Upon opening my "Romantic Essentials Kit" I realized pretty quickly I was in for a disappointment, but tried to be objective when trying out each product.

The packaging: The items were stored in what appeared to be a clear cosmetic bag, the kind I use to keep my toothbrush and deodorant in when I take a weekend trip. Wrapped around it was a cardboard sheet, depicting pink champagne and a feather boa, giving the product an air of opulence which doesn't exist.

The rose petals: Stored in a see through drawstring bag, I counted 40 rose petals. When I initially took them out of their pouch, they were stuck together and felt rough. And, upon further inspection, each petal was frayed as if they were cut apart in a hurry. Rubbing them against my skin irritated me and made my skin red, just because their fabric was so rough.

The bubble bath: Reading previous reviews, I was expecting the bubble bath to smell like coconut or pineapple, or at least some sort of tropical scent. Instead, when I sniffed it, I was greeted with the smell of sunscreen. I even asked my boyfriend what he thought it smelled like, and he agreed - sunscreen. Now, that may be tropical to you, but I didn't see it that way. When put into the water of my bath, it bubbled for about ten minutes before disappearing completely. It didn't leave my skin feeling soft or smelling like sunscreen, but it didn't leave a residue, either.

According to the main page, the ingredients to the bubble bath are: Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium C-14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sorbitol, Fragance (Parfum), Sodium Xylenesulfonate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamide Mea, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Chloride, Allanton, Phospholipids, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Polyquaternium-7, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Methyl Gluceth-20, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Sodium Sulfate, Lauramine Oxide, Disodium Edta, Benzopheno.

... whatever that means.

The massage cream: When I think of massage cream, I think of a liquid that stays on the skin while my lover is rubbing my back and shoulders, that doesn't constantly need to be reapplied. In my mind, it smells good and leaves my skin moisturized, without a thick, clogged feeling. But, damn, did this fall short of my expectations. The massage cream was essentially a glorified lotion that didn't feel good on my skin. It felt good while I was getting my back rubbed, but needed constant reapplication because it kept getting absorbed into my skin before my massage was done. And, like the bubble bath, it smelled like sunscreen. I'd use it for a hand lotion on very dry days, maybe, but I'd rather stick to my Aveeno.

Also, according to the main page, the ingredients for the massage cream are: Aqua(Water), Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Olive Oil (Olea Europea), Manuka Oil (Leptospermum Scoparium, Parfum (Fragrance), Benzyl Salicylate, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha Isomethylionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Linalool, Phenoxethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben.

The tea candles: These were really no different than anything you could pick up at a craft store. They burned quickly, and set the mood alright, but it might have been more helpful if the kit included one or two more.

All in all, I really wouldn't recommend the Romantic Essentials Kit. You'd set the mood a lot better by getting some real roses and a box of chocolates.

I know this is coming really soon after the initial review, but honestly, I'm still so disappointed in this product. I look at it, sitting in the corner, still only having been used once from when I reviewed it. I feel almost overwhelmed with how awful the "Romantic Essentials Kit" is.

The lotion and bubble bath still smell like sunscreen, the rose petals are still frayed, and the packaging is still cheap. Odds are, I'm going to either give this kit to someone I'm not too crazy about, or just throw it away. Save your money and the time you'll spend waiting for it to arrive.