Afterglow massage candles are best used with more than one person. They are definitely not suited very well for solo play, but then again massages are primarily not a solo activity, so this is probably not news to anyone. The candles are made of an oil-based wax that, when it melts, pools into massage oil that can be poured onto the skin and massaged in. Therefore, they are very easy to use: simply light the candle, wait about 5-10 minutes for the wax to melt a bit, pour and massage away! The wax melts very quickly, which is nice, since I'm definitely an impatient person when massages are in the cards. In 10-15 minutes you will undoubtedly have way more oil than you could ever use between just two people (but if you've got more than 2, yay!) The wax/oil is low-temperature, so it is safe to pour directly onto the skin, even when the candle is still lit. Or, alternatively, you can blow the candle out to stop it from producing more oil when you have enough. If you keep it lit you will get a nice zing from the hot wax. People who are into mild pain with their pleasure might enjoy this (I did!), but it's not an extreme sensation and fades quickly. If you want it to cool off a bit, you should blow the candle out and wait a few minutes (but not too long or the oil will turn back into wax) before pouring.

Another helpful mention is that this stuff pours FAST, so pouring it into the palm of your hand first might be a good idea, especially if you keep the candle lit and let it produce more oil. I should add also that the candle is not smokey at all, so if you live in a place with sensitive smoke detectors you will be fine! The oil can be used anywhere, though I would be hesitant using it in sensitive genital areas because it is scented and those things generally do not mix. It's also pretty much useless in water. Tou won't get the full effect if you try to massage in an already moist location like a bathtub. It's not particularly easy to wash off, since it's oil, but once it's rubbed in you probably won't want to because it has a moisturizing quality that is fantastic.

The texture of the wax is soft and rather doughy, like a regular candle that has sat in the sun too long, except that it's like that 24/7. The oil texture is a nice thickness. It is not thick enough to make you feel like you have to work to rub it in, but not too thin so you feel like it's just going everywhere either. It's about the consistency of good, expensive cooking oil, honestly. Although I wouldn't describe it as RUNNY necessarily, it definitely is slippery and does not stay in one place easily. I recommend pouring into the palm of the massager's hand a little bit at a time to avoid it running off the receiver's back (or other area) and onto the bed (or other surface). However, it is very smooth to the touch and easy to rub in. It makes even the most inexperienced masseur feel like they're a professional! Once rubbed in completely, it leaves the skin feeling soft, relaxed, slightly moisturized. If you use too much (which happens a lot if you're not careful), the skin can feel oily afterwards. A little bit goes a LONG, LONG way with this stuff.

I have the Cucumber Water scent, which is pretty mild. I don't like particularly heavy scents and if you don't either you might like this scent. It smells vaguely refreshing, with a hint of cucumber but nothing that is bold enough that you could place the scent immediately. It's very, very mild when not lit and will definitely not make your room smell (possibly a plus or a minus, depending on what you want). However, when lit, the scent is much stronger and sort of wafts over everything. It will easily fill up a room without being overpowering. It doesn't stick around too long after the candle is blown out. Perhaps 30 minutes maximum.

I have not tasted this product and taste is quite frankly, irrelevant. If you're eating massage oil you're doing it wrong.

I definitely love how this product makes beginners feel like pros and pros feel like deities. I myself am not the most skilled massage artist, but I absolutely had my partner (who is rather skilled, so knows when he's getting a good one) groaning by the end of it. The product is extremely easy to use for all skill levels and will always up the pleasure and relaxation of your massage no matter how good you are or how long the massage lasts. The oil itself heats up in about 5-10 minutes and cools off in a similar amount of time. Once on the skin, the oil lasts probably about 30 minutes or even more. We went for about 30-45 minutes when my partner and I tried it, however, we also used wayyy too much, so perhaps it would be a little shorter with a smaller amount, but I can't imagine it evaporating or anything: it's too smooth and syrupy for that.

I did not necessarily feel like I had to wash off my oil after the massage, since it was well rubbed in and felt divine afterwards, but my partner did, since I accidentally used a lot on him and his skin was a touch oily afterwards. It's really up to you whether you like your skin feeling silky, slightly oily, and moisturized. I personally don't like hand lotion or any other type of silky, oily materials, so I did wash mine off as matter of personal preference. It needed soap and water to come off sine it was oil-based and thus water by itself does nothing.

It is the type of material that's messy however. I had to wipe down the counter it was on (though it came off easily) and if it had gotten on my bedspread it most certainly would have stained the way only oil can. I would recommend throwing a towel down before you use it. Additionally, I found that the oil got all over the ceramic container for the candle the first time I used it and so it's been sort of slippery and messy every since. It occasionally leaves marks on tables I put it on even when it's not lit. Thus it's definitely not a travel item unless you pack it extremely carefully. In addition, since it's low temperature, if you put it direct sunlight it will definitely melt a little which can be messy. These are definitely distinct downsides, but ones I think are well worth the upsides.

The candle comes in a beautiful, white, discreet box with minimal writing and then the candle itself is made out of some sort of ceramic material (possibly breakable, though I have not exactly tried dropping it on the floor or anything, but maybe not best with small children or rowdy pets in the house). The candle is square with a small, swooping pour spout in one corner. It is about 2 or 3 inches in width, height, and length, so small enough to fit on a bedside table or sit discreetly among other candles. Other than the pour spout (which is small and graceful and barely noticeable) it could absolutely be taken for just any candle, which is great.