This review concerns the Snow Pear and Cedarwood scent. My girlfriend and I were searching for a wonderfully aromatic multi-purpose candle that can be used for temperature play and as massage oil. We found all that in the Lelo Flickering Touch Massage Candle, though not without its shortcomings.

To use, simply light the wick, wait for the wax to heat up and melt, then extinguish the flame. Pour a small amount onto a not-too-sensitive area to test temperature first. If the temperature is suitable, drip the wax onto desired areas. For a sensual massage experience, apply the warm, luxurious oil to you or your partner’s skin. When used as an aromatic candle, the smell will set a fantastic mood for whatever you’re doing.

As with all candles, take some precautions to prevent injury. The product should only be used externally; do not swallow or make contact with eyes. Keep burning candles within sight, out of reach of children and pets, and away from flammable materials and drafts. Always check the oil temperature before use by applying a small amount. Make sure to keep the flame away from you or your partner’s body, or just extinguish it before pouring the oil. For cleanliness, trim wick to 0.25” and remove debris (there may be lots – more on this later) before lighting. Of course, discontinue use and consult your doctor if you have any allergic reactions.

When cooled, the candle feels like a mixture of body butter and soy wax. It feels rich, but not greasy. When lighted, the oil is pretty liquid, and pours easily. The oil upon contact with the skin feels hot and very slightly burning (but no pain). Even though it cools quickly, body temperature will prevent it from solidifying. During massage, the oil feels warm and smooth, allowing the hand to glide easily over skin. It never feels sticky, but it tends to feel oily, especially when the massage is finished, because the product is not absorbed by the skin.

I personally have a keen and sensitive sense of smell. Strong, thick, or heavy smells often give me a headache. Although the Snow Pear and Cedarwood may be light for some people, I find it just right, and the scent of the candle actually enhances my girlfriend’s body scent with some complimentary notes ;) Lighting the candle sets us in a great mood for fun times.

The description of the scent is pretty accurate; it has fruity high notes, light spices for middle notes and woody low notes. When using the candle as an aromatic, the room will be filled with the wonderful scent in a few minutes. The smell will never get strong or overpowering. As for massage, the oil leaves a light, sweet, fruity, yet rich scent that will linger on the skin until the oil is washed away.

I have not tasted or licked the oil off my girlfriend's body, so I cannot say what it tastes like. However, since the ingredients are all natural, I would assume it's safe for licking, at least in small amounts.

Lelo Flickering Touch feels great as a massage oil. It is rich and smooth, and glides easily over skin. I only used about a tablespoon for an upper body massage for my girlfriend, so I imagine a container will last several full-body massages (when used as massage oil and not too long as an aromatic candle). I can massage for 30 minutes or more and it will still feel smooth because it is not absorbed by the skin. Although this is great for long massages, it will feel sticky when you are past the massage. It will feel oily on your skin when wearing clothes or sleeping in bed; the only way to resolve this is to wash your body after the massage. I was hoping it could act as massage oil and lotion/moisturizer, but it will only accomplish the former.

I used this product for less than 3 hours in combined time as an aromatic candle. 1 tablespoon of that was used as massage oil. The wick is already halfway burned through, leaving a deep indentation in the middle of the wax about 1.5" diameter and 1.25" deep. The wax on the outer portions, about 0.5" all around, is relatively unused, because the heat of the flame did not reach those areas to melt it.

In addition to not burning evenly, the wick does not burn cleanly. All the while burning, the black cinders from the wick will drip into the liquid oil pool in the middle of the candle. When pouring, it is impossible to not get a very small amount of black cinder onto the skin. The only way to limit the amount of cinder is to trim the wick completely of blackened areas before use every time and clean any previous cinders, burn the wick for just long enough to leave a pool of oil in the center (but not long enough for the wick to become too black), blow out the flame and pour the oil. The process of blowing out the flame will inevitably leave some residue on the oil, but you can make sure that's the only residue you will get.

Another shortcoming of Lelo Flickering Touch is the lack of a pour spout. The oil will drip down the sides of the ceramic jar when pouring, and it will solidify quickly. This makes it hard to pour the oil onto specific areas and leaves a mess. It needs to be washed with soap and water to fully clean the jar. This design flaw could be easily remedied by a small pour spout.

Like all Lelo products, Flickering Touch Massage Candle is packaged beautifully. It comes in a black cardboard box with use instructions in five languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian) and a warning manual in seven languages (with the addition of Simplified Chinese and Japanese).

The candle is contained within a black ceramic jar, capped by a metal lid with a plastic green loop on top. There is a foamy pad with a ribbon attached for easy removal covering the top of the wax.

Inner diameter of Jar: 2.75"
Inner height of Jar: 3"

Ingredients: soy wax (base), shea butter, apricot kernel oil, perfume.

The packaging is sleek, but I wouldn't say discreet, because the box and jar both state the product. The candle will fit nicely in a suitcase, but because of the size and weight (about 1 pound) I wouldn't put it in a pocket or small bag.