Good Clean Love – Caribbean Rose Love Oil Review

It’s no secret that I love massages. In fact, one of the ways that my partner first won me over was by enthusiastically offering a complete, whole-body lotion massage after my shower one day. Five years later, it still plays a large role in our foreplay — and although our favorite products are usually massage candles (for the added wax play element), we also enjoy experimenting with various oils, bars, and creams.

description textgcl oil frontIn addition to their organic Almost Naked lubricant and their health-conscious Bio-Match products, Good Clean Love also offers a line of “Love Oils.” There are 3 scents to choose from: Caribbean Rose (which I will be reviewing here), Indian Spice, & Origins (a blend of black pepper, sage, & sandalwood). Each oil is 100% vegan and free of all petrochemicals, parabens, & glycerin. Ingredients are limited, but include prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil, organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, tocopherol, and various essential oils.

There are 2 packaging options for each scent: a 4 oz. frosted glass bottle with a metal screw-on top and a 1/3 oz. travel-friendly cylinder with a rollerball. You can even purchase all 3 scents in these smaller sizes as a gift set.

It’s important to note that because this is a product made from oil, it is NOT safe for contact with any latex contraception methods, such as condoms. (Oil causes latex to degrade and weaken, increasing the risk of breakage.) Before using latex barriers, please make sure to wash your hands, genitals, and any other body parts that may encounter both products. 

experience textWe’ve encountered some pretty horrible massage oils over the years; watery liquids that dry out in a mere matter of minutes and leave your skin feeling sticky for hours. A quality massage oil should make it easier for your hands to glide over your partner’s body, removing any of the natural drag of skin-on-skin contact. It should also make you feel relaxed and sexy — not give you the sudden, overwhelming urge to jump in the shower.

gcl oil backLet me be the first to say that Good Clean Love has done an admirable job with the quality and consistency of their Love Oil. One application easily gives you 5-10 minutes of massage time, slowly absorbing into the skin so that there’s no evidence of oil residue once you’re done. Honestly, it’s the least sticky/tacky massage oil that we’ve ever tried. My skin even feels softer and more moisturized afterwards.

While my partner & I easily agree on how great the oil quality is, we do have mixed emotions on the packaging. It’s beautiful (there’s no denying that), but there is a plastic flow regulator that has caused some disagreement. My partner argues that this makes it needlessly difficult to pour an adequate amount into your hands or onto your partner’s body. I’m rather clumsy, so my opinion is that it actually makes application easier by preventing spills and excessive pouring. But he’s right, you do have to shake the bottle around a bit.

Personally, my only complaint is one that’s totally subjective — and that’s the smell. In fact, it’s such a turn-off that I don’t think I will continue to use this particular oil, even though I love how it feels.

When I first requested Caribbean Rose, it was because I thought it sounded like the most “gentle” option. My partner and I tend to go for warm & subdued scents: vanilla and buttery, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookies, for example. For me, Caribbean Rose is just way too strong… and not very appealing either. My partner and I have tried to come up with accurate ways to describe the scent and we’ve settled on things like “your hippie grandma’s perfume” and “an entire store of potpourri.” Its supposed aphrodisiac properties are completely lost on me because I’m too busy worrying that I’ll still smell like this the next day at work.

bottom line textNormally, my advice would be to order the travel-sized option in order to test it out and decide if the smell is right for you. But the thrifty shopper in me simply can’t justify that; a single 1/3 oz. rollerball is a whopping $10 — when you can purchase the full 4 oz bottle for only $20. (Although my partner notes that the rollerball might make application easier.)

You can always try finding a brick & mortar store that carries Good Clean Love and has testers on the sales floor. (Unfortunately, I know that this is impossible for many of you. I too live in an area without any quality sex shops.) Or you can simply risk it. If you’re not very sensitive to smells, it may not bother you at all. But if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself wishing that you could enjoy this wonderful, high-quality massage oil…while trying to find a friend to pawn it off on.

2star

Pros: long-lasting, no sticky/tacky residue, limited ingredients, may make skin feel moisturized, beautiful packaging

Cons: extremely strong smell that may bother some individuals, flow regulator can make pouring difficult


Special thanks to Good Clean Love for providing me with this product in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 

goodcleanlove

If you’d like to purchase a Love Oil of your own, please consider ordering from my affiliate, SheVibe

Rub Me opened

Rub Me Massage Bar [review]

First Impressions & Description

Rub Me

Pleasure Works’ Rub Me massage bars are made from cocoa butter, shea butter, and various scented essential oils. (I received english lavender, but you can also choose from pomegranate mint, french vanilla, morning dew, coconut lime, amber rose, and chocolate mint.)

Because they are made from a bunch of fats and oils, massage bars have a very low melting point. Nothing more than you or your partner’s body heat is needed to set the melting process in motion. Of course, this convenience can also cause some problems for shipping & storage. On the Good Vibrations page, it warns that these products may melt during shipment in warm weather and advises expedited shipping as well as a cool delivery location. Being the overly cautious person that I am, I kept mine in the fridge until I had the chance to try it out. (You can even freeze them if you anticipate taking them somewhere warmer for a while!) I’ve since moved the bar to our bedroom for permanent storage, and room temperature has not caused any melty messes yet.

Rub Me openedThe Rub Me massage bars are wrapped in a thin outer layer of foil, with a simple & tasteful label on the front and very concise product information on the back. Inside the foil shell is a layer of wax paper that surrounds the bar itself. (Neither of these layers provide very adequate cover once opened. If your product arrives in a small ziplock baggie like mine did, hang onto it.) Each bar weighs 2 oz. and measures approximately 1″ thick with a 2.5″ diameter.

Having never used a massage bar before, my partner and I were not sure what to expect as far as consistency is concerned. I imagined a very soft oily bar that would form indentations if pressed with a finger. My partner was worried that it would be very hard, requiring a lot time and effort to make it melt. We were both pleasantly surprised to discover that the Rub Me massage bars fall perfectly in between the two extremes. Within mere seconds of continuous contact, the surface becomes oily — but the integrity of the bar remains strong and firm.

Experience

The only instructions on the Rub Me massage bar’s packaging are a very basic statement, “Body heat releases the intoxicating scent…” and a warning, “External use only. Not latex safe.” (Oil products will weaken and deteriorate latex, so if you’re using latex condoms, be careful not to get them in contact with the massage oil.) Good Vibration’s website adds that you can rub the bar in your hands or over your partner’s skin. To see what would work best, we tried both.

oilymassagebarWe didn’t have much luck with simply rubbing the bar on each other. It left behind a very light sheen of oil, but not enough to easily glide our hands over each other’s skin. Rubbing the bar between our hands as if it were a bar of soap worked much better. Because the bar melts rather slowly with body heat, there was never so much oil as to create a puddle of liquid. However, there was easily enough left on our hands to cover the other’s back. We were also able to enjoy 5-10 minute massages before needing to reapply.

The oil from the Rub Me massage bar was never sticky or tacky in the slightest, even as it started to dry out. Although greasy at first, it completely works itself into the skin over the course of the massage. Neither of us felt compelled to wipe or wash it off of our skin afterwards, either as the giver or receiver. Prior to this, my partner and I have tried a couple of massage candles which we love (including Shunga’s Caress by Candlelight) and one rather disappointing massage oil. This product felt similar to the candles in that it was almost waxy rather than watery thin and slippery. It would be a great alternative for someone who wants a thicker consistency but does not enjoy temperature play — or for a night when you simply don’t want to wait for a candle to melt.

My only complaint would be the fragrance strength. I’m not usually sensitive to smells, but I find the bar itself somewhat overpowering. As soon as I open the drawer where it is stored, the concentrated smell of lavender hits me — even through the wax paper and ziplock baggie. Although the smell does diffuse and become more relaxing during use, I still find myself wishing that it was slightly more subtle. (Not having used the other scents, this may just be a reaction I’m having to the english lavender. For example, I imagine that a scent like french vanilla may be more subdued.)

If you enjoy sensual massage, I highly suggest the Rub Me massage bars! Priced at only $7, each bar offers a great quality oil that will provide hours of pleasure. In fact, Good Vibrations says that these bars will last 10-12 massages. And although I have not exhausted mine in order to test that, it does seem like a realistic (and thrilling) estimate.

3star

Pros: non-sticky, waxy rather than watery oil consistency, quickly & conveniently melts at body temperature, won’t break the bank

Cons: strong scent, may melt during transit/storage, does not provide the wider variety of sensation that is possible with massage candles


A big thanks to Good Vibrations for providing me with this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review!