Kama Sutra massage candle - body massage candle discontinued by Kama Sutra - review by Dawn (Lilac Distraction)

Use

This candle is a great massage accessory. You really get a delightful 2-for-1 for massage with this one. First, you get a gorgeous candle that adds a soft romantic glow to the room, and a scent that is to die for, but not too intense. (I actually use this more for the scent instead of massage.) If you've got a massage on your mind, the wax of this candle melts at a low temperature and you're left with a glorious massage oil that's already warmed and ready to go. Another big bonus of this candle is that you can use it while bathing. Just let it burn on the edge of the bath or on your counter, and when you step out of the bath, you have a luxurious after-bath body moisturizing oil. The Deep Ocean scent is a wonderful companion for the Tresure of the Sea bath salts by Kama Sutra, and their Ocean Blu body wash.

This candle is made of natural oils with added fragrance. It's a lot better than the other massage candles out there that are filled with weird chemicals:

Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (Fractionated Coconut Oil), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Fragrance (Parfum)
All of these ingredients are proven to be wonderful emollients and skin conditioners, making this just as good as a moisturizer as it is for massage. The only thing you may have to worry about is the fragrance if you have particularly sensitive skin. Obviously, this is not a lube or meant for genital massage.

Texture

Before being burned, the candle has a pretty waxy feel that is similar to hardened coconut oil (because that's the first and main ingredient). If the candle is in a warm environment, you may see beads of oil sitting on the surface of the wax. That's really nothing to worry about. If there's any wax still left on the spoon after use, it's usually soft enough to wipe off and use by itself. (It makes a great hand moisturizer!)

The oil, when melted and used for massage, has a mild amount of glide to it and allows for a little bit more friction than traditional liquid oils. My roommate who is a massage therapist says that this can be a good thing because it allows you to get a little deeper into the muscles. His massage lotions have a very similar amount of glide. A major bonus of it not being too slippery means that it doesn't leave your skin sticky or slick after use, and this makes it great as a general skin moisturizer. It does leave a slight waxy feeling on the skin afterwards, but not a gross one. It's more like a smooth coating of softness or a lotiony feel. Keep in mind that this is coconut oil based, and coconut oil is amazing for skincare.

The candle comes with a little spoon to help you apply the oil. (Don't burn the candle while the spoon is in there, and make sure you blow out the candle before you get to scooping.) When melted, the wax is a lot like a traditional oil, but it might be a tad bit thicker. If you want a slippery massage, or you want to massage for a long period of time, you may need to reapply, or use a couple spoon's worth of it.
Aroma

The Deep Ocean fragrance is described as:

A magical blend of orchid, jasmine petals, and sheer woods come together in this clean, crisp, scent.

Now, it's really not floral at all, so I was surprised to see that in the description. They're absolutely right on the "crisp, clean" part of the scent. I'd describe it as an oceanic, blue-green scent that is crisp and refreshing. Somehow, it manages to be soothing and energizing at the same time. And, even though the description says it contains floral scents, it's overall a very unisex one and could work beautifully for a man or a woman, and is excellent as a room scent.
When you open the candle, you can smell it pretty well. I've left it open on my bedside table and could still smell it very lightly without burning it. When you burn it, the scent lightly fills the room. It's something you can notice without it being too overpowering. When you apply it as a massage oil, the scent is still pretty strong. After the massage, the scent lingers quite a but. For me, this is a plus because I can't get enough of it.

Performance

These 6.5 oz. candles all have a burn life of 35 hours. This life may be shortened by frequent use, but it's still a lot of bang for your buck. Before burning your candle, make sure you trim the wick to 1/4". For me, my wick was already this length. If you plan to use it for a massage, make sure you burn it for at least 20 minutes so that the wax will melt evenly. Be careful not to burn it for too long. I once let it burn for about an hour straight and the wax had a slight burnt smell until I applied it and it was gone the second time I went to use it. Always blow it out before you use it for a massage. The wonderful thing about massage candles is that they're made of oils that melt at a lower temperature, so they melt faster and the wax is cooler than that of a traditional candle. Always make sure to test the heat level before you apply it, though.

To apply, you can spoon a little out with the spoon that's included. For a normal back massage, you may need 3-4 spoonfulls. The spoon is pretty tiny, so you're able to get just the right amount without wasting any. The massages with this oil can last about 20 minutes. The wax will stay a bit more slippery with the friction of hands. When you're done massaging, it gets immediately less slippery and absorbs into the skin leaving behind the softest skin you've ever felt without too much of a residue. When you blow out the candle, the wax hardens up and doesn't stay a liquid for very long. If you need more, you can always light it again after you apply the oil the first time.

If you get down to the bottom of your candle, or find that it is burning unevenly, you can always re-melt the wax to even everything back out. To do this, fill a sink with hot (really hot) water. Place the candle in the water, but be sure not to completely submerge it. This should help to melt the wax that's left on the sides.

If you need to wash this oil off, you can use soap and water. I like leaving it on cause I could always use a little moisturization on my skin.

Packaging

The packaging of this candle is very classy and sensual without being too outrageous. The candle comes in a metal tin with a very secure lid that's still easy to remove. This makes the candle perfect to travel with. Just make sure you're not leaving it in a hot car.

Personal Comments

I really, really love this candle. Even if it weren't a massage candle, I still would have paid the same price for it, and I still would have needed it just as much. I really prefer this one to the other massage candles I have and I actually use it as a normal candle more than I use it for massage. As long as Kama Sutra still keeps coming out with awesome things like this in oceanic fragrances, I'm going to continue to buy them.

I'm really considering replacing this when I use it up, which won't be for quite a while. It's the best of the bunch of massage candles I own. I've noticed that it does get a bit of a burnt smell if you leave it lit for too long, but as long as you blow it out in about 30 minutes it's fine. Sometimes I just burn it for the pleasant smell. I'm still very much in love.