A Lelo sex toy review is always a pleasure. The only thing that changes from sex toy to sex toy is what particular pleasure centres their new adult product is going to stimulate. In the case of the Lelo Flickering Touch Massage Candle you get three-way sensory stimulation, sight, smell and touch.

First of all sight. The packaging and presentation of this massage candle is impeccable, being both classy and almost totally recyclable for everyone with a green conscience out there. The cardboard box and inner packing is black card and paper finished in matt black with white writing. A little difficult to read in certain lights but totally classy and totally recyclable. The candle itself has been poured into a black glass tumbler shaped container, the white wax it containers contrasting starkly with the dark walls. The cap is chromed metal with a small translucent plastic handle. This means the only part not easily reused is the thin foam pad placed just under the lid, presumably to protect the candle during transit.

Then there’s smell. As soon as you handle the box scent hits you. In our case the “Snow Pear and Cedar Wood” enticed me to open the packaging. The scent is pretty unisex and as pleasant as any “conventional” scented candle, perhaps a little more subtle than most. I lit the candle and placed it at the side of the desk while we did a little work and allowed it melt.

I expected the candle to form a pool of wax ready for use in a few minutes like the others we have used but this candle took a long time to create a reservoir of molten wax sufficient for a sensual massage.

Finally of course there is touch. The instructions that came with the candle recommended waiting 30 seconds before using the wax. Not long enough! The wax gets quite hot and although it did not burn skin when I drizzled it down Suze’s back she flinched and told me how hot it was. Hmmm. Not a good start to what is supposed to be a relaxing experience.

I therefore waited a couple of minutes and when I did begin again I poured the wax tentatively. This time the temperature was OK. The smell from the wax was pleasant but I found using it a little difficult because the melting point of the wax is a little too high leaving me with less lubrication than is necessary for a massage and sticking slightly to Suze’s back. It is possible that the wax would have performed better in a higher ambient temperature, though the length of time required for the wax to melt in the first place indicates a substantially higher melting point than previous massage candles we’ve tried.

So, what did I think? Well to be honest I was a little disappointed by this product. Not by the presentation or the smell of the candle, they cannot be faulted. The problem here is that when you actually try to use the candle wax for massage it didn’t work well for us. It was too hot when molten and when it cools the wax didn’t work for use as a massage oil. As I said above this may work better in a warmer ambient temperature but for us it wasn’t the best we’ve tried.