Sliquid Organics Tranquility Massage Lotion 255ml

Average

Reviewed: 05 Aug 2011 by Chimera, a Going Steady Straight Female

This massage oil is packaged in a reasonably sized brown bottle (think smallish shampoo bottle) with a neat green sticker that runs roughly its entire length and only leaves a half centimetre gap between the two edges of the sticker. This makes it look very neat, well packaged and reasonably expensive but could cause a little irritation, as I will detail later.

I had this sent to my boyfriend's flat in preparation for visiting him (I'm in a long-distance relationship) as he particularly likes being massaged. After I got in I was bemused to read on the packaging a lot of sentiments expressing that it was for women. "Created by sensitive women, for sensible women" and "Offering women a healthier choice" for example. I commented on it to my boyfriend and he mentioned that yes, he'd seen it too, in a tone that suggested he hadn't been overly impressed by it. Obviously this massage oil can be enjoyed by anybody but it's worth considering that if you're buying it for a man, or are in a gay relationship that this is a product that's target market is clearly women and expresses this very obviously over its packaging.

The lid:

I particularly like the lid on this massage lotion. It's the kind where you put pressure on a little dip in the lid and the opposite site is pressed upwards, revealing the opening to release the oil. This is particularly handy as it stopped me a) knocking the bottle over and spilling lotion everywhere, b) finding it really hard to get more oil out once I had greasy hands, c) covering the bottle with its contents, and d) finding it hard to control how much lotion I desire. All of which are problems I've had with other massage oils...

The bottle/sticker:

Because of the dark nature of the bottle and the opaque sticker that covers the majority of it, I find it quite hard to monitor the amount of liquid left in the bottle. If I move the bottle around I have to look for the movement of it 'swishing' in the bottle. I have relatively poor eyesight though, so for many this may not be a problem. The lid also had a small white card seal under it which had to be removed before use.

The actual lotion:

The lotion itself is completely clear, like a thicker, greasier version of water. It's also very light and loose - it acts very much like a straight oil and runs very easily. When rubbed in - even when using a small amount - it leaves a very noticeable sheen on the skin that makes it look more greasy than moisturised. I did a test on my hand before using this on my boyfriend and found that it left my hand shiny, and whilst it felt softer for a small while, it then ended up feeling drier than it had been before I'd used this lotion. It does smell as described - coconut-like, with a small essence of lime. It is a very relaxing smell but did not particularly turn me on (I'm quite sensitive to scents, I have found) - but then that was not the brief of this bottle.

Use:

I lay my boyfriend on his stomach so his shoulders, back and bottom were exposed to me. I poured a little oil between my hands and rubbed my palms together to create warmth, as instructed to by the label. I believe it created a little but it was not a significant amount. I then started to rub the lotion in. I found I needed a reasonably large quantity to get him fully covered. It left his skin shiny and slick to touch but it did not feel like there was an excess amount left on him, which I liked. I then proceeded to massage him with my hands, a vibrating massage ball and a small, plastic massager. The oil worked well with all of these. I found I wanted to add more oil from time to time (although this should be expected as it was a reasonably long massage). Personally I found sprinkling cool drops of the oil on to the back of my boyfriend received a more favourable reaction than warming it in my palms.

I did feel quite greasy as I was doing it, and was a little worried about damaging the nightdress I was wearing; both of these things I found a little distracting.

Reaction:

My boyfriend certainly appeared to enjoy his massage, requesting more and in certain areas. When I asked him to rate this massage oil in comparison to the others we own he put it in the middle. We both prefer the Earthly Body massage range. 'The middle' is basically how I consider this massage lotion. It's nice and I'm sure it's better than some on the market - especially for those who are very conscious of their green credentials, but as an actual product I found it rather 'so so'. I will use it again but I would not be tempted to purchase another bottle once it had run out. (Which will take a while. It's a large bottle and even though it felt like I used a large quantity of oil it doesn't appear so on the bottle. I like the fact it appears that it was filled to the actual depth of the bottle.)

Overall:

I think this is quite a nice item and would probably work as a good gift to an environmentally or health-conscious friend. It's organic, 100% vegan and completely free from animal testing. It states this pretty prominently on the label so I think somebody to who these things particularly apply to would really appreciate the gesture. I would comment that although it generally looks non-sexual, on the label it states "Our icon (the lotus image at the top of the bottle) rests in the centre because at the heart of our company we believe knowledge of sexual health & well being will help women live more passionate lives." so if you didn't want any reference to sex, this probably wouldn't be advisable to get. However, this is reasonably small on the label so would probably be fine to be left on a bedside table.

It would also be good for people with sensitive skin because the ingredients seem very natural. I'd avoid it if you have a nut allergy, however!

If you are unsure about whether you would enjoy this massage lotion, I would comment that Lovehoney stocks it in a smaller size.