October 2019 Japan Candy Box Review and Giveaway

Japan Candy Box is one of the most fun boxes out there. If you like to treat yourself to Japanese snacks and goodies, you'll love this subscription!

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

Japan Candy Box sends 10 Japanese snacks and candies each month from Tokyo, including brands like Pocky, Hi-Chew, Glico, and Kit-Kat. Here are their pricing options:

• Monthly: $19.90 per month
• Six Months: $113.40 every six months ($18.60 per month, save $6)
• 12 Months: $214.80 every 12 months ($17.90 per month, save $24)

International shipping is free with every plan. Boxes ship from Japan and mine took about two weeks to get to me in the U.S.

The October box was Trick or Treat themed for Halloween. Each box comes with a colorful info packet with descriptions of each of the snacks, which is incredibly helpful if you're like me and don't speak/read Japanese.

There is usually a good assortment of sweet and savory snacks, and not everything is candy, despite the name of the box. The October snacks had an obvious Halloween theme, which was fun.

• Shimi Halloween Choco Corn Stars: These are chocolate-coated corn puff snacks shaped like stars. I would've liked a bit more chocolate topping, but they were still pretty good.
• Toppo Halloween Edition Biscuit Sticks: If you're familiar with Pocky, these are kind of similar. They're biscuit sticks but instead of having coating on the outside like Pocky, these had chocolate on he inside. They were really good!
• Happy Halloween Umaibo Snack Stick: These sticks are some of my favorite Japanese snacks. It's a puffy corn snack with a savory flavor (potage soup). 

• Koala's March Halloween Biscuits: Koala's March cookies are so good! These had Halloween-themed koala designs with chocolate inside.
• Tohato Caramel Corn Halloween Mini Pack: These are corn puff snacks with a caramel flavor. They were a good mix of sweet and savory.
• Black Thunder Halloween Chocolate Bar: This has "the intensity of a thunderstorm," with chocolate-coated crispy rice puff. It was really good and I wish it was bigger!

•  Tohato Bokun Habanero Chips: These crispy potato rings are super spicy with habanero pepper flavor. Not for the faint of heart!
• Monstro Frankenstein Gum: The gum inside is soda flavored that makes your tongue change color as you chew.
• Pokemon Halloween Party Chocolate Snack: These chocolately treats are shaped like a Pikachu head. Mine had the Pokemon Duskull on the package.
• Terrible Ghost Story Gum: This creepy little package has a ghost story inside that you can read as you chew on the gum; it also has a talisman inside to ward off evil spirits.

Close-up of the Koala's March cookies

Close-ups of the Toppo snacks

Bottom Line: Japan Candy Box is a really fun and affordable way to treat yourself to Japanese snacks each month! The Halloween box was full of sweet and savory snacks to fit the October month.

• Visit Japan Candy Box to subscribe
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Japan Candy Box has generously offered a box for one of my readers to win! Enter the giveaway below. The giveaway is being run by Japan Candy Box and they are responsible for choosing the winner and shipping the prize.

If the giveaway widget doesn't load, you can also enter here.

See, Shop, Love! Japan Candy Box Giveaway

October MyBookBox Review

I'm always on the lookout for new books, and MyBookBox is a great way to add to your collection! This subscription has a bunch of different genres to choose from.

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

MyBookBox sends two new books each month with a special gift. The books are handpicked by their team of experts, including teachers, publishers, and everyday book lovers. Here are the pricing options:

• Monthly: $39.95 per month
• Three Months: $110.85 ($36.95/month) every three months, plus free tote
• One-time box: $39.95

Shipping is free to U.S. addresses, including Hawaii, Alaska, and U.S. territories. Boxes are shipped media mail and take 3-7 days for contiguous U.S. and 12-16 days for HI, AK, and territories. Shipping to Canada is $19, Mexico for $26, and the rest of the world for $28. A delivery time for international shipping cannot be guaranteed.

All plans renew on the 28th of the month (for the three month option, your plan will renew on the 28th of every third month).

There are six genres to choose from and you can change your preferences at any time:

• Children 3-7
• Children 8-12
• Young Adult
• Nonfiction
• Mystery
• Women's Fiction

 You'll choose two genres per box, one book from each.

I chose to receive books from the Nonfiction and Mystery genres. The box came with the two books as promised, and the special gift for the month included delicious treats from Dallas Caramel Company!

MyBookBox was founded by siblings Chelsea and Jessica and is based on Dallas, so the inclusion of a Dallas local business makes sense. The treats were one each of the following:

• Toffee Caramel Dipped Pretzel
• Zebra Caramel Dipped Pretzel
• Chipotle Caramel
• Sea Salt Caramel
• Orange Caramel 

Caramel is one of my favorite flavors ever and every single one of these treats was amazing! I especially loved the caramel dipped pretzels.

On to the books! The mystery title I received was The Lying Room by Nicci French, the pseudonym of a husband and wife duo of Nicci Gerard and Sean French. Here is a short synopsis:

One little secret between a married woman, her lover, and a killer.

In this thrilling standalone from the internationally bestselling author of the Frieda Klein series, a married woman’s affair with her boss spirals into a dangerous game of chess with the police when she discovers he’s been murdered and she clears the crime scene of all evidence.

I love a thriller/mystery and this one is right up my alley!

The nonfiction selection is a memoir, I Will Never See the World Again by Ahmet Altan. Here is the synopsis:

Confined in a cell four meters long, imprisoned on absurd, Kafkaesque charges, novelist Ahmet Altan is one of many writers persecuted by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s oppressive regime. In this extraordinary memoir, written from his prison cell, Altan reflects upon his sentence, on a life whittled down to a courtyard covered by bars, and on the hope and solace a writer’s mind can provide, even in the darkest places.

This sounds like an important read and I'm very interested in diving into it.

I'm sure you noticed that each book also comes with a bookmark and a handwritten note. Here's a closer look at them: the top is from Ahmet Altan and the bottom from Nicci French. This is such a unique and wonderful addition to the box!

• Visit MyBookBox to subscribe
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube

Bottom Line: MyBookBox is a great value for any book lover. It's a bit more expensive than some other book subscriptions, but I think it's worth the price due to the extras and curation of the books. I'm very impressed by the selections for October and I loved the sweets from Dallas Caramel Company!

Clean Ingredient Spotlight: Activated Charcoal

If you're in tune with the beauty and skincare world at all, then you've likely heard of the benefits of activated charcoal. I love using products with activated charcoal, as they work wonders for my oily skin. I've got four great products featuring this ingredient to share with you today.

*Disclaimer: These products were sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

Activated charcoal helps draw dirt, oil, and other pollutants to the surface of skin, helping fight acne and achieve a clear complexion. I have very oily skin and activated charcoal is a miracle ingredient for me! I've been using products with charcoal in them for a while and they really help balance out my skin and remove excess oil. These four products are an easy way to add activated charcoal into your beauty routine.

The Bambusa Blackhead Banisher Pore Perfecting Nose Mask is available at Dermstore.com, Amazon.com, and HydropPeptide.com at $22 for a pack of eight. These pore cleansing strips are made from bamboo extract to smooth uneven roughness and charcoal and volcanic ash to remove excess dirt and oil.

Now, I know pore strips are a little controversial and a lot of dermatology professionals will tell you not to use them. I've also heard from other professionals that they are fine in moderation. I don't like to use them more than once a week or every two weeks, but I do like them for removing excess sebaceous filaments and dirt. These strips adhered well to my skin and did not hurt when removing, and since they are black you could really see the results on the strip.

One of my favorite ways to use charcoal is in a face mask. The G.M. Collin Charcoal Mask is $48 and is available at GMCollin.com. This mask helps capture and eliminate micro-pollutants, revitalize and replenish skin, and purify skin texture while evening your complexion. Ingredients include bamboo charcoal and Persian Silk Tree to increase skin's radiance and Coral Seaweed to revitalize.

The mask has a thicker texture and spread onto my skin smoothly. A little goes a long way. It's appropriate for all skin types and worked great with my oily skin. I left it on for about 10-15 minutes while it dried, and after rinsing off my skin felt clean and refreshed but not overly dry.

The Ethique Charcoal, Kaolin, and Oatmeal Bodywash Bar is great for cleansing the rest of your body. It's available at Target.com and Ethique.com for $11.50. It's vegan and cruelty-free and made without palm oil, and has kaolin clay and activated charcoal for natural cleansing. It also has oatmeal and coconut oil to soothe skin.

I've used other Ethique products in the past and they are excellent quality. I love that they use sustainable ingredients. I used this bar with a pouf sponge in the shower and it felt great after a heavy workout. My skin was left feeling incredibly clean.

The Dr. Natural Activated Charcoal Soap is another great way to use activated charcoal to cleans your body. You can get a huge 32 fl oz bottle from Amazon for only $10.99. It is available in Citrus, Lavender, and Mint scents and is free from sulfates, parabens, dyes, and is cruelty-free. The activated charcoal naturally detoxes face, body, and scalp and helps reduce pigmentation and inflammation.

I used this in the shower after working out and it lathered up well with a sponge, despite being sulfate-free (sulfates are what helps products bubble up and sometimes sulfate-free products don't lather as well). It did leave my skin feeling tightened and a bit dry, so definitely use a body moisturizer after getting out of the shower. I don't know that I would use this on my face, but it was a great body wash.

Last up is the Petite Amie Skincare Hydrating Bamboo Charcoal Masque, which is $8 at PetiteAmieSkincare.com and Amazon. It's a gentle mask made from 100 percent bamboo charcoal to balance and hydrate skin. It also includes honey for balancing and olive leaf to quench dehydrated skin. Hydrolized soy protein boosts skin's texture and luminosity.

This mask felt great on my skin and I loved the beautiful packaging. The mask itself was a black sheet mask, but I always appreciate a nice package presentation. My skin felt hydrated and soothed after use.

Bottom Line: If you want to add activated charcoal products to your routine, these five are a great place to start. Charcoal is great for all skin types and helps keep your face and body clean and balanced.

September Shades Club Review and Coupon

Shades Club is a fun and affordable way to build your sunglasses collection! Their shades are high quality and made in the same factories as much more expensive brands.

*Disclaimer: This box was purchased by See, Shop, Love! at a discounted rate in exchange for an honest review.

Shades Club has a men's and women's subscription that delivers one pair of sunglasses a month for $29. Here are their pricing options:

• Monthly: $29 per month
• Four Months: $112 every four months/$28 per month (one month free)
• Six Months: $162 every six months/$27 per month (1.5 months free)
• Yearly: $288 every 12 months/$24 per month (two months free)

The September Shades were a feminine cat eye style with tortoiseshell patterned frames. Each pair of shades comes with a microfiber carrying case that doubles as a cleaning cloth. The shade are also polarized.

The Shades Club branding is found on the inside of the arms of these sunglasses. Sometimes they have the logo on the corner of one of the lenses.

The September shades are more circular, which isn't the best for my face shape, but they're durable and I know the style is pretty popular.

• Visit Shades Club to subscribe
• Use coupon code seeshoplove for $15 off your first box
• Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram 

Bottom Line: I always look forward to my Shades Club box. Even though not every pair might be 100 percent my style, it's fun to see what they include.

RawSpiceBar Review: New Packaging and Subscription Options!

I've reviewed Raw Spice Bar before, and they're still an excellent and affordable way to add spices from all over the world to your pantry. They've recently revamped their subscription, making it an even better experience!

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

RawSpiceBar is a subscription that sends out spices once every one, three, six, or 12 months. Each spice costs $6 and you can choose to receive up to 12 spices. So, for example, if you choose to receive three spices every month, you'll be billed a total of $18 every month for your shipment. Shipping is free.

When you sign up, you'll fill out a quick survey that asks about your dietary needs and preferences, how often you cook, what you like to cook, and more to narrow down the perfect spices for your needs. RawSpiceBar recommended garam masala, Saigon cinnamon, taco seasoning, and Jamaican jerk, among others, for me. If you aren't into some of the spices you can swap them out for ones you prefer.

RawSpiceBar has also updated their packaging. The spices used to ship in resealable packets but are now in 1.0 oz jars. I like this packaging much better, as it's easier to scoop out the amount you need and to store them.

I received the Vadouvan, Salt Free Seasoning, and Apple Pie Spices to try. I also want to note that all of the spices are salt-free.

Vadouvan is a curry spice made with shallots, onion, garlic, toasted fenugreek, toasted fennel seeds, curry leaves, toasted cumin, toasted cloves, and green cardamom. It smells so good and I can't wait to make some chicken curry with it.

The Salt Free Seasoning is made with freeze-dried organic onions, yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorns, garlic granules, thyme, rosemary, fennel pollen, and freeze-dried tomato. I feel like this might be good to add some flavoring to a soup broth.

The Apple Pie Spices are wonderful for fall! It has cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, green cardamom, star anise, grains of paradise, and rosemary. I've already used this in hot apple cider and it was delicious!

• Visit RawSpiceBar to subscribe

Bottom Line: I like the changes to RawSpiceBar quite a bit. The customization is great, and I like that you can now get monthly shipments (used to be quarterly). The spices are great quality and there are a ton to choose from, making this a great subscription for people who may not have access to these types of seasonings.