Kama Sutra Massage oils are pretty damned awesome, probably some of the best I’ve tried.  I received a full sized bottle not long ago and liked it enough that I wanted more, but was unsure which scents I’d like.  Enter the Massage Therapy Kit, a nice sample package consisting of 2 oz bottles of each scent.  Perfect way to try them all!

I was kind of sad when I got it as they have changed the packaging a little. Instead of plain bottles in a fancy box you now get fancily labelled bottles in a plain, plastic, ziplock type bag.  I have a thing for pretty boxes so I was not happy with the change but, in reality, it’s not a big deal. I’ll live.

Each bottle is labeled in a different color combo to distinguish the scents. The labels are Indian inspired, heavy on the gold and black, with colored accents – orange for sweet almond, purple for healing blend, green for pleasure garden, teal for soaring spirit and blue for serenity.

Each of the oils are blended with different essential oils and claim to impart a powerful effect on mind, body and spirit.

I’m a believer in the effects of scent upon mood and I found each of these oils did give the feeling they claim they will.  For example, I wouldn’t choose the Soaring Spirit if my goal was to relax and go to sleep nor would I choose the Serenity if I wanted to feel energized.

Regardless of whether scents work in that way for you you almost can’t go wrong with this kit though you should keep in mind that these are not sweet, food-like scents and that they contain essential oils of plants and flowers so they have a very floral, herbal aroma that may not be appealing to those who like applecherryvanillaberry lotion from Bath and Body Works.

Let’s start out with a description of each scent, then move on to how the oil works and the other technical details.

Serenity is a “soothing mixture of pure essential oils for quieting body and soul.” Essential oils include: cedar, sweet marjoram, neroli, orange, tangerine and lavender.  To me, this one smells most heavily of lavender and cedar and marjoram – in fact, it reminds me of my herb garden in summer and doesn’t seem to have any real citrus notes to it at all to my nose.  I’ve been using lavender for relaxation for years so the second I opened this one I was like…  ahhh, yes, this is Serenity.  My guy hates this one.

Soaring Spirit is an “invigorating blend of pure essential oils to energize and refresh.” Essential oils include: orange, lemon, peppermint, spearmint, geranium, ginger and fennel.  To me, this one smells most of mint, ginger and fennel (which is a peppery black licorice types scent) with the  top notes being mint.  It smells a bit like a cup of herbal tea, actually.  I, again, don’t notice the citrus in it at all and find it to be very energizing.  The mint makes you feel awake and tingly, even though it doesn’t actually tingle.  My guy hates minty scents so, again, this is not one of his favorites.

Pleasure Garden is an “aromatic mix of pure essential oils for sensual and seductive intimacy.”  Essential oils include: Italian jasmine, rose, lavender and sandalwood.  To me, this one smells like a rose garden.  I don’t detect the separate smell of jasmine or lavender but the sandalwood does soften up the rose a bit.  My guy likes this one a lot. In fact, he had a bottle of this when he moved in with me.  It’s a very romantic scent, though it may be a bit too flowery for some people.

Healing Blend is a “rich blend of pure essential oils for soothing muscles and restoring harmony.” Essential oils include: lavender, cardamom, rosemary, marjoram, elemi, clary sage, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, juniper and pine.  There are a lot of scent notes in this one and it’s hard to pick out what you smell most but, to me, it’s heaviest on the rosemary, sage, black pepper and pine.  It’s kind of a masculine scent and yet not.  Its ingredients are said to have healing effects on both skin and respiratory health and it really is quite phenomenal when used to massage tired muscles after working all day.

Sweet Almond is a “sensual combination of calming oils for relaxation and de-stressing.”  No essential oils are listed and it smells like pure almond.  It’s a wonderful, sensual smell that works well on male or female bodies, is slightly sweet and, for me at least, has the same effect as vanilla scents tend to; it makes me feel soft and content and sensual.  This one is great for mutual massages and my guy, who is a Disaronno drinker, loves it.

The awesome thing about this kit is that, while each bottle of oil is miniature sized, you need very little for a decent massage and you so many options for so many different types of massage or for setting many moods.

Each bottle is plastic with a click top and, so far, have not leaked at all despite having been left laying on their sides a few times.  Each is sealed when you receive them so there were no leaks during shipment, either.

I’ve found that a quarter sized pool of oil – which is about a teaspoon – is plenty for a quarter of a body rub – so, back and shoulders or buttocks,  back of the legs and feet or chest and arms or hips and front of the legs and feet.  To do an entire body you need a bit more than a tablespoon of oil so each two ounce bottle should provide four full body rub downs.  (This means that, with five bottles in the kit, you’re going to get 20 massages out of it so you’re paying $1.40 per massage. Not bad, man.)

My guy tends to like to really oil me up and will use more than he needs when he rubs me down but, in reality, a teaspoon is more than enough to reduce friction, allow your hands to glide and slide across skin while still being able to knead and work the muscles.  Definitely start out with less and add more if you need it. If you don’t over apply this oil sinks into the skin and never needs to be washed off, leaving your flesh soft and supple and lightly scented after a few hours.

The scents are quite strong. You will smell them thru the entire room as you use them but I don’t find them to be overwhelming or headache inducing.  They work well to set the mood and are effective at leaving you feeling… well… what you should be feeling when you use them.

I like to warm them up a bit in hot water before I use them. I pick my oil, get a coffee mug of really hot water set up, set the bottle in the mug then go around lighting candles and preparing the room.  Once I’ve got the room ready, the oil is nicely warm and feels amazing when applied to the skin. You can, of course, just tip some into your hands and rub your hands together rapidly to warm the oil, too.

These also work really well in the bath or shower.  A few drops in the bath water leave your skin silky and provide just enough scent to provide a mood enhancement.  Applying it to wet or damp skin after a bath leaves you baby soft and lightly scented.  I particularly like the Serenity for this, since I tend to take a hot bath before bed each night and it leaves me feeling really relaxed and soft.

None of the oils are really staining, though you’ll want to pre-treat any spills as you would any oil and wash in warm or hot water.

Ingredients are Soybean oil, Grape seed oil, Pistachio seed oil, Almond oil, Vitamin E, fragrance and a few cosmetic grade (and safe) moisturizers and stabilizers.  I would not suggest using this as a lube for either vaginal intercourse or sex toy use or that you do too much licking and kissing of skin it’s been applied to. It doesn’t taste very nice, though it’s not going to kill you, just be mildly unpleasant. In fact, I somehow got some in my mouth as I was writing this review and my tongue feels a little minty and weird but I’m not gagging or anything. :D

Overall, Kama Sutra oils are some of my favorites when I’m looking for aromatherapy benefits.  I like the Shunga ones better for times I want sweet, candy scented massage but the Kama Sutra are some of the best, most effective and are excellent for true, therapeutic massage.  They leave the skin soft but not greasy and you really can’t go wrong with this kit.  It allows you to decide which scents you like best and make a good choice should you ever decide to purchase a full sized bottle or gives you multiple options for the type of massage you want to give.  I’ll definitely be purchasing it again.