Lovehoney Apothecary Massage Candles Review (Arouse & Seduce Scents)
Massage candles are amongst my top favourite bedroom accessories. I love how they effortlessly combine a relaxing visual & scented ambience with hands-on sensuality. I was therefore very excited to be offered some massage candles from Lovehoney’s new Apothecary range to test & review. I have both the Arouse and Seduce scented Lovehoney Apothecary Massage Candles.
 |
 |
Shop: USA | UK | Europe | Canada | Australia | New Zealand
Enjoy all our erotic massage candles reviews
The Lovehoney Apothecary Collection
Before we look at the massage candles & their use in more depth, I want to properly introduce you all to the Lovehoney Apothecary Collection. This small but perfectly formed family offers products in two scents: Arouse and Seduce.
Arouse: “A reviving, citrusy scent bolstered by top notes of lemon rind, with sweet undertones and a woody base note. An invigorating fragrance that awakens the senses with a blend of rose, jasmine, precious woods, amber and cedarwood essential oil.”
Seduce: “An enticing scent with zesty top notes intermingled with rich, exotic undertones and a sensual base note. An alluring fragrance that enlivens your senses and gently invokes an air of desire with a blend of saffron, patchouli, jasmine, amber, cedar and vanilla.”
At the time of writing there are three different products in the Lovehoney Apothecary Collection, all three available in either Arouse or Seduce scent: massage candles (160g each), massage oil (100ml bottles) and bubble bath (250ml bottles). Prices start at just £9.99.
Packaging
The Lovehoney Apothecary Massage Candles come packaged in an easy-open card box, with a light gloss finish and information about the candle contained within.
What’s In The Box
Inside the box you find the candle (obviously!) but also a little leaflet with ‘how to use’ pointers and safety tips.
There is a sticker on the bottom of the candle which reiterates the safety tips and tells you what’s in your massage candle (hydrogenated soybean oil and fragrance). I love that the candle is in a clean & sophisticated looking white holder, which is filled almost to the top and which features a light grey Lovehoney heart logo. Understated sensuality. The candle holder feels like it’s ceramic, and has a pouring spout which is sure to come in handy during use…
Instruction Leaflets
Click on any photo to enlarge, then use arrow keys to scroll through the gallery of images.
Measurements
Each of the Lovehoney Apothecary Massage Candles is 7.5cm tall, and the diameter across the centre of the top is 7cm. It’s a 160g/5.6oz candle.
Preparation
It’s simple to get going with the massage candle – the wick is the right length already, so just light and allow some time for the candle to melt into enough massage oil to use. I must admit it took far longer for a generous amount of massage oil to form than I thought it would. In the video review below, the candles had been lit for 3 hours for that amount of massage oil to melt. The better news is that you don’t need anywhere near that much liquid to provide a fantastic erotic massage with the Lovehoney Apothecary Arouse Scent Massage Candle.
Obviously I wasn’t sure how much massage oil we’d use, and how long the candle takes to melt, so I wanted to allow a long burning time for the purposes of this review as well as during our personal use.
I didn’t want to light the candle just before use, then use some of the oil, and end up with a tunnelling effect right down the centre of the candle. I suppose as the candle is made with a blend of soybean oil and perfume, it may be quite easy (much easier than standard wax) to remould the candle around the wick area… but I wasn’t sure or keen to find out.
Formulation
The Lovehoney Apothecary Massage Candles are made with soybean oil, as I’ve mentioned. Having done a little research into this oil and its suitability as a massage oil, I’m happy to confirm that it’s absolutely fine. No contraindications at all. Soybean oil isn’t as luxurious and slick over the skin as, say, cocoa butter, or perhaps jojoba, almond or avocado oil, but then I’m not sure any of those would make for a sturdy candle form. Therefore, for the best of both worlds, soybean oil and perfume blend it is.
During Use
The design of the candle holders makes their use during massage extremely easy and comfortable. The jar shape is easy to pick up and hold and the spout means you can pour the massage oil into your hand or on to their skin without making excess mess.
Because of the lower melt temperature of the massage candle into massage oil, the oil is safe to pour on to skin. It isn’t burning hot & dangerous to use in this way, like standard household or scented candles are.
The massage oil spread over our skin in a warm and relaxing way for both of us –although of course I found it more enjoyable as the one receiving the massage! The feeling of the massage oil on your skin, once the massage is over, is very rich with a slight residue. Not too much, not uncomfortable and not waxy; more like after I’ve used a Lush massage bar. I actually looked up the formulation of the Lush massage bars as the feel was so similar, but they’re made with cocoa butter as a base instead of soybean oil.
I didn’t mind the slight residue feeling on me, and in any case, if the massage goes really well it’s an easy segue into foreplay and sex… Not exactly a time to worry about mess! After sex we tend to get cleaned up before getting our sleep anyway, heading to the en-suite for a wash. When I was younger I’d happily just lay in the sticky, post-sex hot mess all night until the morning; these days I don’t like sleeping in the wet patch or risking UTIs. Sex, wee, wash, sleep… that’s me.
You might not mind sleeping with either the candle residue on you all night, or candle residue + sex mess… or you could always segue (again) from the sex to a shared warm, soapy bath or shower before slipping into satisfied sleep together. Plenty of options.
Anyway, enough of post-sexual hygiene habits – back to the candles.
Video Review
The Scents
I’ve been trying to pick a favourite out of the Arouse and Seduce scents, but it’s extremely difficult. As is trying to describe them using just words. You can read Lovehoney’s description of the scents towards the start of this review. They’re both gorgeous in their own, unique ways. It’s such a refreshing change to enjoy bedroom accessory scents which aren’t the typical vanilla or cherry ones, but offer erotic ambience through delicate but complex notes.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love the Lovehoney Apothecary Massage Candles. My only gripes are the slight residue left on my skin after a massage, which is very much personal preference, and the price. £20 for a 160g candle is pretty costly, but then they DO smell gorgeous, they come in an easy-pour ceramic holder and it’s not like you can massage your partner with a Yankee Candle, is it*?
Buy Yours
Buy your Lovehoney Apothecary Massage Candles through the links below – and while you’re there, why not check out the rest of the Lovehoney Apothecary Collection?
|
|
Shop: USA | UK | Europe | Canada | Australia | New Zealand
*No, you can’t. Don’t even think about it.
Contains affiliate links. Many thanks to lovehoney.co.uk & lovehoney.com for sending these candles to me free of charge, in exchange for this fair & honest review.
