When I first saw the Shunga Erotic Art line of products, I honestly expected them to be an inferior rip-off of the Kama Sutra line. In the spirit of fairness, however, I purchased this collection and was quite remarkably impressed. The products live up to the standards set by Kama Sutra, and even surpass them in some instances.

The Carnal pleasures collection|Sensual kits: Carnal Pleasures Collection by Shunga Erotic Art comes in a long, cyndrilical container with Oriental art on it which is remarkably compact for what it holds. It contains full-sized versions of some of Shunga’s most essential products, not small, sample-sized “travel” versions.

My favorite of the products is probably the Libido-scented Erotic Massage Oil. This, seriously, is probably the best massage oil I’ve ever found. The fruity scent is exotic, and the texture is nothing short of incredible. It is silky smooth, totally reduces friction, and is nicely absorbed by the skin as to not leave a greasy feeling afterward. The only, and very minor, downside is that the massage oil is not flavored or edible, but it’s worth it to reduce any stickiness that might result.

The Blazing Cherry Sensations Balm is a great numbing agent, good for prolonging lovemaking for hours. The cherry scent and flavor are a nice change from the traditional mint of a lot of desensitizing balms.

The Soft Moves Massage Cream, however, is in a gentle, pleasant mint flavor and scent. This actually works surprisingly well in a massage cream, since it cools and penetrates sore muscles when used for massage. The cream is wonderfully smooth and silky, totally non-greasy, and absorbs totally into the skin. No running for the shower after a massage with this!

The Sweet Snow Body Powder comes in a satin pouch with a real feather duster. It is also edible, and has a very, very fine, silky texture and a pleasant raspberry taste and scent.

Finally, the Intimate Kisses Aphrodisiac Oil in the Orgy of Grapes flavor is a wonderful, quite non-sticky heating/warming oil. It is a lovely sapphire/purple color, and carries a delicious grape flavor, without any of the artificial taste of a lot of warming oils.

The products are all nicely packaged and attractive, making this a truly superb tin for yourselves or to give as a gift.

Much to my surprise, I actually think I like these products as much or more than the Kama Sutra line. And since I've been a Kama Sutra fan for over a decade, that's saying a lot!