-Introduction-

I love massages. I find them both wonderful to give and receive. I have back pains on a nearly constant basis, so when someone tells me their muscles ache, or that they're good with their hands, I'm pulling them aside, a shirt is flying off, and we're busy giving and receiving relief from horrible pain. However, I'm also a really, really messy person. I can't carry around massage oil or wax or it's just going to be a big old mess. So, when I find out that there are candles available that you can burn to produce a hot wax that doubles as massage oil, I was on that like a fly on a rotten peach.

This candle, the Dona Massage Candle in pomegranate, was my first candle buy. Then I never used it. I didn't mean to just set it aside, but I kept forgetting it. It's small size made it easy to set aside and scan over completely on any old day. I'd also invested in another massage candle that I'd seen higher reviews for and every time a massage opportunity came, I would pull out my Jimmyjane Afterglow (special edition: Absence and Sugar Water and my little Dona candle got ignored.

Today, I finally pulled it out, got my boyfriend to lay down, and I tried out the Dona candle.

-As a Candle-

It's a rather meek flame, and it took twenty minutes to burn a sizable amount of oil, at least, enough oil that I could use to massage my boyfriend. He does have a large back, but really, it didn't take as long to burn my Jimmyjane candle. I was very cautious about handling the candle, however, because of the tin case. I didn't want to sit around and wait for the metal to grow so hot that I'd get burned. That didn't happen. Be it, the oil pool was more down than outwards towards the edges, so the metal never got hot. That would make this a relatively safe candle to place on your furnishings without the risk of damaging unsealed paint/other easily damaged material. I'd obviously suggest that once you're near the end to put a plate underneath, but in the meantime, you would be fine.

The case of the candle, however, is not designed well to pour the wax. Yes, fine for burning away, but you'll end up scooping out oil that gets collected by the metal rim. The Jimmyjane candle I have is bent at one corner, an adorable hidden spout, which is easy to wipe clean latter.

The pomegranate scent is quite lovely with a very sugary undertone. It's very pleasant and can blend into any room (minus the kitchen), so it's great for adverse (apartment/dorm) living conditions. The scent doesn't smell truly like a pomegranate to me, but in the long run, I'm okay with this. Pomegranate has a very bitter touch, and I'd rather the candle doesn't make me pucker.

-As a Massage Oil-

It's a perfectly fine oil, but it dries out much faster than I would have hoped, leaving a white, powdery residue behind. This, however, was just a mild annoyance. I observed that after I poured it out, a small pool that set into my boyfriend's lower back dried out very quickly and let a large deposit of powder. Wherever I moved the oil to and kept moving, like around his shoulders, left a very light, easy to brush away residue. Just keep the oil moving and don't let it pool, and it should do it's job.

Otherwise, the candle and wax works fine. I wish the oil held out for a longer period of time and the oil didn't leave behind that residue, but just like the Jimmyjane oil, the residue comes off with just a same ease: a damp washcloth and a soft rub. My boyfriend smelled just as pungent as he does when we play around with the Jimmyjane candle, but with a long shower, the scent should be gone. I'm very happy with this candle, though I probably wouldn't buy another.