I highly recommend this for anyone with a sweet-tooth and a sense of fun, whether you're just looking to try something new or already an avid fan of tasty bedroom play. It's best that you truly have the time to enjoy this body paint - it's just as exciting to draw the brush in slow, languid strokes across the skin as it is to subsequently ruin the resulting masterpiece with your tongue. You don't have to be an artist to appreciate the sensuality of creating something so sexy.

The brush - a small, pointed piece of foam roped to what resembles a short bamboo skewer - leaves a little to be desired. It does keep with the theme of Japanese erotic art quite nicely, but it is rather flimsy, which requires more concentration when painting. Since thinking too hard is the last thing that I want to be doing when I'm (as the bottle puts it) painting a love story on my partner's body, I quickly set this brush aside and substituted an unused makeup brush. Finger painting is a definite possibility as well, though it is obviously much less precise. I recommend ensuring that you use this product on a surface that is easily cleaned. I have not spilled any myself to know whether it stains, but synthetic red dyes are generally difficult to remove after they have dried.

Though it is not quite as blood red as it appears in the picture, if ritualistic or rape role play fantasies are your thing, this would do very well as fake blood in a pinch. That being said, the red is candy-colored enough that it shouldn't evoke such images if they are not intended. It's very bright once it is applied, similar to the color of candied apple coating.

This body paint is also cited as a skin care product. The small description on the back suggests that it can be used as a face mask, and though I would not spend this much for a simple skin treatment, I don't doubt that it would leave you feeling refreshed. After use, my skin has always felt very soft. It is a mixture of primarily sugar and water, but the Strawberries and Champagne does contain Red #40, a possible allergen, and traces of titanium dioxide. Though there is no evidence suggesting any toxicity in humans, if you are very strict about what you consume, you may wish to be aware of its inclusion.

Shunga Edible Body Paint is available in three flavors: Strawberries and Champagne, Chocolate & Vanilla Temptation and Aphrodisiac Chocolate. Those who are wary around body paints because of their stickiness, fret not: the Strawberries and Champagne, at least, does not leave any noticeable residue when licked off. If you do leave it on your skin, you will likely find the area tacky, but it can easily be cleaned off.

The Strawberries and Champagne flavor is a rather viscous body paint. I have heard otherwise with respect to the chocolate, so if that has piqued your interest, you may wish to read a few more reviews. It pours easily, but very slowly, which is excellent if you happen to accidentally tip the bottle. I would not go so far as to say that it beads, but once it is on the skin, it does pool together slightly if the layer of paint is too thin, leaving small breaks in the painted area, like so:



The following is a five-second time lapse of a generous drop on my hand - as you can see, it travels fairly slowly. This only happens with a larger quantity of the paint, and thus you are likely safe when you are actually in the process of painting, provided you aren't making massively thick lines.




The paint itself does have a slightly sticky feel to it despite leaving behind no residue. If I had to match it to a substance, I would choose strawberry syrup. It isn't unpleasant to feel on the skin, nor is there much drag when you are the one doing the painting, but if you rub it between your fingers and pull them apart, there will be a bit of resistance. As it dries, it becomes less syrupy and more sticky, though it is still very easy to remove.

Personally, I am very much a fan of the taste. If you approach it expecting to taste fresh strawberries with a hint of Dom Perignon, you will no doubt be disappointed, but it is similar in flavor to many commercial strawberry-flavored candies. The scent is very light. I can't smell it during use, but if I inhale quickly when directly over the bottle, I get a sharp, concentrated faux-strawberry scent. Again, this is similar to commercial strawberry candy. The taste is not particularly strong, but it is very noticeable. There won't be a doubt in your mind what you're lapping up as you tease it off your partner's skin - though because of the viscosity, you may want to give an extra lick or two.

This will last as long as you don't smudge it. As I mentioned before, it does pull together a little bit, but it doesn't evaporate or soak in very quickly. While it cleans up perfectly with a few well-placed strokes of the tongue, it would also rinse off very easily under hot water, or could be washed off with soap. Despite being very pale, I have yet to experience any color bleeding into my skin. That being said, this body paint rarely stays in one place for more than five minutes, so I have no real evidence for longer periods of time.

One of my favorite things about this product is that it coordinates with several other Shunga products. If we feel like a night of Strawberries and Champagne, we have several options to turn to to draw it out. Aside from that, however, I like the excuse that it provides for foreplay. It's a very sexy change from the ordinary and a great way to initiate oral. It can be sweet or racy, depending on your attitude when using it, and that versatility is very appealing.

What I was least fond of by far was the brush. I did think that it was cute that they held steadfast to their theme of Shunga, or Japanese erotic art, however I would much prefer a mismatched practical tool than a coordinated brush ill-suited for real use. The foam was very easy to clean, however a bristled brush can be washed with soap and water almost as easily. The added difficulty certainly isn't enough to deter me from using it. The sweetness of this body paint could easily become overwhelming if it were consumed in large quantities or by someone who dislikes too much sugar, but for my needs, it's quite well-suited.

This body paint comes in a small, rounded glass bottle, which contains 100 mL (or 3.5 fluid ounces) of product. The lid is a black tapered twist-off, meaning that the bottle requires two hands to open. The bottom is fairly heavy and quite flat, which makes it rather difficult to knock over - it's also engraved with the words "Shunga erotic art," so even if you were to reuse it, it would never be completely discreet. The front of the bottle is emblazoned with a classic Shunga sticker - a picture of a man and woman kissing, drawn in the traditional Japanese style. The words "Body Painting" appear in both English and French, as does the flavor (in this case, Strawberries & Champagne). The company name can be found at the bottom below a Japanese symbol.



The back of the bottle is printed with a short product teaser, again in both English and French, the Net Weight and a list of ingredients, as well as information on the location of the manufacturers. This is not a sticker, though as you can feel the texture of the words with your fingers, it may be possible to scrape it off. As the liquid inside is opaque, however, therefore removal of the front sticker is likely enough to make this bottle passably discreet.



I have traveled with this many times, and never had an issue with leakage. I would suggest keeping it within a plastic bag for maximum security, but as long as you ensure that the lid is screwed on tight, you should not have a problem. This body paint has been frozen and I found it to be unchanged once it warmed up. The top of the bottle is fairly narrow, so if you intend to use a large brush or dip your entire finger into the bottle, you likely will not have much luck.

The ingredients are as follows for the Strawberries and Champagne body paint:
Sugar, water, glucose, modified corn starch, Red #40, Blue #1, malic acid, potassium sorbate, flavor, salt, xanthan gum and titanium dioxide. Please do not consume this product if you have an allergy to Red #40.

We've always had a great time whenever we whip out this body paint. I purchased it along with several other Shunga products in Strawberries & Champagne, and I think that pairing it up with a variety of similar products can really make a night special.