This candle is designed to melt into a useable massage oil. You light it, let it burn for a while, blow it out, scoop the oil out onto your partner (or yourself) and massage it in. Instead of a wax base, this candle is made using various oils like soybean, coconut, sweet almond, safflower, grapeseed, avocado, sesame, and vitamin E and some various binders and chemicals to keep it solid. I don't see any dangerous or potentially irritating ingredients, so unless you have sensitive skin or an allergy to any of the listed oils I think it will be safe for most people to use. It is available in four scents, I chose the Rose scent. It is very pleasing and the scent will fill a room when the candle is lit. The candlelight and the scent make for a wonderful atmosphere for foreplay and a sensual massage.

Safety note: always blow the candle out before scooping or pouring any massage oil to prevent burns or possible risks of fire. Trim the wick before each use to keep the flame from getting too high. Don't light it near anything that could catch fire or anything that could explode near open flames.

Even before the Shunga massage candle is lit, it is much softer than a typical candle. If you press in on the wax it is easily indented. Once lit, the "wax" melts into a smooth oil. This oil has the same texture and viscosity of a typical massage oil. It is easily scooped up with the included plastic spoon and it can be easily poured from the tin if you prefer. Pouring it is a little messier, though. On the skin it can feel a little greasy at first but it absorbs into the skin quickly and easily but stays very slick. This makes it easy to give a good massage without making a mess. I usually don't need to reapply it, either, because of how long it stays slick. Once it is absorbed into the skin, the skin feels very soft and moistureized but not slick or greasy. The scent also lingers with your skin. Also, the oil is warm but not hot when it is poured onto the skin.
After the candle has been allowed to resolidify, it is even softer than before. The resolidified wax is soft enough to move around with your fingers and can even be scooped out to use as a balm on rough skin or a solid perfume.
As a side note, the oil from this candle has so far not lead to any breakouts on my back or shoulders, which makes me happy. I was a little worried that it might clog pores because it was a solid oil before melting, but so far so good.

This candle is available in Vanilla, Rose, Lavender, and Fruit. I have the Rose scent. It has a fairly perfumey floral scent with strong tones of rose. Once it has absorbed into the skin it is a light, inoffensive, feminine scent. While it is burning the scent is much stronger.

The candle tastes pretty much like soap. And no, I didn't taste it on purpose. I just made the mistake of biting my nail a little when I happened to have a chunk of wax under it from when I first opened it up and trimmed the wick. So learn from my mistake - do not eat this candle! Or, you know, put your fingers in your mouth after giving a massage with it. However, once it is melted down and spread over the skin, the taste dissipates. So feel free to kiss the skin you just massaged with the oil without feeling like someone washed your mouth out with soap.

I was very happy with how well this candle worked as as massage oil. It didn't feel waxy or harden up on the skin, and it provided a great slickness for a massage. The icing on the cake is that the oil is nice and warm. I honestly prefer this to some of the other massage oils I have tried, like KY touch and even straight sweet almond oil. I enjoyed it very much on both the giving and receiving end of a massage. One application of a spoonfull or two lasted for an entire 20 minute back massage, and it left my back and my boyfriend's back smooth and soft but not greasy. It is better suited for longer massages, however, because it can leave skin a bit greasy if it is not massaged in all the way.

The Shunga massage candle comes in a safety wrapped round metal tin with the scent of the candle and the Shunga logo of the two lovers painted in the Japanese erotic style on the lid, and the same art, the ingredients, and the directions printed on the sides of the tin itself. Inside the tin is a little plastic spoon for dipping the oil out of the container. The spoon fits back in the tin after use to keep it handy. It isn't exactly discreet, as it does have erotic artwork on the tin, however there is no nudity so it could be much worse. It is pretty travel friendly, as the lid stays on well and the product is a solid, however if there is a chance that your bag might get hot, I would store it in a plastic bag before tossing it in with other toiletries or clothing in case it melts.