Recently I set aside an afternoon to clean out my toy chest. I spent several hours changing old Ziploc bags, boiling dildos that were overdue for a cleaning and wiping down my leather BDSM gear, and as I did so I noticed that I am again rapidly running out of toy space. As I gradually worked my way through my arsenal of dildos, vibes, and BDSM gear I started to wonder if perhaps my collection wasn't just a bit limited these days in terms of variety. Deciding that it was, I ended up ordering over a dozen sensual body products in order to spice up my stash a bit. Of all of these items, the two that stood out most to me were the Sensuous Beauty Massage Oil and Body Massage Lotion that I received in 'violet tangerine.' In this review I'm going to focus on the lotion, which is by far my favorite.

First of all, Sensuous Beauty has some of the most seductively named scents that I have ever encountered in body products, with aromas like 'sweet woods' and 'rapturous rose.' Hmmmm...heavenly, right? I was very tempted by 'sweet woods' but was afraid I might end up smelling a bit too much like a head shop, which is probably not a good musk for an aspiring lawyer, eh? I chose the 'violet tangerine' thinking this was a rather brilliant scent combination. Both violet and tangerine are scents that are balanced by sweet, airy notes and piquant tart components. In my mind, I felt these two distinct scent profiles would challenge and compliment one another in equal parts and create a really delicious perfume. The reality of this lotion is that it is very, very heavy on the tart and also light on the violet scent. An admirable attempt at balance the two, but a failed one nevertheless.

Upon first opening the bottle I was hit with the intense, sinus-tingling smell of tangerine. I probably inhaled a bit too enthusiastically actually, because it caused me a bit of a sneezing spell. To its credit, I will say that this lotion smells very clearly of tangerine. Not orange, not grapefruit, not any other citrus fruit, which honestly impressed me. There is also no laboratory-faux scent to be detected here; this is a distinctly natural scent. However the tartness of this scent is very strong and could stand to be muted a bit with the flowery lightness of the violet which was conspicuously absent.

Applied to the skin Sensuous Beauty's Massage Lotion smells strongly of the fruity Flintstone's vitamins of yore. Well, a more mature and natural smelling version of Flintstone's vitamins. The scent mellows out quite a bit when it's rubbed in and becomes more tolerable, but it's very strong at first and it does linger for a while in a room. If you are prone to migraines or headaches and are triggering by strong smells you may want to avoid this. However, I do suffer from migraines triggered by scents (among other things) and this smell sat just fine with me. I admittedly did find it a little overpowering and disappointingly un-floral, but the more I wear it the more I'm falling in love with it. It's an invigorating, lively scent that forces me awake as opposed the drowsy herbality of many other massage lotions. I love this as a skin moisturizer at the start of a day because it energizes me, but I wouldn't recommend it for a low-key, low-lights kind of massage. The scent just doesn't lend itself to that kind of thing.

This massage lotion comes in a four ounce amber colored glass jar with a convenient plastic pump top. When the bottle is done you can recycle it or refill it with another lotion, soap or lube because it's quite pretty and durable. I'm always just a little smitten by products that come in glass jars...something about it just makes me feel fancy and pampered. A simple, attractive orange label with Indian-inspired typography and lines as well as a lotus flower. Sensuous Beauty boasts no synthetic ingredients or parabens and is tested on people, not animals.

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The ingredients are listed as follows: sweet almond oil, organic sunflower oil, distilled water, beeswax, "wildcrafted" cocoa butter, Violet blend of infused organic violet flowers and pure essential oils, organic tangerine essential oil, vitamin E and grapefruit seed extract. "Wildcrafting" is a term that refers to the harvesting of plants from their wild habitat as they natural occur as opposed to cultivating them. Wildcrafted products made in the United States are subject to regulation by the Organic Food Production Act, which ensures that these materials are harvested sustainably. This means the plants themselves are left minimally damaged (only flowers, leaves or other plant parts are removed in harvest) or if the entire plant is removed, seeds are planted in its place to create a new growth. Many of the other ingredients are organically grown, and all of the ingredients are all natural at the very least. All of Sensuous Beauty's products are created like this and they are truly an ethical and environmentally aware company. If you're going to splurge on cosmetic products, you can feel a little better about your purchases knowing that they are going to such an awesome business.

Really, this product is nearly perfect. There are a few minor issues, such as the intense tartness of the scent, but nothing worth dropping a star over. The texture of this is not like other lotions either, which for some may be a problem. Sensuous Beauty's Lotion is actually very runny and thin and you can see the oil and water components sometimes separating from one another if you squirt a nice puddle into your hands. This is not a souffle nor is it a body butter. Really, it barely qualifies as a lotion. It is opaque and white, but drips just a bit more thickly than a regular oil would. I'm guessing this goes without saying, but this is a VERY greasy lotion. It works wonderfully for massage because of this, but the aftermath may really turn some people off. I personally don't mind this because I have very dry skin and usually use heavy cocoa butters or oils to keep myself moisturized. I also enjoy the heaviness of a nice, thick oil as well, but not everyone likes this. For some people this sensation causes an immediate SHOWER ME panic. If you are such a person, this is not going to be a good lotion for you. If you like to use cocoa butter, oils or even Vaseline to keep your skin glossy and soft then you will definitely love this product.

Overall, I am very happy with this product. $20 for four ounces of lotion seemed like a crazy splurge to me when I ordered, but now that I see how far a little of this very concentrated and oily lotion goes I definitely think it's well worth the price. I think I will eventually be picking up a sweet woods lotion too. And if I smell like a hippie? Too bad!

I still absolutely love this lotion, although some of my friends think I'm kind of crazy for wanting my skin to smell like Tang - forget them!! My bottle stays right on my desk next to my computer and I use this on a regular, almost semi-daily basis to buff up with elbows, knees or dry hands. The oils in this are saving my skin (literally) especially now in this cold, wintery New York weather. I also love how the smell of this still perks me up; it genuinely lifts my spirits and on a day where I'm really, really stressed out? Sometimes a nice smell or the feeling of soft skin is one of the little things I have to appreciate.

One warning though: do NOT get the "sweet woods" scent because it STINKS. I got it shortly after finishing up my review and it absolutely REEKED. The smell itself was far, far too strong (unlike the tangerine which is far more subdued in comparison) and absolutely stunk like Axe or some other kind of dude scent. Ick. Carrie Ann wrote a review of that scent (she was unlucky enough to select that one) which I think captures my disgust with it pretty well. Other than that? I still recommend this very highly to anyone that can appreciate an oily lotion!