My husband and I have been fans of the Kama Sutra line of products for over 15 years now. So when I first saw Shunga products, I assumed they were inferior rip-offs of the Kama Sutra line. After finally breaking down and trying them, however, I realized they are equal to--if not sometimes better quality than--the Kama Sutra products. They also offer, in my opinion, some more innovative products than Kama Sutra, like edible shower gel and these candles. The Shunga Massage Candle|Shunga massage candle was my first venture into the Shunga line, and I liked them enough to try the rest of the line and change my original prejudice against these products.

I own this candle in two scents--the Exotic Fruits and the Rose. The Exotic Fruits smells, well, fruity, but a sweet, candy-like fruity. The Rose smells not exactly like rose to me, but more like a general musky floral. (It does not, however, have that synthetic rose scent that verges right on the edge of a petroleum scent to me!).

The candles are made of a rather soft soy wax, so they melt at a lower temperature than normal candles. When warmed, the was turns into a deliciously silky warm massage oil that glides nicely along the skin without feeling overly oily or sticky. It lasts well for massages, and greatly reduces friction, allowing for a smooth rubdown. The product feels soft and moisturizing, and though it is an oil, does not make me want to run for the shower immediately after use!

The candles come with a small plastic spoon that allows you to spoon out the amount of wax/oil you need without having to blow out the candle. Though this can get somewhat messy, it is definitely neater than trying to pour wax out of a lit candle!

Care for this as you would an ordinary quality candle--keep the wick trimmed to ¼” length. Burn for at least 20 minutes before play to allow a sufficient amount of wax to melt. (Fortunately, though, the wax is fairly soft, and the spoon allows you to scoop out extra if not quite enough is liquefied to meet your needs.)

I highly recommend the Shunga Massage Candle to anyone who enjoys sensual massage, or just a warm oil massage in general.