What we used: Bondage Heat Play Wax Candle in black
From: Bondara
Price: £8.50
Material(s): Paraffin wax
A burning candle is a thing of beauty. But what about all that wonderful molten wax? Lizzie and Thomas experiment with a bondage candle and discover the joys of wax play.
* Please take the time to review the Behind the Chintz Curtain Disclaimer before reading this post. Wax play carries some degree of risk and shouldn’t be undertaken without the proper safety precautions.
First thoughts …
Lizzie
Wax play. Yet another thing that’s been languishing on my ‘really want to try it’ list for what seems like forever. However, the big sex toy retailers (in the U.K. at least) have rather limited selections when it comes to wax play candles. There are a load of massage candles from the luxury brands on offer – such as the Lelo Flickering Touch and the Jimmyjane Afterglow – but trying to find nice ones for dripping on your partner isn’t particularly easy. So I was really pleased when we found the Bondage Heat Play candle on Bondara’s website; a decent size and colour, at a reasonable price.
Thomas
I have never tried wax play before; my only experience with hot wax is burning my hand with the stuff when trying to pick up a candle off the dinner table. Not particularly sensual. Given how painful a hot wax burn can be from a normal candle in a not-so-sensitive area, I had always thought pouring hot wax on your nether regions was the domain of serious masochists only. Lizzie, however, was keen and the wax candle was a low melting point type, so I thought we would give it a go.
How it looks …
Lizzie
Urgh. It’s actually quite hard to make a candle look unsexy but, somehow, the manufacturer of this stack of paraffin has managed it. This product is to be used in a sexual way. I get it. There’s really no need to show me a lady gripping her naked breast as if her life depends on it or make up new ‘sexy’ words (such as ‘sin-tilates’) to ram the message home. There’s also a bunch of copy in what looks like Chinese or Japanese. No idea what it says. I can only assume it’s not important safety information given that it hasn’t been translated.
It’s a shame that the box is so tacky, because the candle itself is actually quite nice. A lovely deep colour with more than a hint of plumy-ness to it. In fact, it’s actually dark, dark purple rather than the pure black it’s advertised to be. It smells rather pleasant, too; there’s definitely a scent of vanilla about it.
One final (and slightly concerning) point: there’s no ingredients list on the candle box. I know from Bondara’s online product description that the item is made from paraffin (a low melting point wax) but this fact isn’t stated anywhere on the packet, nor is there information about the dyes used or any fragrance details. Given that the candle is both coloured and scented, this bothers me as I like to know what I’m sticking on myself. And if you have sensitive skin or suffer from allergies, this sort of information is absolutely essential.
Using it …
Lizzie
As I didn’t get to light, tip or drip the wax play candle, I can only comment on how the hot wax felt when it hit my skin. (Thomas did all the prep for our first wax play outing and got to handle the candle during it – rhyme intended!)
Thomas positioned me so that I was standing but bent forwards with my hands gripping the back of chair. We had been playing for a little while at this point and I had seen the candle burning away on the sideboard so knew that hot wax was on the evening’s agenda. The large cloth beneath my feet was another giveaway. (Wax play makes a fair bit of mess so you want to make sure you have all surfaces in the immediate vicinity covered.)
The first drip of wax hit the small of my back and, while I was prepared for the heat, the liquidity and length of the ‘run’ came as a bit of a surprise. The low melting point meant that the hot wax had a lot of ‘trickle’ to it, and it immediately chased downwards over my skin before eventually cooling and hardening. (If you’re going to engage in wax play, it is essential that you use a candle with a low melting point to avoid burning the skin. Paraffin liquefies between 43 and 65 degrees Celsius so is a good choice for this sort of activity. Whatever you do, do not use your standard beeswax household candles no matter how expensive or organic they are.)
Once Thomas had established that I was okay with both the heat and the sensation of the wax, he became more adventurous and started moving further backwards, dripping it over my buttocks and, eventually, the top of the crease between them – at which point the hot wax ran downwards and coated my vulva and clitoris. After a little break, he had me stand up and trickled more wax over my chest and nipples.
Did I like the sensation? Yes, yes, and yes! The heat of the wax was, to me, very bearable, as was the slow cool and the tightness as it hardened. By the time Thomas had finished with me, I had a nice little buzz going on and, if I’m honest, I would have liked to have kept going with the wax play longer than we actually did. In fact, I have my fingers crossed for a very lengthy session in the future.
Removing the wax wasn’t difficult – it peeled off the skin fairly easily (although we stuck to completely hair-free areas) but it did create a hell of a mess. Stay well away from fabric and carpet as the splash factor is significant with this stuff. I should say that most wax play guides suggest a light layer of oil on the skin to avoid wax getting stuck and to assist removal but I must admit we didn’t do this. However, my skin was very heavily moisturised.
Thomas
After I lit the candle I did try it out on myself first. What struck me straight away was that it was definitely cooler than a ‘standard’ candle. It was also very, very runny, i.e. it went bloody everywhere. So towels, sheets, drop cloths (I’m not kidding) are a must, especially if you plan to use it anywhere near carpet, upholstery, linen, etc. You’ll need to fire it up early as well as it takes a while to generate a decent pool of liquid wax – and that doesn’t last long due to the previously mentioned runniness. The best tactic is to use a little with breaks in between to allow the candle to replenish. If you really want to go to town, I would recommend using two candles – or maybe even three if you want to recreate Madame Tussauds.
Once in use, it works great. Just watch out as it tends to run where it wants and that may not be where you intended it to go, so you need to try to be fairly accurate with your aim. (I would recommend some practice first to get the hang of the way the wax runs.) Obviously, it makes sense to start in some less sensitive areas (back, buttocks etc.) and work you way to more sensitive ones – slowly. Lizzie certainly had a great time with the wax, especially on her more sensitive parts, judging by her vocal response and other involuntary reactions 
As a final note, Lizzie likes to have her nether regions smooth and hair-free, so clean up of the wax wasn’t a problem. If this is not your thing, however, you need to take this into account when using the wax as getting it off pubic hair could be quite tedious (as well as painful).
The verdict?
Lizzie
Wax play in general? A big thumbs up. This particular candle? Performance-wise, it’s great. I have to admit I am a little concerned about the lack of information regarding the ingredients it contains, though.
Thomas
Lizzie had a great time with this product. Just watch the potential mess and don’t use too much at once unless you have more than one candle. As a safety precaution, always be careful around naked flames; you don’t want to burn yourself or the house down. Keep an eye on where you put the candle when it is lit (it could be very easy to get distracted and then find you have set the curtains alight!) and a fire extinguisher in the house is a good idea, too. It’s also prudent to have a wet cloth and basin of water close to hand just in case you do happen to burn a sensitive area. It may not look particularly sexy but then neither is trying to explain to the doctor in A&E how exactly you managed to get a burn there.
In summary …
Things we liked …
- The look of the actual candle. A good size (four inches long, two inches wide) and a pretty colour – although the black option is actually more of a dark purple.
- The liquidity of the candle wax. Good trickle qualities.
- The heat of the wax. Not too hot.
- The price. Very reasonable.
Things we weren’t so keen on …
- The lack of instructions. To that end, if you’re going try your hand at wax play, you should absolutely do some research and safety reading beforehand. There are some good online guides available for free.
- The packaging. Tacky, tacky, tacky.
- The lack of information on the candle’s make up. Those with sensitive skin or fragrance/colour allergies should consider alternative products.
- Doesn’t come with a container or holder, so you’ll have to find something to stand or place the candle in.
Tickle your fancy? Click here to buy the Bondage Heat Play Wax Candle from Bondara.
