Gingersnap Goodness!

I'm officially addicted to Jimmyjane's Afterglow and Ember massage candles! I bought the wonderful sampler pack and tried out 6 of the scents, but poor Gingersnap didn't get any sampler love. So when we needed more candles to keep our hot oil/wax massages going, I decided to spring for the Gingersnap and Dark Vanilla scents in full-size Afterglows.

Afterglow massage candles are definitely for those that like hot oil or temperature play during a massage. For some folks, the wax may be too hot, even after you blow out the flame (which you should ALWAYS do before playing) and let it cool a little. My fiance is one of those people. It's just on the edge of painfully hot for him, so I usually try to pour some into my hand first before rubbing it onto his skin. For me, I love it straight from the ceramic container. It feels LOVELY to feel the warm oil drip onto my back or front and then feel my partner slide his hands over my body to rub it in.

To be extra clear, the wax/oil is NOT for internal use. The directions very clearly state that it's for massage only. With that said, if you get it around your or your partner's genitals, you probably won't have any major adverse effects.

When cooled in the ceramic container, the consistency is just like a regular soy candle. The wax is soft to the touch, and I would say that the Gingersnap is softer than most. When the wick is lit, this scent doesn't take very long to melt to the edges, about 20-30 minutes. Considering I sometimes have to light other Afterglow scents an hour before we play, that's a definite bonus!

When melted, the wax/oil is liquid, transparent, and slightly beige-colored. The liquid wax/oil glides on smoothly, and the moisturizers in it help the oil to absorb into your skin. Once absorbed, there's no sticky or oily residue. Along with melting more quickly than the other Jimmyjane candle wax scents, Gingersnap also absorbs faster, in my opinion. This can be nice if you're ready to move on to other activities, but if you want an hour long massage, you'll have to re-apply.

If you use too much, the consistency gets very waxy and not very comfortable for sexual play, so I would not recommend this for any sexual activity. Stick to massage and/or foreplay, and you'll be much happier with this product, I think.

Ahh...gingersnap! It's one of my favorite kinds of homemade cookies, right behind sugar cookies and chocolate chip. Since I had tried the sampler scents, I knew that I'd probably either love or hate this scent. Though it didn't smell like much right out of the box, once it was melted and on my skin, I was in love!

The aroma is heavy on the ginger for starters, and it smells rather spicy. There's a hint of a cookie-baking smell, and if you can imagine what Hansel and Gretel smelled when they came across the witch's gingerbread house, I believe it's close to that. It's not overly sugary, but it does smell very edible. The sweetness is closer to honey or molasses. The ginger comes through most of all, and it might be strong enough to trigger allergies or other breathing problems. Everyone's sense of smell is different, so it's hard to say. Compared to the other 6 scents in the sampler, I'd say it most closely resembles Bourbon in strength, but Dark Vanilla in my enjoyment of it. In fact, I think it's tied as my favorite with Dark Vanilla!

Sadly, the wax/oil is not edible, and tasting, even on skin, isn't very pleasant.

With a palmful of liquid wax/oil, you can do a 15 minute massage that thinly covers the back and shoulders. I like to add a bit more to massage my partner's arms and neck too, so two palmfuls usually does the trick for a 20-30 minute massage.

After the wax/oil absorbs, you may want to wash any excess off of your hands. I sometimes just rub it into my own hands, arms, or elbows. Those areas can always use a little extra moisturizing.

Also, just two friendly remimders (to paraphrase the EF Lube 101 Guide): Since this is an oil-based product, you shouldn't use it with latex condoms or other latex products, and oil stains fabric very easily! We keep a microfiber bath mat under us when we use the Afterglow wax/oil because it tends to spill easier than when we are pouring oil from a bottle. A towel works well, but the mats are really awesome for absorbing other fluids too.

Like all of Jimmyjane's candles, the Gingersnap Afterglow comes in a white cardboard box with packaging to protect the ceramic holder from chipping, cracking, or breaking. The candle and the accompanying booklet (in several languages) fit in very snugly for this reason. A tan brown stripe of color with the word "Gingersnap" written on the front of the box is the only thing that differentiates the scents. I use my box for storage so that the scents of more than one candle don't mix in the bedroom.

The booklet does offer some good tips about making your candle last longer, such as keeping the wick trimmed and waiting to pour until the wax melts to the edges. Before reading it, I had never given candle care much thought, so it's worth browsing through.

The ceramic container has a spout in one corner, though it's not as pronounced as the Ember's spout is. I have to say that this makes it a little messy when pouring. It's very difficult, if not impossible, not to spill or drip onto whatever surface you set the candle down on after applying. We keep some paper on the bedside table so that the wood is protected. Granted, we have some of the same trouble with the Ember candle we have, but the more-pronounced spout makes it a cleaner pour.

At least the ceramic container is recyclable and reusable. I've already re-purposed the mini-Afterglow holders for peat pots in my garden, or to hold rings/jewelry on my dresser. You never know how handy a small container like this one is, especially since it's twice as deep as the mini-Afterglow ones.

Because this product is a candle, I think the packaging is discreet, and it would make a nice gift. As much as I'd love to travel with this candle, however, I wouldn't trust it not to melt and/or leak. Especially considering the softer wax, it just doesn't seem worth the risk.

I have to say that I'm surprised no one has reviewed the Gingersnap before. If you are curious about the other scents and how they compare, there are a few excellent forum posts about the 6 sampler scents. Hopefully. adding this review helps you get an idea if you'll like the Gingersnap before you buy.