7

Review: Babeland Body Massage Candle

After using my first ever massage candle, which I wrote about here, I was determined to try others and see if there was one out there that I would like. The Babeland Body Massage Candle is definitely the answer. I received three of the one ounce size candles to review, each in a different scent.

The candles I have come in small tins, they each have a sticker on the bottom and top. The top are each a different on of Babeland’s signature bright colors (mine are yellow, pink and blue) with the Babeland logo and the name of the candle and scent. The bottom sticker lists ingredients and instructions. They are discreet, and the absolute perfect size for travel. It appears, from the website, that the 3 ounce sized candles come is a cute glass votive and are packaged in a cylindrical box, as can be seen in the photo.

The Massage Candles are currently available in three scents: Pashmina, Rice Flower and Mango-Vanilla. The ingredient list is very straightforward, including only Soy wax, Shea butter and Fragrance. The texture of the wax when cold is fairly solid, much like a normal candle. The scents are fairly strong, even when cold, but not over-powering. Unlike the first massage candle I tried, these smell lovely when burning, and will scent the room beginning shortly after lighting. They did not get over-whelming for me, and it was definitely enjoyable.

It takes 5-10 minutes for there to be enough melted wax for you to use, longer if you want more. I would guess that you could get between 2 and 6 uses out of the 1 oz candle, depending on how much you use at a time. So my best guess is up to 15+ uses out of a 3 oz version, though it will depend greatly on how long you burn before using and how much wax your pour with each use. We used about half the 1 oz size on two massages, and while I felt like it was a decent amount, you may use less or more than we did.

It is suggested that you burn the candle, blow it out and let the wax cool before pouring. We cheated and poured right away. The wax was warm, but not hot, it felt very nice on some parts of me, and I almost couldn’t feel it on less sensitive areas. My partner and I took turns and poured it on each other’s backsides, from the base of the neck all the way to the bum. Your body temperature will keep the wax from becoming solid again. Now, as I said, we used roughly a 1/4 oz on each of us and massaged it in/on for a while. I found that it was easy to rub around and made for a decent massage catalyst, as it stayed smooth and didn’t disappear on me. This makes it great for giving a longer massage. However, it did not absorb at all, and we were left with sticky hands and backs that were only less sticky after showering. If you are going to use this much, or more, you probably won’t want to use it right before going to sleep, and you’ll want to shower together and scrub down each other’s backs.

The better solution I’ve found to avoid the stickiness is to use less wax. If you use a small amount of the wax, it will spread very thinly and seems to absorb (I’m sure the wax doesn’t, but the shea butter component should). This leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized (and smelling yummy!), however, it does not allow for as much glide for a longer massage. So it’s up to you and your preferences as to what you want to get out of it.

Now. About the scents. I listed them earlier, but I wanted to give a bit more detail about each:

-Mango-Vanilla: Comes with the yellow label. This was his favorite. It scented the room well, but was subtle, when burning. It leaves a very light scent on the skin. It is mellow and fruity, but not overly sweet or fake smelling. It actually reminds me of a tropical smoothie or something. If you prefer fruit to floral, this is probably the scent for you.

-Rice Flower: Comes with the pink label. This one is my favorite, though I liked all three quite a bit. It will scent the room, but isn’t very far-reaching. The scent left on your skin is very light, and you have to be pretty close to smell it. The first time I sniffed the candle it reminded me immediately of a tanning lotion I once had, it smells a little like a tanning salon (no, I don’t tan… but I used to hang out with a friend who ran a shop) minus the baked skin smell and coconut. That will only even possibly make sense to people who have been tanning, and may not even to them. Moving on… It is definitely a plant-like small, but not specifically floral. It is mellow and smooth, a little sweet. It reminds me a little bit of tropical plants after it has just rained, only… sweeter. It doesn’t smell at all artificial, and it is on the back on my hand while I write this I CAN’T STOP SNIFFING IT. If they made this scent in their body oil or a lotion, or ANYTHING else, I would buy it… in bulk. It is delicious and I wouldn’t mind smelling like it all the time.

-Pashmina: Comes with the blue label. Ok, let’s get one thing out of the way first… what the hell is pashmina supposed to smell like anyway? I don’t like names for smells that don’t make a lot of sense. That aside. This is the most intense smelling of the three, and the only one that elicited a face from my partner. It is more pungent, and floral-y when cold and when being burned. Once it is on your skin, though, it is almost like a musky/spicy vanilla flower. It is really difficult to describe, and I’m not great at analyzing scents in the first place. If you tend more toward musks or florals… then this in one for you, my Pier Once occasionally smells like this candle. It is the strongest smell from start to finish and will scent your room and skin more intensely than the others.

Overall, I’m really pleased with these candles. Once discovering that the stickiness can be avoided by lightening up the amount poured, I’m kind of in love. Once I use up the ones I have, I’ll probably be ordering a couple of the full size ones… a good reason to ask for more massages… Plus, they’ll leave your skin super soft and smelling fantastic!

01

Review: Edible Massage Candle

I picked up this 3-in-1 edible massage candle at my local sex shop, figuring that if I’m going to be playing with wax, I may as well get a massage out of it. Reading the ingredients I was pretty impressed, it wasn’t some scary concoction of chemicals mixed into a wax base. Instead it is made with Hemp Seed, Vitamin E, Jojoba, Avocado, and Apricot oils. The company that manufactures them actually makes high quality, natural body care products, rather the “novelty” items, as one might expect.

The candle comes in a heart-shaped metal tin, enclosed is a small spoon. The wax is somewhat soft to the touch even cold, but not so much that you could scoop it without scraping. It has a fairly distinct peppermint scent, but isn’t at all over-powering.

Once lit, it actually takes a while to burn and build up enough melted wax to use, so this is definitely one to think about ahead of time. The scent  lessens when burning, you can really smell it unless you stick your nose in it, which isn’t recommended as there is a flame, of course.

When enough wax was built up, I used the spoon to drizzle some on my partner, simple enough. The spoon does make it easy to keep from spilling or making a mess. I began to spread it around, and gave him a full back massage with the “oil”. A few things that I noted while on the giving end, the oil didn’t totally absorb into the skin and felt slightly sticky as I was finishing up. It didn’t turn back into a wax form, it would seem that body heat is enough to keep it in a liquid state, unlike real wax. When I was finished with him, I had him use it on me. I have to say, my initial reaction is that I was unimpressed. When it hit my skin, it felt cooler than the water I use in my showers. I could feel that is was warm, but barely. So if you’re into real wax play, this is a no go. He rubbed it in, and that felt fine, but I did get the feeling I had a film left all over my back. Oh, and as for the scent, pretty non-existent when in liquid form. When you lick the skin there is a very slight minty taste, but it is rather faint. We ended up hopping in the shower after our romp, and the mint smell kicked up when the hot water hit our skin. I didn’t notice feeling particularly moisturized, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt me either.

Overall, I wouldn’t say it was a bad experience, just not what I expected. If you’re looking for serious kink, steer clear. However, if you’re just looking for something different, why not? Personally, I’d probably just use massage oils or lotion for massages in the future, and real wax when I want wax play. We honestly haven’t used the candle past the first time, we just didn’t find it that exciting. Perhaps for a more vanilla couple the mental aspect would heighten the experience, after all, kink is in the eye of the beholder.

If you’re interested in this, or any of the many flavor options, you can find them at PinkCherry.com