I’ll admit it; I was lured in by the candle holder and the scents, but I held off on these candles for quite a while. About 4 years back or so, when I had just started out as a reviewer, I was sent one of these candles. Well, this was before they were reformulated to be more body-friendly. I had gotten one that had diethylphthalates in it, a common ingredient used with fragrances. Well, that turned me off and kept me at bay, even after the formula was changed. What finally changed my mind? I don’t know. I guess you could say I just finally caved and let go of my inhibitions. And you know what? I’m glad I did. Well, for the most part. I’m still wondering about some of the ingredients.
Packaging: Every package that I’ve received from EdenFantasys has been discreet. You don’t have to worry about anyone knowing the contents of your package, and the return address always says “Webmerchants” instead of the store name.
The candle arrived perfectly intact. It wasn’t melted in the slightest (which would be odd, given the fact that it’s Winter, but I figure I should mention it anyway).
The packaging for the Afterglow Massage Candle is pretty simple and unassuming. Everything is fairly “safe” in that most who don’t know about Jimmyjane won’t assume that the candle is from a company that also manufactures sex toys. However, it does say:
“Jimmyjane is a design-centric brand founded on the belief that life is better with a sexy twist. We design products and experiences to provide pleasure, strengthen connection, and create provocative possibility. LIVE SEXY.”
Anyway, the box states some general information about the candle, and has snippets of various languages stating what the product is. However, the product description and warnings are only written in English and French. Inside, you’ll find an instructional booklet in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, and Italian.
What irritated me, at first, was that I could not find the ingredient list for this candle in the instruction booklet. All the other language sections in the booklet, except for English, have the ingredient lists for the various scents printed. Granted, the ingredient list for this particular scent is printed on the bottom of the box, and on a sticker on the bottom of the candle. Still, I’d like to see the ingredient lists section added into the English portion of the booklet. I wouldn’t mind checking out the ingredient lists of the other candles before buying them, but the booklet only gives me that option if I speak one of the other languages included, instead of English.
To prevent the candle’s scent from losing potency, and to keep it safe, a thin layer of plastic film is used to seal off the candle. This can be easily removed. That’s why it looks like the candle has some sort of top to it in the last photo; the protective film is printed with the company name and logo.
The porcelain candle holder is also printed with the company name and logo in the bottom corner. It looks almost like a perfect cube, except for one corner. It’s like those little milk cartons that you have to open up the spout to pour. This makes the candle much easier to pour, and creates less of a mess than candles with round holders/tins like the ONO Massage Candle.
You don’t need to worry about the holder being to hot to touch either. No matter how long I’ve burned the candle, the holder stays what I would consider just a little warmer than body temperature.
Ingredients: The Afterglow candle’s packaging boasts natural ingredients, among those mentioned being jojoba, shea butter, Vitamin E and Aloe. Sounds good, right? Maybe you’d think that all the ingredients would be safe and natural? Well, I’m not completely sure. Most of the ingredients aren’t even listed on the EWG Cosmetics Database…
Ingredients: soybean oil, shea butter, palmarosa oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera, vitamin E, alpha damascone, citronellyl butrate, geranyl phenyl acetate, leaf alcohol, dimethyl octanyl acetate, ionone alpha extra, dihydroionone beta, geranyl propionate, alpha terpineol, geranyl acetate syn 85%, geranyl isobutyrate, citronellyl propionate, raspberry ketone, methone extra, citronellyl acetate, triplal rose oxide r, ethyl aceto acetate, fructone, geranyl formate, amyl cinnamic aldehyde, vertenex, geranyl acetone, tabac balkan abs decol, nerol syn 95%, citronellyl formate, citral syn, cade oil rectified, lychee musk-free, geraniol extra, dimethyl octanol, citronellol pure, mamey GIVCO 200, phenoxyethyl isobutyrate, dioctyl adipate, phenyl ethyl alcohol
From what information that I could gather, most of the ingredients seem to be fairly safe. This candle is free from phthalates, parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals and animal products. However, there are ingredients that are associated with allergies and contact dermatitis. There’s also synthetic ingredients. Those who have sensitive skin may want to avoid this product.
This candle is not meant for internal use or genital use. Also, be careful if you plan on using latex condoms. Wash your hands first before handling them, as the oils in candles can damage the condoms.
Wick: The wick is made from natural cotton, and is both paraffin-free and lead-free. Keep it trimmed to about 1/4” to avoid sooting and those little black globs that form on candle wicks, which can fall off and contaminate the massage oil.
Size / Burn Time: This candle is 4.5oz (127g) and can burn up to 32 hours. I haven’t been timing mine religiously, but I would say it’s been lit for a combination of times of 20 hours altogether, and still has a while to go.
It takes about 10 minutes to get a pool of oil that would be enough for a back massage. Below is how much was melted after 20 minutes. To ensure an even burn and to make sure you’re able to use all the oil once the candle is done for, let it burn for half an hour so the oil reaches the edges of the holder.
After blowing it out, the wax remained an oil for the entire duration of the first massage, which was very close to half an hour. At that point, it was starting to solidify just a bit.
Scent: The scent is amazing! It’s just like opening a can of lychee fruits. It’s fresh, fruity, and tropical. Lapsang souchong is a black tea. This scent may not be noticed by many, but you can smell it, if you know what you’re sniffing for. At one point, I actually had a carton of lychee black tea bags, and they smell very similar to this, although not as sweet.
The scent quickly fills the room, and is very strong. If you’re scent-sensitive, it may be a little too overpowering. I wouldn’t say I’m that sensitive, but sitting next to the candle is almost a little too much for me. Although the directions say to start with the oil at the temples and work down, we have yet to do this with myself. Because the scent is so strong, I’d rather not have it that close to my face.
Although the scent does fade after massage, I do catch a whiff of it every once in a while. Clothes and sheets will absorb the scent and smell for a few days until it’s laundry time. It’s nothing overwhelming, just a sweet reminder. I’ve tried just dabbing this on my pulse points as solid perfume, but I can’t say anyone noticed. If I get my nose close to the skin, though, I can smell it.
Unfortunately, my skin chemistry doesn’t play nice with this scent. Left on my skin for a while, it starts to smell sort of…like something burning.. along with the scent of lychee. It’s weird… I’ve had my husband stick his nose to my skin, and that’s his opinion, too. I’m not sure why, but I figure I better put the warning out there. Everyone has different chemistry. So, this may or may not be the case for you. It wasn’t the case for my husband.
Massage Time: I would say that about a tablespoon of oil was more than enough to massage my husband’s back for well over half an hour. He’s 6’5", so he has a large back. At about half an hour into the first session, I was starting to get tired. I was going to keep going until all of the oil soaked in, but I just ended up giving up. So, I’ve cut down to about 2/3 that amount, and that works out much better.
The oil has a smooth, silky feel to it. It stays cool enough not to burn the skin, and is a very comfortable, warm, soothing temperature for both my husband and myself. If I dip my finger into a pool of the massage oil, it’ll drip down about halfway to my knuckle and then stop, turning into something of a slightly gel-ish oil. It feels a little thick and rich, but it doesn’t have the same oily feeling as something like veggie oil. (Using veggie oil as an example, as I figure that’s something most folks have touched.)
Residue: If I use too much, it can leave the skin a little greasy. For the most part, though, it’ll just soak right in. My hands and legs have been really dry because of Winter, and they just soak this stuff right up and it makes them feel much better.
I haven’t noticed any gummy little pills, like some candles create. The oil stays oil, and doesn’t get waxy at all.
Cleanup: If you use just enough, you shouldn’t need to clean up after; it should just soak right into the skin. If you, or the person you’re massaging, are still oily, a quick shower will fix that. I haven’t had any issues with this staining, but I would advise you to be careful.
The candle holder is lovely, and I’ve kept mine. To easily get all of the leftover wax out, leave the candle holder in the freezer overnight. In the morning, you can just pop the extra wax right out. You can also fill it with water and allow it to soak until the wax floats to the top, but I prefer the freezer method.
If you want to make sure to use every last bit of the candle, place it on one of those candle warmers, or put it in a pot of hot water. Dig the rest of the wick out before you do that, though.
Jimmyjane is great and all, but I’d like to be able to get their logo off this candle holder to make it a little less conspicuous. Does anyone know a good method to remove it? If so, please leave a comment!
Storage: As wax can attract and hold onto dust and whatnot, I would return the candle to its original packaging, when not in use. If you store it somewhere too warm, it can get soft, but that should be obvious. It’s not really going to make much of a difference if the candle gets too warm, though. Well, not unless you knock it off the shelf or something. Then you’ll have a messy problem.
Opinion: I love the design of the porcelain candle holder. It looks beautiful when lit, and the pour spout on the one corner makes massage time less of mess. I just wish I could get the company logo off.
The scent is exactly what is on the box. It smells strongly of lychee with a soft undertone of black tea. It hasn’t caused my husband or me any headaches, but be aware that the scent is very strong.
Although I’m not quite sure about some of the ingredients, this does seem to be a high-quality massage candle. It melts quickly, stays liquid for about half an hour after being blown out, and provides a rich oil that allows my hands to easily glide. A little goes a long way. I honestly couldn’t resist getting a couple more, after trying this one out. So, look for reviews of other scents of the Jimmyjane Afterglow Massage Candle soon!
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