Shunga exotic massage oil is excellent both for shared use, when you have a partner to help you out, or for moisturizing after your bath or shower. I recommend this for external use only, though the bottle does not expressly say so, as it's a massage oil and not a lubricant. While I have used it in the past to moisturize my skin after bathing, I think that it is best suited to a couples massage. The first five ingredients are natural oils, followed by vitamin D and ylang ylang. It's very long lasting, perhaps due to the addition of alcohols and other fragrances. This makes it ideal for foreplay and less ideal when you have to cover up with clothes shortly afterwards.



I have very sensitive skin and have not experienced any sort of allergic reaction to this product. However, if you find that you often react to fragrances, you should check the ingredients listing before you buy, or perform a spot test. If you think that you would benefit from something more natural, Shunga makes an organic massage oil, as well as this one, that may provide a suitable alternative.

This oil comes in a variety of scents: Aphrodisia (roses), Desire (vanilla), Euphoria (floral), Excitation (orange), Libido (exotic fruits), Passion (apples), Romance (strawberries & champagne), Sensation (lavender) and Stimulation (peach). I am personally not a fan of floral scents, which took those off the table for me, though the rose scent was rather nice. I was torn between the Desire and Romance before I settled on strawberries and champagne because I quite liked the matching red body paint.

As this is a massage oil, I would honestly be rather worried if the texture had been different from what I expected. It is slightly runnier than your average cooking oil, which is fantastic, as it spreads easily over your skin and creates a smooth surface, which allowa for a pleasurable massage. The oil moved from a puddle in the middle of my tilted hand to where it can be seen in the second that it took me to take this photo:



There is absolutely no stickiness whatsoever, nor does it cling to the bottle like some thicker oils. I do not find it to be too runny for practical use, but it is a different experience from lotions. As it soaks in quickly, this oil does not feel greasy for very long after prolonged use, however if you intend to keep the massage brief (or if you are simply overcome with passion), your skin may be oily for a while afterwards. The good thing about this is that the scent is very long-lasting, and provided you don't shower, you can very well spend the rest of the day (or night) with a nice olfactory reminder of your naughty prelude earlier in the day.

Though the strawberry and champagne aroma is clearly manufactured - it does in no way smell exactly like real strawberries and champagne - neither is there the heavy chemical after-scent that one can so often find with massage products. I tasted a small amount of this oil, in order to be able to give a complete review, and I would say that there is a very, very light taste, almost bordering on no taste, that is enhanced by the smell. As this oil is not specifically meant to be edible, I do not recommend using this oil when you intend to lick or suck the surface that you are massaging. Though this oil does not have a particularly strong smell, especially when you are not smelling directly from the bottle, it is rather evident and quite long-lasting. I am very fond of the two of the three scents that I have experienced - the vanilla and this strawberry/champagne, and despite my dislike of florals, I must admit that the rose smells good as well. I have, however, heard terrible things about both the lavender and lilac, so I would recommend proceeding with caution on that front.

In my experience, this is one of the more long-lasting massage oils in this price range. It came recommended to me from my massage therapist, who finds that she needs only one to two reapplications over the course of an hour massage, depending on the dryness of the subject's skin. I have yet to be so lucky as to receive a massage quite this long, but after the initial use of a small to medium amount of oil, it definitely does not need a reapplication before 15 minutes are up. I recommend pouring it into the palm of your hand rather than directly onto the area to be massaged, as this minimizes the risk of mess.

Personally, I have not needed to wash the oil off after a massage, as it inevitably ends up on the sheets at some point after it has been applied. If you do need to remove it afterwards, I highly recommend using a cleansing soap rather than simply rinsing, as water alone cannot effectively cut oil. It does leave your skin feeling very soft and smooth, especially if you have drier skin, and I don't mind leaving my long hair down to soak some of it up; it serves to condition my poor split-ends fairly well, despite the fact that this is not the intended use.

One of my favorite things about the Shunga massage oil is that there is a whole line of products that overlap in scent families.

Shunga's massage oil comes in a 250mL (or 8 fluid ounces) standing bottle, which opens at the top; this is definitely an advantage for an oil, as a on opening at the bottom could be disastrous, but be warned that it will likely leak if you do not keep it upright. If you intend to travel with it, I highly recommend keeping it sealed away from your clothing. I have had no experience with it staining, but I can't imagine wanting it everywhere. Do not store it in direct sunlight, as this will cause some loss of product due to the heat causing it to evaporate more quickly.

The bottle itself is not discreet. "Shunga" is the art of Japanese erotic painting, and the front of the bottle is a not-so-subtle nod to this piece of history. As well as a traditionally-drawn image of Japanese lovers, the front for the bottle is emblazoned with the company name and the words "erotic massage oil" in English and French above the fragrance descriptor. This is, however, a sticker, so if you wished to remove it or replace it with the label from another bottle, this would not be too difficult to accomplish.



The back of the bottle contains a few short lines about the product, which were clearly written in an attempt to match with the theme of traditional Japanese erotic art, as they are quite laughable if you stop to think about them. Though to be fair, if you are using this product correctly, you likely won't have time to stop and think.

The ingredients are also listed, and are as follows for the Strawberries and Cream:
Sweet Almond Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Sesame Oil, Avocado Oil, Sunflower Oil, Vitamin E, Ylang Ylang, Fragrence, Amyl Cinnamol, Benzyl Alcohol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Citral, Eugenol, Isoeugenol, Benzyl Salicilate, Coumarin, D-Limonene, Geraniol, Lyral, Farnesol, Lilial, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Cironellol, Hexyl Cinnamal and Alpha Isomethyl Ionone. All but farnesol are potential allergens or irritants, though it is rare - especially in small quantities - so please exercise caution and do a spot test if you are a first- or second-time user. Allergies are formed as antibodies build-up after the initial exposure, therefore a non-reaction the first time does not guarantee that you are not allergic.

Though this is not a warming product, the increased friction due to the touching and rubbing does generate a nice bit of heat, keeping your exposed parts warm whilst they're being teased without causing you to overheat.

Personally, I think that, even if you're on the fence about massages and massage oils, you should give this a try! It's a great excuse to encourage some touching and play, without being overt. I don't enjoy receiving oral sex, so it's a great way to keep foreplay in the mix or to simply make your time a little bit more romantic.