Dolcetto Petites Chocolate Cookies, Hershey's Milk Chocolate, Mentos, 3 Dum-Dums (in Blu Raspberry, Mystery, and Sour Apple flavour), 2 Mint Patties Original and a chocolate quarter dollar coin.

There are also a few extra gifts and bonus items, the first of which is the Vapur Anti-Bottle, a 480 ml reusable water bottle that flattens down when empty for convenience. Then we have a 2 ml sample sachet of 100% Pure's Honey Almond Nourishing Body Cream. Then a 500 ml bottle of Lipton Citrus Green Tea. 

Next is a cute little coin purse with an Eiffel Tower charm on it, as well as a pretty Eiffel Tower necklace. As a hopeless romantic I am obsessed with anything Parisian. And the final item is scented rose soap that's beautifully presented in a mini purple organza bag. 

Overall, I am loving this box. It provides you with everything you need, and more, to cope with your time of the month. I only wish Madame Ladybug were UK-based so I could afford to continue my subscription with them. For now, it will just have to remain an occasional treat.

Loot Crate July 2014

Last month's Transform theme didn't do much for me, but when I heard Loot Crate were doing a Villains theme next my excitement was restored and I'm happy to say they didn't disappoint!

It was a very slim box this month, but you know what they say... good things come in small packages. First of all, the inside of the box has been pseudo-vandalised with awesome doodles. I appreciate little details like that.

We're given the usual mini magazine and a badge, which has the same image as the magazine cover. I enjoyed reading the article discussing the top 5 villains in video games. Who would be your top pick?

Speaking of video game villains, the first item in my crate was a magnet of Bowser measuring 3 x 3 inches.

There was an exclusive T-shirt again this month featuring a great design which combines the Joker and Loki. I suspect I'll be wearing this often! 

Another clothing item next, red and black stripy Deadpool socks in size 6 - 12. These are so soft and comfortable. I recently purchased a pair of cut out boots so I'm excited to wear these with them. 

There were 2 posters, each measuring 8 inches wide and just under 12.5 inches long. One had the Joker on and the other was of Harley Quinn. The Joker print is especially creepy and reminds me of the 30 Days of Night book cover. 

The Villains box also included Dale Keown's Rocket Raccoon #1, a comic book featuring a Loot Crate exclusive variant cover. 

Then we have Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, a documentary narrated by Christopher Lee that explores the most notorious villains in comic book history.

And the final item this month is a Darth Vader key ring, the second greatest movie villain of all time, beaten only by the Joker.

Next month is Heroes!

New subscribers save 10% with code HEROES at checkout.

GlossyBox July 2014

In celebration of Independence Day the theme for the July GlossyBox was Stars and Stripes and showcases a selection of American brands. As much as I love their regular pink boxes (which remind me of the Sex and the City shoebox-style DVD collection), GlossyBox did an American flag inspired redesign of the box this month that looks rather cool! Here's what I received in mine:

1.) Mineral Lipstick by Bellapierre (Full size, £20). This glides on nice and creamy but, just my luck, I got the Mandarin shade which is much too orange for my pale skin. The case also feels like light cheap plastic to me, I do like the quilted design on it however.

2.) Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer by Absolute New York (Full size, $4.99/£2.92). This oil-free primer can be worn by itself to neutralise redness and brighten eyes, or alternatively applied under eyeshadow to prolong staying power and improve vibrancy. 

3.) Carmex lip balm (Full size, £2.69). This is very similar to my Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm; both contain beeswax and have the same menthol scent. It feels nice on my lips but I find the Burt's Bees one more convenient as it's in a tube rather than a pot.

4.) Color Club nail polish in Glossy Seal (Full size, $8/£4.69). Glossy Seal is a deep blue colour created especially for this box. It comes in a 15 ml container, a decent size that should last quite a while.

5.) Pur Minerals Dirty Girl Detoxifying Mudd Masque (15 g sample, full size is 120 g and costs £18). Designed to unclog pores, cleanse and exfoliate skin. You simply apply this facial mask to clean skin, leave for 5 - 20 minutes, then rinse.

As you can see, out of the 5 products I received this month 4 were full size. I am mostly happy with what I got - it feels particularly exciting to have an exclusive nail polish to add to my makeup collection - but I must admit I am slightly disappointed that the most expensive item is the only one that I won't be able to use, as without the lipstick the value of the rest of the contents amounts to around the same as what I paid for it. There's always that risk with mystery subscription boxes like this, so if that concerns you I would suggest checking out my You Beauty Discovery reviews as they allow you to build your own box each month.